Tomorrow night at the LG Arena in Birmingham, BAMMA will promote a stacked card with a whole host of intriguing fights. This month, UK shores have already seen Ultimate Challenge put on a solid show at the Troxy in London, and the return of Cage Warriors on May 22nd, 2010 has garnered significant interest from the MMA community. However, BAMMA 3 has the potential to be the biggest show of the month, and quite possibly the best of the year on British soil.
BAMMA 3 Main Event - Tom 'Kong' Watson vs. Matt Horwich
Main eventing will be Tom 'Kong' Watson, a fighter who many think is set for big things in the future. Initially, the 11-3 man was meant to take on Celebrity Big Brother winner Alex Reid (8-8-1 1NC), before the 'Reidernator,' now the most famous mixed martial artist in the UK pulled out due to injury.
Enter Matt Horwich (24-14-1), a massively experienced UFC veteran, who in this writer's opinion poses a much sterner test than Reid. Unfortunately for Watson though, although a victory over the American will gain him much respect in MMA circles, it won't deliver the mainstream impact a win over Reid would have.
Horwich is by no means going to prove to be an easy scalp for 'Kong'. While coming off a loss to Jason MacDonald, the Team Quest man has strong wrestling and gave Ricardo Almeida and Dan Miller good three round fights in the UFC. With nineteen submissions to his name, 'Suave's' ground game is evidently strong, and considering two of Watson's three losses have come via submission, getting the contest floored will be Horwich's aim.
It's been three years since Watson lost by submission though, and since then, his all-round game has improved drastically, as reflected by the fact he has five wins by TKO, five decisions and a submission on his record. 'Kong' is coming off a huge head kick KO victory over Travis Galbraith in the MFC which highlighted his powerful, technical striking, and this could prove to be the key to victory for him.
How Watson deals with Horwich will likely reveal whether he's the 'real deal'. A decision win would be a good result, and to be the first man to stop Horwich standing would be phenomenal, if unlikely. For the American to win wouldn't be the end of the world for 'Kong,' but tomorrow marks a chance to make a statement, and a good win puts him in line for a run in the UFC or Strikeforce.
BAMMA 3 Undercard Fights
The 'Kimbo Killer' Seth Petruzelli (11-4) is in action tomorrow night, taking on Ryan 'The Great' White (6-4), a huge underdog. On paper, Petruzelli seems to be a clear pick for the 'W,' but White has heavy hands, and fight-changing power. This could be a more dangerous night for 'the Silverback,' than many anticipate it to be.
In what will likely be a thrilling contest for the BAMMA Lightweight Title, Rob 'C4' Sinclair (8-2) will attempt to defend his belt against the dangerous Daniel Weichel (23-6). While the latter has a great ground game and a wealth of experience, it appears that Sinclair is hitting his prime, and a mid-late stoppage could be on the cards.
There's never a dull moment with War Machine (10-3), and his bout with Zach Light (6-9) should be entertaining, especially considering combined they've only gone the distance four times. War Machine should have too much for his foe though, and continue his controversial journey in the world of MMA.
The BAMMA Featherweight Title will be on the line as the undefeated Mark Adams (5-0) seeks to take the crown from Alan Omer (14-2). Many consider Adams to be destined for big things, and a win over the talented Omer would certainly merit them. Omer is a solid fighter though, and can win when the chips are down, as demonstrated by his fourth round triangle victory over Paul Reed last time out, even though he was losing the fight to that point. Alan can never be counted out.
Norweigan submission specialist Simeon Thoresen (11-1-1) will take on London's John Maguire (10-2) in a Welterweight contest. With ten of eleven victories coming through locks and chokes, Oslo's 'The Grin' could be good value to get the win here, although Maguire won't go down without giving all he can first.
Heavy handed Kaobon alum Carl Noon (5-1) gets chance to enhance his growing 'knockout artist' reputation at BAMMA 3, although the undefeated Mike Ling (6-0) won't be wanting to make the journey back to Portsmouth with a dent in his record. Noon looks scarier with every fight though, and could be a force to be reckoned with in the very near future.
Two exciting featherweight contests with possible BAMMA Title shot ramifications will feature lower down on the bill. TUF 9 alum Jeff Lawson (13-3) fights Jiu Jitsu whizz Dave Lee (8-5) in an intriguing battle. Lee has mixed at a higher standard, though he's not won and performed at it. Lawson is coming off a loss, but has the skill set to cause his Team Crossface foe serious problems.
Perhaps the fight of the night will be Paul Reed (12-5) vs. Ashleigh Grimshaw (7-6-1) though. Neither have been quiet in the run up to this, and both are certain they have the tools for victory. A battle that could end up anywhere and everywhere, this is one to watch.
Predictions:
Dean Parr, FIGHT! Magazine UK, MMA Hit Pit, UK MMA Live and Suite 101
Tom Watson points Matt Horwich
Seth Petruzelli Sub. 2 Ryan White
Rob Sinclair TKO 3 Daniel Weichel
War Machine TKO 3 Zach Light
Mark Adams TKO 4 Alan Omer
Simeon Thoresen Sub 2 John Maguire
Carl Noon TKO 2 Mike Ling
Jeff Lawson dec. Dave Lee
Paul Reed TKO 3 Ash Grimshaw (but this fight is truly 50:50)
Guest Predictor: Stephen Howson, BellatorGero owner
Tom Watson KO 2 Matt Horwich
Seth Petruzelli TKO 3 Ryan White
Daniel Weichel Sub. 3 Rob Sinclair
Mark Adams TKO 2 Alan Omer
John Maguire dec. Simeon Thoresen
Mike Ling dec. Carl Noon
Jeff Lawson TKO 2 Dave Lee
Paul Reed dec. Ash Grimshaw (but a war)
For more information on the card, please visit the website of BAMMA.
