Michael Howarth - Photographer

One year on, not shooting fights!

2021-03-16T13:08:00.003+00:00

It's been over a year since I shot any Muay Thai now, and it's safe to say I'm missing it a lot!

Being able to shoot amazing fighters at the top of their game is a total privilege, and it's a pleasure to be able to capture some great images to show off their talents.

Here's a couple of my favourites from last year's Yokkao Supershow in Bolton - England.

Liam Harrison (YOKKAO Fight Team) vs Khyzer Hayat Nawaz (Spain)

Joe Craven (England) vs Niall Brown (England)

To see more, visit Yokkao UK who also supply all the gloves, and shorts you see in these shots.

Interview by muaythainews.co.uk

2017-06-06T14:30:00.000+01:00

In 2015 I was interviewed by a UK Muay Thai blog ukmuaythainews which has since unfortunately closed down.

I came across the final transcript today so I thought it was worth posting here since it isn't available anywhere else online anymore.

Enjoy...

What is your background in Muay Thai? I started training Muay Thai in the late nineties on and off in Bolton with Sandy Holt, but eventually Darren Phillip’s GFC Muay Thai opened up just down the road from where I live so I started training there. It was originally called Heywood Sitnarong and still part of Master Sken’s set-up back then, so I did all the grading system up to red armband and just enjoyed the sport and keeping myself fit. Another ten or so years down the line I’ve got a decent handful of fights under my belt, I was never going to set the world on fire as a fighter, but I won more than I lost, sparred with some incredible fighters along the way and still train with and coach the young fighters at GFC now. How long have you been a photographer? For as long as I can remember… My dad bought a fancy SLR when I was a kid which I loved messing with, but I was only allowed to have a small camera of my own to start with - I studied art & design when I went to college and learned how to use SLR film cameras and darkrooms properly there. How did you first get involved in fight photography? I wasn’t much of a fighter when I first started Muay Thai, so I used to take video cameras and cameras along to interclubs and just see what I could get. I had no clue how to shoot fights back then, so everything was little more than snapshots, but I got some pretty memorable stuff for the gym. Eventually Darren asked me to take pictures of the fighters at ringside for an early GFC gym show, I wasn’t too heavily involved back then so it was a bit of a buzz sitting at ringside – Andy Thrasher V Dave Paquette was top of the bill, so looking back it’s nice to see which fights you can accidentally end up shooting, I just really enjoyed that feeling of being involved. After that I approached Master Sken and asked if I could shoot some of his shows whenever GFC guys were fighting which he kindly let me do, I’d borrowed a camera that really wasn’t up to the job so the results weren’t great to start with, but it was a brilliant learning experience. Eventually I got made redundant from my day job so I spent my redundancy money on a proper SLR (a Canon EOS350D camera fans) with the kit lens and started getting some decent stuff from there. How did that develop into you working for all of the main shows? I’d been getting myself into shows just exclusively shooting GFC guys whenever I could, particularly with Andy Thrasher – he was always really helpful in sorting me access with promoters so I started developing more as a photographer during that time. After a while I had quite a couple of years out and wasn’t really shooting much, but then the MSA show came up which Master Sken asked me to shoot for him… I couldn’t believe it! The lighting and set-up was better than anything I’d shot before so it seemed much easier to shoot. I was fortunate enough to be on the right side of the ring to capture the shot of Jordan Watson’s flying knee which became pretty well known. It kind-of snowballed from there… I got invited to shoot the Rumble at the Reebok which rolled on to The Main Event, as well as all the subsequent MSA shows, Dan Green also introduced me to Stefania from Yokkao back before they’d started promoting in the UK so I ended up shooting a lot for them, too. I’m on-board with the guys at Smash as well now, they’ve got a really nice set-up. There’s so many good promotions now from the ground up, it’s great to see! Without getting overly technical and confusing us non-photography experts, how does shooting live action differ from a more traditional shoot where the people are stationary? The main thing is trying to freeze the action and keep everything in focus whilst composing a good shot as the fighters are moving about. In other forms of photography, you generally have time to set-up a shot, but with sports (as well as things like wildlife & journalism shooting) once the moment’s gone, it’s gone, so you have to give yourself the best chance of getting the shot in the first place and then just let what you know do the rest. How long did it take for you to develop the timing to get the ‘perfect shot’? I’m not 100% sure, but I’d say for sure it wasn’t until the MSA shows that I started getting the really good, publishable quality stuff on a regular basis. Do you study the fighter’s styles before a fight to give you an idea of when to get that perfect shot? For example is it more difficult to shoot a fighter with an unorthodox style like Andrew Lofthouse or Paul Karpowicz as it’s hard to know what they will do next! I don’t study fighters before shoots, no. I do love shooting the likes of Karpowitz and Lofthouse, though. I’ve got a million decent shots of all the varying Muay Thai techniques, so it’s always cool to shoot those fighters you know will bring something different to the table whatever that is. You recently got the opportunity to shoot at the world famous Lumpinee stadium in Bangkok, how was that? Oh, that was fantastic! I’d gone over to train at Rob Cox’ Kiatphontip gym in Bangkok and I’ve known Rob for a while now so he really helped out with the ringside access. The show I shot on was the Lumpinee birthday show so it was PACKED and really loud. The atmosphere was electric in there, really what I imagined Muay Thai being all about. Every single fight, from the bottom card to the top was absolutely top drawer to shoot, I was like a kid in a candy shop, grinning from ear to ear at it all. I also got to shoot at the Ratchamadamnoern, too, but I kind-of chanced my arm a bit, Rob had told the ushers that I was a top journalist from the UK (he’s a terrible liar!) but after a couple of fights (Dan McGowan’s being one) I eventually got asked to go and sit down by one of the Army Generals running the stadium – I wasn’t going to argue with him! To be honest I was happy to just sit there and enjoy the rest of that show - The Man with the Golden gun was always my favourite Bond film as a kid so I made sure I sat where Bond sat. Ha ha What is your favourite ever fight photo you have taken and why? If I didn’t say the Jordan Watson flying knee I’d be doing myself a disservice. That’s the one which gave me recognition. Lately though, I really like the shot I got of Brad Stanton’s head kick against Silenco Remmy on the Main Event in 2014, they used that on their poster for their next show, too. It’s not often things line-up that perfectly for a photographer, fighter position, lights, focus, timing, everything, but when it does and I see the shot on the back of the camera, I get a bit giddy wanting to show people straight away! If you could shoot a fight between any two fighters in any location, who would you choose and where would it be? Fantasy fight here, I’m allowed to put this together how I want, right? ;) Buakaw V Dekkers, both at the height of their career (let’s assume they’re the same weight) in Vegas, absolutely packed out. That would be one of the best fights the world has ever seen, I guarantee it! I haven’t shot Yodsenklai yet, so being realistic I’d really like to shoot him fighting in the Lumpinee on a packed out show, go on, then… let’s make it a rematch V Jordan Watson. We recently interviewed Vinny Shoreman and finished with these questions, and it would be great to get your answers too: You watch a lot of Muay Thai, who do you feel are the rising stars from the UK to watch out for over the next 12-18 months? Macauley Coyle – I spotted him a few years ago and was really impressed. I spoke to Liam Robinson at the time and told him as much, he said he was his “new 53.3kg star!” I should add that I hadn’t seen Tam McCourt fight before The Main Event, so I’m adding him here, too. He’s got some cracking dance moves! All the lads from Frank’s gym are frighteningly good at the moment – Chris Whittle and Soloman Wickstead stand out, they’ve got a real team spirit going on there. And I also reckon Brad Stanton’s had a breakout couple of years, too so it’s time to see him in some serious match-ups now.

