Kingdom MMA speak to Max Nunes ahead of BAMMA Fight Night: Askham vs Nunes

Max Nunes talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of his title shot against Scott Askham

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Saturday night Max Nunes will headline the first BAMMA Fight Night event when he challenges Scott Askham for his BAMMA Middlewight World Title. The fight between Askham and Nunes pits two of the best Middleweights in European MMA against each other in a fight which may attract the attention of the UFC. Before that though Max Nunes took time out of his camp to speak to Kingdom MMA about his upcoming title fight.

Ben: Last time out you fought in Russia, how was the experience? How did the Russian fans compare to the Brits?
Nunes: It was a really cool experience and I'm very happy I went there. Everyone was very nice over there and i was treated very well but nothing compares to the British fans :)

Ben: Have you been working on any specific areas of your game since you last fought in England?
Nunes: Everything. I'm always trying to get better at every aspect of MMA.

Ben: How has the camp gone? Where have you been training for this fight and who with?
Nunes: Camp has gone really well. I've been training at Allstars Training Center in Stockholm.  Some of the people I've been training with are Magnus Cedenblad, Alex Gustafsson, Ilir Latifi. A lot of different people.

Ben: When did you find out that you would be fighting Askham? I know there were some tweets back and forth between the two of you around the time of BAMMA 15. Did you know before then you would be fighting Askham?
Nunes: I found out not too long ago. I wanted to fight him at the last BAMMA but he was injured then.

Ben: In the past Bamma have allowed you to go and fight for other promotions to keep you active. Are you hoping that now BAMMA have announced more shows with the Fight Nights that you will be able to keep more active fighting only for BAMMA?
Nunes: BAMMA is a great promotion and I love fighting for them so I'll fight every chance they give me.

Ben: In your last appearance for BAMMA you stepped in for Scott on less than a months notice. Was the reason for taking that fight to step in, defeat Pascu and then replace him as the number one contender?
Nunes: Yes.

Ben: Scott Askham will be coming in to this fight unbeaten. What do you think you will bring to the fight that his 11 previous opponents couldn't?
Nunes: We will have to wait and find out.

Ben: Askham has not fought since Sept last year. In that time you have fought and won twice. In your opinion will staying active work to your advantage?
Nunes: I don't think so. I'm sure he has been training really hard so there should not be any ring rust.

Ben: In your opinion what does Scott Askham do well and do you think he has any areas you can target?
Nunes: He's very well rounded and a great fighter, but we have been working on some stuff.

Ben: This will be the second time you have fought for a BAMMA world title, after coming up short in your first attempt. What did you learn from that experience?
Nunes: A lot of things.

Ben: What would it mean to you to become the BAMMA World Middleweight Champion?
Nunes: I would be very happy as BAMMA is a great promotion  to be a champion in.

Ben: Do you think the winner of this fight stands a good chance of getting the attention of the UFC, especially in your case with a show announced for Sweden later this year?
Nunes: Time will tell.

Ben: How do you see yourself winning the fight on June 7th?
Nunes: Stoppage in the 1st or 2nd round

Ben: Would you like to thank anyone or any sponsors ahead of the fight?
Nunes: All of my fans and my sponsors.

Thank you for your time and good luck in your fight we are all looking forward to what is anticipated to be a great fight between two of the best Middleweight fighters not in the UFC.

Scott Askham on fight with Max Nunes "I can't wait for him to be stood in front of me"

Scott Askham talks to Kingdom MMA before his fight with Max Nunes

by Ben Heather @benheather

Earlier this week Kingdom MMA caught up with Scott Askham ahead of his main event fight against Max Nunes at BAMMA Fight Night on Saturday night. That fight will mark the first time that Askham attempts to defend his BAMMA World Middlewight Championship belt. Before the fight takes place though we caught up with Scott to discuss that fight with Nunes, his recent injury and his plans for the future.

Ben: Hi Scott, Thank you for your time and for answering our questions before the fight.
It’s been nearly 9 months since we last saw you in action, what have you been working on in that time?
Askham: I've been focusing on my game as a whole and moving forward that way.

