LONDON -- Sparks flew at the Cage Rage 28 weigh-ins Friday as
Leigh Remedios addressed the promotion’s featherweight champion,
Robbie Olivier, after a one-sided war of words on the Internet.
“I’m really competitive,” declared Remedios, the self-proclaimed People’s Champion. “I know I’ve talked a lot of smack about Robbie. I did feel he started it off in his interview in Fighters Only -- that pissed me right off. So I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll fight him. I’ll smash him up.’ And tomorrow I will.”
Asked by the Cage Rage British champion to clarify what had offended him in the article, Remedios was more than happy to oblige with an answer.
“I hadn’t fought for ages, and he just started calling me out for no reason, saying that I was scared of his punches,” Remedios said angrily. “Well, clearly I’m not. I’ll happily trade punches tomorrow.
“We will see who goes for the takedown first,” Remedios added with a smirk, knowing well that the titlist is known primarily as a grappler.
In response, Olivier fixed his opponent with a stern look.
“He says he hasn’t fought for a while but that he’s the number one contender, yet he challenged the [Cage Rage] world titleholder without going through the British titleholder, and I find that disrespectful,” Olivier said.
“We’ll see who’s scared of the punches tomorrow,” the champion added for a rapturous ovation.
Looking back on a stinging defeat at Cage Rage 27 in his British title tilt with
Mustapha al Turk, last-minute replacement
James McSweeney began with a tone of regret in the run up to his headline bout with jiu-jitsu specialist
Roman Webber.
“My ground game was exposed against Mustapha, and that was painfully obvious,” McSweeney said. “So I’ve been working on my ground, and in my last fight I showed that by winning with a ground-and-pound finish. I’m just happy to get more experience and I’ll put on a performance for the crowd and the viewers at home.”
Webber revealed that he had also accepted the fight on short notice.
“I took this fight with 10 days’ notice,” he said. “Prior to this, I was contemplating retiring. My head wasn’t in the right place. It is now. I’m back on track, even though I haven’t really had much training for this. It’s a pleasure to fight James. He’s a friend of mine in the sport, so we’ll put on a good show for the fans and shake hands afterwards.”
Roman Webber 101 kg/222.6 lbs vs.
James McSweeney 102 kg/224.8 lbs
Antanas Jazbutis 64.5 kg/142 lbs vs.
Brad Pickett 65.8 kg/145 lbs
Leigh Remedios 65.8 kg/145 lbs vs.
Robbie Olivier 65.8 kg/145 lbs
Ross Mason 77 kg/169.7 lbs vs.
Scott Jansen 77 kg/169.7 lbs
Alberto Mina 76.8 kg/169.2 lbs vs. Steve Elliott 76.5 kg/168.6 lbs
Jack Mason 81 kg/178.5 lbs vs.
John Hathaway 81.8 kg/180.2 lbs
Michael Pastou 76.5 kg/168.6 lbs vs.
Nigel Whitear 77 kg/169.7 lbs
Neil Turner 112 kg/246.4 lbs vs. Steve Hopwood 102 kg/224.8 lbs
Jamaine Facey 80 kg/176 lbs vs. Scott Rogan 79 kg/174.1 lbs
Wesley Johnson 70 kg/154.2 lbs vs.
Matt Smith 69 kg/151.8 lbs
Ashley Pollard 122 kg/268.6 lbs vs. Ben Smith 106 kg/233.6 lbs
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