Two really young fighters worth keeping an eye on would be Majestic’s Louis Harper, I’ve seen him a few times lately, he looks very promising; then there’s a young lad at GFC at the moment, Lewis George, both of them with bags of potential.

I could go on and on here, there’s so much talent in the UK at the moment, it’s all about who can make the right decisions with their career, get the right fights and stay busy. I think consistency is key. Just a few quick fire questions to finish: - Favourite current Thai fighter I’ll be honest, I really don’t watch enough straight Thai V Thai fights regularly to have one. I was very impressed with Superbank and Pen-ek when I shot the Lumpine show, though. I would have said Pornsane if he was still active. Was that guy ever in a dull fight? - Favourite ever Thai fighter Saenchai – hands down. I love skilfull quick fighters, his timing and positioning never fails to impress me. Nice guy, too! - Favourite current UK fighter Panicos Yousuf is just a classy operator all round, although I’d like to see him in bigger fights now (Wootton rematch?!). Also, if I don’t mention Liam Harrison, I’d be an arse. The guy’s a machine… hits like a mule and he’s developed year on year as a fighter and is better than he’s ever been right now, his timing against Pakorn was fantastic to see. UK Muay Thai’s biggest draw for over ten years… you can’t argue with that. - Favourite ever UK fighter Can I choose someone who’s still active? Jordan Watson – I’ve photographed him since he was a teenager, his style is so relaxed, skilfull and accurate. There’s not many fighters who have the strength and balance to stand on one leg and still put their opponent on their arse. Jordan does. It’s hard to get bad pictures of him, he’s too good looking. …and now owes me money for that last comment. Ha ha. - Favourite ever foreign fighter (i.e non Thai or UK) Sorry for being captain obvious here, but the first time I saw that compilation clip of Ramon Dekkers blew me away. It was early on in my Muay Thai training that I saw that so it could have been one of my first glimpses of top level fighting, I guess. So yeah, Dekkers. - Inspiration growing up that made you want to get involved in MT Like a lot of people my age, Bruce Lee… there was nobody like him at the time, so he inspired me to start Martial Arts as kid (I got my karate blue belt Ousssssss!). Then at some point, when I was a teenager, I saw a Master Sken doing a demo somewhere (I can’t even remember where now) and was absolutely blown away by Muay Thai. I looked for the nearest Thai Boxing club after I saw that and haven’t looked back since!

Why should you consider properly lighting your fight show.

2012-07-29T22:07:00.001+01:00

Basic boxing ring lighting info 

Lighting is a massively important feature in the production value to your show and shouldn't be neglected. I've tried to put together some basic points to consider for promoters so that you'll be putting on the best show for your audience and also has the nice effect of creating a better environment for your photographers and videographers to record a higher quality product for you.

All of the action that happens in the ring is of course the most important part of the show and so presenting this in the best possible light for your audience should be a primary concern. Fortunately it isn't particularly difficult to understand the basics, nor is it very expensive to rent or buy basic lighting to achieve great results.

Using the existing, standard lighting in the room.

"So why can't I just use the lighting that's in the room? When I flick the switches, it looks bright enough, it'll do."

Without beating around the bush, compared to a properly lit show, your show will look flat and lifeless because you’re not separating the ring from the rest of the room and helping to truly set the stage for the action. Also, I can't stress this next bit enough... to photograph and film a boxing event to a high standard under these conditions, there simply won't be enough light to do the job justice!

Without proper lighting, your photographers and videographers will be making massive concessions to try and keep their shutter speeds high enough to capture the action smoothly, resulting in lower quality recordings and photographs. Lighting will most likely be uneven, and even though you won't notice it, you'll probably have dark spots in certain parts of the ring, which again is another hurdle for photographers and video guys to have to deal with.

In most cases using existing room lights, both your audience and your boxing ring will be lit with exactly the same lights which completely detaches your audience's attention from the show. Remember, the real focus should on the fighters.

A very light technical explanation before we move on...

More wattage = more light

A standard light bulb kicks out anywhere between 40 and 100 watts of power.
Common spotlight powers range from, 250, to 500 to 1000 Watts.

Let's be generous and say that your room is nice and bright and has plenty of halogen lights, those lights are usually around 50 watts each, so say you have approximately x20 of those standard lights over and around the ring. This set-up means you only have 1000 watts total lighting your boxing ring, no doubt unevenly distributed and poorly targeted (straight down from above with no angle to light faces).

1000 watts of total distributed light is not even close to being enough to properly capture the action at a fight show. This would be true even if that 1000watts was divided into four and focused properly at the ring, but in this example, considering we're using lights that are designed to spread out and light the whole room, you're not going to be getting anywhere near enough light on your stage to capture the action.

Bearing the above in mind, this leads us nicely onto the next option...

Using a basic, rented spotlight set-up

Using even a basic spotlight set-up is a BIG step in the right direction.

This is something that will cost you perhaps a couple of hundred pounds to do and will dynamically transform the atmosphere and people's impression of your promotion.

The most cost effective lighting solution for a smaller show would be to use x4 1000 watt spotlights with freshnells and barndoors, mounted high up on stands on every corner of the ring (you can step the stands back a few feet if needed). This way, you'll have 4000 watts of lighting on the ring and with added barn doors, you should be able to point these to light the ring relatively evenly. In this case you would divide the ring up into quarters and with each light pointing to the opposite corner whilst using the barn doors to ensure that light isn't spilling off the sides and into the audience. It's worth noting that you can add dimmers to these so you can control the lighting if needed.
Here's a diagram for you:

This is by no means an ideal setup, but it is a huge step up from using ambient room light and will allow you to dim the ambient lighting where the audience are, focusing attention on the show.

A few things to bear in mind…
Chose a venue with a nice, high ceiling if possible - you'll need to mount your lights around 8-10 feet from the foot of the canvas so that the light doesn't shine into the participants or the audience faces. Also, freshnels can run quite hot, so if you have a venue with a low ceiling they could present a fire risk - your venue probably wouldn’t allow you to use spotlights if their ceiling height is quite low.

If you're setting up the lights yourself, make sure you test them, have a walk around inside and outside the ring, try to make sure that the lights aren't going to glare into the boxers or your audience's eyes.