Ben: How does it feel to be the BAMMA world champion, is this the greatest achievement you in your career to date?
Askham: Yeah of course it's my biggest achievement (so far) and being BAMMA's world champion is awesome. I have massive self-belief and always believed I would become their champion.

Ben: You were supposed to defend your title against Ion Pascu before being forced to withdraw due to an injury. Max replaced you in that fight, what did you make of Max's performance?
Askham: He did just enough to get the nod  but it did not stand out as an outstanding performance or anything. He did nothing that impressed me.

Ben: How frustrating has it been to be sat on the side-lines unable to fight?
Askham: It has been slightly frustrating but I have just had a baby girl, so it came at a good time for me as well, as she has kept me busy.

Ben: How is the shoulder feeling now, when did you get the all clear on it and have you had to go easy on it during camp at all or is it 100% now?
Askham: My shoulder is 100% now and has been since around February time.

Ben: Max called you out, but decided to take a fight in Russia instead of fighting you.
Did you want to/ would you have been fit to fight Max Nunes at BAMMA 15 in April and what did you make of him calling you out then taking another fight?
Askham: I would have been fit to fight yes but he took the other fight... That's behind me now as well. Now I have had a good 4 months with Max in my mind!! I can't wait for him to be stood in front of me!

Ben: You finally will square off against Max in just under two weeks time. How excited are you to return to action on June 7th?
Askham: I can't wait!! Just over a week and I will be stepping on the scales. My weight feels good and my training camp's been awesome!

Ben: In your opinion what does Max Nunes do well?
Askham: I don't really care what he does well I will just go out there and implement my game plan.

Ben: Nunes' only loss came against Jason Jones, have you watched the tape on that fight and have you picked up on areas that you can target?
Askham: His heart! He quit in that fight!!

Ben: You have stated before that this fight is the last fight on your contract with Bamma. Do you think a win over Max Nunes will be the win required to get the attention of the UFC?
Askham: I am hoping so. I do not see any reason why not. I think I will have earned it, don't you think?

Ben: If the UFC do not come calling, can we expect you to re-sign with BAMMA and be one of their showcase fighters?
Askham: We will have to see, I do have UFC in my mind...

Ben: Names for the foreseeable future?
Askham: Luke Barnatt?? Makes sense. Me get to the UFC, clock up a  few wins and have a massive Middleweight fight in the UK. How about that?

Ben: How do you see yourself winning the fight on June 7th?
Askham: TKO, Sub or UD if he hangs in to the end, but it's still not going to be close!!

Ben: Would you like to thank anyone or any sponsors ahead of the fight?
Askham: All my sponsors as always have been a massive help; all my friends and family who are making the journey to Southampton; my team at Ludus Magnus; and all the fans for their support. Thank you very much!!

Thank you for your time and good luck in your fight we are all looking forward to what is anticipated to be a great fight between two of the best Middleweight fighters not in the UFC.

BAMMA introduces Amateur bouts to prelims for BAMMA Fight Night: Askham Vs Nunes

BAMMA Introduces Amateur Bouts to the BAMMA Prelims for BAMMA Fight Night: Askham Vs Nunes

More fights have been announced to the preliminaries for "BAMMA Fight Night: Askham vs Nunes", including a first set of Amateur bouts for the British promotion. The event which takes place in Southampton on 7th June 2014 will be the first of BAMMA's regional fight nights, with the brand returning to its larger shows later in the year. Headlined by Scott Askham and Max Nunes for the BAMMA World Middleweight title, the Fight Night takes place at the O2 Guildhall.

Mo  Lasladj Vs. Mark Handley  [Pro Flyweight Bout]

Mo 'Mad Boy' Lasladj' fights out of Lion's Pride MMA in South London and stands undefeated with a professional record of 2-0. Lasladj also held an unblemished record at Amateur of 5-0-0. The 24 year old holds the "Semi-Professional" WCMMA Bantamweight Title.

