Press Release – (October 17th.12) BAMMA is proud to announce its first Lightweight British title bout to the BAMMA 11 card at Birmingham NIA on 1st December, as Steve Ray takes on Dale Hardiman in a Mixed Martial Arts contest for the first BAMMA Lonsdale British Lightweight belt.
Hailing from Scotland and training at Dinky Ninjas, Judo black belt Steve “Braveheart” Ray has been dominant on the Scottish circuit. Presenting a professional MMA record of 11-3-0 and with the On Top Welterweight title under his belt, Ray drops in weight for BAMMA 11 to take a shot at the new BAMMA Lonsdale British Lightweight title belt.
Dale ‘The Hurricane” Hardiman steps into the BAMMA cage with a professional record of 9-3-0. The Luton fighter earned a string of 1st round submission wins before debuting at BAMMA on BAMMA 7 where he defeated Scott Jansen via Rear Naked Choke in the 2nd round. Hardiman returned for BAMMA 10 to victor over Antanas Jazbutis by unanimous decision and now comes off the back of a KO victory against Israeli Ido Pariente.
Steve Ray said:
“I’m feeling really motivated for this fight as it is a huge opportunity for me fighting for this title. I always put in 100% to my training and this will be no different as I know Dale is a tough fighter. I have recently moved my training base and have joined the new Dinky Ninja gym which has UK stand-outs like Graham Turner, Martin Delaney and James Doolan, so they will be working me hard for this camp. I moved down to Lightweight a few fights ago and feel really strong at that weight. I will be looking to finish the fight at any opportunity. I have various Submission wins on my record and love to knock guys out!
“My only message for Dale is: I respect you as a fighter but I am not coming down from Scotland to leave empty handed. I am preparing for a war so, I hope you are.”
BAMMA’s Head of Talent Relations, Jude Samuel, said:
“I’m thrilled that two fighters with the skill and calibre that Dale and Ray have will be representing as England and Scotland collide in a battle for the very first BAMMA Lonsdale British Lightweight title. I expect this fight to be an epic skills showdown between two dynamic athletes who show real mastery of their trade.”
Follow @SteveRayMMA and @HardimanMMA on Twitter
BAMMA 11 FIGHT CARD
with more fights to be announced
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT
LINTON VASSELL VS. JASON JONES
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
TBA VS. ALEX REID
BAMMA LONSDALE BRITISH WELTERWEIGHT TITLE BOUT
WARREN KEE VS. TOM BREESE
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT
ANTH TAYLOR VS. MAX NUNES
BANTAMWEIGHT BOUT
JAMES DOOLAN VS. SPENCER HEWITT
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
RICHIE DOWNES VS. JEREMY PETLEY
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
MARC ALLEN VS DYSON ROBERTS
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
CHRIS DOUGLAS VS. YANNICK BAHATI
BANTAMWEIGHT BOUT
NATHAN GREYSON VS. BRIAN CREIGTON
WELTERWEIGHT BOUT
JONNY BILTON VS. LEON EDWARDS
(October 17th.12) BAMMA is proud to announce a Mixed Martial Arts clash between Light Heavyweights Marcin Lazarz and Sam Mensah for BAMMA 11 at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena on 1st December.
London based Polish fighter, Marcin Lazarz, fights out of Team Titan and stands undefeated with a record of 4-0-0. His last fight earned him a TKO victory over Neil Bittong and earlier wins include 1 Submission and 2 Unanimous Decisions.
BAMMA 10 saw Team Trojan’s Sam Mensah knock out Mike Neun in 8 seconds flat and score the fastest KO in BAMMA history. The triumph came on the back of a 19 second TKO win and two previous 1st round finishes, also by TKO. After just 5 fights, Mensah is currently ranked at number 12 in the UK rankings.
Lazarz said:
“I am so excited about this: I’ve been waiting for my chance to fight on a show like BAMMA for a long time and this is it…..my time is coming. This is a key fight for me and I’m going to make use of it. My opponent is a good stand-up fighter with an aggressive style and a lot of physical power. On 1st December I’m going to be ready for everything that my opponent has to offer. I’ll be training harder than ever for this fight and it’s going to be a war!”
Mensah said:
“It’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to fight on BAMMA again. I’m really looking forward to this clash. Lazarz sounds like a tough opponent and I’m sure he’s going to bring it just like me. I’m coming for the stoppage, however it comes. Lazarz looks like he does the same, so the fans can expect fireworks on the night.”
BAMMA’s Head of Talent Relations, Jude Samuel, said:
“Mensah enthralled fans at BAMMA 10 with his earth shattering 8 second KO. Mensah has a habit of finishing his opponents within the first minute and his fights are never short of compelling. Undefeated Lazarz comes with the same number of wins but a very different style. Coming from a grappling background, with two victories on Unanimous Decision Lazarz certainly has the gas, while Mensah has never gone the distance. This match pitches endurance against fast twitch knock out power. Will Lazarz push Mensah out of his comfort zone or will Lazarz run into a fast, dramatic stoppage?”
Follow @team_mensah on Twitter
(October 17th.12) BAMMA is proud to announce two further Mixed Martial Arts fights to the BAMMA 11 card at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena on 1st December: Thomas Denham and Mike Neun are scheduled to open the night with a fierce Light Heavyweight bout; while Andrew Fisher and Diego Vital will be competing at Featherweight.
