Striking-focused fighters Jun Yong Park and John Phillips faced off at UFC Fight Island 6. Park was 1-1 in the UFC and 11-4 overall heading into the event. He was finished in his debut but bounced back by defeating Canadian prospect Marc-Andre Barriault in December. Park was supposed to fight Trevin Giles in August, but pulled out of that fight. Of his 11 career victories heading into the fight, eight were finishes.

John Phillips is a Welsh who has had a rough go in the UFC, going 1-4 with three submission losses. His last fight was against rising star Khamzat Chimaev, but before that, a 17-second knockout earned him a performance of the night bonus.

Both fighters stood in front of each other for the first minute with very little movement and no offense, then Park exploded for a takedown. Phillips rolled and Park established a headlock. Phillips powered through to his feet, but went back to the ground with Park hanging onto his neck. Park then took his back and began peppering him with ground-and-pound. Both hooks were in for Park, who flattened Phillips out and continued to land punches. Phillips exploded and turned, but still had Park on top, who returned to the back of Phillips. They ended up in a seated position against the cage with Park still on the back of Phillips, riding out the round from there.

Phillips landed a leg kick early on, then Park shot right in for a single-leg, eating an uppercut in the process, but still getting Phillips down. Park got on Phillips’ back quickly and we got right back to what we saw in the first round. Park was giving Phillips a steady diet of punches, then upgraded to hard hammerfists, which caused Phillips to try and explode, but he didn’t get anywhere. Phillips simply wasn’t able to improve his positioning as the referee came close to stopping the fight several times.

Phillips came out desperate and aggressive in the final round. He was winging hooks trying to connect with something fight-changing, but was promptly taken down again by Park, who had set a record for ground strikes in a middleweight fight by the halfway point of the final round. Instead of being on the back, Park was working from guard this time. Phillips gave several efforts to stand up, and the third allowed Park to take his back and we were back to square one. By the end of the fight, the ground strike total was at 286, a new record.

Jun Yong Park def. John Phillips by Unanimous Decision (30-25 x3)

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One of four debuting fighters on the UFC Fight Island 1 card, Khamzat Chimaev made his first walk to the octagon for the featured preliminary fight of the ESPN event. Welcoming him to the promotion, John Phillips, looking for his second win under the UFC banner.

Phillips had started his UFC run at 0-3, but staved off a cut by defeating Alen Amedovski via KO last September. Sweden’s “Borz,” meanwhile, was debuting with a perfect 6-0 record. He’d competed for Brave CF, and had earned high marks from teammates like Alexander Gustafsson.

Both came out early throwing a big exchange as Chimaev quickly got a double leg takedown. Chimaev busted Phillips open  early with excellent ground and pound before taking the back. Chimaev was non-stop with his punches, landing actively while controlling the back of Phillips. Phillips was just more worried about surviving the round rather than getting back to his feet. Chimaev ended the round on top after a dominant round one full of top control and damage.

In round two Chimaev quickly took Phillips down with a double-leg. Back where he left off in round one, Chimaev started to work his ground and pound. As Phillips went to turn away Chimaev sunk in a d’arce choke, forcing Phillips to tap.

Chimaev has been referred to as “Khabib 2.0” and with the performance and style he displayed, that seems to be an apt description.

Khamzat Chimaev def. John Phillips by Submission (D’arce Choke) in Round 2 (1:12)

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Lower on the card in a middleweight bout John Phillips was originally supposed to welcome Dusko Todorovic to the UFC. However, it appears an undisclosed medical issues forced Todorovic’s withdrawal from the fight. Now Phillips will welcome Khamzat Chimaev to the UFC.

Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev
6’1″
Welterweight
25-years-old
Stockholm, Sweden
Allstars Training Center
6-0
4 KO/TKO
2 Submissions

How will Chimaev fare in the UFC:

There is still a lot unknown about Chimaev. Like how he will look outside the first round and once he has to go through some adversity. With that said, dispatching the likes of Sidney Wheeler and Ikram Aliskerov is impressive.

Chimaev has some background in wrestling and it has shown in his short MMA career. He times his entrances well and once he gets to the inside he’s very physical to get the fight to the mat. Chimaev is good at getting the body lock and forcing his foe down and dropping levels, elevating opponents and slamming them down. Once on top, Chimaev proves to be pretty dominant. Never staying stationary Chimaev is continuously passing guard and improving position. He stays active throwing ground and pound and when the opening is there to grab the neck he will indeed do it. On the feet, he can be reckless but has that huge stopping power in his hands. Chimaev throws everything with ill intentions whether if that’s with his striking or his kicks. He does only throw single strikes but his placement and timing are on the money. He’s extremely talented but only having six fights and never going outside the first it’s tough to tell how good he is right now.

