Benjamin "The Executioner" Bannon[]
Benjamin Bannon AKA "The Executioner", "The Pride of Britannia", is a Heavyweight Mixed Martial Artist, and owner of one of the longest currently running MMA careers. Bannon was born in 1979 in the United Kingdom, however at the age of 3 immigrated to the United States with his parents to Long Island, New York. Bannon started MMA at a young age by getting involved in a local wrestling gym when he was 8. From there Bannon became apart of the growing underground MMA movement in New York to legalize MMA, where he would debut on The UCD in other states soon after his amateur career, and would eventually be on the card for the first UCD show in NYC.
Early Life and MMA Woes[]
Training and Amateur[]
Bannon's MMA experience starting young, as he'd gotten involved in a folkstyle wrestling group when he was 8. At 10 he learned the basics of kickboxing, helping to form his knowledge of striking and the "Art of 4 limbs", and Bannon went a step further learning Muay Thai, coupling his striking and grappling with the "Art of 8 limbs". Bannon's Pre Amateur experience would come from New York's growing underground fight movement. In 1997, MMA was still very much banned in New York State as a whole. So in shady, unseen places, where gamblers bet money, and young aspiring men taped their hands and beat each other with near bare knuckle ferocity- Bannon being 6'3" and 260 at the time, excelled at the new age, absolute violence of fighting. Realizing it'd not only be his goal to become a professional Mixed Martial Artist. He'd get his chance at his amateur league debut in Pennsylvania.
Bannon's first fight came months after his experience with underground fighting, when the titan was 6'4" and 270 on average. The man he was faced against was a man almost equal to his size, it mattered not though, as having waited so long for this, Bannon dominated the man in the clinch, and when they'd gotten to the ground, the small time commentator described it as a 'Bear mauling a tiger'. Bannon would amass a small amateur record of 4 - 0, before a then up and coming MMA league, The United Championship Draft, and Bannon was signed for a multiyear contract.
Pro League MMA[]
Bannon's Professional MMA career would not be the one of legends, at least, not until he'd gotten into the sport and company a few years in. Bannon debuted in September of 1999, where he faced off against fellow up and comer Frank Jackson. Bannon would derail the young man's then thought unbreakable streak when he was stopped in the stand up, and KOed within the first round. Bannon would go onto become 12 - 0 Pro by 2001, when he received his first shot at the UCD Heavyweight Title. However the fight would be turned into an interim bout when his opponent, 'Nick Mirr' pulled out, forcing Bannon to fight for the Interim title which he did.. By the end swing of 2001, Bannon would fight for the title, but after a brutal assault on Nick, would be knee barred out of virtually nowhere, Bannon cursing himself as even the referee had to stop as to not see Bannon's ankle get snapped. Mirr would go onto retain his title, and Bannon would earn his first loss. However this wouldn't be the end: The following years, Bannon worked his way up the rankings again from scratch, his fight camp, 'Sledgehammer Baltimore', helping him to win 9 consecutive fights over the next 3 years. By the time Bannon and Mirr faced off in their rematch, it was set for mid 2004 in Las Vegas. Bannon would go onto protect himself absolutely from Mirr's Jujitsu, and would end up mauling him within the second round. Bannon would reign as the undisputed UCD Heavyweight Champion, finally- atleast.... for the next 3 years.
Bannon was steam rolling the heavyweight division, his balance of power and size, coupled with skill and endurance made for the perfect combination. That was, until, a ferocious and bloodied up and comer by the name of "The Revenant" Michael Bishop walked into town. The Heavyweight Striker was 35 - 0 by the time he faced Bannon, a long career and an absolute desire to win, he faced off with Bannon after earning the Number One contenders spot in July of 2007, at the Garden in Las Vegas. Despite Bannon's previous thoughts on his skillset and ability- Bishop would almost certainly deconstruct Bannon. A lighter frame at Heavyweight allowed him to move faster and have better cardio, equal wrestling allowed him to survive/stuff Bannon's takedowns, and a higher level striking light Bannon up, as soon as his cardio wavered in the second round. As soon as Bannon started to gas from not being able to wear the 245lber down, Bishop tore him apart on the stand up, and that is meant very literally. A gash opened up on Bannon's left side of the face, and his forehead, and by the time Bishop got him to the ground, The 'Pride of Britain' was face full of blood. Bishop stood tall, and Bannon laid bloody..... but it would not be the end.