N.B One thing that I think is worth pointing out is that those 500 watt builder’s floodlights you can get from DIY places won’t cut it, so don’t even think about those. They’re not bright enough for the job (and won’t have the all important freshnel lens to truly focus the light). I’ve seen these used to light MMA cages and boxing shows before. They're just not good enough because they’re simply not designed for the job at hand.

Renting or buying lighting
Renting lighting is surprisingly very inexpensive. I did a quick Google search and easily found a local company who could rent lighting and if needed, would even send a guy to help set them up. Pricing I found was approximately £100 to hire x4 freshnels with stands and barn doors for a full week! That's a bloody bargain. Fill your boots and make your shows look awesome!

You could even consider buying your own freshnels if you promote regularly, they're not massively expensive - I personally think it would be perfect if guys who rent out rings could also buy a set of x4 (or definitely more) 1000 watt freshness with barn doors, stands and a small mixing desk (for controlling the lights) to rent out along with the ring - I think it would be a great opportunity for them to offer this as an extra.

The more light, the better (as long as it is evenly spread)
If you feel you can afford more lights, then don’t let me stop you - just ensure that they’re set up to light up the ring evenly. Eight lights should be more than enough for a small show - you can divide the ring up into sections and point a light to each - go to twelve lights if you want, fill your boots, although I’d get an expert in to help set them up for you if you’re starting to step up to more complex set-ups.

No matter how many lights you have, make sure you point them all individually to cover the ring evenly with nice, sexy light - no shady spots, please!

If you're at all unsure, ask the experts - pro lighting guys will be able to offer you loads of options, including nice, coloured lights to add that extra layer of interest to your show.

Using existing venue lighting.

I've shot at lots of shows where house lighting is used and got some great shots, however there are still a couple of things to look out for that can help you create a better production and make things easier for your shooters.
Most big 'stage' type venues (town halls etc) will have some nice 1000 watt stage lighting already set up for you to use, quite often with a lighting desk so you can dim lights where you need to. The only thing to look out for in this case is your boxing ring positioning relative to the fixed lights.

Ideally you need the lighting to be even across the canvas, so where possible you'll need to look to place your boxing ring in a central area in relation to existing lighting and again try to divide your canvas evenly in terms of where you're pointing the lights. I know this isn't always possible and house lighting is infinitely better than ambient light, but it's something to consider that dark spots on a ring look almost unnoticeable to the human eye (especially if you're not looking for them) but even the very best camera equipment is rubbish compared to the human eye and struggles to pick things out even if the light drops off slightly in one corner or one side of the ring. Your photographers and videographers will be having to compensate for these darker areas.

Again, the devil is in the detail, it all affects your final production.

Ask your venue manager if their lighting tech can reposition the lights to your needs.
Where possible, position the ring so that it’s central to the existing lighting
Ask the house lighting guy to point the lights so that they are lighting the ring as evenly as possible.
If you need, or indeed want to add extra lighting, then go for it. As long as it’s cool with the venue owners and you have space, go for it!
Some venues may even have a movable spotlight for you to use - these are perfect for lighting up fighters during their ring walks.

I'm promoting a big, televised show and will have lighting techies doing all of this for me.

In these cases your lighting techs will be able to tell you far more than my limited knowledge can, but again, the main thing us photographers and videographers look for, is nice, bright, even lighting across the whole canvas from the floor up to about 7 or 8 feet. I found a nice forum posting (here) detailing how a lighting guy here divides the canvas up into 9 zones and points lights from each side of the ring to each zone so that all the angles are covered and the light is even across the board.

Again, in this case your lighting guys will be able to tell you more than I can, but everybody is human, it is better for you guys to be armed with a little bit of knowledge so at least you can let them know what you are looking for in your lighting, rather than leaving them just to get on with it, especially if you’re paying for their services. This is especially useful if your lighting guys aren't typically used to setting up for boxing shows.

To summarise

I know that with some shows, budget are restricted and as a photographer, I'll always do my best to get great shots whatever the conditions, but with only a small investment, even a smaller promotion can create an atmosphere that is much more conductive to a boxing show whilst offering your media team the best opportunity to record your show to a higher standard which in turn improves the outward appearance of your promotion and will definitely encourage more people to come and see your shows in future.

I hope this has been useful.

Michael

Links
Manchester based lighting company http://www.nstage.co.uk/
Advanced lighting discussion http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/47/857046
Advanced lighting diagram download http://f1.creativecow.net/1520/sample-boxing-light-plot

If any lighting techs would like to contribute to this, I'm all ears. This certainly isn't supposed to be a definitive guide, more a point in the right direction for people who hadn't considered lighting as an important part of their show before.

