Gambetesa KOs Wheeler, 18, at ‘Heat’

LONDON -- Assembled from the ashes of Cage Rage and positioned beneath the bluster of the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts, Ultimate Challenge UK continues to garner strong support through a tested combination of solid cards and experienced promotion.

British MMA pioneer and former Cage Rage architect Dave O’Donnell took his latest venture to the Troxy on Saturday, with Ultimate Challenge UK “Heat.”

An injury to featherweight champion Brad Pickett robbed the card of its original headline fight, so the unusual decision was made to place challenger Dino Gambetesa against 18-year-old local fighter Brad Wheeler. An apparent lack of star appeal within the main event was offset through patriotic interests, as Gambetesa, a Welshman, was cast as the villain to the partisan crowd.

The locals left disappointed.

After a cautious opening period, Gambetesa connected with a thudding right, which floored Wheeler, leaving him in the fetal position and in no state to continue. The fight was stopped 40 seconds into the first round.

In the co-main event, Jack Mason, continued his impressive recent run with a first-round submission against veteran fighter Dorlan O’Malley.

Mason, clearly wary of the Moldavian’s dangerous striking, sought to take the fight to the ground from the outset. Mason earned the takedown early in the first round, and, despite a spirited guillotine attempt from O’Malley, the fight was quickly finished via arm triangle 2:25 into the first round. Mason will now face fellow middleweight contender Alex Reid in an elimination bout later in the year.

Reid -- a man in possession of perhaps the worst nickname in the history of professional sports -- was also featured on the card, as he successfully defended his UCUK K-1 middleweight title against Jake Bostwick.

The fight ended in controversy, however, after “Reidernater” decided to kick out at Bostwick long after the fight had been stopped. Reid later explained his actions as being the result of a bet with a friend. Ever the gentleman, Reid did at least offer to share the prize with his felled opponent.

Meanwhile, Scott Jansen won the UCUK K-1 welterweight title with an impressive performance against Richard Griffin. Jansen won by unanimous decision.

Finally, London Shootfighters product Giorgio Andrews maintained his unbeaten record with a submission victory over Max Henchey. Andrews submitted Henchey with a rear-naked choke 2:46 into round one.

In the UCUK lightweight grand prix, the semi-finals were won by Wesley Johnson and Luke Smith, who both earned their victories via triangle chokes. Johnson tapped out Alex Harvey 1:55 into their match; Smith finished John Joe Ellis 3:24 into round two.

Other Bouts
Jamaine Facey def. Nigel Whitear -- TKO (Strikes) 0:38 R1

Dyson Roberts def. Michael Brown -- TKO (Strikes) 2:07 R2

Chris Greig def. Shaun Lomas -- Submission (Heel Hook) 1:43 R2

Rafik Benziada def. Earl Brown -- TKO (Strikes) 1:08 R1

Dominic Plumb def. Jody Cottham -- Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 3:19 R1

Brett Bassett def. Adam Avo -- Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 1:54 R1