In the BAMMA 25 main event, Featherweight title holder Tom Duquesnoy become the promotion’s first two-weight world champion, knocking out Shay Walsh.
The European MMA card of the year, BAMMA 25 took place at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham.
In the main event, The Frenchman, Duquesnoy made an incredible statement, knocking out Shay Walsh with a brutal right elbow in the first round.
Also, when Bad, Bad Blood finally came to fruition, Marc Diakiese made easy work of Kane Mousah with a walk-away knockout.
BAMMA 25 Main Card
BAMMA Bantamweight title: Tom Duquesnoy def. Shay Walsh (C) via KO (Round 1 – 1:15)
Duquesnoy put the pressure on Walsh from the start, not giving the Lancashire fighter space to shoot for a takedown, and he even managed to land one of his own.Walsh tries to clinch and Duquesnoy throws a right elbow which drops Walsh for the finish. Such an emphatic finish.
BAMMA Lightweight title: Martin Stapleton (C) def. Damien Lapilus via DQ (illegal knee) (Round 2 – 0:38)
A very different approach from Stapleton in this fight, fighting with his lead hand down, goading gin Lapilus. Stapes used a lot of head movement but The Frenchman is landing some good shots. A right leg wobbled Lapilus and Stapleton swarmed on him for the takedown. Despite working to advance position the referee stood up both fighters. Stapleton shot in for a takedown in the second round, it seemed that Stapleton was down when Lapilus kneed him in the head.
BAMMA Heavyweight: Mark Godbeer (C) def. Stuart Austin via KO (Round 2 – 1:24)
It was a tentative start between Godbeer and Austin, the two former training partners started off slow, but it was Godbeer who started to set up his shots with a left abdomen kick. Austin was then able to get a big takedown before Godbeer scrambled. But, this gave Austin the chance to grapple on the fence, Godbeer then hit an accidental groin strike. After a break was called by Marc Goddard the bout resumed. It seemed that both men were happy to continue playing tip-and-tap in the second but Godbeer took the initiative and launched a huge right hand, which flattened Austin for the win.
Welterweight bout: Walter Gahadza def. Colin Fletcher via DQ (illegal strikes to back of the head) (Round 1 – 0:12)
Gahadza starts the fight brightest, throwing bombs to Fletcher, forcing him against the cage. However, when trying to clinch with “Freakshow” on the fence, Fletcher threw some elbows to the back of the head and has forced the referee to call off the fight.
BAMMA Lonsdale Lightweight title: Marc Diakiese (C) def. Kane Mousah via KO (Round 1 – 0:36)
It was a difference in composure from both guys. A stone faces Mousah against a smirking Diakiese. There was no touch of gloves before the fight. Diakiese absolutely rocked Mousah with a one punch knockout. An 18 month long feud, ended in just seconds. A looping right hook was all this one wrote.
BAMMA 25 Prelims
Featherweight bout: Ronnie Mann def. Graham Turner via KO (Round 1 – 1:18) – Catch play-by-play for this fight on MMA MAD.
Middleweight bout: Matthew Hallam def. Alexander Bergman via TKO (Round 2 – 1:27) – Catch play-by-play for this fight on MMA MAD.
Bantamweight bout: Ed Arthur def. Cameron Else via TKO (strikes) (Round 1 – 4:57)
There’s no love lost between these guys, but that’s not going to make them brawl. Else starts the fight grappling Arthur against the fence. It’s real shade of Arthur’s fight with Shay Walsh, where the champion ground Arthur out over the space of 15 minutes. It was a scary 20 seconds for Arthur, with Else cinching in a d’arce choke but the NFMMA fighter managed to escape. After the grappling exchange, Else looked visibly fatigued and Arthur started to land some really good left and right combinations.Arthur, once he had weathered the opening storm, started unlaoding on Else, and took his back. He landed shot after shot, it didn’t look like serious danger for Else in all honesty but with a few seconds left, the referee called the end of the fight.
Light-Heavyweight bout: Brett McDermott def. Jamie Sloane via KO (Round 1 – 3:58)
Both men tried to feel out the range from the start but it was McDermott who found it first, lunging in with a takedown. Sloan breaks out, and on the feet McDermott constantly swinging with huge hooks. McDermott then began to find his range and tee off on Sloan, using the lead jab to push Sloan back before he finished with a vicious right hand.
