Samurai Fighting Championships wrapped up its fifth instalment last night, here’s everything that went down!
Samurai Fighting Championships 5 – A Sell Out Show
SFC 5 showed itself to be a huge success with ticket sales. Standard, VIP, and table sections sold out for the event which created an electric atmosphere from start to finish. Fans from all across the UK travelled in the masses to support their favourite fighters. A stacked card from top to bottom helped keep the crowd alive roaring from the very first bell. With Brett Johns, Joe Robins, and Ioan Harris on commentary, fans at home didn’t miss out either.
Standout Performances
Alfie Parker- 16 year old Alfie Parker made his unified amateur debut last night against an experienced fighter in Joe Patterson. After blitzing the Four Nations in 2023, fans have been eager to follow Parker’s journey as he makes his way through the adult ranks. The bout began with some good striking exchanges, where both seemed comfortable to trade and find their range. Parker then decides to take the fight to the ground and hits a well timed double leg takedown- where he begins to dominate Patterson. Parker rains down heavy ground and pound shots while trapping the arm of Patterson, forcing a TKO victory in the early stages of round one. A highly impressive and mature performance from such a young talent.
Morgan Lennon- Morgan Lennon squared off against Dogs of War fighter Lewis Williams. Lennon is known for his exciting bouts, but has previously fallen short in the hunt for an entertaining performance. This fight saw Lennon waste no time in taking the fight to the ground, where he quickly established full mount and began to land a mixture of body and headshots. Williams appeared strong while working his escapes and striking from bottom position, but Lennon kept the pressure on and remained dominant. Round two saw a similar story for Williams, where he was taken down again via a well timed lateral drop- which looks to be a mainstay in Lennon’s game. Williams gets back to his feet, only to be taken down again, absorbing more ground and pound. Round three solidifies Lennon’s performance. He showed patience, control, and great top pressure here. Lennon wins via unanimous decision. This performance was impressive as Lennon showed great discipline and control, a different feel from previous performances, and a great win for the Shore MMA fighter.
Standout Performances Part Two
Tallon Jones- This short notice fight saw Tallon Jones square off against Ellis Richards for the Bantamweight Championship. Due to Befan Hall sustaining a concussion just one week out from the show, team mate Ellis Richards stepped up to fight for the title. A difficult stylistic matchup for both, in your classic striker vs grappler matchup. Tallon opens the bout with a great striking display, pushing the pace from the start of the round. Richards replied with some striking of his own, but ultimately opted to wrestle. Jones showed great takedown defence here, as he nullified Richards’ relentless pressure against the cage, and even gets a takedown of his own. Jones worked well to defended Richards’ patented triangle choke here and remain in control. Round two saw Tallon grow in confidence on the feet, it was here where he landed a beautiful spinning back kick which lead another takedown attempt from Richards. This takedown was secured and Richards looked to establish control and land some ground and pound shots. However, Jones wasted no time in submission hunting. He quickly sinches up a triangle choke, shocking many by submitting Richards with his own signature submission. A great performance from Jones, who is now the new SFC Bantamweight Champion.
Liam Davies- In what was expected to be fight of the night, Liam Davies faced off against Ellis Lewis for the SFC Featherweight title. Davies appears to have a clear game plan in his fights, where he often finds success in grappling- particularly submitting opponents with chokes. However, Davies showed a much more well- rounded performance in this fight. He traded with Lewis and displayed mature and calculated striking. When Davies looked to wrestle, he stayed patient and waited for his openings to secure the takedown off the cage wall. He also showed great submission defence here, as Lewis secured a kimura during round two which seemed to be locked in. Davies’ composure and grappling skills allowed him to escape this and retain his guard. Round three saw Davies grow into the fight and relentlessly look for the finish. After three hard fought rounds, Davies wins via unanimous decision. This performance was particularly impressive as we often see Davies dominate and execute a similar game plan each fight. However, this time he was tested and showed his skill in all areas against a tough opponent. Davies has shown great improvements after each fight and proved why he was deserving of the SFC Featherweight title last night.
An exciting time for the SFC scene, stay tuned for fight of the night pieces to follow!