Lasladj said:

"It feels great to be fighting on BAMMA and I just cant wait to step into the cage on 7th June. You can expect an exciting fight, be it on the floor or standing: Either way, Lions Eat First!. I would like to thank all my coaches, team mates and all the team at Lion's Pride MMA for all their support." 

Coming in ten years older than his opponent,  Mark 'Short Fuse' Handley brings experience to the fight in the form of a 5-11 Amateur record since 2009 against some top ranking UK names. The Shrewsbury fighter competes out of Elite MMA Shrewsbury and has fought at Bantamweight and Flyweight.  While Handley's strength is considered his stand up, his victories have come via Submission.

Handley said:

"I've spent the last 2 years chasing scalps which I think has maybe been an issue but June 7th will see me back to winning ways."

Damien Koryga Vs Ricky Mitchell [Amateur Middleweight Bout]

Fighting out of Abs gym in Andover, Ricky Mitchell brings an Amateur record of  2- 1- 0. His first fight saw a loss to Triangle Choke against Kyle Gray, an experienced judoka. Mitchell's second fight at Fusion 11 brought a 1st round win over Drew Crooney due to a TKO via knees. His 2nd victory was over Ben Griffiths at Into the Cage 9 by TKO via body kicks, just 21 seconds into the fight. The 21 year old comes from no background in any combat sport and has trained solidly for 2 years.

Ricky Mitchell said:

"I would like to say a big thanks to Bren for pushing me, and any one else who has helped to give me this opportunity." 

Damien Koryga has earned 1 decision victory at UCMMA, and 2 draws on AWOL and UWC, all at "Semi-Pro". Aged 29, Kyorga comes from a karate background and represents BST in Northampton.

Andy Hannon Vs. Josh Roe  [Amateur Featherweight Bout]

Andy Hannon is from Tidworth and fights out of Team Kyouken with a "Semi-Pro" record of 1-2-0.  All 3 fights were fought on local show, Into The Cage, with losses to Josh Skinner via Armbar in Round 2; and to Kieran Bresilan via Ground n Pound in Round 1. Hannon's victory came against Kevin Rodziewicz via 1st round Guillotine. Hannon trains in Brazilian jiu jitsu and holds an Orange belt in Japanese Jujitsu. Hannon serves in the British Army.

Hannon faces fellow Featherweight, Josh 'Tap Out' Roe who fights out of Eastleigh Boxing Academy with a background in Amateur boxing.

Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster: http://bit.ly/1g6nMpF or from 023 8063 2601.

Roberts vs Kotov set for BAMMA Fight Night

Alexei Roberts vs Artem Kotov set for BAMMA Fight Night Askham vs Nunes

BAMMA, has announced a further bout to "BAMMA Fight Night: Askham vs. Nunes" as Artem Kotov is set to face Alexei Roberts. The event marks the launch of BAMMA's 'Fight Night' series which brings the show to regional fans and offers a proving ground for upcoming talent. Taking place at the O2 Guildhall in Southampton on 7th June 2014 the event also sees the headline fighters clash for the BAMMA World Middleweight title. 

Alexei "Boom" Roberts is a Team Kyouken fighter with a professional record of 10-5-0 that includes losses against experienced and talented opponents. 80% of the Hampshire fighter's wins have come via stoppage; 40% by KO or TKO, and 40% by Submission. Roberts has snatched up the ITC Welterweight and Lightweight titles and is also the former Shock n Awe Welterweight champion. 

Artem Kotov holds a record of 2-2 with losses to more experienced competition that has included Ali Arish and Nathan Jones. Following a change in 2013 over to Exile gym, Ippon and Lookborai Thai boxing after three fights, Kotov took a break from MMA competition for a year to focus on training. With a background in Olympic Wrestling and a former Ukrainian Olympic team member,  Kotov has earned the accolades of British Wrestling Senior Champion and British Grappling Tournament Double Champion 2013-2014. He will be participating at the summer Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 also as a wrestler. Kotov has recently won two out of two Amateur boxing fights by Knock Out.

Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster http://bit.ly/1g6nMpF or from 023 8063 2601.

