Meet the Ultimate Fighting cutman

The 120th Ultimate Fighting Championship brings together 22 fighters from all over the world – and a cutman from Sedgley will be right in the middle of it.

On hand at the O2 Arena in London will be Bob Plant, a familiar face in boxing circles in the Black Country furthering his experience in the most brutal sport of all.

The 48-year-old will certainly earn his money tonight, as any number of the 11 bouts staged in the octagon could end in bloodshed.

Knees and elbows, along with any manner of punches and kicks, are all perfectly legal and part of the course.

Outside of the cage Plant, along with Mick Williamson and 'Stitch' Duran, will be waiting to be called into action.

It's hard work but great experience, the Black Country presence in the corner explains.

He said: "There are a lot more cuts in UFC to deal with than boxing, it's about 90 per cent likely that you are going to do something in every fight!

"They are bigger and more severe cuts, that's the nature of the sport, but I enjoy it because it's what I do. I am probably the busiest cut man in the country, I can work anywhere at the moment.

"It's full on for the hours that you are working, I have had a few bad ones and they trust you to help them carry on.

"But we don't just have to do that, we help them get ready as well. We tape their hands up, bandaging, wrapping up, that sort of thing.

"Cuts are an off shoot of what I do, I started doing it just to help out but then other people wanted me to do it as well.

"Being with the UFC has brought me on leaps and bounds - if you can deal with them, you can deal with boxing cuts every day of the week."

Plant's been involved with combat sports for the past 29 years, with boxing his passion and the majority of his work.

A builder by day, most of his evenings are spent in the Wednesbury Boxing Academy that he has been involved with from day one of his career.

It was where he boxed as an amateur in the early 1980's before taking over the reins with Errol Johnson, turning it into a pro gym 10 years ago.

Come the weekend and it's up and down the motorway to various boxing shows, working the corner as a cutman around the country.

It's a busy life to lead for, in truth, not much financial reward but Plant, a married family man no less, wouldn't have it any other way.

He said: "It's not something that you can do for a living, you do it because you enjoy the sport.

"It's a hobby for me and it's not about money, it's about helping the lads and we have probably got more fighters than anyone."