Superior Challenge The Uprising
4/5/2008, Stockholm, Sweden
A new public record by Swedish MMA. By far the best card in Sweden so far. Exiting fights. Good referee. Kudos to Superior Challenge for a great event!

-66 kg Sami Aziz (Sweden) vs. Frederic Fernandez (France)
Winner: Sami Aziz, TKO, Round 1, 0.37
The fights start with a rapid exchange of punches. Aziz receives a hard right and come back with his own right hand flooring Fernandez. Aziz quickly follows down and hammer away and the ref stop the fight.

-60 kg Musse Hasselvall (Sweden) vs. Takashi Hasegawa (Japan)
No contest, Round 2, 1.30
This fight had big potential and both guys seemed very excited about the fight. The first round started of with both guys showing of their skills both standing and on the ground. Hasegawa went for a kneebar and Hasselvall took his back, slammed on a belly triangle and worked with punches. The second round it seemed like they both wanted to test their stand-up, but a minute in the fight came to a halt due to an accidental finger in the eye.

A short interview with Takashi Hasegawa
Q: How is your eye?
T: I had a headache, but it’s gone now. I feel ok, and I can see things ok, but my right eye hurts when it moves. The doctor said it is fine, but the eye is still swollen. The doctor gave me a painkiller for my travel back home. Then I will go see a doctor in Japan.
Q: What did you think about your fight besides the accident?
T: In the beginning I went a bit stiff. But in the second round we started off good, I think. It was a pity that the fight ended like this. I flew 9000 km from Japan, and I really wanted to perform a good technical game with Musse. So I hope to come back to Sweden and fight Musse again. This was a short stay and was my first experience abroad.
Q: What is the difference between Japanese and Swedish fights?
T: In Sweden all fighters are friendly, in hotels and arena exchanging hellos with each other. That was unexpected, and very nice. In Japan fighters are not talking in the hotels or dressing rooms. Dead silence. More differences? Here they don’t check fighting wear and taping. At least they didn’t check me. I usually don’t use tape due to my grapple game though. Sweden was not so cold as everybody warned me about. I hope to come back here again. Please let me express big thanks to the audience and Musse!

- 79 kg Diego Gonzalez (Sweden) vs. Manuel Garcia
(Spain)
Winner: Diego Gonzalez, Sub (strikes), Round 1, 1.30
Gonzales starts off hard and aggressive. Garcia want nothing to do with that and manage to take it to the ground, but Gonzalez reveres with a sweep. Gonzalez start to throw leather and Garcia gives up his back. Gonzalez establish back mount and let his hands go. Garcia have to tap out 1.30 due to punches in the first round.

- 93 kg Bobby “Danger” Rehman (Sweden) vs. Lloyd Clarkson(Ireland)
Winner: Bobby Rehman, Submission (arm triangle choke), Round 2, 3.27
Round 1. Rehman seemed very relaxed before the fight. With both Omar Bouiche and Jörgen Kruth in his corner you got the feeling that he was really prepared. Clarkson had the funniest ring entrance with the soundtrack from A-Team. Rehman went to work immediately and tested the Irishman’s jaw a couple of times resulting in Clarkson going down twice.
Round 2. Rehman fires a head kick that would have killed a horse, but it didn’t seem to bother Clarkson. And in the flurry that follows Rehman gets clocked by a hard right and goes to his knees. Rehman shots in for a double and after a short scramble on the ground they are called to their feet. Rehman work with his knees from the thai clinch. Down it goes again and Rehman works for mount and finishes with an arm triangle choke.

- 74 kg Reza “Mad dog” Madadi (Sweden) vs. Aidan Marron(Ireland)
Winner: Reza Madadi, Decision: 2-0, Round 3, 
5.00
Round 1. An aggressive Madadi surges forward, but Marron looks composed. After an initial exchange Madadi shots in and takes it to the ground. Marron works very well from his back. Madadi passes guard and Marron reverse it. Madadi now from the bottom shows his great strength by just standing up and take it to the clinch. Marron works with his knees and goes for a guillotine that the Madadi sneaks out from.
Round 2. Madadi shots in and take Marron down. Again Marron works very well from his back but Madadi is the top dog doing more damage.
Round 3. Madadi keeps the initiative, Marron looks tired, but keeps on fighting. Madadi take Marron down again and goes for ground ´n´ pound. Madadi winner by judge’s decision.