Fight Card for "BAMMA FIGHT NIGHT: ASKHAM VS NUNES"
(with more fights to be announced)

BAMMA World Middleweight Title Bout
Max Nunes Vs. Scott Askham

Catchweight Bout (75.5kg) 
Alexei Roberts Vs. Artem Kotov
     
FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT
Dragan Pesic Vs. Ashleigh Grimshaw

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT
Tim Menzies Vs. Alex Montagnani

BANTAMWEIGHT BOUT
Mike Cutting Vs. Ed Arthur

15 European Fighters Who Could Sign for The UFC in 2014 (Part 1)

15 European Fighters Who Could Sign for The UFC in 2014 (Part 1)
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

2014 is set to be the busiest year in the UFC's history with between 40 to 50 cards planned for the year. The UFC are looking to expand in a big way this year, and with Garry Cook at the helm as Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Europe, 2014 is set to be a huge year for European MMA.

With a minimum of 6 European cards planned for 2014, Joe Silva and Sean Shelby will need to book around 72 fights just for Europe - that's 144 fighters! With all of these cards expected to take place on the UFCs new online subscription service Fight Pass, its likely Silva and Shelby will be looking to add local talent to these cards, to not only sell tickets but to keep the cost of the cards down.

With so many talented fighters in European, we look at some of the names which the UFC could add over the next year. Starting with our first 5 names, in NO particular order.

Jan Blachowicz - Poland
The first of several Polish fighters on this list, 30 year old Jan Blachowicz has established himself as one of the best light-heavyweights in the world not signed to the UFC. At 17-3, Blachowicz has not lost a fight since 2011. Since then he has defeated four UFC vets in a row - Sokoudjou, Mario Maranda, Houston Alexander and Goran Reljić on route to earning and defending the KSW light-heavyweight title.

Popular in his native Poland, Blachowicz is no doubt on a far better contract than the UFCs standard 6k & 6k, but with the growing trend of light-heavyweights dropping to 185 - Machida, Mousasi, and Te Tuna all in recent months, and a proposed UFC debut in Poland this year, Blachowicz would be an excellent addition to the promotions 205lb division.

Max Nunes - Sweden
Had Max Nunes not lost to Jason Jones at Bamma 13 for the first pro loss of his career, it's likely the Swedish fighter would have already been signed to the UFC.

After suffering a set back against Jones, Nunes bounced back by dropping to middleweight and picking up a unanimous decision victory against Ion Pascu. With several Scandinavian's already booked for UFC London, the UFC may look to add to their roster for their annual return to Sweden. At 12-1 with 11 finishes, Max Nunes would be a worthy addition a UFC card in Sweden particularly if the 24 year old can pick up another win or two before then.

Mamed Khalidov - Poland
Easily the fighter most worthy of a place on the UFC roster on this list, Khalidov is a top 10 middleweight with an outstanding 28-4 record which includes an impressive 27 finishes. What's more 12 of those victories are over former or current UFC fighters.

A huge star in Poland, the KSW champion is Poland's equivalent of Conor McGregor, appearing on various national adverts and TV talkshows, and could easily headline a sold out arena when the UFC make their debut in Poland this year.

A stumbling block however  could be the reported $30,000 Khalidov earns per fight, and the sponsorship deal Khalidov could lose by joining the UFC, these were the reasons sited in 2012 when Khalidov turned down a UFC contract. With a card planned in Poland in 2014 though, it would be worth the UFC matching Khalidov's current contract just for the revenue he would bring to that card alone.

James Brum - UK
James 'Job Done' Brum has been doing just that - getting the job done for 2 years straight. Currently on an 8-fight win streak, Brum has not lost since Bamma 7 in September 2011 when he was defeated by current UFC bantamweight Erik Perez.

Currently Europe's highest ranked bantamweight not signed to the UFC, Brum has fought all of his Cage Warriors fights outside of the UK showing the ability to win and make weight around the world making James Brum a great addition to the UFC's Bantamweight division.

Neil Seery - Ireland
The UFC will make their long awaited return to Ireland this year and will no doubt be in the market for some of the finest local talent, and Neil Seery is one of the finest fighters Ireland have to offer right now.

While Seery may not have the best record in European MMA, Seery is popular, and has put together a 4 fight win streak on route to winning the Cage Warriors flyweight title; a division the UFC certainly could do with adding to.

Seery would be a popular addition amongst local fans to UFC Dublin 2014.

CLICK HERE TO READ PART 2 NOW

Bamma 14: Daley vs Da Silva Results

Bamma 14: Daley vs Da Silva Results
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Paul Daley Def. Romario Manoel Da Silva – KO (Uppercut) – RD 2 (1:42)  

Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley returned to Bamma with a bang at the LG Arena, knocking out Romario Manoel da Silva in the main at Bamma 14.

Starting off slow, Daley started the first round measuring da Silva with a couple of hard leg kicks which left da Silva’s leg noticeably red, and a sweet jab that was money for most of the round. Da Silva offered little offense in the opening frame baring a pawing overhand right, which Daley could see coming from a mile off.

In the second round both men came out noticeably willing to exchange. Semtex continued to land the jab, cracking the much bigger da Silva straight down the middle, which cause the Brazilian to back toward the cage. Daley pressed forward faking an overhand right causing da Silva to raise his guard, leaving the fighter exposed for a vicious left uppercut that took the Brazilian off his feet, instantly knocking out the previously unfinished fighter.

“I heard my corner say to throw the overhand right. One of them caught him, but I could see he was expecting it, so I faked one. He thought I was going to go with the right again, but then I threw the left,” Daley said. “I knew [the fight was over]. You can tell by the way they fall. He wasn’t getting up from that.”

Mansour Barnaoui Def. Colin Fletcher  - Submission (Rear Naked Choke) - RD 1 (4:00) for The Bamma World Lightweight Title

Mansour ‘Tarzan’ Barnaoui successfully defended his Bamma Lightweight Title in the evening co-main event, submitting Colin ‘Freakshow’ Fletcher via Rear Naked Choke in one of the wildest one round fights on the UK MMA scene all year.

From the opening bell Barnaoui burst out the gate like a bull at a rodeo with a barrage of punches, dropping Fletcher with a sharp left hook. Although Fletcher was able to get right back up he was meet with more onslaught for the 21 year Barnaoui who showed off his Muay Thai skills catching Fletcher with a couple of nice knees for the Thai plum.

Its wasn’t all Barnaoui though at Freakshow managed to break away from the clinch and catch Baraoui with a few crisp shots that sent Frenchman to the floor. Sensing a come from behind victory the former Ultimate Fighter contestant locked in a brabo, which looked tight, however Banaoui did well to defend and wiggled himself out.

Escaping the choke, Baranoui was able to take the back of Fletcher where he managed to trap one of Fletchers arms in a body triangle. With only one hand to defend himself and the champion on his back, there was little Fletcher could do to defend against a Baranoui Rear Naked Choke which saw the Englishman tap out with one minute remaining one the clock.

Jimmy Wallhead  Def.  Florent Betorangal – KO (Slam) – RD 3 (3:21)

Jim Wallhead returned to the cage at Bamma 14 to face French fighter Florent Betorangal hoping a win here would be enough to earn a shot at the Welterweight title, which he lost out on when he fought Eddie Ellis Bamma 13 – a fight that most people felt Wallhead won.

In the opening round both men began trading early, with Betorangal slightly edging it. In a difficult round to score, Wallhead may have been able to steal the round near the bell when he was able to get double under hooks, and take Betorangal down in homage to his Judo days using a O Soto Gari (outer leg sweep).

Batorangal came out strong at the start of the second round, catching Wallhead with a couple of good shots against the cage. Seemingly uninterested in trading with the Betorangal at this point Wallhead was able to get a double leg takedown and spend the remainder of the round chipping away at Batorangal in top control.

Probably need a stoppage at this point Batorangal came out strong for the 3rd round. Wallhead was able to back the Frenchman against the cage before getting double under hooks. Hoisting Batorangal in the air, Judo Jim took Batorangal down with a ferocious slam, which replays showed knocked Batorangal out on impact. Upon getting the takedown, Wallhead stepped in with a couple of good elbows for good measure before Marc Godard stepped in to rescue Betorangal.