How Chimaev matches up with Phillips:

Phillips is a brawler known for his knockout power. On paper Phillips has a striking advantage but the lack of footwork and technique don’t really make him much of a threat against better competition. Chimaev is the much cleaner striker compared to Phillips just winging hooks. The huge factor in the fight should be the wrestling advantage of Chimaev. Phillips has issues defending takedowns and he struggles off his back so that’s where Chimaev can absolutely take this fight. The pick is Chimaev as he has more upside, is much younger, and has a definitive path to victory.

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The Fight Night card expected for the O2 Arena on March 21 has been forced to relocate due to restrictions brought about by the rapidly spreading coronavirus. Cage Warriors 113, however, is moving ahead this Friday, behind closed doors with essential personnel only.

The card will also play host to the John Phillips vs. Dusko Todorovic middleweight fight which had been booked for UFC London. Promoter Graham Boylan, who had previously indicated a desire to salvage whatever fights could be saved from the London card, confirmed the news on social media early Monday.

“Update: [Cage Warriors 113] WILL be bhind closed doors. The ticketing team & office people will be working on how refunds can be claimed, that info will follow,” he wrote on Twitter. “UFC Bout 1: John Phillips vs. Dusko Todorovic has been confirmed to take place at [Cage Warriors 113] Friday night.”

Cage Warriors airs on UFC Fight Pass and has helped bring a number of fighters to the UFC in years gone by.

UFC London was to be Todorovic’s octagon debut. He won his way into the promotion on Dana White’s Contender Series last year, and boasts an undefeated 9-0 record. Phillips (22-9) lost his first three UFC outings before finally getting his hand raised after knocking out Alen Amedovski last September. Phillips previously fought for Cage Warriors.

Cage Warriors 113 kicks off Friday at 1PM ET, at the Indigo at The O2 in London, England.

Update: 1. @cagewarriors #cw113 WILL be behind closed doors. The ticketing team & office people will be working out how refunds can be claimed that info will follow.

— Graham Boylan 🇮🇪 ☘️ (@GrahamBoylan) March 16, 2020

Update: 2.
UFC bout 1: John Philips v Dusko Todorovic has been confirmed to take place @CageWarriors #cw113 Friday Night. The event will be broadcasted LIVE on @UFCFightPass as well as TV Networks around the World.

— Graham Boylan 🇮🇪 ☘️ (@GrahamBoylan) March 16, 2020

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UFC Copenhagen had plenty of exciting battles, but ultimately, it was four finishes that took home the bonus money Saturday. The UFC’s debut in Copenhagen, Denmark featured a main event between top middleweights Jack Hermansson and Jared Cannonier, plus local hero Mark O. Madsen debuting in the co-headliner.

Madsen got the job done on Saturday at the Royal Arena, but it wasn’t enough to earn him one of the four Performance of the Night bonuses handed out. Cannonier, however, did pick up one of the prizes, thanks to his pounding of Hermansson in the headliner.

Also on the main card, another impressive showing by Ovince Saint Preux. While he’s struggled to find consistency at times, when he’s on, OSP is on. He picked up his fourth UFC victory via Von Flue choke at UFC Copenhagen. Only six such submissions have ever been pulled off in the UFC, and the former title contender owns four. Saint Preux put away Michał Oleksiejczuk with the sub, and improved his own record to 24-13.

Jack Shore, who opened the card with a rear-naked choke finish of Nohelin Hernandez, also earned a Performance of the Night bonus. And John Phillips, who entered the night at 0-3 in the promotion with his back to the wall, picked up another for a KO win over Alen Amedovski. The finish took just seventeen seconds.

All four bonus-winning fighters will take home an extra $50,000 for their efforts.

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In the featured fight at UFC Copenhagen, the promotion’s debut in the Danish capital, Alen Amedovski was looking to bounce back from his first career loss. That had come in his promotional debut at UFC St. Petersburg earlier in the year. This time around, he was facing John Phillips, 0-3 since joining the UFC, and no doubt looking at his last chance at sticking around.