Welterweight bout: Terry Brazier def. Francis Buangala via Submission (rear naked choke) (Round 1 – 0:38)
There was no messing about for Terry Brazier, who straight away put it on Buangala, scored a takedown and took the back. Buangala tried to posture out of it, but a strong hold for Brazier saw Buangala fall to the mat with the rear naked choke still locked in. Impressively, Brazier chocked Buangala out unconscious.
Lightweight bout: Xavier Sedras def. Chris Bungard via Submission (Rear naked choke) (Round 2 – 2:58)
Sedras shot in for a takedown with the first move of the fight. A brave decision by the South African to roll with a grappler as experienced as Bungard. Once in motion, Sedras through what looked like an illegal 12-6 elbow on Bungard, which landed to the back of the head. After a brief intermission to recover and get checked out by the doctors, Bungard was able to continue. It was an exceptional first round by Sedras, as he tried to finish with a rear naked but was unable to lock it in before the buzzer. It was much of the same in the second, Sedras once again controlling the grappling exchanges. Beating Bungard at his own game, Sedras easily took the back on Bungard and scored the rear naked choke submission.
Lightweight bout: Rick Selvarajah def. Ollie Coyne via Submission (rear naked choke) (Round 1 – 3:52)
Coyne was able to find his range with Selvarajah from the get-go but had to deal with his awkward clinching. Selvarajah got the first takedown of the fight but it didn’t take much for Coyne to roll out. Selvarajah managed to get Coyne on the mat again, this time really suffocating the Liverpool based fighter. After a slick transition, Selvarajah took the back and secured a rear naked choke victory.
Featherweight bout: Dean Trueman def. Huseyin Garabet via Submission (guillotine) (Round 1 – 4:48)
Trueman started the fight with a really strong clinch, pushing Garabet to the fence before scoring a takedown. Trueman’s experience on the ground started to shine through immediately as Garabet offered very little in terms of wrestling defence. Trueman starts to fire some thunderous knees to the abdomen of Garabet – spurred on by a huge crowd following in Birmingham. From top position, Trueman slid into a tight guillotine choke and got the win. Very impressive.
Featherweight bout: Mike Grundy def. Marley Swindells via Decision (Unanimous) (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
As expected, Grundy immediately shot in for the takedown, then working for his patented d’arce choke. After both men briefly rose to their feet, once again it was constant pressure from Grundy with another takedown. It was a completely smothering first stanza for Grundy, who would not let up with his wrestling. Despite managing to stay upright for a short while, Grundy once again pulled out the smothering takedowns in the second. He wasn’t able to offer much with his guard passing, but Swindells had nothing to offer in terms of defence. Despite having such a strong wrestling game, Grundy always seems to struggle to develop much on the feet – even when his opponent has minimal to offer. The final round, once again Grundy had total dominance in the wrestling exchanges – the fight was a complete mismatch but what Grundy needed after some time away.
Lightweight bout: Jai Herbert def. Tony Morgan via Submission (RNC) (Round 2 – 2:19)
Jai Herbert was the one who put on the pressure from the get go, pushing Morgan into the corner of the cage. Herbert landed his strikes at will and Morgan didn’t have much to offer, constrained by Herbert’s control of the cage. A lovely inside left uppercut from Herbert was his biggest output of the first round. Morgan sprung into life in the final ten seconds with a looping right hook but overall, it was a very dominant five minutes. The second began similar to the opener, Herbert taking total control, personified by a big right elbow which shook Morgan. A german like suplex from Herbert took the fight to the ground, as he easily took top control, which he rolled into back mount. It was over from there when Herbert locked in a deep rear naked choke for the win.
Heavyweight bout: Łukasz Parobiec def. Tom Aspinall via DQ (illegal elbows) (Round 2 – 3:33)
Parobiec took charge of the centre, but it was Aspinall who was able to find his range in the first round. Aspinall used his jab to very good effect, which constantly set up his right hand cross. On numerous occasion, this shot shook Parobiec as the Kaobon fighter ensued with very comfortable striking. It was however a powerful right hand by Parobiec which dropped Aspinall at the end of the first. A swinging hook opened up round two, with Aspinall pouncing on Parobiec. He looked for the guillotine but was unsuccessful. Parobiec then took his time to compose and landed a devastating left hook to drop his opponent. Aspinall one again recovered. With just over a minute and a half of the second to go, Aspinall secured a much needed takedown and followed up with ground and pound to bloody Parobiec – although shots landed to the back of his head which caused referee Paul Nicholls to consult the doctor. It was deemed that Aspinall used illegal 12-6 elbows and was disqualified.