- 84 kg Tor Troéng (Sweden) vs. Rodney Moore (Ireland)
Winner: Tor Troéng, Decision 3-0, Round 3, 5.00
A slow paced and methodical fight that was all about Troéng and his ground game.

- 65 kg Navid Yousefi (Sweden) vs. Owen Roddy(Ireland)
Winner: Owen Roddy, Submission (strikes), Round 2, 2.58
Round 1. Well matched in the early stand-up. Roddy takes Yousefis back and work the choke. Yousefis manage to escape only to find himself in the guillotine that he also escapes.
Round 2. The first round has taken its toll and both fighters start to show sign of fatigue. Yousefi rocked Roddy several times, but it was Roddy that came out on top with a well-placed knee in the solar plexus.

- 70 kg Hamid Corassani (Sweden) vs. Darren Hughes(Ireland)
Winner: Darren Hughes, TKO, Round 2, 4.10
Round 1. Corassani, fast and furious, gets the upper hand with a got punch when he meets Hughes kick. Corassani works the thai clinch scores some knees. Darren had enough of that and goes for the takedown and takes it to the ground. Hughes passes guard and gives Corassani a hard time getting up.
Round 2. Corassani looks fatigued; Hughes takes it to the ground again and goes to work. Corassani had enough and referee stoppage the fight. After the fight Corassani shows up with his arm in a cast. He broke his arm in a
recent fight and he reinjured his arm after only 20 seconds in the first round against Hughes.

- 91 kg Magnus Cedenblad (Sweden) vs. Danny Doherty (Ireland)
Winner: Magnus Cedenblad, TKO, Round 1, 2.44
Slugfest that ended with ground ´n´ pound. An easy victory for Cedenblad.

- 83 kg Farshad Farsiani (Sweden) vs. Daniel Engström(Sweden)
Winner: Daniel Engström, TKO, Round 1, 4.20
A hard trade, back and forth. When it went to the ground Engström came out on top and ref stopped it due to ground´n´ pound.

David Bielkheden
Q: Hi, David! You look tan and fit!
D: Yes, I’ve been in Brazil for 3 weeks. I am training hard as usual – both
standing and wrestling.
Q: Can you give us your comment on your first UFC experience?
D: Oh, I had a very stressful time before the fight. Being sick and on antibiotics, also I couldn’t make US visa in Brazil and had to fly all the way back to Sweden to get it. Very messy! I only had 21 days to train and prepare.
Q: When is your next fight?
D: I will go down to 70kg again, and my next UFC fight will be after this summer. I keep my style and work hard. I will show everyone that I am the real deal!

John Olav Einemo
Q: How are you and what’s up?
E: Fine. I have started to train again. You know, I had not been training for 6 months due to my job. I will gradually build up to about 8 training-sessions a week. And I opened my own gym in Oslo. I have a few big guys to roll with there. And Japanese DREAM has contacted me. I have also received other offers from M1 and Holland. But I am interested to fight in Japan again. I like Japanese MMA fans and it is always exciting to fight in Japan.
Q: That is good news. What kind of fight-style are you aiming for?
E: I must say I have not been clever in my previous fights, never really had a good plan. But now I want to fight better utilizing my grappling techniques, which is my best weapon. And I am training hard in standing techniques as well. I have already experienced the big stage, so I am ready for the mental fight as well. I am just waiting for the call from Japan.

Per Eklund
Q: How’s your training going, coming back from Thailand?
E: I am training only Thai boxing for the moment.
Q: Why?
E: I am going to fight in Swedish Championship in Muay Thai in Malmö on 19 and 20 April. It is my first time in a Thai boxing tournament.
Q: When is your next fight in the UFC?
E: In September.
Q: What are you going to do in your fight?
E: He! He! I will go for a KO. No takedown-attempts this time!

More about Superior Challenge
http://www.superiorchallenge.com