A new bantamweight champion will be crowned at BAMMA 30 on July 7, when Lonsdale European champion Alan Philpott fights former world champion Shay Walsh for the vacant strap.
The United Kingdom based promotion return to Ireland for the first time in 2017, once again descending upon the famed 3Arena in Dublin with an interesting collection of fights.
In the main event, Walsh (16-4) looks to reclaim the 135-pound championship against an equally game Philpott (16-9), who challenges for the title for the second fight running.
Northern Irish fighter Philpott is 3-2 in his last five fights. He challenged Tom Duquesnoy for the bantamweight title in December, despite a game effort, came up short to “Firekid” who then made the jump to the UFC, as a double BAMMA champion. The Aspire Combat Sports Academy man fought four times in 2016, but BAMMA 30 will mark his first match-up this year.
Training out of Tiger Muay Thai, Walsh will make his seventh appearance under the BAMMA banner in Dublin. Back in November 2015, Walsh captured the bantamweight title from Ed Arthur, putting on a stellar, one-sided performance to dethrone the “King.”
With both men highly motivated to capture gold, it comes as no surprise that tensions have begun to boil over in the lead-up. Walsh commented on Philpott’s smack talk to MMA Plus: “Talking that bit of sh*t on the internet is the worst thing you could have done. I am extremely motivated. I’ve trained very hard, very smart and I’m on fire in all areas. You’re about to feel it.”
Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Rob “C4” Sinclair (13-4) returns to his previous stomping ground, to take on UFC veteran Paul “Redser” Redmond (11-6).
Sinclair, 37, is a former BAMMA lightweight world champion and is one of the brightest talents to have emerged from UK MMA in the last decade. During his hay day, where he beat the likes of Andre Winner, Diego Vital and Daniel Weichel, many considered Sinclair a shoe-in for the UFC, before serious injuries ended his hopes. Sinclair would compete for Bellator MMA, in a losing effort to Saad Awad.
The pro-Irish crowd will cheer on Redmond, as he welcomes the Lancashire fighter back after a brief retirement in 2016. “Redser” headlined BAMMA’s last event in Northern Ireland against Norman Parke, and although he lost that fight by majority decision, Redmond did everything he could to go out on his shield against superior grinder Parke.
Also on the card, highly touted middleweight Fabian Edwards makes his BAMMA debut. “The Assassin” began his professional MMA career at Bellator 179 where he scored a first round, jumping knee knockout over Rafal Cejrowski. Fabian is the younger brother of UFC welterweight Leon Edwards and trains out of UTC in Birmingham.
The BAMMA 30 prelims will begin broadcasting at 6.30pm on UNILAD with the main card set to be broadcast live from 9pm on UKTV channel DAVE.
BAMMA 30: Philpott Vs. Walsh Card
BAMMA 30 Main Card (Live on Dave 9pm)
BAMMA World Bantamweight Title: Alan ‘The Apprentice’ Philpott (16-9) Vs. Shay Walsh (16-4)
Co-Main Event – Lightweight Feature Bout: Rob ‘C4’ Sinclair (13-4) Vs. Paul ‘Redser’ Redmond (11-6)
Middleweight Bout: Fabian ‘The Assassin’ Edwards (1-0) Vs. Aaron Kennedy (Debut)
Lonsdale European Flyweight Title: Ryan ‘Chaos’ Curtis (4-0) Vs. Daniel Barez (7-4)
UNILAD Prelims (Live on UNILAD Facebook page 6.30pm)
Lightweight Bout: Niklas ‘Green Mask’ Stolze (8-2) Vs. Chris ‘The Menace’ Stringer (11-12-1)
Lonsdale European Lightweight No.1 Contenders Bout: Rhys ‘Skeletor’ McKee (5-1) Vs. Richie Smullen (3-0)
Welterweight Bout: Ion ‘Bombardierul’ Pascu (15-7) Vs. Henry ‘Herculeez’ Fadipe (9-8-1)
Lightweight Bout: Ilkin “Monster / Hulkin'” Gasimov (4-1) Vs. Phillip ‘Honeybadger’ Mulpeter (7-5)
Welterweight Bout: Richard Kiely (1-0) Vs. Daniel ‘Obi Wan’ Olejniczak (1-0-1)
Welterweight Bout: Kiefer ‘BDK’ Crosbie (2-0) Vs. Dariusz Swierkosz (3-1)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Ben ‘Spider Monkey’ Forsyth (2-2) Vs. Matt Clempner (1-0)
Featherweight BoutDecky ‘The Diamond’ Dalton (6-3) Vs. Mick ‘Basher’ Brennan (4-7)
Featherweight Bout: Arann McGuire (1-1) Vs. Dylan Logan (0-1)
Welterweight Bout: Steve Owens (2-0) Vs. Maciek Gierszewski (1-0)
Bantamweight Bout: Harry Hardwick (2-0) Vs. Blaine O’Driscoll (4-1)