Needless to say, Phillips was motivated. After a virtual chorus line of decisions on the UFC Copenhagen card, John Phillips had seen enough. Back to the wall, against a dangerous opponent, Phillips evaded an early attack, and engaged in a back-and-forth exchange. Phillips was landing, Amedovski was not. It was a left behind the ear that first rocked Amedovski. Several more strikes landed, and down he went. One or two more came while he was down but still trying to stay in it.

That wasn’t an option. Amedovski was not coming back, and the ‘Welsh Wrecking Machine’ had his first UFC win. He later called it the greatest day of his life, in his post-fight interview.

14 seconds!!@JohnPhillipsMMA comes out swinging and puts Amedovski away in the first round! #UFCCopenhagen pic.twitter.com/hZERFbh4wf

— UFC (@ufc) September 28, 2019

Result: John Phillips def. Alen Amedovski by knockout, Round 1, 0:14

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Jack Marshman is currently serving as a paratrooper and plans on going back to the military base in two days. His military participation could have contributed to him missing weight for this bout at UFC London. The Wales native is a former Cage Warriors champion who knocked out former prospect Magnus Cedenblad in his promotional debut. Since then, he is 1-3 with two consecutive losses.

John Phillips had a tough time getting into the Octagon, pulling out of a pair of fights in 2017. He went 0-2 in 2018, losing by rear-naked choke both times. Like Marshman, Phillips is also from Wales, but they never crossed paths on the regional scene.

The fight started cautiously, with neither fighter throwing a punch in the first 30 seconds. About a minute in, John Phillips landed a heavy left hook that staggered Jack Marshman. Phillips followed with a clinch against the cage until Marshman pushed away. Phillips landed a leg kick, then Marshman landed a three-piece combination. Phillips landed a right hand that knocked Marshman down, and instead of following him down, Phillips waved him back up and bowed. Marshman landed another three-piece combination, marked by hard right hands. Phillips deflected a head kick then they engaged in a pair of heavy-handed exchanges to cap off the round.

More caution was shown in the second round, with Phillips throwing the first hard shot after just over two minutes ticked away. Marshman absorbed the hook, then landed a body kick to right-hand combination that dropped Phillips briefly. Marshman landed another solid combination as Phillips came in. Phillips tried to goad Marshman into a wild exchange at the end of the round, but Marshman did not bite.

Phillips started the final round with a solid straight punch. Marshman was content to stay behind his jab and keep the pursuing Phillips away. An overhand left landed for Phillips as Marshman was on his horse to limit the offense of Phillips. A right hook and a leg kick landed for Phillips, then a jab. Marshman threw a combination, but Phillips was able to avoid each shot. There was one heavy-handed exchange at the end, but neither fighter buckled and the fight came to an end.

Jack Marshman def. John Phillips by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

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The UFC returned to London, England on Saturday with a card that would confound UFC fans around the world. After many expected either a retirement fight from Michael Bisping, or an appearance from the up-and-coming Darren Till, in the UFC London main event, they were granted neither. Instead, fights for both men fell through; the end result, a heavyweight clash between Fabricio Werdum and Alexander Volkov.

Though not the worst headliner, a lack of creativity on the part of UFC matchmaker’s permeated the card. UFC Fight Night 117 (as UFC London is otherwise known) was very much a Fight Pass card. A lack of top talent, a lack of big stars, and a lack of relevance to the title picture of any division outside heavyweight. In comparison, rival Bellator was stacking its 200th show in London. Yet that’s a debate for a later day.

First up came a half-dozen plus one preliminary fights on UFC Fight Pass. Whether or not these were a magnificent seven remained to be seen; on paper, a lack of star power was blatant, but as any MMA fan knows, those are the fights that often deliver.

Topping  the preliminary card was a middleweight scrap between Charles Byrd, making his UFC debut following two appearances on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. He was set to take on ‘The Welsh Wrecking Machine’ John Phillips. Further down the card, Canadian Kajan Johnson faced Stevie Ray; the subplot to the fight was that both fighters could be seen as on the outs with the UFC of late. Meanwhile, to prep fans for the heavyweight main event, another pair of big men threw down, as Mark ‘Hand of’ Godbeer faced Dmitriy Sosnovskiy.

