Lee Hasdell
Lee Hasdell is a British martial artist, promoter and former professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist. Hasdell is considered by many to be a pioneer of mixed martial arts in the United Kingdom, particularly in the 1990s, when he drove a great deal of innovation in the field. Hasdell promoted the first professional mixed martial arts events in the UK and helped develop many of the standards within the British MMA scene of today.
Hasdell began his professional career in 1989, as a Muay Thai boxer, becoming a three-time British champion in kickboxing and Thai boxing. In 1995, he became one of the first British fighters to compete in K-1 and soon began crossing over into mixed martial arts as a shootfighter. In 1996, he won the inaugural Oktagon challenge, an eight-man shootboxing tournament held in Milan, Italy. Then in 1997, he made his debut for Fighting Network RINGS in Japan and would go on to have the majority of his fights there until 2001. His final mixed martial arts bout was in 2007, on the UK promotion Cage Rage. Hasdell's professional and competitive career spanned over 20 years with almost 100 bouts in kickboxing, mixed martial arts and submission grappling.
Biography
Martial arts background
Lee Hasdell began martial arts in 1979, at the age of 12, learning taekwondo under Morris Young who was the European full-contact taekwondo heavyweight champion. Lee later took up boxing and then karate as he felt that it was more of a mixed style that suited his stand up. After winning a number of local tournaments he decided to study full-contact Karate. In 1985, when he was 18 he started weight training and kickboxing. In 1987, he moved to Milton Keynes from Northampton where he began Thai boxing. Hasdell was taught by Bryan Walker, who was one of Master Toddy's first generation instructors and would train under him until 1992.Kickboxing career (1989–1995)
Hasdell began his professional kickboxing career in January 1989, at the age of 22 as a super-welterweight Thai boxer. In 1991, Lee went over to train at the Gym International and the Chakuriki Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is where Lee was first introduced to Japanese Kickboxing and Kyokushin methods. On 9 March 1991, Hasdell won the WKA British super-middleweight kickboxing title. The following month he moved up to light-heavyweight and won the B.I.K.M.A British Thai boxing title. He later added the B.I.K.M.A British light-heavyweight freestyle title in 1992. Hasdell remained undefeated as British champion for two years.Hasdell's quest for the European title began on 28 May 1993, in Katowice, Poland. He fought Paval Rumas for the ISKA European light-heavyweight full contact title and lost by split decision after 10 rounds. Hasdell later moved up to super light-heavyweight and challenged for both the WKA Commonwealth and European Muay Thai titles. He lost the first title fight against Duncan Airlie James due to a cut in October 1993. This bout was only one week removed from originally receiving the cut in a Thai boxing match in Arnhem, Netherlands against Perry Telgt. Still ranked no.1 in Britain, Hasdell fought for the European title on 22 January 1994, against Bob Schrijber at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Hasdell was stopped near the end of the last round due to leg kicks.
In April 1994, Hasdell trained at the Seidokaikan Dojo in Japan, the headquarters for the K-1 organisation. He also attended the K-1 Grand Prix '94 as a stand by fighter. On 17 October 1994, Hasdell made a move to super-cruiserweight when he defeated French fighter Bruno Fariot by first round knock-out. He later returned to train at the Chakuriki Gym to prepare for his future fights and was ranked no.1 in the Commonwealth ratings.
On 15 April 1995, Hasdell fought undefeated American fighter Curtis Schuster for the ISKA world super-heavyweight Muay Thai title in Paris, France. Hasdell lost in the first round via a knee strike. On 3 September 1995, he became one of the first British fighters to compete in K-1 when he fought South African Duane Van Der Merwe at K-1 Revenge II in Yokohama, Japan. Hasdell, who was significantly smaller than his opponent, lost in the first round by clinch knees.
Transition into mixed martial arts (1995–1997)
Lee Hasdell was first exposed to mixed martial arts in 1992, when teaching kickboxing at a Japanese Boarding School, he began cross training with the Japanese martial arts instructors in Judo, Karate and Jujitsu. Then whilst he was competing at K-1, Hasdell shared a dressing room with the mixed martial artists that were competing that night. They had Vale Tudo and shootfighting bouts on the card, which Hasdell watched with interest and when he returned from Japan, he began grappling.On 15 October 1995, Lee Hasdell promoted a kickboxing event in Milton Keynes, England which featured three shootfighting contests. The main attraction was a match between Hasdell and American freestyle wrestler Boston Jones. The fight was billed as "The first ultimate shootfight in Britain". Hasdell won the fight by technical-knockout due to a cut from a knee in round 2.
On 18 February 1996, Hasdell made his shootfighting debut for Rings Holland at Kings of Martial Arts against Dutch Thai boxer and multiple time world champion Andre Mannaart. Although the fight ended in a draw, it brought Hasdell to the attention of Akira Maeda, the president of Fighting Network RINGS.
