No stories found matching ""

Meet Our Team

The dedicated journalists and creators behind Combat Evolved Sports.

Nick Dacres

Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Nick Dacres is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Combat Evolved, overseeing the platform’s editorial direction, original video content and coverage across MMA, boxing and the wider combat sports world. Working across journalism, interviewing and videography, Nick has covered major promotions including the UFC, Cage Warriors and PFL, while producing original content with fighters ranging from rising prospects to established names at the highest level of the sport. His work focuses heavily on telling the stories behind the fighters, combining in-depth interviews with access to training camps and behind-the-scenes environments to give audiences a closer look at the people behind the competition.

Sam Hollingshead

Sam Hollingshead

Co Director/Editor/Camera Operator

Co-Director, Editor and Camera Operator at Combat Evolved Sports.

Charlie Walker

Charlie Walker

Videographer and Editor

Capturing the raw intensity of combat sports through cinematic videography and precision editing.

Mason Potter

Regional content lead

Mason is Combat Evolved’s UK MMA researcher and presenter, bringing an extensive knowledge of the British MMA scene to the team. He plays a key role in researching UK fighters, identifying emerging talent and helping develop concepts for Combat Evolved’s original content. With a strong understanding of the domestic scene, Mason contributes to projects from the early planning and research stages through to appearing on camera and hosting video content. His focus is on helping Combat Evolved uncover the fighters, stories and developments shaping UK MMA, from established names to prospects making their way through the regional scene.

Ben Matthews

Lead Editor

Ben Matthews is a journalist who specialises in combat sports. An avid MMA fan on both the global and regional level, he has 5 years worth of reporting experience for digital news outlets. His experience is backed by a NCTJ training alongside a bachelors degree in Journalism & Publishing. Engaging, knowledgeable and contextualised coverage is what he aims to provide in his writing.

Henry Elwell

Reporter & Journalist

Henry Elwell is a sports writer based in Lincoln, UK, specialising in combat sports coverage across both boxing and mixed martial arts. Alongside his writing, Henry has gained experience presenting boxing events, attending press conferences and hosting media events, building a broad range of skills during his time at the University of Lincoln. He also played a key role in the University of Lincoln's coverage of Lincoln City F.C. during the club's title-winning 2025/26 campaign. His work included writing match reports and feature articles, as well as interviewing the team's manager and numerous first-team players.

Jordan Vega

Jordan Vega

Las Vegas Correspondent

Jordan Vega is a Mexican American and Native American sports broadcaster from Coachella, California. Born into a wrestling family and a lifelong martial artist, Jordan served in the U.S. Navy before discovering judo while stationed in Italy. He went on to earn two national gold medals in judo while also training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Now studying Sports Broadcasting at UNLV and competing on its wrestling team, Jordan aims to bring authentic storytelling and greater representation to sports media while inspiring the next generation.

Irfan Alam

Irfan Alam

Short Form Content Lead

Leading the charge in short-form storytelling and social engagement.

Charlie Oxtoby

Staff Writer

A Multimedia Sports Journalism graduate from UCFB Manchester, Charlie Oxtoby covers combat sports, football, and darts, with MMA being his main passion. He has written articles for The Sun while also contributing MMA content to sports websites in a voluntary capacity. Charlie also produces graphics to share live results from UFC numbered events on X and Instagram. He focuses primarily on covering the UFC, PFL, and Cage Warriors, while also keeping a close eye on the regional scene to spotlight emerging prospects who could become major names in MMA. Now a writer for Combat Evolved, Charlie mainly covers MMA, along with selected boxing pieces, ranging from previews and results to announcements and breaking news.

Lewis Larrigan

Staff Writer

Lewis Larrigan is a Sports Journalism student at Liverpool John Moores University with a passion for combat sports and sports media. A dedicated follower of both boxing and MMA, Lewis combines his knowledge of the fight game with a growing skillset in written journalism, interviewing, camera operation, and video editing. Driven by a lifelong ambition to work within combat sports, Lewis is excited to be part of the Combat Evolved team and looks forward to continuing his development while contributing to the growth of the platform.