Bamma 15 Event Review and Results

Bamma 15 Event Review and Results
by Sam Heard - @samheard_

Held in the Copperbox in the middle of London’s Olympic park, BAMMA took an amazing venue and filled it suitably excellent fights at their most recent event, BAMMA 15. Knowing all the Olympic contests that took place within the main arena just under two years ago, I couldn’t help but think that organising a night of fights in a former-Olympic building could potentially be seen as a statement about MMA’s claim to Olympic sport status. Indeed, one of the sports included in the early Olympic Games in Greece was Pankration which is arguably a direct predecessor of MMA. BAMMA 15 certainly made a case that MMA deserves to be recognised as an Olympic sport – throughout the fight we saw enormous amounts of respect being given from fighters to their opponents, incredible martial arts techniques and bags of heart.

Gzim Selmani (4-1, 1-0 BAMMA) defeats Oli Thompson (12-6, 0-1 BAMMA) by Technical Submission (Guillotine choke) at 0:18 of Round 1 
Oli Thompson was a huge favorite going into this fight and it’s not exactly difficult to understand why. A UFC-veteran, former UCMMA Champion and Britain’s strongest man of 2006 against a 19-year-old with only four fights under his belt against unknowns – it’s not hard to see why Gzim Selmani was considered to be a big underdog. The gigantic teenager lived up to his nickname “The Albanian Psycho”, shocking Oli Thompson with his aggressive start. He ran over to the former UFC fighter and delivered a huge flying knee ala B.J Penn-Sean Sherk which left Thompson slumped down against the cage. He then fired off a flurry allowing him to lock in a standing guillotine which – after a small adjustment – was extremely tight. Mark Goddard lifted Thompson’s right hand only for it to flop to the mat, giving him no option but to stop the fight. It took “The Albanian Psycho” just 18-seconds to put an extremely tough competitor to sleep – what an end to the night!


Leon Edwards (7-1, 4-0 BAMMA) defeats Wayne Murrie (17-6, 1-1 BAMMA) by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:13 of Round 1
In the first defense of his BAMMA Lonsdale British Welterweight Champion Wayne “The Caveman” Murrie was quickly put away by “Rocky”, to the delight of the following Edwards had brought with him from Birmingham. To the chant of ‘UTC’ Edwards was able to overwhelm Murrie on the ground, quickly taking his back before sinking in a deep Rear-Naked Choke to force the tap from the Yorkshireman. A clinical performance from “Rocky”.

Colin Fletcher (10-4, 4-1 BAMMA) defeats Tony Hervey (16-16, 0-1 BAMMA) by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Those who thought this was a gimme fight for Colin “Freakshow” Fletcher to build on after a disappointing loss to Mansour Barnaoui’ for his Lightweight title couldn’t be more mistaken. Hervey has been in there with some of the sport’s finest including Takanori Gomi and current Bellator Featherweight champion Pat Curran and proved to be an extremely game competitor against “Freakshow” who arguably did enough to win the fight. In his typical theatrical, larger-than-life style “Freakshow” came out atop a pantomime horse (presumably in honor of the Grand National). The jokes came to an abrupt stop at the start of the fight as both men hit each other with some big shots – Fletcher utilizing his height advantage to land some big knees and body kicks while Hervey landed some big counter hooks as “Freakshow” rushed in. Near the close of the second round “Lionheart” was able to badly rock Fletcher on the feet, prevented from getting the finish only by end of the round. My pick for the Fight of the Night. In his post-fight interview the always classy Colin Fletcher stated that he would’ve happily lost the fight as he believed Hervey was just as worthy of the victory.

Tom Duquesnoy (9-1, 2-0 BAMMA) defeats Teddy Violet (8-1, 0-1 BAMMA) by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:29 of Round 2
The clash of French Flyweights for the BAMMA World Featherweight Title Fight was a thoroughly entertaining affair which I was sorry to see finish and I am now deeply interested in the career of Tom “Firekid” Duquesnoy. In the six-and-a-half minutes he fought “Firekid” was able to show what he’s all about, displaying his extremely well-rounded arsenal of skills against an unbeaten opponent in fellow countryman Teddy Violet. Violet came into this fight with a decent MMA grappling pedigree of his own but in the end was overwhelmed by a flawlessly executed Triangle Choke from “Firekid”. With no doubt one of the night’s finest performances.