Elouise Christmas EP Cover Shoot

2011-11-05T15:09:00.000+00:00

My bread and butter work, is shooting fight shows - I absolutely love it, the fast, aggressive movements of the top fighters in the world never cease to amaze and inspire me to capture them in their fearsome glory.

Recently, however, I had a little bit of a change of pace, being invited to shoot an upcoming singing sensation, Elouise, for the cover her Christmas EP - Santa's Little Belter. Boxing gloves were swapped for fur mittens, whilst blood and sweat were swapped for glitz and glamour as Elouise and I spent the day creating the right look for her fan base who couldn't be different than my usual audience! I'd say shooting Elouise was a challenge, but it really wasn't - the concept was solid and Elouise made my job easy by being bloody stunning and professional to a tee throughout.

Elouise has been spreading the word, that to get in the mood I took to method photography by donning Christmas stockings and started singing along with her during the shoot, I'd say don't believe a word she says, but I like the idea of being thought of as a method photographer even if I have to pretend I once wore Christmas stockings to a shoot....

Elouise is bringing 2011 to a close with her much anticipated Christmas EP which will be released worldwide on iTunes at the end of November 2011.

2012 now sees Elouise embark on her first UK tour as she takes Little Belter on the road playing to sell out audiences around the UK

Here's an exclusive sneak peak of the final cover with artwork by the rather splendid graphic designer Lauren Naylor, along with a couple of, so far, unseen frames from the shoot.

Elouise's Official website: www.elouise.co

You can follow Elouise on twitter - @elouiseofficial

Elouise also has a Facebook page - www.facebook.com/elouise

Enjoy.

The Muay Thai Contender 2011 Line-up

2011-06-06T09:28:00.003+01:00

The Contender -Intro and theme music

I’m sure some of you remember the excellent Muay Thai Contender series that was aired in 2008 and made even bigger stars out of some of it’s main contestants - to note, Yodsenklai (the winner) from Thailand, John Wayne Parr (the runner up) from Australia, Dzhabar Askerov from Russia, David Paquette from England and Sean Wright from Scotland to name a few.

Well, the latest series has just started filming in Malaysia to be aired later this year and I have some preliminary news on the contestants on this year’s show, for 2011, renamed The Challenger.

Initial filming has been completed for the trailer and the lads will all be going into their houses tomorrow for the tournament to begin.

Who are you backing to win this year’s The Challenger?

Muay Thai - The Challenger 2011 Contestants

Jordan Watson (UK - Bad Company - Leeds)

Jay Woodham (Uk)

Antoine Pinto (France)

Cedric Muller (France)

Frankie Georgi (Italy - Based in Aus)

Cyrus Washington (USA - Based in Thailand)

Marco Pique (Holland/Suriname)

Fhadi Mersa (Austria)

Jessie Miles (Canada)

Vuyisile Colossa (South Africa)

Faizal (Malaysia)

Unnamed Israeli Fighter

An Unnamed Aussie Fighter (short guy) *Edit* This is rumoured to be Rhys Saliba.

A few other unnamed fighters…

No news on any Thai contestants yet, but I hope Yodsenklai will be in to defend his title.

I will update this when I know more.

Harrison - "I'm not there to play around against Sanchai - I'm there to win"

2011-04-02T12:42:00.000+01:00

Dan Green of FightSport Industries recently interviewed Liam Harrison, leading up to his fight with arguably the best pound for pound Muay Thai boxer of recent years, Saenchai Sinbi.

England waits with baited breath for the Harrison vs Sanchai rematch in just 1 week.
FightSport Industries got the chance to do a short interview with Liam ahead of the April 9th rematch.

How do you feel about fighting Sanchai again?
Really excited, I'm glad I've got a second chance at the lb for lb best there is out there. Not many people get 2nd chances so I intend to grab mine with both hands!

How do you feel about his comment he will 100% be the winner?
Of course he is going to say/think that. He won the 1st fight for a start and well he's Saenchai :) It doesn't bother me, I prefer to be the underdog.

How is training going?
Training is going really well, it's been a very gruelling last 4 weeks

Are you training any differently for the fight this time?
Im training similar to how I always train, I always give 100% in training no matter who I'm fighting, but there are a few adjustments that have been made this time.

Any change of tactics or particular game plan this time?
Yeah Richard (Smith) has been working with me on a different gameplan for this fight. I think it's a great strategy and I'm really looking forward to putting it to good use.

What's your prediction for the fight?
It's going to be a great fight like the first one, but this time I'm not gonna be there to play around, I'm there to win.




Liam Harrison does not mess around.