Nad Narimani vs. Nasrat Haqparast

Off the top of the UFC Fight Night 127 broadcast, the promotion announced that Nad Narimani vs. Nasrat Haqparast was off. That was due to an medical condition suffered by Nasrat Haqparast. In their official statement, the UFC said that “Based on advice from the UFC medical team on Saturday morning, Nasrat Haqparast was deemed unfit to fight due to an infectious eye condition and his bout against Nad Narimani has been cancelled.”

Mark Godbeer vs. Dmitriy Sosnovskiy

Former Bellator heavyweight Mark Godbeer welcomed Russian Dmitriy Sosnovskiy to the octagon Saturday at UFC London. Right off the opening bell, Sosnovskiy ran in and initiated a Thai clinch, throwing a solid knee in the process. Godbeer, however, would manage to muscle his opponent to the cage, tying him up. It was Sosnovskiy, though, who was able to impose his will, getting the fight to the ground, and working from guard, trying to pass to side control. This went on for some time, and while it wasn’t the most thrilling sequence, Sosnovskiy stayed active. Despite this, the ref stood the pair up. That gave Godbeer a chance to land a right hand followed by a short left, and get in his best offense of the round. A tired Sosnovskiy was eventually forced to shoot for a takedown, which Godbeer defended. He wound up in the Russian’s guard, adding damage from the top.

In the second, Godbeer went to the body with a kick, before Sosnovskiy pressed the action back up against the cage. The Russian worked in some knees, then proceeded to throw Godbeer to the canvas in a body lock. Sosnovskiy then worked for an ankle lock, but the attempt backfired, and Godbeer went for his opponent’s back. That backfired in turn, with Sosnovskiy getting back on top, moving quickly to side control. He wouldn’t stay there long; a short while later it was Godbeer on top, but Sosnovskiy still threatening with a kimura from the bottom. With little over a minute to go, the ref stood them up. Godbeer was then rocked; a desperation shot saw Sosnovskiy in mount. Godbeer rolled over, giving up his back. Sosnovskiy made no mistake, sinking in the rear-naked choke and forcing the tap!

Dmitriy Sosnovskiy def. Mark Godbeer by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 4:29

Kajan Johnson vs. Stevie Ray

Canada’s Kajan Johnson took on Scotland’s Stevie Ray in lightweight action early on the UFC Fight Night 127 card. After the pair circled briefly, Johnson opened with a kick; he’d go to the body moments later with a punch that forced Ray to take a step back. Johnson stayed mobile on the outside, adding another kick to the body before Stevie Ray answered back. Johnson’s kicks continued to go both high and low, while Ray looked for a way to cut off the cage. This game continued through nearly the entire first round, with Johnson baiting his opponent, and launching kicks when Ray chose to take the bait.

In round two, Johnson caught Stevie Ray early, sending him reeling. Johnson charged forward, throwing a kick high, then changing levels and scoring a takedown. However, Ray was able to lock in a tight guillotine. Kajan Johnson slowly, methodically fought it off, stepping over for better positioning; he finally freed himself and nearly took Ray’s back. Not long after they were back on the ground with Johnson in control. The second half of the round, however, Stevie Ray finally managed to get in control, finishing the frame in top position. Heading to the third, it was very possible each man had won a round a piece; Johnson was also nursing a possible leg injury.

Ray pressed the action in the third, landing a heavy right hand just over a minute in. He began teeing off on Johnson, who was very likely rocked. Johnson changed levels, but couldn’t get the takedown; sticking with it, he took the back but in a scramble, Stevie Ray was able to isolate a leg. Johnson was able to free his leg, and wound up in Ray’s butterfly guard. Kajan would be in control for a good minute or more, but was unable to do any damage, with the ref finally standing the pair up. Back on the feet, Ray was clearly head-hunting, but opted to level change with less than a minute to go, scoring a takedown. He couldn’t get the finish, however; that took things to the judge’s scorecards.

After the decision was read — a split decision in favor of Johnson — Kajan Johnson admonished the crowd for booing the result. “We deserve nothing but your respect” he said, pointing out that they were sweating and bleeding for the masses. “You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Kajan Johnson def. Stevie Ray by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Paul Craig vs. Magomed Ankalaev

Light heavyweight action was up next at UFC London, as Paul Craig met dangerous Russian Magomed Ankalaev. Craig was active early, attacking with kicks and working the jab. Ankalaev answered back, letting hands fly, and Craig was on the retreat. In a clinch, Craig then connected with a knee solidly to the groin, causing a pause in the action and eliciting a warning from the ref. Once things were back underway, Paul Craig shot for a single leg takedown, which Ankalaev easily defended. Off a break Ankalaev landed a hard left hand; Craig however dragged things to the ground. He was able to tie Ankalaev up, controlling the action and landing a few decent punches while in control. Ankalaev reversed, however, with just over a minute left in the round. He looked to create space, but Craig was able to force him back with upkicks. In the final seconds, however, Ankalaev was able to get in one last flurry of strikes on the downed Craig.

