Mick Stanton's €300,000 Dream is Still Alive After First Round Win
- Elliot Hughes
- Feb 27
- 2 min read
Mick ‘The Huyton Hammer’ Stanton, 38, says that he made his opponent “give up” in his first-round win in the Oktagon MMA €1 Million middleweight tournament.
Stanton defeated Miloš Petrášek in a smothering unanimous decision, and is still within a chance of winning the €300,000 grand prize.
When reflecting on his performance, the scouse MMA fighter said: “The fight went just how I thought it would go. I did believe that I would tire him out and get the finish, but unfortunately Miloš struggled to get out of the position off his back. He gave up trying in the end. I was hoping that he would try and get up so I could then advance and attack him, but he just lay on his back and get beat up.”
The scouse 38-year-old is now through to the final 8 men in the tournament, and has his eyes are set on the toughest fights next as he said: “I’d like to fight Matěj Peňáz who’s the favourite [to win the tournament] and a great kickboxer, or Kerim Engizek who is the current world champion, and put my name at the top of the bracket to be favourite.”
Despite his career starting off in the ring as a boxer representing England, it was a wrestling heavy approach that led to the victory for Stanton, as he secured takedowns in all three rounds to control his opponent.
The fight was from the Werk Arena in Czech Republic – the home country of Petrášek – but the added hostility didn’t deter Stanton as he said: “I enjoyed fighting in my opponents back yard. I love being an underdog, I love the boo’s, it makes me rise to the occasion and puts fuel on the fire.”
Stanton was announced the winner of the fight to a chorus of boos from the home support, and the Scouser did not hold back in the post-fight interview as he said: “I am a different level, you can boo all you want, I am going to run through this whole division.”
The Liverpudlian has already guaranteed a lump of the €1 Million prize money, and by winning his fight in the final three rounds, would take home the €300,000 grand prize.