The show for sure will be a sell out so don't delay in getting tickets. Call the box office on 01302 370777 or email dan@fightsportevents.com


Liam Harrison (Bad Co, England) vs Sanchai Sor Kingstar (Sinbi, Thailand)
Damien Trainor (K-Star, England) vs Rungravee Sasiprapa (Sasiprapa, Thailand)
Andy Thrasher (Erawan, England) vs Diego Santuccio (Team Calozari, Italy)
UKMF British title - Leigh Edlin (Chao Praya, Lincoln) vs Kris Addis (Kao Loi, Harrogate)
Chad Sugden (Newark Martial Arts, Newark) vs Sam Omogobe (Liams Gym, Northampton)
Joe McGovan (SDF Sheffield) vs John Gillies (Liverpool)

Plus B + C class undercard....

Saenchai Interview - 100% okay to fight Liam Harrison

2011-04-01T11:44:00.001+01:00

Dan Green from FightSport Industries interviewed Saenchai about his upcoming fight with Liam Harrison in Doncaster, next weekend and here's what he had to say...

How do you feel about coming back to England to fight?

I'm pleased and proud to get the chance to fight again, England is one of my favourite places to visit and I'm looking forward to it.

Did you have to pull out of a fight in Thailand in February due to injury?

Yes I had an injury on my knee from a fight in December, so I pulled out to give myself enough time to rest and get ready for the fight with Liam.

And that injury is 100% okay now?

Yes it's o.k now, I'm 100% fit and ready to fight!

What other fights do you have lined up?

I most likely have a fight in Lumpini in May, then I'm going to Italy to promote a future fight there and in June I go to Australia where I have a rematch with Kurt Finlayson.

Are you training any differently for this fight?

I will be showing all the old Saenchai techniques from before, but I'm also working on some new techniques to show and will have some more fiercer stuff this time.

Is Liam Harrison still the best Farang to date that you have faced?

Yes he's the best foreign boxer I have fought to date.

How do you feel about fighting him again?

I'm happy to get the chance in England and if Liam feels that he can beat me and can win this time I'm happy to give him the chance again.

What's your prediction for the fight?

I'm 100% sure and confident that I will be the winner again.

Rumour has it that Sanchai has been practising a new trick to top his cartwheel kick.....

The show for sure will be a sell out so don't delay in getting tickets. Call the box office on 01302 370777 or email dan@fightsportevents.com

Liam Harrison (Bad Co, England) vs Sanchai Sor Kingstar (Sinbi, Thailand)

Damien Trainor (K-Star, England) vs Rungravee Sasiprapa (Sasiprapa, Thailand)

Andy Thrasher (Erawan, England) vs Diego Santuccio (Team Calozari, Italy)

UKMF British title - Leigh Edlin (Chao Praya, Lincoln) vs Kris Addis (Kao Loi, Harrogate)

Craig Jose (The Faktory, Newcastle) vs TBA

Chad Sugden (Newark Martial Arts, Newark) vs Sam Omogobe (Liams Gym, Northampton)

Joe McGovan (SDF Sheffield) vs John Gillies (Liverpool)

Plus B + C class undercard....

Duel at the Dome - Harrison V Saenchai - The Rematch

2011-03-05T21:15:00.006+00:00

I absolutely cannot wait to shoot this show! As well as the top two bouts -
Liam Harrison V Saenchai and Damien Trainor V Rungravee - there promises to be an awesome line up of UK fighters matched up against some of the best European talent in Muay Thai and K-1 rules bouts. As usual, I will post results and pictures right here on my blog.

Grab yourself a ticket and come and see this live. You will not be disappointed.

Liam "The Hitman" Harrison Vs Saenchai Sinbi

The long awaited rematch between Liam "The Hitman" Harrison and Saenchai Sinbi is nearly upon us - with Saenchai taking the first match on points, who will win this time? Saenchai definitely knows he's not in for an easy fight - in fact, in a recent interview he named Harrison as his favourite foreign fighter so it's clear he knows what to expect and will come prepared for a hard fight. There's a massive amount of mutual respect between these two guys, but both of them fight to win, and fight with some serious style! Expect massive kicks from Saenchai; bombs being thrown by Harrison and cartwheel kicks being thrown by the pair of them.

This is going to be an amazing spectacle - a real advertisement for Muay Thai in the UK!

Chief Undercard Bout

Damien Trainor V Rungravee Sassiprapa

The last time Rungravee came to these shores he faced the then UK number one 54kg fighter, Andy Howson - the Thai Southpaw unleashed what can only be described as an awesome volley of low kicks to win the fight by stoppage in the third round, leaving a shellshocked audience in no doubt that Rungravee takes no prisoners! Next up for Rungravee is Damien Trainor, one of the UK's most will known and well travelled fighters, himself a multiple World Champion as well as having fought Howson in three famous battles. Rungravee certainly isn't going to get an easy ride with Trainor, he's a clever fighter and will have studied Rungravee closely for this, arguably his toughest test to date.

This is going to be one hell of a fight!

Undercard fights

Also on the bill will be Wayne McKoy Vs Kevin harper and Leigh Edlin Vs Kris Addis. There will also be European opposition lined up for top UK welterweights Andy Thrasher and Michael Dicks.

Update - Thrasher matchup confirmed.

WMC World title holder Andy Thrasher will be fighting Italian Champion Diego Santuccio of Team Calozari from Milan under Full Muay Thai Rules.

www.fightsportevents.com

Doncaster Dome Website

HGH Promotions Show - Leeds Hilton Hotel - 19th March 2011

2011-02-28T16:36:00.005+00:00

Well, the next show I'm booked in to shoot looks like it's warming up to be a great introduction to promoting by top Muay Thai champions (and cousins) Liam Harrison and Andy Howson. Topping off a strong domestic line-up we have on the bill two British Title fights and one English Title fight, all sanctioned by the ISKA.

Headline Bouts

Kyle Fella (Bad Company) vs Loz Reilly (Hanuman) - ISKA British Title

Glen Crosthwaite (Tobin's) Vs Alex Foremen (Masda) - ISKA English Title

Kate Stables (Bad Company) Vs Amy Pirnie - ISKA British Title

Glen Crosthwaite (left) in action at the Excel arena in London

The fights will all take place at the Hilton hotel, right in the centre of Leeds, it's a great location and a superb venue, so anyone coming down to catch the action won't be disappointed!

Tickets are available from any of the fighters on the show, or by calling: 07526 87 7585

Full line-up after the jump.

Kyle Fella (Bad Company) vs Loz Reilly (Hanuman) - ISKA British Title
Glen Crosthwaite (Tobin's) Vs Alex Foremen (Masda) - ISKA English Title
Kate Stables (Bad Company) Vs Amy Pirnie - ISKA British Title
Brad Newlands (Caledonian) Vs Bailey Roberts (Bad Company)
Paul Henderson (Sapphire) Vs Karl Johnston (Jesters) - K1 Rules
Luke greenshields (Team Fearless) vs Mike Edwards (Hanuman) 5x2
Ben Lucas (Liam's Gym) Vs Karl Stoddart (Jai) 5x2
Luke Imeson (Bad Company) Vs Josh Kehoe (Sapphire) 5x1.5
Adam Proctor (Golden Team) Vs Kieran jones (Sapphire) 5x1.5
Nathan Ghundoo (Hanuman) Vs Amrit Kumar (Fearless) 5x1.5
Andy Goodrick (Wicker Camp) Vs Chris Ainsley (Team Pheonix)
Edward Long (Bad Company) Vs Kyle Revill (Wicker Camp)
Kenzie Roberts (Bad Company) Vs Koby Mcnamara (Golden Team)

England V Portugal - Results

2011-02-21T21:05:00.000+00:00

67 kg max - Ryan Rutter (Majestic Gym) Vs Ryan Clarke (Stockport Thai)

Winner - Ryan Clarke - Stoppage
59 kg max - Mark Larney (Super Gym) Vs James Hawkesworth (Wigan Thai)

Winner - James Hawkesworth - Points
76 kg max - Seb Long (2 Technical) Vs Mike Dagley (Stockport Thai)

Winner - Seb Long - Points
70 kg max - Oliver Smith (Majestic Gym) Vs Jack Fallon (Franks Gym)

Winner - Oliver Smith - Stoppage
71 kg max - Craig Jose (The Faktory England) Vs Octavio Vasconceles (Challenge, Portugal)

Winner - Craig Jose - Points
~~68 kg max - David Armstrong (Super Gym) Vs John Kaufman (Fortitudo)~~ Armstrong failed to make the weigh-in.
50 kg max - Paige Farrington (Warrington, England) Vs Monia Santos (Dinamite, Portugal)

Winner - Paige Farrington - Points
67 kg max - Andy Thrasher (Erawan, England) Vs Mirko Moissar (Estonia)

Winner - Andy Thrasher - Points
55 kg max - Dean James (Pra Chao Sua, England) Vs Fernando Machado (Vitoria, Portugal)

Winner - Dean james - Stoppage

England V Portugal Weigh-in

2011-02-20T13:02:00.006+00:00

Well, everyone bar one fighter eventually made the weigh-in... it has to be said that everyone looked in superb shape for this bill. There's usually the odd fighter who's carrying a few extra pounds round the waist, but literally every fighter looked cut, like they'd really worked to make the correct weight.

