THERE’S UFC ACTION this weekend in Brazil, but the eyes of Irish MMA fans should be focused on events a little closer to home.
Twenty months have passed since Chris Fields’ last bout, but Ireland’s top middleweight returns to competition this evening in Wolverhampton, England.
He did appear on the 19th season of The Ultimate Fighter last year, but Fields hasn’t fought since a draw with Norman Paraisy at Cage Warriors 55 in Dublin in June 2013.
Tonight’s bout is under the banner of British promotion BAMMA, and his opponent is the heavy-hitting and highly-rated Frenchman Cheick Kone.
There are now eight Irish fighters competing in the UFC, MMA’s leading promotion. If you had predicted that two years ago, but that Chris Fields wouldn’t be one of them, your knowledge — as well as your sanity — would have been questioned.
With the exception of Conor McGregor, Fields was Irish MMA’s big hope after he won the Cage Warriors title in September 2012 courtesy of a dominant win over Pavel Kusch.
But while team-mates like McGregor, Pendred, Daly and Holohan have all carved out careers in the UFC in the meantime, Fields hasn’t managed to make the same progress.
He moved up a weight division to try his luck in The Ultimate Fighter as a light-heavyweight, but it didn’t work out. In fact, the experience soured his enjoyment of the sport and was largely responsible for this current lengthy lay-off.
However, when he spoke to The42 recently, Fields explained that he has rediscovered his appetite and is ready to climb the ladder again — starting tonight at BAMMA 18.
He’s adamant that the success of his career no longer depends on securing a UFC contract, and while that attitude is refreshing and admirable, the UFC is where a fighter of Fields’ ability needs to be in order to truly test himself against the elite.
The 31-year-old didn’t do himself justice during his TUF stint, but those who have witnessed Fields at his best know there are plenty of middleweights on the UFC roster that he’s capable of overcoming.
With previous wins over the likes of Pavel Kusch, Lee Chadwick and Jack Mason, Fields has already proven that he can beat some of the best outside the UFC, but a win over Cheick Kone is probably as big a statement that can be made on the European circuit at the moment.
The Frenchman is coming into this fight with plenty of hype behind him. Also 31, Kone has won his last three bouts, with two of those victories coming via very impressive knockouts.
On the basis of form, Kone will be the marginal favourite tonight, but following closer examination of these two fighters’ strengths and experience, we fancy Fields’ chances.
There’s no escaping the fact that if Kone finds his way inside, he can cause plenty of damage and exploit ring-rust, if there is any. The Parisian has heavy hands, powerful kicks and looks extremely dangerous in the clinch.
But getting within range of Chris Fields is easier said than done. Based on their staredown at yesterday’s weigh-ins, Fields has a few inches in height advantage, and with his wide reach and long legs, has always been adept at keeping his opponents on the outside.
If Fields can utilise those tools by keeping Kone at bay with jabs and trademark front-kicks, it will frustrate the Frenchman. Should the contest go to the ground, we’re giving Fields the advantage there too.
“Basically, what I was told [by the UFC] was to go and have a fight or two. Even if I can win this fight well I think I’d be in immediately, because they’re looking for Irish guys,” Fields told us last week.
It’s by no means the last throw of the dice for Chris Fields tonight, but with the UFC keen to yield as much as they can from the Irish market at present, he knows there’s never been a better time to show them what he’s capable of.
We see Fields earning a unanimous-decision win and some valuable cage-time — or perhaps even a submission before the contest makes it to the final bell.
Chris Fields versus Cheick Kone will be part of the main card at BAMMA 18, which starts at 9pm tonight. The fight will be streamed live via BAMMA on Facebook.