Harry McLeman (7-2, 3-0 BAMMA) defeats Andy De-Vent (10-9, 0-1 BAMMA) by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
After an intense stare-down at Friday afternoon’s weigh ins I had high hopes for this scrap for the BAMMA Lonsdale British Middleweight Champion and it certainly didn’t disappoint and I believe could’ve gone either way. The round which hung in the balance was the second. “Mad Mac” came out incredibly strong in the first, beautifully changing levels with strikes and takedown attempts and eventually rocking De-Vent on the feet which led to a near submission via Guillatine. However, after this strong start, the new British Middleweight Champ became increasingly fatigued as the fight went on allowing De-Vent to come back into the fight. Despite gassing fairly early, “Mad Mac” was able to muster up a final burst deep into the third round, swinging for the fences as the fight ended – that’s the way to win a belt!

Ryan Scope (8-0, 2-0 BAMMA) defeats Ali Arish (20-3, 0-1 BAMMA) by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ryan Scope grabbed the attention of the UKMMA community when he caught former TUF competitor Luke Newman in a Triangle Choke at BAMMA 12 after being brutally rocked on the feet. As he explained to us in the pre-fight interview we conducted, Scope once again felt like he was the underdog going up an extremely opponent in Ali Arish. Despite his underdog status, “Big Baby” was able to pull off another come-from-behind victory as he lost a tentative first round to Arish before pouring it on him in the following rounds, badly rocking the Manchester-based fighter in the third. Despite picking up the win, Scope explained after the fight that he suspected he had broken his foot.

Rany Saadeh (6-1, 2-0 BAMMA) defeats Mahmood Besharate (5-1, 2-1 BAMMA) by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
The clash of Flyweights normally results in a highly entertaining, back-and-forth fight. Unfortunately this match-up didn’t live up to the weight class’ reputation as Rany Saadeh kept taking Besharate down to the mat and controlling him en route to an uncontroversial yet dull decision victory. Saadeh never threatened to finish from top position and indeed the fighters were stood up by referee Mark Woodard on more than one occasion. “Persian Pride” started to mount some offence in the third round with some heavy body and led kicks but just as he got into a rhythm Saadeh again scored the takedown. It was perhaps this frustration that has led Besharate to announce that he intends to retire from the sport.

Jefferson George (4-2, 2-1 BAMMA) defeats Jack Grant (6-1, 0-1 BAMMA) by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
The first decision of the evening was a closely fought affair between then-undefeated Jack Grant and Jefferson George. The only round which was clear-cut for me was the first. As the nickname “Shadow Demon Blaximus” would suggest, Jefferson George is a flamboyant fighter who will risk either eating shots or losing position for the sake of putting on a show. This style certainly was ineffective in R1 as
Grant was able to take George down and control him for the vast majority of the 5-minutes. One takedown was particularly memorable; a mighty German Suplex straight out of Kurt Angle’s playbook. Grant was able to maintain periods of control over George in the subsequent rounds which in my opinion was enough to win the fight, however “Shadow Demon Blaximus” did look dangerous at times and this was enough to narrowly win him the nod from the judges. Jack Grant has subsequently tweeted “I felt I did enough feel robbed & gutted back to the drawing board for me”.
 
Alex Montagnani (6-1 MMA, 1-0 BAMMA) defeats Nathan Jones (4-2, 0-1 BAMMA) by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:43 of Round 1
Prior to the cage door being closed and these two men throwing down, you will be forgiven for expecting this fight to play out very differently. Alex Montagnani had won all 5 of his fights by KO/TKO while 100% of Nathan “Mr. Bag N Tag” Jones had come via frst round chokes; the phrase 'Striker vs Grappler' had seemigly never been more relevant. However, this bout proved just how unpredictable MMA. Jones – as you’d expect – was relentlessly pursuing the takedown only to be reversed with Montagnani on top of him. Montagnani then took his back and locked up the card’s third consecutive Rear-Naked Choke.

Andy Craven (4-0 MMA, 2-0 BAMMA) defeats Richard Edwards (1-3 MMA, 0-1 BAMMA) by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:12 of Round 1
Andy Craven – who had failed to meet the Featherweight division’s 145-lbs limit – negated any of the resulting concerns surrounding his cardio when he made short work of Richard Edwards. Craven quickly caught Edwards with a howitzer of an overhand right which immediately dropped the Keddles Gym fighter. Craven smelt blood and followed up with two huge shots to the grounded fighter before coolly taking Edwards’ back to lock up the Rear-Naked Choke, extending his record of winning all fights by submission.

Ed Arthur (3-0 MMA, 2-0 BAMMA) defeats Nathaniel Wood (4-1 MMA, 0-1 BAMMA) by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:48 of Round 3
The clash of unbeaten Bantamweights both putting their flawless records on the line promised a lot and certainly lived up to expectations. Both men displayed some terrific striking and grappling skills and the fight looked sure to be left in the hands of the judges. However, both men held records with 100% finishes and this trend was set to continue when Ed Arthur was able to dig a little deeper and pull off a slick Rear Naked Choke, forcing the understandably fatigued Wood to tap.

Jacek Toczydlowski (5-4 MMA, 1-0 BAMMA) defeats Benny Carr (3-1 MMA, 1-0 BAMMA) by TKO (submission to strikes) at 1:32 of Round 1
Prior to this fight there had been a great deal of buzz surrounding Benny “Brutal” Carr who had proved worthy of his nickname through winning all his professional fights through one-sided TKOs. Jacek Toczydlowski – who made his pro debut way back in 2006 – was doubtless the toughest test of Benny Carr’s short career and proved too much for the Southampton-based fighter. To the dismay of the partisan crowd who zealously cheered Carr on, Toczydlowski was able to rapidly take him down and rain no-nonsense elbows from full mount to force Carr to tap out. Toczydlowsk proved that Benny Carr isn’t the only fighter worthy of the “Brutal” nickname.

Ryan Scope "I dont want to take easy fights, thats why I am fighting Arish"

Ryan Scope talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of BAMMA 15 fight against Ali Arish

by Ben Heather @benheather

Ben: How has your camp gone for this fight and who have you been working with?
Scope: Yeah its gone really well, obviously I fought not so long ago (Feb 22nd) so I only had one week off training before I got back in to it. For this fight I've been sparring with all the guys at the gym like Ross Pearson, Colin Fletcher and Phil De Fries.

Ben: You're fighting Ali Arish on Saturday, would you say he is the best/ toughest fighter you have faced in your career?
Scope: Yeah definitely 100%. I mean hes 20-2 for a reason but I want to fight the best as I want to make a point. I want to get somewhere this year.

Ben: Have you spent much time studying Arish?
Scope: I have only watched a couple of his fights, to be honest everyone knows what he is going to do and he's very good at it but I think I've got the right game plan to stop what he does.

Ben: Do you think you have figured out where 20 of his opponents have gone wrong?
Scope: Yes regarding the defensive wrestling I know what they have all done wrong. None of them have got very much movement, everyone tries to walk forward but then get taken down so its all about the movement.

Ben: Hows the weight looking and whats left for the camp?
Scope: Well I'm a small welterweight so I won't have to cut much and I'm probably going to go to lightweight at some point. For this last week, all the hard work is done I will have my last hard session on Monday and I'll be doing some sprints then I will have a light sparring session Tuesday and then its about getting the weight down.

Ben: When you made your BAMMA debut at BAMMA 12 you were a big underdog and you are again this weekend? Does this spur you on to succeed?
Scope: Yeah definitely I've always been the underdog. I think after this fight when I win I wont be the underdog anymore but I like being the underdog though, there is no pressure and you prove everyone wrong when you win. You would think for an 8-0 pro that people would take notice but they haven't.

That being said though I don't want to take any easy fights, that's why I am fighting Arish. I want to fight the best, fighters that will get me noticed and make a name for myself. You don't see many fighters queueing up to fight Arish. I pride myself on the on taking the tough fights, there are too many fighters who take fights just to pad out their record. If you want to get anywhere you have to put the work in and test yourself, Ali is the best wrestler in MMA hands down so I want to test myself and put my record up against his as in the bigger picture I will be coming up against more wrestlers.

Ben: Since going the distance in your debut you have finished your opponent in all the other fights, is this something you pride yourself on and how prepared are you to push yourself for 3 rounds against Arish?
Scope: I am ready to go, obviously I finished those fights but I am always ready to go the distance. I expect the fight to be a grinding, tough fight.

Ben: Everyone knows his game plan, do you think he will stick to that or try and surprise you on Sat?
Scope: Yeah I would think he will stick to his normal game plan, he might try and stand with us at the start but when he realises that I have too much for him on the feet and I am too fast he might go back to the takedown.

Ben: Other than his wrestling what do you think he does well and do you think he has any areas you have the advantage?
Scope: I'd say his Jui Jitsu, I think I'm better technically but he is just strong when he is on top, again movement is the key for this fight. If I stop moving that's how I am going to get taken down.

Ben: Do you think a win over Arish puts you next in line for the winner of Murray vs Edwards?
Scope: Yes BAMMA have said that's the case but it could also be the step to something different, maybe something bigger you know what I mean. Arish holds wins over both the champion and the challenger so as far as rankings go there is only Paul Daley, Cathal Pendred and Jimmy Wallhead who are above so we will see what happens.

Ben: At the weekend both yourself and Colin Freakshow Fletcher are coming to London to fight are we expecting a big travelling support?
Scope: Yeah we always bring a good crowd so there will be a lot of people coming down.

Ben: You have been scheduled to fight Walter Gahadza in the past, is this a fight you are still interested in?
Scope: I know Walters been saying some shit about me pulling out of the fight because I had a broken hand. He bottled it online when called out by Jake Bostwick so he can't say Ive been dodging a fight when he has been publicly humiliated online so he cant say anything to be honest. I will fight Walter but if I beat Ali, whats the point.

Ben: I read in an interview you did last year that you aim to be in the UFC by the end of this year, how many wins do you think you are you from that now?
Scope: I think its only a couple. Again, if you look at the rankings there isn't many above Arish who is fourth so if I beat him I'm right up there. Obviously Paul Daley isn't getting back in the UFC, Wallhead has just signed for Cage Warriors and Pendred is now signed for the UFC so there would only be those above me and I am only 21. So that will look good for the UFC, up and coming fighter just beat number 4 in the country.

Ben: Its recently been announced that your training partner Ross Pearson has been signed up to fight Diego Sanchez, what do you think of that fight?
Scope: Yeah its gonna be a good fight that one. I think Ross will be too clever on the feet for Diego. Diego is game, he is tough you know but Ross is technically better than him. I like watching Diego fight but he fights with too much emotion. You have to go in there and be chilled.

Its a good fight for Ross and will be a statement if he can finish the fight. Its a good first fight back from Ross' injury. Its in Diego's home town so they are probably expecting Ross to get beat but Ross has a great shot.

Ben: Finally one last question, How do you see yourself winning?
Scope: I'm going to say a second or third round stoppage. Its not going to be like my last couple of fights. TKO stoppage in the second or third.

Kingdom MMA would like to thank Ryan for his time and we wish him all the best for his fight at BAMMA 15.

Interview: Oli Thompson Ahead of Bamma 15

Oli Thompson Talks to Kingdom MMA Ahead of his Bout with Gzim Selmani at Bamma 15
by Chris Marzella - @ChrisMarzella

For most being cut from the top fight organisation on the planet can be the downward spiral of a career, but for a few it is the beginning of a very separate journey, one which focuses more on the martial art than status or popularity. On Saturday night one such man makes his BAMMA debut.

Heavyweight Oli Thompson is set to take on relative unknown Gzim Selmani as tries to tries to extend his post-UFC record to 4-1. Speaking to KingdomMMA ahead of the fight Thompson said: 

"I've gone 3-1 since I got cut from the UFC. I've got one loss which was against the KSW champion and that was a close points decision so I've got pretty good form after getting cut from the UFC."

"Defeat can make you assess yourself a lot more than when you're always winning. You don't necessarily change as much and adapt as much when you're winning. I guess it's one of the positives you can take from getting beaten."

Thompson is adamant that the end of his UFC stint in not the end of his MMA career, quite the opposite. He recalled his UFC experience, saying: "As far as I was concerned I was already building back up. It's still early in my career. I know when I was in UFC people kind of see you as you're at the top of your game and you can get knocked back down again but really I was still on my journey when I was fighting in the UFC. I'm bringing a lot more to the table now than I was then."

Moving on in his career, Thompson takes on Gzim Selmani at Bamma 15 in a fight that surprised a few when it was announced, with very few having any idea who Selmani or why he was being matched with Thompson.

Thompson explained the bout, saying:

"First and foremost there was some changes along the way and some opponents being banded about in front of me and some bigger names. The main cause of the fight for me motivation-wise was just purely because I wanted to fight and I'd rather fight than not fight." 

"I'm aware that this guy has not got a big name but he's just as dangerous, or more dangerous, than some of the other guys that I've faced along the way. They're all dangerous in their own way. I'm throwing this guy a bone because he's getting an opportunity without so much to lose. I do see that, but I could have been sat on my arse for another five or six weeks just going through the motions or go out and fight on a big show on London."