Visitors from Portugal

It's looking like a top line up - the Portugese all arrived safely and weighed-in, all looking good and ready to fight - everything was good natured as usual, but everyone knows the fireworks happen when fighters step through the ropes!

Thrasher V Moissar

There was a small discrepancy with the weigh-in for the Thraher V Moissar fight, meaning that the Estonian (in the expert hands of Keddles gym) had to sauna off a couple of kilos. No trouble for him, though - like a true pro, just got on with it and came out of the sauna on weight and ready to fight.
Full line up

67 kg max - Ryan Rutter (Majestic Gym) Vs Ryan Clarke (Stockport Thai)
59 kg max - Mark Larney (Super Gym) Vs James Hawkesworth (Wigan Thai)
76 kg max - Seb Long (2 Technical) Vs Mike Dagley (Stockport Thai)
70 kg max - Oliver Smith (Majestic Gym) Vs Jack Fallon (Franks Gym)
71 kg max - Craig Jose (The Faktory England) Vs Octavio Vasconceles (Challenge, Portugal)
~~68 kg max - David Armstrong (Super Gym) Vs John Kaufman (Fortitudo)~~ Armstrong failed to make the weigh-in.
50 kg max - Paige Farrington (Warrington, England) Vs Monia Santos (Dinamite, Portugal)
67 kg max - Andy Thrasher (Erawan, England) Vs Mirko Moissar (Estonia)
55 kg max - Dean James (Pra Chao Sua, England) Vs Fernando Machado (Vitoria, Portugal)

See you all at the show. Let's get ready to rumble!!!!!

Standard tickets are £25, ringside are available for £60.

Phone or text 07973 43 1818 for more details.

Tickets are also available from any gym or fighter on the show.

Parr Hall, Palmyra Square South, Warrington, WA1 1BL

England Vs Portugal

2011-02-13T17:04:00.012+00:00

Well, it's confirmed, the next show I'll be shooting will be the Fight Sport Industries, England Vs Portugal Fight Night on Sunday 20th February. Promoter Dan Green always pulls out the stops to put together some excellent matches and this show is no different.

Looking at the card, for me there's two stand out bouts featuring two of my favourite UK fighters - Dean James and Andy Thrasher - both fighting against overseas opposition.

Dean James

Dean's opponent, Fernando Machado, fought both Andy Howson and Paulo da Silva back in 2007, losing to both, but comes back to these shores a much tougher prospect with those extra years of experience behind him. Personally, I think it will be a good day at the office for Dean (currently ranked UK # 1 at 55kg), but it's going to be interesting to see how much Fernando's extra years of experience and newly found run of form will bring to the table.

Andy Thrasher
Andy hasn't seen action in the UK since his devastating win at the M.E.N arena in Manchester, last year, against his Dutch Opponent, Hedsey Van Assen. In that match, broadcast on Sky TV, Andy broke Hedsey's jaw with an elbow that made people in row Z wince! Andy has since parted company with his long term trainers at GFC Muay Thai and has been working hard, training in Bangkok at the ever popular Jitti Gym as well as setting up his own gym "Erawan". I have to admit, I don't know anything at all about Andy's opponent, but as any UK Muay Thai fan knows, when Andy is on form, opponents fall, and they fall down hard.

This match will be fought under K-1 rules.

Full Fight Card after the jump

Dean James (Pra Chao Sua) vs Fernando Machado (Portugal)
Andy Thrasher (Manchester) vs Mirko Moissar (Estonia)
Paige Farrington (Warrington Kickboxing) vs Monica Santos (Portugal)
Craig Jose (The Faktory) vs TBA (Portugal)
Dave Armstrong (super Gym) vs John Kaufman (Fortitudo)
Seb Long (2 Technical) vs Mike Dagley (Stockport Thai Fighters)
Ryan Rutter (Majestic Gym) vs Ryan Clarke (Stockport Thai Fighters)
Gemma Coast (Peles Gym) vs Maria Chu (Kiatphontip)
Jack Fallon (Franks Gym) vs Oliver Smith (Majestic Gym)
Luke Potts (2 Technical) vs James Hawkesworth (Wigan Thai)
Ste Foy (Fortitudo) vs Anthony Shelton (Gaz Mcallister)

FightSport Industries

Standard tickets are £25, ringside are available for £60.

Phone or text 07973 43 1818 for more details.

Tickets are also available from any gym or fighter on the show.

Parr Hall, Palmyra Square South, Warrington, WA1 1BL