Bannon found himself stricken by illness after The Bishop fight. Diverticulitis, worn down muscles and frame- The MMA world had taken it's toll on Bannon, and now after being outclassed in what he thought was the prime of his career, he was unsure if he could still be the man the UCD branded 'The Executioner'. However- an MMA coach from the west coast offered Bannon some new training. A new style of fighting, some brush ups, he offered to be Bannon's new head coach, and in exchange, he'd he in his corner when they faced off with Bishop once again. So after 5 long years of battling Diverticulitis, Age, and getting back in peak shape to where he once was, Bannon met Bishop after climbing the contender ship ladder for the second time in his life. Bannon vs Bishop 2 was set to a sold out crowd in Las Vegas, where their previous encounter sold 750,000 buys, their rematch broke into the 1.1 million buyrate. The fight had a brutal start, with Bannon facing even more ferocity from Bishop at the beginning, Bannon had prepared for a new wave of much more fleshed out fighters, but not for Bishop, not for this much more veteraned version of the man who outclassed him ever step of the way. So it was when Bishop forced Bannon into a clinch in his corner, bannon was unsure of what to do- however his time came when the coach he hired had bear MACED Bishop's face through the cage. Bannon however was a clean sport, and yelled at his coach at first, but then found himself needing to capitalize when the then very angry, very blinded Bishop somehow continued his attack. Bannon would take Bishop down and deliver the man they'd call "The Revenant" his first cold KO loss on the ground. Bannon was The UCD Heavyweight Champion for the second time in his life, however would find out his Coach's intentions soon after.
Bannon was furious at his coach; sure they won the belt, but not like this, never like this. Turns out, the coach was the father of an opponent Bishop faced early in his career. A young boxer with a chip on his shoulder faced the growing War Machine of Bishop early on, and despite a bit of heart, got mauled so bad the boy found his wrist split badly from trying to block strikes, and suffered brain damage from the sport's then bad refereeing. In spite, the man waited, and found the perfect opportunity at revenge through Bannon. The moment that would define Bannon's career, as his corner team was revealed to be goons for the coach, would define Bishop's as they beat him to near death in the alley. Bannon silently prepared for his next defense- however would find himself shocked a month later when Bishop turned up at a press conference for the New York State deal that unbanned MMA..... fully healed, and challenged Bannon to a rematch. Seeing it as a chance to redeem himself, Bannon partnered with his old Baltimore camp, and the record breaking Bannon vs Bishop 3 would sell 1.9 million buys as it headlined the first MMA show ever in Madison Square Garden. The fight would be a 25 minute war, with both men fighting to their bitter, bloody end, and Bishop winning by a Majority Decision. Bishop would reclaim his title, and Bannon would redeem himself from the coach's sins.
Post Professional MMA and introduction to Pro Wrestling[]
Believing his time in the sun for MMA was done, Bannon pondered what to do next. It would turn out he would find a good friend in the man he'd unintentionally screwed over, Michael Bishop. Bishop offered Bannon a place at Chicago MMA, the best training camp in the midwest. Even if only for training and coaching, Bannon was still a veteran of the sport. Bannon accepted, and while he planned to make the jump after the collapse of UCD, to Pro Wrestling, like Bishop has. Until his chosen brand, 'Dystopia' takes off, he's content to stay right where he is.
Personal Life[]
Bannon's personal life is fairly quiet and, well, non-complex. Bannon owns two houses, his family house in Long Island, that he bought up land around and renovated to turn into more of an estate/compound, and a house in Westminster England. Bannon's personal life consists of Hunting, practicing MMA in his Long Island house's personal training area, and funnily enough, working with electronics. Bannon is not known to travel very often, however did fly out to Shanghai to watch the recent RYSE event in China.
(Bannon out hunting in the fall of 2017)
Bannon is married to Lillin Hawkins-Bannon, or 'Lillin Bannon' as she prefers to go by, and has a son and a daughter. Bannon's pets consist of a tabby cat, and a German Shepard, named "Mike" and "Theodore" respectively.
Moveset/Info[]
Training:[]
Fight Camp: Chicago MMA
Fighting Styles: Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Folkstyle Wrestling, Judo
Moveset:
Signature Moves:
- Single Leg Lariat
- Clothesline
- Multiple Suplex Forms
- Deadlift German
- German Release
- Belly to Belly Suplex
- Snap Suplex
- Vertical Suplex
- Superplex
- Multiple Striking Forms
- MMA Superman
- Hammerfist
- Palm Strike
- Elbow Strike
- Technical Boxing Strikes
- Multiple Powerbomb Forms
- Powerbomb
- Crucifix Powerbomb
- Gutwrench Powerbomb
- Jackknife Powerbomb
- Kneeling Ankle Lock
- DDT
- Spinebuster
- Multiple kick variations
- Headkick
- Frontkick
- Spinning sidekick
- Bicycle Kick
- Kick to the Knees
- (Sudden Death) German Suplex spiking person on head
- (Ground and Pound) Takedown followed by an array of MMA ground attacks
Finisher Moves:
- RNCity (Rear Naked Choke with legs hooked)
- Executioner's Chair (Leaping Tombstone Piledriver)
Theme Music:
- Enter Sandman - Metallica (1999 - 2012)
- Cut The Cord - Shinedown (2015 - present)
Achievements:[]
Professional Mixed Martial Arts:
- 2x UCD Heavyweight Championship (265.0lbs)
- 3x UCD Heavyweight Fighter of the Year
- Holds Record Breaking PPV Buys
- UCD 37: Bannon Vs O'Niel (670,000)
- UCD 87: Bannon Vs Bishop (750,000)
- UCD 141: Bannon vs Bishop 2 (1,100,000~)
- UCD 155: Bannon vs Bishop 3 (1,900,000~)
Professional Wrestling: