BAMMA 11 provided an interesting night of action at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena on Saturday (1st December). In the headliner Xavier Foupa-Pokam a.k.a “Professor X” battled his way to a decision victory over Jack Marshman. Also, Alex Reid scored a unanimous decision victory over Sam Boo in the nights co-main event.

BAMMA 11 was the first ever live Mixed Martial Arts event to air on terrestrial TV in the UK on Channel 5. The event also aired in the U.S. on AXS TV.

Two new champions were crowned on the night as Tom Breese defeated Warren Kee to win the BAMMA Lonsdale British Welterweight belt; and Stevie Ray conquered Dale Hardiman to earn the BAMMA Lonsdale British Lightweight title.

A stand-out fight from the under-card and quite possibly my favorite bout of the night was the stand-up war between Ben Constantine and Yannick Bahati. The fighters went back-and-forth with their striking for three rounds, showing heart and determination, these guys really put on a good show for the fans. A great performance from both men.

Here is the full post-event review for BAMMA 11 and the official results:

Xavier Foupa Pokam vs. Jack Marshman

The fight begins and Pokam lands some nice leg kicks. Pokam takes Marshman down, then Marshman locks in a very tight armbar, the arm looks like it has popped, but Pokam does not tap. Marshman even begins to punch Pokam’s arm whilst in the armbar, but Pokam still doesn’t tap. They get back to their feet and briefly exchange before ending up back on the ground. Marshman manages to get an armbar again, but once more Pokam resists. Marshman gets to his feet, the fighters go back and forth before Pokam scores a big take-down and works from the guard. Pokam stands and Marshman remains on his back. Pokam then goes back into guard and tries to work some strikes, he moves into side-control and then the round comes to an end.

Both men are now warmed up and Marshman tries to let his hands go and score some strikes. Pokam throws a spinning backfist, then the men exchange briefly before Pokam gets a take-down. He begins to work some punches which open up Marshman. A doctor briefly checks on Marshman and then the action resumes. Now in half-guard Pokam tries to inflict more damage to a bloodied Marshman. The two men come back to their feet and go back-and forth before Pokam gets another take-down. On the way down Marshman catches Pokam in a Triangle attempt, but the round comes to an end before he can really secure it.

Round three begins and Pokam scores an early take-down. He works from the guard and tries to inflict some damage with his strikes. They remain in this position for a while and eventually end up back on their feet. Pokam shoots for a take-down driving Marshman back into the cage. He then manages to pick and drop Marshman to the ground before working the from the top. They remain in that position until the fight ends.

Xavier Foupa Pokam wins via Split Decision (30-27 – Foupa Pokam – 28-29 – Marshman – 30-27 – Foupa Pokam) – 5 mins – 3rd Round

Alex Reid vs. Sam Boo

The fight begins and the men exchange leg kicks. Boo takes Reid down briefly, then the men rise to their feet against the cage. Boo presses Reid against the cage and and the two men go back and forth. The fighters separate and begin to trade, Boo bends down and Reid catches him with a knee that stuns him. The men briefly go to the ground and rise up against the cage with Boo pressing. The fighters separate briefly before Boo presses Reid up against the cage once more. Reid clips Boo with a punch that drops him to the ground, then Reid throws some kicks from the standing position before dropping into side control then the round ends.

Both men exchange strikes before Reid presses Boo against the cage. Boo reverses and gets Reid to the ground. They soon rise back to their feet against the cage. Reid presses Boo against the cage and throws some strikes. They continue to grapple and then Reid lands some knees to the head before Boo lifts and slams Reid to the canvas. Boo works from guard and attempts to advance his position. Boo stands and Reid attempts an up-kick which misses. Boo moves back into guard and tries to work some strikes. Boo lands a knee to the face and the ref calls a brief break in the action. The action restarts and they go back-and-forth with their striking until the round finishes.

A controversial start to the round as Reid responds to Boo’s touch of gloves with a cheeky jab. The men begin to trade leather and it is clear that both fighters are becoming tired. Reid presses Boo against the cage, then Boo bends down and Reid knees him the face. The ref calls a brief pause in the action. They restart and Reid drops Boo, he then moves into guard and tries to land some strikes from the top. Reid stands while Boo is on his back, then the ref stands Boo up. They go back and forth with punches and then Reid presses Boo against the cage. Boo goes to the ground and Reid takes top position. Reid stands once more and the fight ends.

Alex Reid wins via unanimous decision (28-27 – 28-27 – 28-27) – 5 mins – 3rd Round

Warren Kee vs. Tom Breese

Round one begins and Breese kicks things off with a stiff punch before pressing Kee against the cage. Kee manages to reverse, but Breese soon reverses himself. They continue to battle for position against the cage, then Breese lands a low blow and the ref calls for a brief break in the action. The action restarts, Breese throws a high kick that lands and once again begins to press Kee against the cage. The men go to the ground, Breese manages to take Kee’s back and sinks in a rear-naked choke. Kee has no option but to tap.