Denham vs. Neun
Thomas Denham carries a professional MMA record of 4-2-0. Fresh off a 57 second title win against David Wilson three weeks ago, Denham is the current Knuckleforce Light Heavyweight champion. Denham comes from a wrestling background, in which he was the highest ranked Freestyle wrestler in the country for his age and division, for 7 consecutive years (between the ages of 12 and 20). Denham traded wrestling for MMA just over a year ago and debuted with losses against Anthony Taylor and then, Rab Truesdale, before going on to notch up 4 wins. His contribution to his community in the form of teaching wrestling to local youths saw him earn the privilege of carrying the 2012 Olympic torch through his hometown of Darlington.
Keddles and MMA Den fighter, Mike ‘The Nightmare’ Neun walks into the BAMMA cage with a record of 3-1-0. Coming from a Muay Thai background of 6 years, Neun has earned the following titles: The ISKA Southern Area Muay Thai title, the ISKA Southern Area Semi Pro/Amateur MMA title and the Fight Scene Pro MMA title. His last fight at BAMMA 10 saw him caught with an unfortunate 8 second KO at the hands of Sam Mensah, who is also returning to the cage for BAMMA 11.
Denham said:
“I’m feeling great about fighting on BAMMA. It’s a huge step up and I’m ready to take it. I believe it’s going to be a great fight and whether I win via submission, KO or TKO, one thing is for sure….. I’m going to win. The fans can expect a great show and a good fight. I’ll be leaving my all in there. My message to BAMMA fans is: Don’t miss it!”
Mike Neun said:
“What can I say? I’ll be ready for the fight and I’ll be ready for Thomas. I got stopped early in my last fight and I’m ready for working the hardest I’ve ever worked leading up to this. I’m ready for vengeance. I’m ready for an out and out war if Thomas brings it. I’ve got big respect for Thomas as he’s tough, but The Nightmare is coming and there’ll be no waking up!”
Fisher vs. Vital
Hailing from the North East, Andrew Fisher started his career at Lightweight and brings a record of 10-4-1 and a spate of 1st round finishes. His few losses have come against fighters that include Martin Stapleton and Paul Sass; while his one draw was against Daniel Thomas. With the majority of his victories via submission and the Supremacy Fight Challenge Lightweight title to his name, Fisher’s last contest saw him drop to Featherweight to defeat Danny Welsh. Fisher’s spar partners include names such as Phil De Fries, Andy Ogle and Curt Warburton and he has recently signed with G4 MMA Fighters management.
Fighting out of London Fight Factory, Brazilian Diego Vital (9-3-0) can also boast that none of his wins have gone the distance; as 8 of his 9 wins have come via 1st round submission, and 7 of the 9 via Rear Naked Choke. Like Fisher, Vitals’ few losses have come at the hands of challenging opponents and include a Split Decision loss to Tim Newman at BAMMA 5 and a 3rd round loss to Rob Sinclair at BAMMA 7.
Andrew Fisher said:
“Thank you to BAMMA for having me on the show: I’m really looking forward to the chance to show BAMMA fans what I can do. Diego is an extremely tough fight for anyone in the Featherweight division and his grappling is excellent; but I don’t think he’s as well rounded as me and I think that’ll be why I’ll have the advantage. I am expecting this fight to go the distance.”
BAMMA’s Head of Talent Relations, Jude Samuel, said:
“Denham versus Neun brings your classic Striker-Wrestler match-up, as both fighters have proved themselves to be among the best in their respective disciplines. Neun got caught early by Mensah at BAMMA 10 and hasn’t yet got to show BAMMA fans what an exceedingly exciting and ruthless striker he is. Now he’s hungry for the win and I fully expect him to 100% bring the fight. Denham is great for the division as he brings exemplary wrestling into the mix, which is a stand-out skill for a British fighter. I honestly can’t wait for this and completely expect fans to be on the edge of their seats.
“Fisher versus Vital showcases two fighters with a spectrum of experience and a history of first round finishes; and both guys have faced some gruelling opponents. Vital’s making his comeback and will be looking to make his mark at BAMMA 11 but Fisher is every part the challenge. I guarantee this will be one exciting, exciting match!”
Follow @NightmareNeun @TomDen_MMA @andrewfisher9 on Twitter
About BAMMA:
BAMMA (The British Association of Mixed Martial Arts) is a premier European MMA organization that launched in June 2009 with the aim of delivering Mixed Martial Arts events that fully capture the entertainment and sporting prowess on display in the world’s fastest growing sport. To achieve this aim, BAMMA brought together a team of skilled individuals with a wealth of combined experience across Television Production, Event Organisation and Mixed Martial Arts. BAMMA’s combination of arena sized venues, stunning fight cards and exceptional production values has led to BAMMA’s position as one of Europe’s most recognisable MMA brands. With a highly experienced team each BAMMA event always delivers a highly anticipated and unique Mixed Martial Arts experience.
ABOUT LONSDALE:
Firmly established as the leading brand of fight sports equipment and clothing, Lonsdale is steeped in over 50 years of fight history. From humble London origins the Lonsdale brand quickly became the hallmark of both boxing and MMA champions throughout the world, with its legendary quality and authenticity.
It is no coincidence fights legends Tom ‘Kong’ Watson, Muhammad Ali, “Marvellous” Marvin Hagler, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton have all trained and fought in Lonsdale.
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