THERE ARE MANY who’ll argue that Anderson Silva is the greatest fighter who has ever competed in mixed martial arts, and although his legacy may prove to have been tarnished by last year’s failed test for performance-enhancing drugs, the 40-year-old remains one of the best the sport has ever seen.
Silva returns from his 12-month suspension tonight to face Michael Bisping in the main event at UFC London, yet the comeback of an MMA legend probably hasn’t received the attention and publicity it might otherwise deserve as a result of the build-up to an event that will take place seven days later.
Conor McGregor’s bid to make history by winning a second UFC title is on hold but the sense of anticipation for his fight at UFC 196 on 5 March has arguably only been heightened by Nate Diaz stepping in to fill the void left by injured lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos.
It’s understandable that the biggest new star in MMA has been eclipsing one of the top names from a previous era, but Conor McGregor may not be the only justifiable reason to overlook Anderson Silva’s return to the octagon. About an hour or so before Silva and Bisping square off, one of the most promising young fighters at the UFC’s disposal will aim to crank the hype surrounding his potential up another notch or two.
It’s still early days in Tom Breese’s UFC career and he’ll eventually need to prove his credentials against much stiffer opposition, but the initial indications are that the 24-year-old from Birmingham could go on to become one of the most legitimate contenders ever to emerge from the United Kingdom.
It’s a sign of the UFC’s belief in Breese’s abilities that he has been catapulted into a high-profile slot for this evening’s event — third from the top on the main card — which makes him the highest-placed Brit on the bill (with the obvious exception of the aforementioned main event) for his welterweight bout against Keita Nakamura.
There were calls for Breese to be given a ranked opponent for the UFC’s return to British shores, but the organisation has resisted the temptation to fast-track his progress. Having said that, although he’s not the most recognisable name, Keita Nakamura shouldn’t be under-estimated.
The experienced Japanese fighter has already had 40 professional fights, compared to Breese’s nine. Nakamura, 31, possesses an aggressive submission offence. Eleven of his wins have come via rear-naked choke so he knows how to capitalise when his opponent gives up his back — as Li Jingliang discovered last September.
Breese, a former British junior wrestling champion, made his amateur MMA debut at the age of 17 and was undefeated in nine bouts over the course of 18 months before graduating to the professional ranks in 2010.
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He went 6-0 en route to becoming the BAMMA British welterweight champion at the age of just 21. Breese then signed with Cage Warriors but his plans to continue on the path to the UFC were interrupted when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, which meant he hadn’t fought for two years by the time he made his Cage Warriors debut.
When he returned from the enforced lay-off, Breese defeated Frenchman Thibaud Larchet in November 2014. In spite of his lengthy absence, that win was enough to convince the UFC to offer Breese a contract early last year.
Six of Breese’s seven wins on the European circuit came via submission, so he initially earned a reputation as a grappler first and foremost. However, since moving to the UFC, the English prospect has displayed how well-rounded his game is by finishing both of his opponents to date with strikes inside the first round.
An enormous welterweight at 6’3″, Breese disposed of Luiz Jorge Dutra in his UFC bow in his opponent’s native Brazil last May, but it was his clinical stoppage of Cathal Pendred at UFC Dublin in October that really sent a message out to the MMA world as regards his future intentions.
Pendred acknowledged his own technical limitations as a fighter — particularly in the striking exchanges — in an open interview with The42 last month, but despite that, the Dubliner displayed his durability and resolve on countless occasions throughout his career.
Again, Breese travelled to compete on his opponent’s home turf, aiming to do what none of Pendred’s previous 13 opponents had succeeded in doing, by finishing the Straight Blast Gym fighter inside the distance.
Having already inflicted significant damage on Pendred, Breese rocked the Irishman with a teep-kick, dropped him with a couple of straight lefts and then engulfed him with ground-and-pound to secure the stoppage with 23 seconds of the opening frame remaining, earning a $50,000 ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus for his efforts.
Breese’s striking looked devastatingly powerful and beautifully crisp, and that aspect of his game has almost certainly been assisted by sparring with the likes of Lucian Bute, the former IBF super-middleweight world champion boxer. Relocating to Tristar in Canada has exposed Breese to training partners of Bute’s calibre.
