Abu Kamarra offers an alternative look at the action from UCMMA 46.
As UCMMA 46 came to a close, it became clear that it had been a night to remember. As I entered the building, I was keen to find out the type of atmosphere that was present at a more intimate setting than the usual UFC experience.
Making your way into the venue (The Troxy in east London), you could feel the excitement in the air and see it in people’s faces. Everyone knew they were in for a special night so I took this opportunity to ask the fans questions about the event and what fight they can’t wait to see.
The views ranged from a focus on specific fighters: from “I have to say the main event Billy [Beaumont] vs Josh [Collins] would be my choice if I could only watch one”, to “Looking forward to the veteran title fight between Edward White–Overton and Brendan Sealy”, and “Tomasz Czerwinski vs Andy Cunningham for the K1 heavyweight title fight is the fight to watch”.
Plenty of fans stood throughout, giving loud vocal support towards the cage. The sort of foul language used throughout the night may have been inappropriate in a different setting but on a night like this, it contributed to the life of the event. Fans laughed out loud in amusement at what was said and it became clear that no one had any objections to the rowdiness of the crowd.
What was incredible to see was the significant attendance of young kids and families at such an event. It might be thought that with a sport as brutal and bloody as mixed-martial-arts can be and with the typically foul language that is often used at these types of events, that parents would be uneasy bringing their children. However, the longer I stayed, the more I realised how wrong I was as the kids seemed to enjoy every moment of it.
Violence
Regarding the foul language, I asked one parent if they didn’t mind their kids being around and he said it was “nothing worse than what you would hear at a football ground and families go there all the time”
Throughout the night, the support for local fighters was tremendous and as the fans burst into song in support of fighters several times, it became clear that the non-British fighters were unlikely to receive the same reception. However, the presence of their own, smaller group of supporters made for an entertaining back-and-forth between the ‘home’ crowd and their counterparts with both sides trying to drown-out the other.
As the fighters entered the cage to the soundtrack of the crowd, the atmosphere was like a movie. This image became representative of the whole event and as the night wound down to close, the hall emptied with a sense of fulfilment among its customers.
It was indeed a night to remember; full of the good, bad and the ugly that makes the sport so endearing. This is an event that I would recommend to anyone who loves cage fighting and doesn’t want to pay through the nose to watch it.