On 20 April 1996, Hasdell entered the world Oktagon challenge, an eight-man shootboxing tournament held in Milan, Italy. The tournament featured fighters from the United States, Israel, Spain, Netherlands, Nigeria, France and Italy, all representing eight different martial arts. Hasdell represented the UK and the art of freestyle fighting. The event was attended by 14,000 spectators. The rules of the tournament allowed grappling on the ground; wearing ten ounce gloves with thirty seconds of ground fighting. At the time it was considered 'free-fighting', a name that originally referred to mixed martial arts. Hasdell went through to the final with two knockouts over American Jeet Kun Do practitioner Scott Dobbs and Italian Judo and Karate champion Paolo Di Clemente. In the final he defeated Andre Mannaart by decision to become the new world Oktagon champion.
Following his Oktagon victory, Hasdell was invited to train at the Rings Dojo in Yokohama, Japan for four weeks. Upon his return he began staging unofficial invitational matches in preparation for his future events and competed in mixed rules matches throughout the year. Hasdell would also fight in a no holds barred match in October 1996.
Shootfighting in Japan, Netherlands and UK (1997–1999)
On 2 February 1997, Hasdell made his second appearance for Rings Holland; now with Akira Maeda in his corner, fought Rings veteran Hans Nijman in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This bout ended up having a controversial finish. In the second round Nijman had Hasdell in a guillotine choke, Hasdell grabbed the ropes for a rope escape although the referee did not see it, forcing Hasdell to tap out to break the hold.On 4 April 1997, Hasdell made his debut for Fighting Network RINGS in Tokyo, Japan. He defeated American Sean McCully by guillotine choke at 3:59. Hasdell returned to Tokyo two months later to compete in the Rings light-heavyweight tournament for the divisions inaugural title and lost to Masayuki Naruse in the quarter-finals by submission.
On 5 October 1997, Hasdell promoted his first official mixed martial arts event; the first in the United Kingdom, called Total Fight Night. He would also feature on the card and defeated Dutch karate champion Peter Dijkman by rear naked choke, winning the vacant U.T.F super-fight heavyweight shootfighting title. Later that same month, Hasdell competed in the annual RINGS: Mega Battle Tournament, a 16-man tournament to determine the first ever Rings open-weight champion. In the round of 16, he lost to Joop Kasteel by submission.
On 13 December 1997, Lee Hasdell made a brief return to kickboxing when he entered an 8-man tournament in Prague, Czech Republic. He took on Mirko Filipovic in the quarter-finals and was defeated by TKO in round 2.
On 8 March 1998, at Hasdell's second mixed martial arts event Night of the Samurai, he fought Dutch fighter Sander Thonhauser in a Vale Tudo match, winning by armbar at just 55 seconds of round 1 to win the vacant U.T.F super-fight heavyweight Vale Tudo title.
On 29 May 1998, Hasdell fought Hiromitsu Kanehara in Sapporo, Japan. The match went the full thirty minutes and Kanehara was declared the winner due to multiple forced rope escapes. Just over a week later in Utrecht, Netherlands he beat Dutch fighter Dave van der Veen by knock-out in the second round, securing his first victory in Rings Holland.
On 21 September 1998, Hasdell defeated future UFC Japan winner, Kenichi Yamamoto by KO in Yokohama, Japan. On 11 October 1998, Hasdell re-matched Hiromitsu Kanehara, this time at Night of the Samurai II in Milton Keynes, England and after 15 minutes, Hasdell lost again by decision. Later that month, he fought Gilbert Yvel in Heerenveen, Netherlands and was defeated via technical-knockout due to a cut in the first round.
On 20 November 1998, Hasdell began what would be a trilogy of matches with Yasuhito Namekawa. Their first confrontation was held in Osaka, Japan; after twenty minutes it was declared a draw. Their rematch was held on 23 January 1999, at the Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Hasdell received a yellow card for an illegal punch and failed to knock out Namekawa after landing multiple knee strikes, losing the contest by decision. The third and final bout was held in Milton Keynes, England at Night of the Samurai III on 7 March 1999. Hasdell was trailing the fight by two points before knocking Namekawa out with a knee strike at 5:55.
He returned to Japan on 23 April 1999, defeating future DEEP Japan middleweight champion, Ryuki Ueyama via to disqualification and submitting Ricardo Fyeet four months later. On 15 September 1999, Hasdell fought Satoshi Honma in Tokyo, Japan and after twenty minutes, the bout ended in a draw. The following month, Hasdell faced Dave van der Veen for a second time at Total Fight KRG 5 in Milton Keynes, England. Hasdell won by armbar at 1:47 of the first round to retain his U.T.F super-fight heavyweight shootfighting title.