Thompsons BAMMA debut should be the first of several for the promotion as he aims to stay busy, with trips to Poland for KSW and the US planned as well.

He said: "I've got a few fights with BAMMA in the pipeline and we've talked about different future plans. Obviously I fight outside the UK, I fight in Poland and a few fights in the States as well. I've started mixing it up, I want to be busy as possible. I can't just fight for one promotion because it's limited how many fights you can get in a 12 month period and I want to be a lot more busy than I have been any other year before."

Despite the fact that he openly admits his opponent is not perhaps the name everyone had in mind when he agreed to fight for BAMMA, Thompson admits that he sees danger in Selmani, meaning he won't be taking his next outing lightly.

"This guy I'm fighting here comes from a good team, Golden Glory in Holland, he's a big kid and he's going to be coming here really hungry to come and get the biggest win he's ever had" Thompson said.

"I've watched a few bits of his fights and stuff. He's a young guy, he's fairly wild in what he does. It might be a case of fighting fire with fire and dampening his flame a little bit."

Her added: "I've got my own plans and if my plans come to fruition then I'm going to get the job done nice and quick and simple."

"I really think this could be a fight for the fans."

Not letting the UFC release after his defeat at the hands of Phil De Fries dent his confidence, Thompson is eager to build a nice little win streak for himself against some of Europe's elite heavyweights. He said: "My motivation is to just keep picking up wins and to keep improving." I've done quite well for myself whilst only sort of exploring and dipping in to maybe 50-per-cent of the things that I do in the gym. "

Oli Thompson takes on Gzim Selmani at BAMMA 15 from the Copper Box in London's Olympic Park on April 5.

Andy De-Vent vs Harry McLeman Meet for Bamma Lonsdale Title

Andy De-Vent vs Harry McLeman Meet for Bamma Lonsdale Title
 by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Bamma officials have today confirmed Andy 'Lion Paw" De-Vent and Harry 'Mad Mac' McLeman will square off at Bamma 15 for the Lonsdale British Middleweight Title.

Bamma 15 takes place April 5th at the historic Copper Box Arena in London, a multi-sport venue which was famously used for the Summer Olympics in 2012 is a headlined by a heavyweight show down between Oli Thompson and Gzim Selmani.

Andy De-Vent (10-8) enter the bout on the back of an impressive 4 fight win streak to earn the Lions Paw MMA fighter an exclusive 4 fight deal with Bamma. Undefeated as a Middleweight (7-0), Manchester born De-Vent most recently defeated former Bamma Middleweight contender Andrew Pushton by 1st round TKO at Made 4 the Cage 13 in February to earn the Made 4 the Cage Pro British Middleweight Title. Hailing from a Thai Boxing background, De-Vent has finished 8 of his 10 victories, with 4 by TKO and 4 by submission.

Fighting out of MacMillian Martial Arts Academy, Harry McLeman (6-2) fights for Bamma for the 4th time having made his debut as a late replacement against Scott Askham at Bamma 12, where he was defeated by Rear Naked Choke for the first loss of his professional career. Following the loss the to Askham, McLeman won one and lost one on the local scene, before returning at Bamma 13, picking up a submission victory over Rough House member Matt Hallam. McLeman then defeating Matt Howard at Bamma 14. Signed to Bamma on an exclusive deal, Plymouth born McLeman comes from an army boxing background and is competitive on the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu circuit. 

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on Bamma 15.
 

Jack Grant Replaces Injured Dyson Roberts, Faces Jefferson George at Bamma 15

Jack Grant Replaces Injured Dyson Roberts, Faces Jefferson George at Bamma 15
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts  

Lightweights Jack Grant and Jefferson George are set to do battle at Bamma 15. Grant steps in for injured Dyson Roberts who was originally scheduled to face George at this event.

Bamma 15 takes place April 5th at the historic Copper Box Arena in London, a multi-sport venue which was famously used for the Summer Olympics in 2012 is a headlined by a heavyweight show down between Oli Thompson and Gzim Selmani. Grant vs George is will take part on the Bamma 15 preliminary card.

Fighting out of the Fight Ministry in Grimsby, Grant enters the bout on the back of a second round rear naked choke victory over Abi El Kalphi at OMMAC 20 to remain undefeated in his professional  career. A pr since 2012, the bout with El Kalphi makes the first time the 22-year old has been past the first round have previously stopped all his opponent by either submission or TKO , including UK boxing & MMA vet Jason ball who Grant need just 38 seconds to knock out, in the first.