Breese first travelled to the renowned Montreal gym in 2013. At the time, legendary former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was preparing to defend his title against Nick Diaz. The young visitor from England only planned to spend a couple of weeks there, but when GSP saw what he was capable of, he asked Breese to stay for the remainder of his training camp. Tristar has been Breese’s home ever since.
There, he trains under the astute guidance of coaches like Firas Zahabi and Eric O’Keefe, and alongside Irish UFC lightweight Joseph Duffy, top UFC welterweight Rory MacDonald and several other elite-level fighters.
“Training with him has been spectacular,” MacDonald said of Breese back in October. “In my opinion, Tom is at top-10 level in the UFC. He just needs experience right now. The more fights he has, it’s going to be really quick before people start noticing him and giving him the credit he deserves.”
The success of Conor McGregor has only served to add to the desire of MMA fans in the UK to witness the emergence of a star of their own. He may lack McGregor’s charismatic approach to the media — who doesn’t? — but Breese’s ultimate aim will be to succeed where the likes of Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy have failed, by becoming the UK’s first champion in the UFC.
“We see it in every one of our markets where we have a star. You can see what Alexander Gustafsson has done for us in Sweden. Look at what Joanna Jedrzejczyk is doing for us in Poland. We’re definitely on the lookout for it,” said James Elliott, the UFC’s Vice President and General Manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa.
“Michael Bisping has been a wonderful ambassador for the UK and for British MMA. We’re looking for the next Bisping, we’re looking for the next Conor McGregor from the UK. This is definitely what we’re trying to achieve. You look at the card for London this weekend and you see the young fighters there who are coming through, it’s exciting.”
UFC London might be Anderson Silva’s card, but if you’re hoping for a glimpse into the future, look no further than Tom Breese. It’s too soon to say for certain that Breese is destined for championship honours, but so far he has given us no reason to doubt him.
“I know where I’m going,” Breese told MMAjunkie in London this week. “I’m very confident. I train hard. I’m doing all the right things in training. I believe I’m going to go all the way, but just one step at a time and one challenger at a time.”
This evening’s UFC London card is only available to watch on UFC Fight Pass. The action begins at 5.45pm.
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A UFC legend returns in London tonight but a young Englishman could steal the show
THERE ARE MANY who’ll argue that Anderson Silva is the greatest fighter who has ever competed in mixed martial arts, and although his legacy may prove to have been tarnished by last year’s failed test for performance-enhancing drugs, the 40-year-old remains one of the best the sport has ever seen.
Silva returns from his 12-month suspension tonight to face Michael Bisping in the main event at UFC London, yet the comeback of an MMA legend probably hasn’t received the attention and publicity it might otherwise deserve as a result of the build-up to an event that will take place seven days later.
Conor McGregor’s bid to make history by winning a second UFC title is on hold but the sense of anticipation for his fight at UFC 196 on 5 March has arguably only been heightened by Nate Diaz stepping in to fill the void left by injured lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos.
It’s understandable that the biggest new star in MMA has been eclipsing one of the top names from a previous era, but Conor McGregor may not be the only justifiable reason to overlook Anderson Silva’s return to the octagon. About an hour or so before Silva and Bisping square off, one of the most promising young fighters at the UFC’s disposal will aim to crank the hype surrounding his potential up another notch or two.
It’s still early days in Tom Breese’s UFC career and he’ll eventually need to prove his credentials against much stiffer opposition, but the initial indications are that the 24-year-old from Birmingham could go on to become one of the most legitimate contenders ever to emerge from the United Kingdom.
It’s a sign of the UFC’s belief in Breese’s abilities that he has been catapulted into a high-profile slot for this evening’s event — third from the top on the main card — which makes him the highest-placed Brit on the bill (with the obvious exception of the aforementioned main event) for his welterweight bout against Keita Nakamura.
There were calls for Breese to be given a ranked opponent for the UFC’s return to British shores, but the organisation has resisted the temptation to fast-track his progress. Having said that, although he’s not the most recognisable name, Keita Nakamura shouldn’t be under-estimated.
The experienced Japanese fighter has already had 40 professional fights, compared to Breese’s nine. Nakamura, 31, possesses an aggressive submission offence. Eleven of his wins have come via rear-naked choke so he knows how to capitalise when his opponent gives up his back — as Li Jingliang discovered last September.
