The Fighter Bristol: Fight Night Summary

By Faniki Deche, Sports Editor and Mihai Rosca, Second Year Politics and Philosophy

Epigram broke ground on Friday the 8th of November as we provided in-depth coverage of Fighter Bristol's latest Student Fight Night held at the Prospect Building. The event was a massive success for all involved so to wrap it up, here is a quick summary of the night along with our personal highlights of the event.

For a more minute-by-minute breakdown, check out our Live Blog. Special thanks to our Deputy Sports Editor, Adam Mountain for managing the blog and capturing every minute.

The Results

1. Henry 'The Hammer' Arbiter VS Mehdi Amara 'The Desert Storm': Henry won by unanimous decision.
2. Emma 'King Kong' Vuong VS Lauren 'Lights Out' Francis: Lauren by decision.
3. Kelsey 'The 4ft Fury' Abellana VS Jessica Rabbit: The Rabbit by U.D.
4. Jago 'The Jägermeister' Brooks VS 'Knock em Dead' Ned: Ned by U.D.
5. 'Ballistic' Beth VS Jess 'Mack-Attack' McKenzie: Beth by decision.
6. Ethan 'The Smune' Bradshaw- Price VS Teddy 'The Bear' Hunt: The Bear by U.D.
7. Maddie 'The Machine' Worthington VS Lauren 'Lights Out Shaw: The Machine by decision.
8. 'Maximus Decimus Meridius' Green VS Jacob 'Bombastic' Browning: Jacob by decision.
9. Amy 'The Ace' Garrigan VS 'Spanner in the works' Owen: Amy by decision.
10. 'The Machine' Suzie Green VS 'K.O' Katie Litchfield: Katie by decision.
11. Rohan 'The Motorboater' Sohata VS George Gkila: George by decision.
12. Jodie 'Welly it' Welton VS Evans 'The Executioner': Jodie by decision.
13. Dan 'The Man' McCourt VS 'This Charming' Sam Cottrell: Dan by decision.
14. Ella 'Make it Rainer' VS Maia 'The Brute' Brunelli: Maia by U.D
15. Harry 'K' O'Donnell VS Ethan 'On Sight' Overend: Harry by TKO

Top Fights

In no particular order, these are the fights we think were most exciting to watch and displayed the most skills. Of course every fight showcased impressive levels of skill but these three fights stood out.

1. Harry 'K' O'Donnell's TKO win over Ethan Overend in Fight 15. Harry was the only person on the night able to get a Technical Knock Out so his clash with Ethan had to feature on this list. The fight consisted of two big guys giving it their all, Harry displayed outstanding footwork and power while Ethan proved his determination by putting up a challenging fight instead of giving up when others would have. Both walked away with blood dripping out of their noses and onto their chests. Respect to both for their courage and fittingly, this was the last fight to wrap up an incredible night.
2. Maia "The Brute" Brunelli's U.D win over Ella Rainer. With the University Women's Football Club behind her back, Maia oozed confidence in her clash with Ella. Her superior understanding of range let her remain at a safe distance, waiting to explode back in with a shot like a black panther. Once she got inside she didn't let go, showing no fear to in-fighting, something the other fighters avoided. Throughout her time in the ring Maia embraced her brutish, animalistic character, often making faces and howling. She was clearly in the zone from the second she stepped in no one was going to stop her. "Guess I'm too cold with it" could not have been more fitting from Maia post-fight.

3. George Gkilla's decision win over Rohan Sohata. Both men were extremely popular, carrying passionate fanbases, particularly from the University Men's Football Club, along with family but it was George who came out on top. Motivated by his Father and Aunt who drove 3 hours from London to watch his fight, he portrayed pure aggression, driving Rohan into the ropes many times looking to pummel him. Rohan stood firm though. Despite being the only knockdown of the night, he got up in Rocky-fashion and took him to the end answering fire with fire, often catching Gkilla flush on the cheek as he was coming in. An aggressive fight with both sides giving it their all, both sides had good reason to leave with their heads held high.

Close Calls

Again, in no particular order, these were the fights we believed were the closest to call and kept us guessing the victor until the very end.

1. Fight 8: Max Green and Jacob Browning. Though Browning won by decision, possibly because he made use of his unbelievable height and reach advantage, it was undeniable that Maximus Decimus was able to close the distance in the early rounds and get some good hits in which hurt Jacob. Max did extremely well and showed good heart by never giving up, a fine trait in a boxer.

2. Fight 12: Jodie Wellington and Hayley Evans. This fight was back and forth on several occasions. Hayley would pressure Jodie by throwing several shots only for Jodie to answer with a clean one and vice versa. Could have gone either way if Jodie didn't finish slightly stronger and leave an impression.

3. Fight 7: Maddie Worthington and Lauren Shaw. Slugfest. Both girls stood in the centre of the ring facing each other for long periods at a time and simply traded hard blows. This fight was extremely fair, both fighters were evenly matched. What may have given Maddie the edge could've been having better accuracy which meant more of her shots got through. Similarly, it could have also been her higher endurance that allowed for better punch-resistance and higher output. But really, it was a hair's difference!

The Atmosphere

This was the first time time Fighter Bristol had staged their Fight Night at the Prospect Building and with hindsight, relocating to this venue was an incredibly shrewd decision. The near 360 degree view of the ring allowed the fans to be close to the action from all angles. Moreover, a massive screen in the background broadcasting the fight as it happened gave the necessary sense of grandeur that definitely heightened the enthusiasm among fighters and excitement among the crowd.

Credit also goes to the Bristol Jets, the University's Cheerleading Society for their wonderful performance during the interval to keep fans engaged as they waited for the next round of fights.

But of course the atmosphere would be nothing without the fans. Marching in their numbers and fiercely loyal to their supporters, their optimism and energy carried the night. Take a look at some of our photos below.

Overall this was a fantastic experience and we, Epigram, are proud to have covered the event from the sparring sessions to the night itself. Stay tuned for more live coverage in the future and as for the Fighter Bristol, they will be back again on March 7th!!!

Featured image: Mihai Rosca