A product of Morefire Icon Jiu Jitsu in Luton, Jefferson George fights under the Bamma banner for the second time in his young career, having fought on the undercard of Bamma 13 defeating Marius Marzec by Rear Naked Choke, and Bamma 14 where a cut above the eye of George caused a frustrating early doctor's stoppage is his bout with Tim Wilde. Renowned for his Thai-boxing, BJJ and powerful athleticism, George who goes by the nickname 'Shadow Demon Blaximus' is 3-2 in his professional career with all 3 victories coming by way of submission.

 Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on Bamma 15

Oli Thompson vs Gzim Selmani to Headline Bamma 15

Oli Thompson vs Gzim Selmani to Headline Bamma 15

Europe's flagship Mixed Martial Arts promotion, BAMMA, is proud to announce Oli Thompson vs Gzim Selmani as the Heavyweight headliner for BAMMA 15 at the Copper Box in London's Olympic Park on 5th April.

Oli Thompson originally made his name as a strongman, peaking in 2006 when he won the TWI Britain's Strongest Man contest and reached the finals of the IFSA World Championships, in which he came 8th. Thompson also notably attained 2nd and 3rd places in IFSA British Championship contests.  The 34 year old debuted professionally in Mixed Martial Arts in 2009, and went on to become UCMMA's Heavyweight Champion in 2011, before competing in the UFC then KSW. Training out of 1st Generation in Sussex with a professional record of 12-5, Thompson has gone 3-1 since fighting in the UFC and has won his last two bouts via TKO in the first and second rounds. 50% of Thompson's wins have come via Submission and 42% via KO or TKO. Thompson weighs 248lbs at 6ft1.

Gzim 'The Albanian Psycho' Selmani fights out of Golden Glory and Tatsujin Dojo in the Netherlands with a MMA record of 5-1* and a kickboxing record of 1-0, the victory scored via a flying knee KO. The Kosovo Albanian stands at 6ft 3 and weighs 263 pounds. He started training in Judo at the age of 5, then started kickboxing at the age of 12 before taking up MMA at the age of 15 with his older brother Egzon Selmani. Gzim debuted professionally in MMA at the age of 18.

BAMMA's matchmaker, Jude Samuel, said: "Selmani is mainly considered a striker. However at 19 years of age he has not yet had his patterns laid down which makes him unpredictable, dangerous and exciting to watch."

Indeed, 2 of his MMA victories have come via TKO and 3 via Submission. The 'Albanian Psycho' is also the Dutch Heavyweight Grappling Champion 2013, and the Rough Diamonds Kickboxing Champion 2013 in Germany. None of his fights to date have cleared the 2nd round.

Oli Thompson said:

"I have been looking to fight on BAMMA for a long time. The show always has a great look. I am bringing an intensity and athleticism that is not seen in many heavyweights, and I will put my body on the line to get the win at all costs. I want to become the first BAMMA Heavyweight champion"

Bamma 15 Set for April 5th, Oli Thompson to Feature

Bamma 15 Set for April 5th, Oli Thompson to Feature
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts 

 
Bamma is back with their first show of 2014 in April. Bamma officials announced today Bamma 15 will take place April 5th at the historic Copper Box Arena in London, a multi-sport venue which was famously used for the Summer Olympics in 2012. Ticket are expected to go on sale this week.

Bamma home to Paul Daley and Jim Wallhead is broadcast on 5* in the UK, AXS-TV in the US, KIX in Asia, Abu Dhabi TV in the Middle East, The Fight Network in Canada, Extreme Sports Channel in Europe, Setanta in Africa, Sony in Russia & Transylvania Media in Romania.

BAMMA's Director, Ashley Bothwell said:

"It's exciting for BAMMA to be holding an event in the Olympic Park at the Copper Box, as it carries a huge sporting legacy. 5th April will see the coming together of months of preparation for the fighters as all their hard work and sacrifice boils down to a few explosive, intense minutes. It is fitting that these crucial minutes should share a home with so many elite and aspirational sporting memories."

The line for Bamma 15 has yet to be confirmed however, as per a recent teaser video (below) former UFC Heavyweight and Britain Strongest Man Oli Thompson will be fighting on the card.

 Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on Bamma 15