Adil Sajjad reports on East London’s mixed martial arts scene after attending WCMMA 17 in Stepney.
Warrior Challenge Mixed Martial Arts (WCMMA) is well known by UK mixed martial arts’ fans as the sister organisation of Ultimate Challenge MMA (UCMMA) and one half of the reincarnation of the cult favourite Cage Rage promotion, an organisation which was once the stomping ground of all-time sporting greats such as Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva, ‘The Phenom’ Vitor Belfort and Melvin Manhoef.
It holds a special place in the hearts of fight fans who revelled in the club-like atmosphere and match-making style that consistently led to wars in the cage.
WCMMA is very much an experience building platform for young fighters. In fact, Stan Wilson, the current UK-1 light heavyweight champion for WCMMA, reiterated that even he wasn’t yet looking at becoming pro: “I’m gonna defend it [the belt] a few times, get some more experience under my belt and then I will turn pro.”
WCMMA is less of a stomping ground than it is a proving ground. The promotion casts a much wider net in terms of fighters (fighter application forms are on every table), and the card is usually tailored towards anyone, from semi-pro fighters looking to get some more experience, to complete amateurs from the street with barely a couple of months experience. This means fireworks are assured in almost every bout – with a general mentality among the fighters to put on a show.
The bad thing is that this also means any complex techniques or nuances you might be used to in the UFC or UCMMA are scarce. However, this doesn’t mean that talent or discernible technique is nowhere to be found; current light-heavyweight champion Modestas Bukauska is a consistent crowd pleaser who also boasts an admirable amount of technical flair in his striking repertoire, from spinning heel kicks to crescent kicks.
To put it simply, the high points of MMA may be a lot higher but expect the low points to be undoubtedly lower. That being said, if you’re looking for mixed martial arts to feel like an art, there is the alternative of UCMMA which is held in the same building in alternating months with WCMMA.
In terms of location, the east London promotion could do worse than its current venue; the Troxy Theatre on Commercial Road in Stepney. The venue can accommodate up to 2,600 people if the top floor is also opened to the fans. The floor is set with rows of round tables a la boxing’s Aragon Ballroom with adjacent bars on either side of the room and typical stands on the top floor.
Fans who are nostalgic of the Cage Rage days will be pleasantly surprised as WCMMA manages to retain much of that charm and the party feel of the oft-remembered organisation. This is in part due to WCMMA and UCMMA deciding to preserve the formula that made Cage Rage successful. Cage Rage talisman and on-screen personality Dave O’Donnell is still present and in the cage both before fights and after, often accompanied by the same type of raucous music that would’ve fit WCMMA’s predecessor perfectly.
For fans looking to revisit some of that Cage Rage magic or just to have a night out with friends and watch some fights, WCMMA is an appropriate setting as it offers exciting bouts, a clubbing atmosphere and an accessible location. However, if you’re a hard core fan who enjoys the subtlety of wrist-control and other complex techniques prevalent in high-level MMA then it’s probably best to sit this one out.