Breese, a former British junior wrestling champion, made his amateur MMA debut at the age of 17 and was undefeated in nine bouts over the course of 18 months before graduating to the professional ranks in 2010.
He went 6-0 en route to becoming the BAMMA British welterweight champion at the age of just 21. Breese then signed with Cage Warriors but his plans to continue on the path to the UFC were interrupted when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, which meant he hadn’t fought for two years by the time he made his Cage Warriors debut.
When he returned from the enforced lay-off, Breese defeated Frenchman Thibaud Larchet in November 2014. In spite of his lengthy absence, that win was enough to convince the UFC to offer Breese a contract early last year.
Six of Breese’s seven wins on the European circuit came via submission, so he initially earned a reputation as a grappler first and foremost. However, since moving to the UFC, the English prospect has displayed how well-rounded his game is by finishing both of his opponents to date with strikes inside the first round.
An enormous welterweight at 6’3″, Breese disposed of Luiz Jorge Dutra in his UFC bow in his opponent’s native Brazil last May, but it was his clinical stoppage of Cathal Pendred at UFC Dublin in October that really sent a message out to the MMA world as regards his future intentions.
Pendred acknowledged his own technical limitations as a fighter — particularly in the striking exchanges — in an open interview with The42 last month, but despite that, the Dubliner displayed his durability and resolve on countless occasions throughout his career.
Again, Breese travelled to compete on his opponent’s home turf, aiming to do what none of Pendred’s previous 13 opponents had succeeded in doing, by finishing the Straight Blast Gym fighter inside the distance.
Having already inflicted significant damage on Pendred, Breese rocked the Irishman with a teep-kick, dropped him with a couple of straight lefts and then engulfed him with ground-and-pound to secure the stoppage with 23 seconds of the opening frame remaining, earning a $50,000 ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus for his efforts.
Breese’s striking looked devastatingly powerful and beautifully crisp, and that aspect of his game has almost certainly been assisted by sparring with the likes of Lucian Bute, the former IBF super-middleweight world champion boxer. Relocating to Tristar in Canada has exposed Breese to training partners of Bute’s calibre.
Breese first travelled to the renowned Montreal gym in 2013. At the time, legendary former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was preparing to defend his title against Nick Diaz. The young visitor from England only planned to spend a couple of weeks there, but when GSP saw what he was capable of, he asked Breese to stay for the remainder of his training camp. Tristar has been Breese’s home ever since.
There, he trains under the astute guidance of coaches like Firas Zahabi and Eric O’Keefe, and alongside Irish UFC lightweight Joseph Duffy, top UFC welterweight Rory MacDonald and several other elite-level fighters.
“Training with him has been spectacular,” MacDonald said of Breese back in October. “In my opinion, Tom is at top-10 level in the UFC. He just needs experience right now. The more fights he has, it’s going to be really quick before people start noticing him and giving him the credit he deserves.”
The success of Conor McGregor has only served to add to the desire of MMA fans in the UK to witness the emergence of a star of their own. He may lack McGregor’s charismatic approach to the media — who doesn’t? — but Breese’s ultimate aim will be to succeed where the likes of Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy have failed, by becoming the UK’s first champion in the UFC.
“We see it in every one of our markets where we have a star. You can see what Alexander Gustafsson has done for us in Sweden. Look at what Joanna Jedrzejczyk is doing for us in Poland. We’re definitely on the lookout for it,” said James Elliott, the UFC’s Vice President and General Manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa.
“Michael Bisping has been a wonderful ambassador for the UK and for British MMA. We’re looking for the next Bisping, we’re looking for the next Conor McGregor from the UK. This is definitely what we’re trying to achieve. You look at the card for London this weekend and you see the young fighters there who are coming through, it’s exciting.”
UFC London might be Anderson Silva’s card, but if you’re hoping for a glimpse into the future, look no further than Tom Breese. It’s too soon to say for certain that Breese is destined for championship honours, but so far he has given us no reason to doubt him.
“I know where I’m going,” Breese told MMAjunkie in London this week. “I’m very confident. I train hard. I’m doing all the right things in training. I believe I’m going to go all the way, but just one step at a time and one challenger at a time.”
This evening’s UFC London card is only available to watch on UFC Fight Pass. The action begins at 5.45pm.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
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