Max Nunes Def. Ion Pascu – Unanimous Decision (29, 28)

Max Nunes returned to the cage for the first time since his September loss to Jason Jones for the Bamma Light-heavyweight title. Looking to redeem himself at a new weight class, Nunes took on Ion Pascu in a bout that may have middleweight title implications.

Ion was originally scheduled to meet the current Bamma Middleweight Champion Scott Askham for the title at Bamma 14, however Askham had to pull out due to injury, and was replaced by Nunes.

The opening round began slowly with each man attempting to size up each other range. Baring a couple of jabs there was little action from both men for the opening few minutes. The round closed with Nunes controlling the action against cage, which won him the round.

The fight came alive in the second however, with Pascu landing a thunderous kick to the body, which caused Nunes to back up before collapsing like a beaten man. Pascu did he best to finish the fight from there but was unable to. Little doubt though who won that round leaving it dead even going into the Third.

From the opening bell, it was evident Nunes had no interest in standing with the hard-hitting Pascu, dragging the fight to the ground within the opening minute. Nunes remained in top control for the remainder of the fight to take a judges decision 29-28 on all 3 score cards.

Wayne Murrie Def. Michael Johnson – Submission (Rear Naked Choke) - RD 1 (3:23) for The Bamma Lonsdale British Welterweight Championship

Tom Duquesnoy Def. James Saville - Referee Stoppage – RD 2 (4:04)

Leon Edwards Def. Wendle Lewis – KO (Uppercut) - RD 1 (1:20)

Harry Mcleman Def. Matt Howard - Unanimous Decision (30-27)

Andy Craven Def. Zi Shah – Submission (Heelhook) - RD 1 (0:37)

Tim Wilde Def. Jefferson George – Dr. Stoppage - RD 1 (3:42)

Tim Menzies Def. James Samuda – Referee Stoppage - RD 3 (3:16)

Matt Hallam Def. Curtis Widmer – TKO (Hammerfist) - RD 1 (2:15)

Ed Arthur Def. Ben Rees – Dr. Stoppage – RD 1 – (5:00)

Scott Askham Out Injured, Max Nunes in at Middleweight

Scott Askham Out Injured, Max Nunes in at Middleweight
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

An injury has forced Bamma Middleweight Champion Scott Askham to withdraw from his Bamma 14 title bout against Ion Pascu; Pascu will now face former Light- Heavyweight title challenger Max Nunes.

Bamma 14 takes place on the 14th of December at the LG Arena, Birmingham. Bamma 14 will be headlined by Paul Daley taking on Romario Manoel Da Silva. Lightweight Champion Mansour Barnaoui will also feature on the card as he defends his belt against Colin 'Freakshow' Fletcher.

A former Light-Heavyweight title challenger Max 'Power' Nunes returns from his first career loss at Jason Jones for the BAMMA World Light Heavyweight title. 11-1 in his professional career, the London based, Swede who has spent time training with Alexander Gustaffason, has secured all of 11 victories inside the distance with 6 victories coming by TKO and 5 submission.

Now fighting for the first time at middleweight, Nunes said:

"I always intended to fight at Middleweight as I am not a big Light Heavyweight and previously did not cut any weight. I have always fought at my walk around weight. Ion is a very good striker and I have a lot of respect for him and I’m excited to be back fighting at BAMMA: I have a lot to prove. My last fight was my worst performance yet and I want the chance to showcase what I can really do."

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on Bamma 14.

Press Release: Bamma Announce Two Title Fight for Bamma 13

The UK’s Premier Mixed Martial Arts promotion, BAMMA is back on 14th September to bring another stunning night of fights to Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena with BAMMA 13.

BAMMA is proud to announce two title bouts to the BAMMA 13 main card, as Jason Jones meets Max Nunes in a long awaited Light Heavyweight clash for the BAMMA World title; and Britain’s iconic Jimmy Wallhead faces US Welterweight, “Fast” Eddy Ellis for the BAMMA World Welterweight belt.

