Britain can now compete with the best Americans in the UFC because its fighters are no longer just pure strikers, a 28-year-old jiu jitsu black belt said
- Tom Breese, a UFC athlete from Birmingham, believes the UK is increasingly able to compete with the best Americans mixed martial arts has to offer.
- Breese fights this weekend against a 24-year-old American called Brendan Allen.
- Both Breese and Allen have more submission finishes than knockouts, and while a ground game could be expected, Breese told Business Insider he is happy to engage anywhere.
- Breese highlighted the trailblazing efforts of former UFC athletes like Dan Hardy and Michael Bisping for a rising popularity in the sport from Britain.
- Breese said that an increasing knowledge base and appreciation for grappling and jiu jitsu has shed the stereotype that British fighters can only strike and are therefore uncomfortable when fighting on the mat.
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LONDON - Britain can now compete with the best American fighters in UFC because of its continually evolving ground game.
That's according to 28-year-old fighter Tom Breese, a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt from Birmingham, England, who is competing in Saturday's 'UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo' event at the 10,000 capacity Chartway Arena in Virginia.
Speaking to Business Insider, Breese highlighted the trailblazing efforts of Dan Hardy, who challenged Georges St. Pierre for the UFC welterweight championship in 2010, and the former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping.
There is also a combat evolution going on in the UK, a country typically renowned for its striking, but one which has been increasingly embracing the ground game. Fighters are increasingly starting to grapple and submit opponents in elite match-ups, he noted.
"MMA is only going to keep growing in England," Breese told Business Insider ahead of his middleweight bout against the American 24-year-old Brendan Allen.
Breese, an Englishman, fights this weekend in the USA. The UFC returns to London in mid-March, with Leon Edwards - a close friend of Breese's - headlining the show against the former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
Edwards' brother, Fabian Edwards, is expected to compete in the co-main event of a Bellator MMA show in London's SSE Arena in May.
The UK is now becoming a cornerstone of top tier MMA.
"We're definitely a fighting nation," Breese said. "You only have to look at boxing. We've created great boxers over the years and I've no doubt we're going to do the same in mixed martial arts.
"Dan Hardy and Michael Bisping played their role. UFC as a whole … the growth … even since I started in the UFC [in 2015], it's just getting bigger and more popular.
"In terms of the UK, there's more technical knowledge now, which is why fighters are doing better and having a lot of success in the Octagon.
"The sport of jiu jitsu in the UK is taking off. We are usually thought of as strikers but the grappling level is there. We've just got to make the most of it."
Regarding his weekend opponent, Breese hopes victory over Allen will provide more opportunities in the UFC this year. He hopes to stay active throughout 2020.
"I've had a look at him. He's well-rounded, as to be expected in the UFC - you're not going to fight a mug in the UFC. It's a good challenge as always.
"I'm ready for wherever the fight goes. MMA is a game of situations and I'm looking to win every situation in the fight. The fight could end up anywhere, I'm just taking it as it comes. I'm well prepared.
"I've got 13 years of training and experience and I don't look at it as a training camp anymore, I look at it as 13 years of mixed martial arts. It never stops. There's no training camp. Just consistent training. I believe in my skillset and getting the job done.
"People are closed minded looking at training camps which is short term intensity. Bruce Lee said: 'Long term consistency trumps short term intensity.' I'm a believer in that. Stay consistent and value learning above all else.
"It's all about the journey. Get the win here, stay active, and take opportunities that come my way."
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