Cage Rage: Manhoef Sends Freeman Out with a Bang
Out With a Bang
Pedro Wrobel Jul 2, 2006
LONDON, July 1 — It says something about the tremendous drawing
potential of mixed martial arts in this country when an 8,000
capacity venue can be completely sold-out on a night when it is
effectively competing with World Cup soccer.
It's been a heck of a journey, but if the added media interest in tonight's Cage Rage 17 is indicative of anything then, in the immortal words of the Bachman-Turner Overdrive, "You ain't seen nothing yet."
In what may be the start of a new tradition, tonight’s main event
was heralded by the national anthems of the countries represented
by the two combatants.
The widespread apathy surrounding the playing of Melvin Manhoef (Pictures)’s Dutch national anthem soon gave way to a sudden injection of testosterone fuelled patriotism as the English anthem sounded for Ian Freeman (Pictures).
The fighters both moved forward as the bell sounded. Freeman shot for a takedown but Manhoef sprawled well and followed up with a big left hand. That was it, basically. Freeman tried to recover, but Manhoef followed with a flurry that put the Englishman down with big right hand. A couple more shots followed but Freeman was clearly out for the count, after just 17 seconds of combat.
Freeman himself put it best when, in a gracious post-fight interview in which he announced himself a big fan of his opponent's fighting style, he added that, "I knew I had one more fight in me, so why not go out with a bang? And I fucking went out with a bang!"
Whilst the manner in which Freeman lost was surprising to some, that surprise paled in comparison to the war fought in the trenches somewhere between James Thompson (Pictures) and Rob Broughton.
Everyone at ringside expected this to be an easy win for Thompson. "The Colossus" is a PRIDE veteran after all, a world class heavyweight, a huge, muscle-bound mass of mean intentions that would steamroll through the late replacement from Liverpool, a man described in my notes as "pink and tubby.”
The first round went as predicted. Thompson came out of the starting blocks like a steam train and it was "The Colossus" who controlled every range, pummeling his hapless opponent in the stand-up before taking him down to the mat, taking his back, and then mounting him en route to administering a third helping of knuckle sandwich until the bell saved Broughton from further suffering.
The second round offered yet more of the same, with an incredulous Thompson continuing to land solid shots all over Broughton, whose considerable tummy wobbled defiantly on impact.
This was a round of revelation, when it became apparent to all present that Broughton was not going to stay down. And then the crowd turned, with Thompson, the Londoner, suddenly subjected to boos from his hometown crowd. In contrast, the man from Liverpool became an instant favorite, with every appropriate soccer chant getting an airing.
"Who ate all the pies?" the crowd asked merrily, before letting everyone know that "we love you fat boy, we do, we love you fat boy, we do, oh fat boy we love you" and so forth. The sweet smell of an upset was in the air and although it's fair to say that Thompson was all over his opponent during this round, Broughton at last started to land a couple of shots in the stand-up exchanges.
The third round opened with a hectic pace, with Broughton looking for a finish and Thompson, way ahead on points, looking to stall on the ground.
It was to be Broughton who imposed his will though, dropping Thompson to the ground with a solid punch and falling into his opponent's side mount. From there, the Liverpudian unleashed a relentless series of hard hammerfists that put a gassed and defeated Thompson to sleep. The referee was forced to intervene and the fight was halted after 49 seconds, leaving Rob "The Bear" Broughton to claim the victory, the prestige, and the Cage Rage British heavyweight title.
It's been a heck of a journey, but if the added media interest in tonight's Cage Rage 17 is indicative of anything then, in the immortal words of the Bachman-Turner Overdrive, "You ain't seen nothing yet."
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The widespread apathy surrounding the playing of Melvin Manhoef (Pictures)’s Dutch national anthem soon gave way to a sudden injection of testosterone fuelled patriotism as the English anthem sounded for Ian Freeman (Pictures).
If Freeman had a game plan beyond "I'm going to move forward and
get my head knocked off" then I'm afraid to report that Manhoef put
an end to it. It was an impressive effort on the Dutchman's
part.
The fighters both moved forward as the bell sounded. Freeman shot for a takedown but Manhoef sprawled well and followed up with a big left hand. That was it, basically. Freeman tried to recover, but Manhoef followed with a flurry that put the Englishman down with big right hand. A couple more shots followed but Freeman was clearly out for the count, after just 17 seconds of combat.
Freeman himself put it best when, in a gracious post-fight interview in which he announced himself a big fan of his opponent's fighting style, he added that, "I knew I had one more fight in me, so why not go out with a bang? And I fucking went out with a bang!"
Whilst the manner in which Freeman lost was surprising to some, that surprise paled in comparison to the war fought in the trenches somewhere between James Thompson (Pictures) and Rob Broughton.
Everyone at ringside expected this to be an easy win for Thompson. "The Colossus" is a PRIDE veteran after all, a world class heavyweight, a huge, muscle-bound mass of mean intentions that would steamroll through the late replacement from Liverpool, a man described in my notes as "pink and tubby.”
The first round went as predicted. Thompson came out of the starting blocks like a steam train and it was "The Colossus" who controlled every range, pummeling his hapless opponent in the stand-up before taking him down to the mat, taking his back, and then mounting him en route to administering a third helping of knuckle sandwich until the bell saved Broughton from further suffering.
The second round offered yet more of the same, with an incredulous Thompson continuing to land solid shots all over Broughton, whose considerable tummy wobbled defiantly on impact.
This was a round of revelation, when it became apparent to all present that Broughton was not going to stay down. And then the crowd turned, with Thompson, the Londoner, suddenly subjected to boos from his hometown crowd. In contrast, the man from Liverpool became an instant favorite, with every appropriate soccer chant getting an airing.
"Who ate all the pies?" the crowd asked merrily, before letting everyone know that "we love you fat boy, we do, we love you fat boy, we do, oh fat boy we love you" and so forth. The sweet smell of an upset was in the air and although it's fair to say that Thompson was all over his opponent during this round, Broughton at last started to land a couple of shots in the stand-up exchanges.
The third round opened with a hectic pace, with Broughton looking for a finish and Thompson, way ahead on points, looking to stall on the ground.
It was to be Broughton who imposed his will though, dropping Thompson to the ground with a solid punch and falling into his opponent's side mount. From there, the Liverpudian unleashed a relentless series of hard hammerfists that put a gassed and defeated Thompson to sleep. The referee was forced to intervene and the fight was halted after 49 seconds, leaving Rob "The Bear" Broughton to claim the victory, the prestige, and the Cage Rage British heavyweight title.