Brutal athlete, Jason “The Villain” Jones, hails from Holland with a record of 19-10-0.  Debuting in 2004, the Judo black belt carved his reputation across promotions that included M-1 Global, Shooto, K-1, King of the Cage, Deep and United Glory.  Jones first entered the BAMMA cage at BAMMA 9 where he terrorised Przemyslaw Mysiala, stopping him with cuts in the first round.  Lauded London based Swede, Max “Power” Nunes, remains undefeated with an MMA record of 10-0-0.  Demolishing Kevin Thompson via TKO at 1:40 into round 1 at BAMMA 11, Nunes achieved the 8th 1st round finish of his career and made waves internationally. He went on to face unorthodox Marcin Lazarz at BAMMA 12, in a tricky bout that was his first to stretch to the third round. This mouth-watering tear-up is the one that fans have been waiting for.

Leicester’s “Judo” Jimmy Wallhead (24-7-0) stands among the elite of UK Middleweights and Welterweights, but was often snubbed in his career because of his fierce talent. This included being knocked back when he applied for “The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom” in 2008 on the grounds of being ‘too experienced’. Wallhead’s victory over the legendary Frank Trigg at BAMMA 7 finally put his star on the map; while his demolition of Villasenor at BAMMA 8 with flying knees and a spectacular KO remains unforgettable.

Wallhead signed up to an exclusive UK multi-fight deal with BAMMA earlier this year and went on to defeat former UFC contender Matt Veach at BAMMA 12 in a typically explosive performance. “Fast” Eddy  Ellis hails from Washington, USA with a record of 18 wins and 15 losses. The veteran is on a six fight win streak and has lost just one bout in his last ten. With 13 years of professional MMA fights under his belt, Ellis has scored victories in promotions such as Strikeforce, King of the Cage, IFC, WEC and Sportfight; and has 15 championship belts to his name.  Ellis is a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter, Season 16 on which he represented Team Carwin.  He is current head coach at United Training Centre in Washington.

BAMMA’s Managing Director, Ashley Bothwell, said:

“Jones versus Nunes, and Wallhead versus Ellis kick the BAMMA 13 card off to a sharp start and give a flavour of what can be expected from the rest of the night. BAMMA 13 has been some time in the works and we promise another exciting and entertaining night of fights. BAMMA 14 is also in motion for later in the year and following renewed broadcast conversations we can assure fans of a stable events schedule running into 2014. We’d like to thank BAMMA fans for their support.”

BAMMA 13 will feature live on 5* with highlights on Channel 5 in the UK;  and will be televised on AXS-TV in the US, The Fight Network in Canada, Red Media in Russia, TV Esporte Interativo in Brazil and Setanta in Africa.

Kingdom MMA Exclusive: Interview with Max Nunes

BAMMA's unbeaten star Max Nunes tells Kingdom MMA his next fight "should be for a title"

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Wednesday 12th March 2013 I had the privilege of interviewing BAMMA’s unbeaten rising star and my pick for the one to watch in the next 18 months Max Nunes. Max who now holds a 10-0 professional MMA record after his TKO win against Marcin Lazarz at BAMMA 12.

Ben: Hi Max, Thank you for taking the time out to do this interview for Kingdom MMA, it is very much appreciated.

Growing up in Sweden how did you first get in to MMA as a fan?
Max: I was never a MMA fan. I had never watched it or anything like that. I had never been a fan until I started fighting.

Ben: When did you first start training in MMA?
Max: It was about four years ago, something like that.

Ben: Why did you start training in MMA, especially if you were not a fan before?
Max: There was a MMA club in my gym and after seeing them train every day I just decided to come and try.

Ben: Had you trained in any martial arts before you started training in MMA?
Max: Nope, nothing I just went straight into MMA without any background in any combat sport.

