BAMMA have today revealed the compelling acquisition of the exciting amateur prospect, Akonne ‘The J3di’ Wanliss.
The promotion welcomes Wanliss to its Lightweight division and provides the platform for his much-anticipated pro debut, set for BAMMA 34 on March 9 at the SSE Arena in Wembley.
Via the BAMMA newsletter: “I’m super excited about signing with BAMMA,” Wanliss stated, “and even more excited to step foot in the cage as a professional to showcase my skill set on March 9th! Wooooooooo! I ALWAYS come to finish so don’t blink! The Jedi is coming and you will be entertained.”
Speaking to MMA Plus, he added: “I’m super happy about signing to BAMMA! It’s the perfect platform right now to showcase my skill set. I’m not here to fit in, I’m here to make history.”
The 25-year-old wraps up his amateur career with an 8-1-1 record, but first turned heads at just 2-0-1 upon entering the BAMMA-UKMMAF National Amateur Championships, at the 2016 BodyPower Expo in Birmingham.
There, Wanliss announced himself with frightening form as he made mince meat of three welterweight bracket opponents in the space of two days, concluding each bout with a forceful TKO stoppage.
In response to his performance, the UKMMAF invited Wanliss to join the UK national team heading for the 2016 IMMAF World Championships in Las Vegas, taking place in conjunction with UFC 200 and International Fight Week.
In Vegas, Wanliss dispatched of Finland’s Juhana Vallas via TKO before submitting Norway’s Jorgen Indsetviken – a former IMMAF European Open bronze medalist and current BCMMA amateur welterweight champion.
Wanliss was eliminated in World Championships quarterfinals: an outcome that acted as the catalyst for the significant development to come.
After succumbing to leg kicks at the IMMAF Worlds, courtesy of prominent Irish kickboxing specialist, Cian Cowely, Wanliss tackled any holes in his game head on as he took up residence at SBG Ireland shortly after, joining up with Cowley and co.
While representing SBG Ireland, Wanliss remains dedicated to his own circuit of training across several high-level facilities. Fighting out of Birmingham, his main training hubs include the prominent UTC and Team Renegade BJJ.
In addition, he enjoys sparring in the nation’s capital at London Shootfighters, plus Muay Thai with Damien Trainor the at K-Star Legacy gym and boxing at Frazers Boxing Club.
According to BAMMA, his March 9 opponent is due to be announced soon.
