Lee Murray, Anderson Silva & Bisping: The Untold Story of Cage Rage’s Explosive Rise!

Episode 330 – The Rise of Cage Rage with Andy Gear (Part 1) In this first episode of our Cage Rage series, the MMA History Podcast sits down with co-founder Andy Geer for a rare, in-depth look at the promotion that changed UK MMA forever. From running their very first event in a local leisure centre to landing a television deal by their second show, Andy reveals how they built a global brand on a shoestring budget. Discover the rise of British legends like Michael Bisping, Brad Pickett, and the notorious Lee Murray, who fought his final MMA bout for Cage Rage before his infamous high-profile bank heists. Learn how Cage Rage took a Brazilian fighter with a spotty Pride record in Anderson Silva and, in just two appearances, delivered the future UFC GOAT to the world. Andy shares wild stories from events 1 through 9, including bringing in international talent, chaotic early fights, Royce Gracie refereeing, political pushback, venue battles, and the raw, unfiltered energy of the early 2000s UK MMA scene. He discusses starting Cage Rage with zero experience, landing Sky TV and building an international audience, the Anderson Silva versus Lee Murray weigh-in chaos, Michael Bisping’s early arrogance and rise, along with key figures like Jeremy Bailey, Mark Epstein, Paul Jenkins and more, plus the crazy backstage culture and growth pains that shaped the promotion. A must-watch for any MMA fan interested in the golden era of European MMA, UK pioneers, and the wild history behind one of the most influential promotions outside the UFC. 0:00 Introduction to Cage Rage 1:08 MMA history podcast intro 1:41 Joey Venti’s guest introduction 1:57 interview start 2:40 meeting Dave O’Donnell 3:50 direction where to take Cage Rage 6:08 receiving TV deal by 2nd event 9:32 hosting Cage Rage 2 in York Hall 11:46 bringing in Royce Gracie as a referee 13:46 financial losses early on 15:38 trying to go internationally 16:55 Gerald Strebendt vs Jean Silva 17:54 Paul Jenkins vs Gareth Roriston 22:12 struggling to sell out arenas 23:34 pre figh