Picture credit: @myskewedview
Last week on UWFi Contenders Series, we saw names called out, lines drawn in the sand and a Team Filthy ambush to close the show. This week, we’re looking at an absolutely stacked card of fights with a little something for everybody. We also have Team Filthy’s leader Filthy Tom Lawlor taking on Season One standout, Lord Crewe in the Main Event. With all that out of the way, lets dive into the action!
Cole Radrick vs Yoya
Cole Radrick is coming into this making his series debut against one of last season’s standout fighters in Yoya. Cole used his clear size advantage against Yoya, chopping away at his legs with loads of thigh kicks. Yoya, while limited in size, more than made up for it by out-maneuvering the Wildheart at every corner. The Shooterweight seemingly had Cole on the ropes after a chance Single-Leg Dropkick completely floored him. However, Cole was able to work his way out of an Armbar with loads of strikes before locking on one of his own for the tap out victory. Post-fight, he simply told Robert Martyr to “f*ck around and find out.” This fight got my blood pumping with how hard each man was scrapping for that win. An opener this hot has most definitely become a strong contender for Fight of the Season and I commend both men for their performances.
Ron Mathis vs Nick King
Its a tale as old as time; both men come into this match with no victories and one must win. The unorthodox Ron Mathis managed to weather the early storm of King before finally slamming the new comer and choking him out. Post-fight, DDTrash’s Bruce Grey took to the mic to laughably compare Ron to the likes of Karl Gotch and Billy Robinson before proclaiming Ron the greatest shoot fighter ever. Then, in a move that could be more so fueled by liquid courage rather than actual courage, Bruce called out Dominic Garrini on Ron’s behalf. This fight felt like Bum Fights meets RINGS with such polar opposite styles clashing. Unfortunately, Nick King will continue to search for that first win elsewhere.
Alex Kane vs Freddie Hudson
In an exact opposite of the previous fight, both men are coming into this fight with a win and only one can move to 2-0. In a wrestling and striking heavy affair, Alex Kane delivered an especially devastating Mark of Kane for the knockout victory. Post-fight, Kane in such brash fashion, lays out the challenge to all the talent available in Paradigm. This is a fight I just knew would be excellent on paper and it delivered! It was a flash of a fight but those can be the most entertaining as both men are willing to go full sprint for that win.
Aaron Williams vs Kerry Awful
Kerry Awful coming debuting this fight, but he’s unfortunately drawn the straw of one of Paradigm’s most dangerous: Aaron Williams. The typically tag team strong Kerry Awful really let his mat wrestling muscle flex here in this one, though he was panned for using the ropes in this fight. Aaron, to his credit wasn’t letting Kerry skate by as he delivered especially stiff strikes to shut Kerry’s business down. Ultimately, Kerry maneuvered a Stretched Muffler into a Butterfly Armlock for the submission win. Post-fight, Kerry Awful laid out his intentions in Paradigm: to watch his students and to do business.
Tom Lawlor vs Lord Crewe
The leader of Team Filthy main events this episode in his series debut against the resident Bare Knuckle Berserker. Lord Crewe managed to use his bare knuckle fighting skills to actually force Filthy Tom to take back-steps to the ropes. Tom however, really put his MMA acumen on display here has he used his superior grappling to ground Crewe. This acumen would kick into overdrive as a zombied out Lawlor locked in a modified Head-and-Arm Choke with a Head-Scissors. Post-fight, Filthy Tom touts his skill as a fighter before zeroing in on Matthew Justice as his next target.
Final Thoughts & Superlatives
Following up last week’s premiere, this week’s edition absolutely topped the last. No fight felt small on this card as even the quicker fights left me satisfied from bell to bell. Each week, UWFi Contenders Series becomes more worthy of your time and attention. With it clocking in under an hour its a burst of pure fighting that cannot be denied. To close, here are this week’s superlatives:
Fight of the Night: Tom Lawlor vs Lord Crewe
Performance of the Night: Tom Lawlor
Knockout of the Night: Alex Kane
Submission of the Night: Kerry Awful