UK Amateur MMA Team Revealed For 2015 IMMAF European Championships

The United Kingdom Mixed Martial Arts Federation (UKMMAF) has announced the UK Amateur MMA team for the 2015 IMMAF European Championships of Amateur MMA.

Try-outs had taken place over the past few months and welcomed competitors from all over the UK.

The 2015 IMMAF European Open Championships will take place in Birmingham (UK) from 19th – 22nd November 2015 at the Walsall Sports Centre at the University of Wolverhampton.

The last  two years running has seen the UK team medalled at the IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA in Las Vegas (USA). The recent 2015 World Championships saw the UK earn its first gold medal as Josh Ellis titled in the Men’s Lightweight division. Middleweight James Duckett earned silver, while Jake Constantinou scored bronze at Welterweight.

With the European Championships able to permit double entries per weight class, it now opens up opportunities for more competitors on the squad. Additionally, not all of the 2015 World Championships team will be returning for the European event, including most notably IMMAF Lightweight World Champion Josh Ellis, due to injury.

For the first time the UKMMAF will be entering competitors into the Men’s Flyweight, Men’s Heavyweight and Women’s Flyweight categories.

Returning athletes to the UK team are James Duckett (2015 IMMAF World Championships silver medallist), Carl Burton (2014 IMMAF World Championships bronze medallist; 2015 IMMAF World Championships participant), Aidan James and Amy O’Mara (2015 IMMAF World Championships participants). Also re-entering is Ross Gallagher, who was selected to represent the UK for this year’s World Championships but was forcedto withdraw due to injury.

Below are the full UK Amateur MMA team for the 2015 IMMAF European Open Championships:

UKMMAF Amateur MMA Team – 2015 IMMAF European Open Championships*

 

Men’s Flyweight: -56.7 kg (125 lbs)
Name: Warren MasonAge:  20 Hometown: Doncaster Gym: The Unit Verified Amateur MMA Record: 5-4-0	Name: Jake BondAge: 24 Hometown:  Leigh Gym:  Team Colosseum Verified Amateur MMA Record: 6-4-0

 

Men’s Bantamweight – 61.2kg (135lb)
Name: Carl BurtonAge: 27 Hometown: Cheshire Gym: 12 Gauge MMA Verified Amateur MMA Record: 8-3-0	Name: Josh NealAge: 21 Hometown: Gym: Warriors MMA Verified Amateur MMA Record: 6-4-0

 

Men’s Featherweight -65.8 kg (145 lbs)
Name: Aidan JamesAge: 21 Hometown: Swansea Gym: Chris Rees Academy Verified Amateur MMA Record: 6-1-0	Name: Manny AkpanAge: 22 Hometown: Manchester Gym: SBG Verified Amateur MMA Record: 5-0-0

 

Men’s Lightweight: -70.3 kg (155 lbs)
Name: Ross Gallagher  Age: 29 Hometown: Corby Gym: Siam Gym Verified Amateur MMA Record: 14-7-0	Name: Jack ShoreAge: 20 Hometown: Gwent Gym: Tillery Combat Verified Amateur MMA Record: 8-0-0

 

Men’s Welterweight: -77.1 kg (170 lbs)
Name: Hardeep RaiAge:  19 Hometown: Hounslow Gym: Carlson Gracie Verified Amateur MMA Record: 2-0-0	Name: Tom MowleAge: 21 Hometown: Chelmsford Gym: BKK Verified Amateur MMA Record: 2-1-0

 

Men’s Middleweight: -83.9 kg (185 lbs)
Name: Tom CrosbyAge:  27 Hometown: West Yorkshire Gym:  AVT MMA Verified Amateur MMA Record: 7-3-0	Name: James DuckettAge:  24 Hometown: Manchester Gym:  Predators Verified Amateur MMA Record: 11-4-0

 

Men’s Light Heavyweight: -93.0 kg (205 lbs)
Name: Matthew FindlayAge:  27 Hometown: London Gym: Team Titan Verified Amateur MMA Record: 4-1-0	Name: Danny DutchAge: 32 Hometown: Liverpool Gym: Next Generation Verified Amateur MMA Record: 2-1-0

 

Men’s Heavyweight: -120.2 kg (265 lbs)
Name: Jack BurtonAge: 19 Hometown: Chelmsford Gym: BKK Verified Amateur MMA Record: 3-1-0	Name: Shawn KennyAge:  29 Hometown: Liverpool Gym: Next Generation Verified Amateur MMA Record: 3-1-0

 

Women’s Strawweight: -52.2 kg (115 lbs)
Name: Polly BeauchampAge:  28 Hometown: Wiltshire Gym: Trojan Free Fighters Verified Amateur MMA Record: 1-2-0	Name: Amy O’MaraAge: 27 Hometown: Cheshire Gym: 12 Gauge MMA Verified Amateur MMA Record: 4-1-0

 

Women’s Flyweight: -56.7 kg (125 lbs)
Name: Wendy McKennaAge: 35 Hometown: Chelmsford Gym: BKK Verified Amateur MMA Record: 2-2-0

For full information about the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation event, to be broadcast on UFC FIGHT PASS, visit: http://www.immaf.org/2015-immaf-european-open-championships/.

For more information about the United Kingdom Mixed Martial Arts Federation (UKMMAF) visit:http://www.ukmmaf.org.uk/

For more information about the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) visit: http://www.immaf.org/

Follow the @UKMMAFed and @IMMAFed on Twitter

*Please note that due to the current unregulated status of the sport in the UK, no centralised or official fight records system exists in the country. The stated Amateur records include only the fights that the UKMMAF has been able to verify. However, the fighters may have had more fights that have not been recorded publicly and that it has not been possible to verify at this stage. All fight information is to be submitted to Sherdog and MMA.tv. The UKMMAF will continue to update the competitors’ records as further fights can be verified. 

Photo Credit: Odin Lowry