Ben: I believe you moved to London to help progress your MMA career, what ultimately made you come to this decision and when did you move?
Max: Yeah I purely came to London to train MMA because back then MMA wasn't so big in Sweden. There weren't many shows in Sweden so it was going to be a move to the USA or UK and the UK was closer.

Ben: Did you ever have any amateur fights in Sweden/ England or did you go straight in to fighting as a professional?
Max: Yeah I did fight as an amateur but only in England, I went 3-1-1 as an amateur/ semi-professional.

Ben: Did you win your first amateur fight? Or was that your only loss?
Max: Yes I lost the first fight and haven’t lost a fight since.

Ben: That’s a great achievement, especially as you had done no training of any martial arts previously. How long had you trained before your first fight?
Max: About less than a year I think

Ben: You are now 10-0 as a professional stopping all opponents inside the distance. Do you pride yourself of this fact?
Max: Yeah I am very happy it’s like a dream come true. I always try and go for the finish. For me that is very important to get the stoppage. You never know what the judges are thinking and they are not really known for picking right all the time lol

Ben: Yes I agree if you have the ability to finish it go for it and make sure the judges can’t make a mistake.
Max: That’s how I see it.

Ben: With five wins by KO and five wins by Submission this proves you are a fully rounded mixed martial artist. Do you have a preference on where you like to keep the fight?
Max: Not really, anywhere I can get the stoppage is fine by me.

Ben: In your last fight you went in to the third round for the first time in your career (and past the first round for only the second time) but proved you still had the cardio to control that round before getting the KO finish with some brutal ground and pound. Do you pride yourself on being able to fight the whole fifteen minutes even though we have not seen this yet in your professional career?
Max: Yeah, you can’t expect to finish everyone in the first round, Marcin Lazarz was very well prepared and I think it is very important to be fit. I never want to lose a fight because I gas out. However, I do always do my best to finish the fight.

Ben: In your last fight it was the first time in your career that you looked in a bit of trouble getting rocked in the first round, do you remember much about it and were you hurt at that point?
Max: Yeah but in the fight I didn’t feel hurt or anything I just felt that he hit me. Looking back at the fight I can see that I got rocked.

Ben: Would you say you had any areas of weaknesses inside the cage that you need to develop?
Max: Yeah of course, I want to be better at everything. I’m always looking to improve my skills.

Ben: Who would you like to fight next and when? Also, do you think your next fight should be for a BAMMA title as both British and World titles are vacant at Light Heavyweight?
Max: I don’t care. I will fight whoever they put in front of me and yes I think it should be for a title.

Ben: Am I right in thinking you are now one fight into your exclusive three fight deal with BAMMA, if so would you like to fight two more times this year?
Max: Yes that is correct, I have two more fights left on my contract. If I could I would fight two more times before the summer.

Ben: By the sounds of it BAMMA can’t keep you out of the cage then….
Max: Ha-ha yeah I like to keep active.

Ben: Realistically how many times do you think you would be able to fight this year if BAMMA keep putting the shows on?
Max: If I could and was not injured about every eight weeks.

Ben: Are you fighting fit following the win on Saturday night or did you pick up any knocks?
Max: No I am really happy that I came out of that fight unharmed, my legs are just a bit sore.

Ben: Out of all of your fights do you think you have a win that was most satisfying for you?
Max: The last one, because it made me 10-0.

Ben: If you could fight anywhere in the world where would it be?
Max: Japan, I just love the culture.

Ben: As a fan now, do you have a favourite fighter?
Max: Yeah Shinya Aoki, I think he is amazing.

Ben: If you could put together a fantasy fight who would you want to watch fight and why?
Max: It would be me vs. Anderson Silva just because he is the best fighter in the world and it would be an honour to say that I had a fight with him.

Ben: One last question, if you had to pick a fight with two separate fighters other than yourself, who would you pick?
Max: Silva vs. Jones. I think everyone wants to see that fight.

Ben: I think you are right, that’s a brilliant fight and surely nobody would complain if that fight got made.

Ben: Thank you very much Max for your time and for answering all the questions for Kingdom MMA. I look forward to seeing you back in the cage and speaking to you again in the future.
Max: Thank you

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