Tom Breese wins via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – 3 mins 6 secs – 1st Round (NEW BAMMA Lonsdale British Welterweight Champion)

Steven Ray vs. Dale Hardiman

The fight begins and Ray shoots in for a take-down backing Hardiman against the cage. He gets Hardiman down and begins to work from the guard. Hardiman tries to back Ray off with his feet, but ray drops shots from the standing position. Ray then drops down and the two men tangle up looking for some form of a leg submission. After rolling and battling for advantage Ray manages to get into guard and eventually moves into half-guard. Hardiman attempts to reverse, but soon ends up back underneath. After a battle for position Ray secures side-control and lands some shots to the head of Hardiman before the round comes to a close.

The round begins and the fighters go back and forth. Hardiman clips Ray with a punch that appears to stun him. The men go to the ground and Ray winds up on top, but soon takes Hardiman’s back. Ray attempts to flatten Hardiman out, but does not succed. Hardiman tries to roll out but Ray ends up in full mount briefly before taking Hardiman’s back once more. Hardiman tries to roll out again, but Ray regains full mount. Ray drops some hard body and head shots from the top and Hardiman is left with nowhere to go. Hardiman attempts to roll out, then the round comes to an end.

The third starts with an embrace and a show of respect. The fighters square off and Ray slams Hardiman to the ground landing in side-control. The men rise to their feet and Hardiman lands a stiff knee. They begin to exchange briefly before Ray takes Hardiman down and begins to work. He moves into half-guard and tries to work some punches. Hardiman does well to hold on to Ray, not allowing him to advance position or do further damage. The referee stands the two men up and Ray shoots for a take-down, which Hardiman stuffs. He tries to let off some offense, but Ray scores another take-down before the fight ends.

Steven Ray wins via unanimous decision (30-27 – 30-27 – 30-27) 5 mins – 3rd Round (NEW BAMMA Lonsdale British Lightweight Champion)

Marcin Lazurz vs. Sam Mensah

The two men try to find their range and then Mensah manages to score a take-down. They separate, Mensah is on his feet and Lazurz is on his back, Mensah lets him stand. They square-up, then Lazurz scores a take-down and begins to work form the guard. He moves into half-guard and tries to work some punches to Mensah’s head. Mensah does well by not allowing Lazurz to move into side-control, but while struggling for position Lazurz sees an opening and locks in a tight armbar. Mensah has no option but to tap out.

Marcin Lazurz wins via submission (Armbar) – 4 mins 16 secs – 1st Round

James Doolan vs. Spencer Hewitt

The two men briefly go back and forth before Hewitt lands a nice overhand right which drops Doolan. Hewitt begins to work from the guard, but Doolan sees an opening and goes for the triangle. He manages to lock in the choke and Hewitt has no option but to tap.

James Doolan wins via submission (Triangle Choke) – 1 min 42 secs – 1st Round

Richie Downes vs. Jeremy Petley

The round begins and they go back-and-forth with their striking. Petley lands a leg kick and Downes fires back with one of his own. Both fighters are content to stand and throw as they try to find their range. Petley catches a leg and goes for the take-down, Downes defends and Petley ends up pressing Downes against the cage. The round eventually comes to an end.

The stand-up battle continues as both men exchange strikes and leg kicks. They continue to trade for a large majority of the round before Petley manages to score a take-down. He takes Downes’ back and then switches into his guard before gaining side control. From there he takes Richie’s back again and the round comes to a close.

Round three starts and Petley shoots for an early take-down, which is defended by Downes. They begin to exchange before Petley manages to press his opponent against the cage. The men separate and exchange punches then Petley shoots for a take-down and finds Richie’s back. Petley works for the rear-naked choke. Downes tries to escape and Petley winds up in the full mount position where he tries to land some blows. Downes defends well by holding Petley and restricting his movement. Petley moves into side control and the fight ends.

Jeremy Petley wins via unanimous decision (30-27 – 30-27 – 30-27) – 5 mins – 3rd Round

Marc Allen vs. Kyle Redfearn

The two men go back and forth before Allen presses Redfearn against the cage. Redfearn reverses and soon after scores a take-down. The two men rise back to their feet, Refearn presses Allen against the cage and works some knees to the legs. They begin to grapple back and forth against the cage. The referee eventually splits the two men and they briefly exchange strikes before tangling up again. Redfearn scores a take-down and then the round comes to an end.

The second round begins and Redfearn presses Allen up against the cage before taking him to the ground. He tries to work from the ground, then Allen pushes him away with his legs, gets to his feet, grabs Redfearn and takes him to the ground. They end up back on their feet with Allen pressing Redfearn against the cage. He briefly works for the single leg before going back up top. Refearn takes Allen’s back and reverses the position. He presses Allen against the cage, but Allen responds with a take-down and ends up in full mount before switching into the side position to attempt a choke. Redfearn survives and the round comes to a close.

The third round begins with a back and forth exchange of strikes as Allen throws some big punches that don’t reach the target. He then shoots for a take-down, but Redfearn avoids it and scores a take-down of his own. He begins to work from the guard before the men return to their feet. Allen takes Redfearn’s back and tries to work for the rear-naked choke. Redfearn manages to roll and reverse ending up in guard. The men battle back to their feet and Allen manages to take Redfearn’s back once more, but there is not enough time for him to work for the submission and the round comes to an and.

Marc Allen wins via split decision (29-28 – Allen – 30-27 – Redfearn – 29-28 – Allen) 5 min – 3rd Round

Ben Constantine vs. Yannick Bahati

Constantine starts off aggressively by moving forward with his striking and keeping Bahati on the back foot. Bahati begins to loosen up and starts to throw some kicks and punches. Constantine catches Bahati’s leg and scores a take-down. He begins to work from the guard, but does not really attempt to advance position. Bahati sees and opening and begins to work for the triangle, but Constantine manages to escape. He works from the guard until the round comes to a close.

The round begins and both men go back-and-forth with their striking. They continue to exchange, with Bahati landing some nice combinations. Bahati finds the target with some crisp punches and a nice knees. Constantine seems to be running low on gas allowing Bahati to control the fight with his striking. Bahati briefly presses Constantine against the cage before the men separate and exchange strikes until the round comes to a close.

The third round picks up where the second left off as the two men work their striking. It is a great stand-up brawl, Bahati appears to be the fresher man, but Constantine continues to press forward. Bahati connects with a few punches, but Constantine eats them and carries on. Bahati uses the clinch to work some knees. Both men are running out of steam, but continue to press forward and exchange blows. A great battle.

Yannick Bahati wins via Unanimous Decision (29-28 – 30-27 – 30-27) – 5 min – 3rd Round

David Farycki vs. Bryan Creighton

Creighton starts out with a nice leg kick and a flurry of punches. the guys go back and forth, tangle up, then Creighton scores a take-down. Davis reverses and ends up on top. David works for position, but Creighton manages to defend well, holding on to David and not allowing him to move. David takes Creighton’s back and begins a triangle choke attempt. Creighton defends well and manages to survive until the end of the round.

The second round begins and the two men go back-and-forth with their striking. David manages to tag Creighton with a couple of stiff punches, but he returns fire with some strikes of his own. David scores a take-down and quickly moves into side-control. David moves into full mount and begins to land some big blows from the top. The punishment continues and the referee is forced to call an end to the action.

David Farycki wins via TKO – 4 min 25 secs – 2nd Round

Both men begin by trying to find their range. Edwards lands a nice body kick and the men begin to go back and forth with their striking. Edwards lands a stiff strike that drops Bilton, but he recovers and gets back to his feet avoiding further damage. Edwards lands a nice knee to the face and lets loose with a flurry of punches. Edwards lands a nice punch and begins to press Bilton against the cage. Bilton attempts a standing guillotine, but soon releases. Bilton reverses and begins to press Edwards against the cage. Edwards then reverses and starts to throw a barrage of heavy punches and kicks. Bilton withstands the assault and the round comes to a close.

Bilton tries to press forward but ends up with Edwards pressing him against the cage. Edwards begins to work some knees to the body followed by some strikes. Bilton drops to the ground, Edwards takes top position and begins to land some big blows to Bilton’s head. The referee calls a stop to the action.

Leon Edwards wins via TKO – 1 min 11 secs – 2nd Round

The official results for BAMMA 11 are below:

- Xavier Foupa Pokam def. Jack Marshman via Split Decision (30-27 – Foupa-Pokam 28-29 – Marshman – 30-27 – Foupa-Pokam)

- Alex Reid def. Sam Boo via Unanimous Decision (28-27 – 28-27 – 28-27)

- Tom Breese def. Warren Kee via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – Rnd. 1 – 3 mins 6 secs

- Max Nunes def. Kevin Thompson via KO – Rnd. 1 – 1 min 40 secs

- Steven Ray def. Dale Hardiman via Unanimous Decision (30-27 – 30-27 – 30-27)

- Marcin Lazurz def. Sam Mensah via Submission (Armbar) – Rnd. 1 – 4 mins 16 secs

- James Doolan def. Spencer Hewitt via Submission (Triangle Choke) – Rnd. 1 – 1 min 42 secs

- Jeremy Petley def. Richie Downes via Unanimous Decision (30-27 – 30-27 – 30-27)

- Marc Allen def. Kyle Redfearn via Split Decision (28-29 – Allen – 30-27 – Redfearn – 28-29 – Allen)

- Andrew Fisher def. Andy Green via TKO – Rnd. 1 – 2 min 26 secs

- Yannick Bahati def. Ben Constantine via Unanimous Decision (29-28 – 30-27 – 30-27)

- Leon Edwards def. Jonny Bilton via TKO – Rnd. 2 – 1 min 11 secs

- David Farycki def. Bryan Creighton via TKO – Rnd. 2 – 4 min 25 secs

- Mike Neun def. Thomas Denham via TKO – Rnd. 3 – 3 mins 58 secs

Stay close to The MMA Review (themmareview.co.uk) for all the latest BAMMA news.

Jay Cee – @JayCeeMMA

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