British Battlers Featured on UFC 70 Undercard

By Thomas Gerbasi

‘The Ultimate Fighter 3’ winner Michael Bisping isn’t the only British fighter representing his home country when the UFC travels to Manchester for April 21st’s UFC 70 show at the M.E.N. Arena, as four of the UK’s finest have just been confirmed for slots in intriguing undercard contests.

Walsall’s “Relentless” Paul Taylor (7-1-1) is a former world kickboxing champion who will face Brazil’s Edilberto Souza De Oliveira in a welterweight bout. Said Taylor of his impending Octagon debut, “The UFC is the holy grail of MMA. I am delighted to be part of it.”

Lightweight David Lee (5-2), a native of London, is a UFC vet, having fallen short in his debut against Tyson Griffin last September at UFC 63. But with plenty of time to train and re-focus, the tongue-in-cheek founder of “Dave Can Do” is eager to get his first Octagon win when he takes on fellow UFC vet Junior Assuncao.

21-year old lightweight Terry Etim (9-0) has never tasted defeat in his pro MMA career, and the Liverpudlian would like to keep that streak intact when he battles fellow unbeaten Matt Grice in what is shaping up to be one of the best fights of the night. Etim agrees, saying, “I think our styles will make a really exciting fight and I look forward to it.”

And while he may be the senior man of the British contingent at 33 years old, London’s Jess “The Joker” Liaudin (10-8) is also the most experienced combatant of the group, having studied martial arts since the age of eight, a length of time that has included over 80 amateur and professional fights in various disciplines. On April 21st, he will face highly regarded Dennis Siver in a welterweight bout.

“I have lots of respect for Dennis,” said Liaudin. “He appears to be an explosive, strong and versatile fighter. However, I believe we match up well for each other and I am confident that my extra experience will give me the edge in what should be an entertaining and close fight for the fans.”