Craig launched a spinning back kick early in the second, while Magomed Ankalaev opted to take a more measured approach. The fight looked nothing like the lopsided match-up the betting lines claimed (Ankalaev was a heavy favorite). Ankalaev then pressed the action against the fence, putting his weight on Craig. Then off the break, he landed a heavy left, something he’d done earlier in the fight. Ankalaev would later take his foe down, and pass to side control. The undefeated Ankalaev worked in elbows to the body, and would finish the frame in control.

Paul Craig ate a head kick early in the third, and was in serious danger. Craig was down, but not out; Ankalaev stayed cautious, and was perhaps too cautious. Ahead on the scorecards, he had a chance to do serious damage, but was instead walking Craig down only to throw single strikes. His hands were accurate but the volume simply wasn’t there, and Craig was slowly recovering. He changed levels, looking for a takedown, but Ankalaev was having none of it. Ankalaev nearly reversed but Craig escaped to his feet; a spinning elbow by Ankalaev then sent Craig reeling. He fell to the floor, but again Ankalaev was slow to pound. He was then warned for strikes to the back of the head; Craig, meanwhile, was soon on his back with Ankalaev in guard. The pair were tight to the fence, and with Craig no doubt needing a finish, the writing was on the wall. Then came a moment of shock: the ten second warning had passed. The ref was all set to come in and break them apart, anticipating the end of the fight. Yet Paul Craig refused to quit, got his legs up, and locked in a triangle choke. With a single second remaining in the fight, Ankalaev tapped! In a huge upset and fantastic comeback, Craig had the submission win.

Paul Craig def. Magomed Ankalaev by submission (triangle choke), Round 3, 4:59

Danny Henry vs. Hakeem Dawodu

Hakeem Dawodu was a highly touted featherweight prospect in his UFC debut, but it was Danny Henry dropping him in the opening seconds! Dawodu scrambled, tried to survive, but Henry was able to sink in a guillotine choke. The Canadian Dawodu tried to hang on, but he was quickly out — Danny Henry had the submission win!

Danny Henry def. Hakeem Dawodu by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 0:39

Danny Roberts vs. Oliver Enkamp

In welterweight action, Danny Roberts opened with a leg kick and kept his hands up against the flashy Oliver Enkamp. Enkamp, however, soon ate a hard left hand and shot for a takedown. Roberts was looking to scramble then switched to a whizzer; he was quickly free. Enkamp, meanwhile, appeared to have recovered. Yet moments later, Roberts was going to work again. He slipped a big left under the arm of Enkamp, landing flush, dropping him! That was all she wrote!

Danny Roberts def. Oliver Enkamp by knockout, Round 1, 2:12

John Phillips vs. Charles Byrd

The featured fight of UFC London’s Fight Pass prelims featured a pair of newcomers in John Phillips and Charles Byrd. It was Byrd scoring the early takedown, controlling Phillips on the mat. He quickly had mount, and took his time, ensuring Phillips could not escape. Byrd managed to mix in rarely seen shoulder strikes, elbows, and was having his way with his opponent. Phillips would eventually give up his back; Byrd couldn’t capitalize but wound up back in half-guard (and in control) regardless.

It wasn’t long before Charles Byrd found he finish. With a second shot at the rear mount, he took the back and sunk in a rear-naked choke. Phillips was forced to tap, and Byrd picked up the win in the final prelim of the night.

Charles Byrd def. John Phillips by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:58

UFC London Fight Pass Preliminary Results

Charles Byrd def. John Phillips by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:58
Danny Roberts def. Oliver Enkamp by knockout, Round 1, 2:12
Danny Henry def. Hakeem Dawodu by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 0:39
Paul Craig def. Magomed Ankalaev by submission (triangle choke), Round 3, 4:59
Kajan Johnson def. Stevie Ray by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Dmitriy Sosnovskiy def. Mark Godbeer by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 4:29
Nad Narimani vs. Nasrat Haqparast was cancelled

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