(Feb. 11, 2012) BAMMA, Europe’s leading Mixed Martial Arts promotion, is excited to announce that BAMMA-Lonsdale’s British Middleweight Champion, Jack Marshman, is set to challenge Tom ‘Kong’ Watson for the BAMMA World Middleweight belt at BAMMA 9. BAMMA 9 takes place on Saturday 24th March at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena.
BAMMA’s Middleweight champs have made waves as two of the promotion’s most iconic faces. Etched into UK mainstream memory as the man who beat Alex Reid at BAMMA 4, World Middleweight Champ Tom Watson is known by fight fans for his catalogue of tough victories over fighters that include the UFC’s John Maguire at BAMMA 1 and Maurilo Rua whom he famously blasted into retirement at BAMMA 6. BAMMA-Lonsdale’s British Middleweight Champion and serving British Armed Forces Afghan vet, Jack Marshman comes into the fight undefeated with a record of 10-0-0. Marshman wowed audiences at BAMMA 7 with his tremendous heart, after he came back from a sustained Ground ‘n’ Pound battering at the hands of Carl Noon, turning fortune around at the final hour to secure an unforgettable victory. Marshman went on to a three round war at BAMMA 8 in which he defeated title challenger Leeroy Barnes, who will be also fighting at BAMMA 9 against Nick Nembhard. The clash between BAMMA’s World Middleweight and British Middleweight champions is bound to have fight fans on the edge of their seats.
BAMMA Matchmaker, Jude Samuel, says:
“It’s great to see Tom Watson back in action at BAMMA to defend his title after time out due to injury. It’s a true testament to his gritty and hardworking character that he has stood up to the challenge of Jack Marshman. Jack will be looking to take advantage of Tom’s inactivity, but ring rust is something that Watson has never suffered from; while Jack, on the other hand, has been extremely busy over the past 7 months, honing his skills for such a test. This makes for a very interesting and explosive fight as both men are putting so much on the line.”
Fight Card
MAINCARD
(with more fights to be announced)
MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE BOUT
JACK MARSHMAN VS TOM WATSON
PRELIMINARIES
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
ANDREW PUNSHON VS MATT HOWARD
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT
FRASER OPIE VS ANTHONY TAYLOR
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
JASON BALL VS COLIN FREAKSHOW FLETCHER
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
NICK NEMBHARD VS LEEROY BARNES
UNDERCARD
WELTERWEIGHT BOUT
RUS SMITH VS TOM BREESE
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
CHRIS FISHGOLD VS DALE HARDIMAN
HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT
MARC GODBEER VS CATALIN ZMARANDESCU
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
LEE JOHNSON VS SAM HOOKER
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT
ROBERT TRUESDALE VS SAM MENSAH
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
JAKE MURPHY VS DAVID ROUND