The Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle plays host to a co-promoted night of mixed martial arts, with American promoter Bellator joining forces with BAMMA. The fourteen-fight card culminates in a BAMMA lightweight title face-off between Ryan Scope and Mickael Lebout.
Ryan Scope returns to the lightweight division, aiming to clinch the vacant BAMMA lightweight championship. The twenty-five-year-old recently lost for the first time in his career and will look to return to winning ways.
Anglo-French relations could reach boiling point as Mickael Lebout will look to upset the crowd, standing in the way of Scope and his lightweight title ambitions. Lebout had a short spell in the UFC and has been stopped once in his professional career.
Aaron Chalmers, reality TV star turned mixed martial artist makes the walk to the BAMMA cage for the third time after picking up two first-round victories this year. Chalmers, who made his name in the Geordie Shore house will look to put on a performance in his hometown against relatively unknown welterweight Karl Donaldson.
Chalmers divided opinion when he decided to transition from the screen into the cage, but his performances so far must be admired with his submission debut victory over Greg Jenkins backed up by a devastating knockout over Alex Thompson.
Karl Donaldson makes his professional debut with nothing to lose against Chalmers. The London-based welterweight lost his only amateur bout and will look to taste victory in the sweetest way in enemy territory.
Colin ‘Freakshow’ Fletcher opens the main card against another Frenchman in Anthony Dizy, whilst rising star Fabian Edwards, younger brother of UFC middleweight Leon Edwards takes on Louis King.
Edwards amassed a perfect amateur career with ten victories, nine inside the distance before turning professional early this year. Newcastle marks the venue of his third professional appearance, looking to continue his impressive form in the sport.
Former-UFC bantamweight Michael McDonald makes his Bellator debut, headlining their portion of the event against Frenchman Peter Ligier. McDonald has proven himself to be one of the world’s best bantamweights and has competed at the highest level, facing the likes of Renan Barao and Urijah Faber.
Ligier has made his name on the European scene and has tasted defeat on one occasion, back at BAMMA 17 in 2014. It represents a huge opportunity for the Frenchman to propel his name into stardom in a fight where he is not expected to cause McDonald any trouble. This is MMA and anything can happen!
The only female bout of the evening features former UFC strawweight Valerie Letourneau moving up to flyweight, taking on former Ultimate Fighter contestant Kate Jackson in the co-main event of the Bellator portion of the card.
Letourneau had previously challenged for the UFC strawweight title, losing out to Joanna Jedrzejczyk and has lost three consecutive bouts, dating back to 2015. Cornwall’s Kate Jackson will look to continue that streak, having picked up a victory on her Bellator debut in August.
Full Fight Card
BAMMA 33 Main Card (Live on ITV4 9:30PM)
Lightweight Title: Ryan Scope vs. Mickael Lebout
Welterweight: Aaron Chalmers vs. Karl Donaldson
Lightweight: Colin Fletcher vs. Anthony Dizy
BAMMA 33 Prelims
Middleweight: Fabian Edwards vs. Louis King
Welterweight: Nathan Jones vs. Adam Proctor
Heavyweight: Darren Towler vs. Tomny Mustard
Lightweight: Rhys McKee vs. Kams Ekpo
Welterweight: Justin Burlinson vs. Josh Plant
Lightweight: Curt Warburton vs. Warren Kee
Bellator 191
Catchweight (138lbs): Michael McDonald vs. Peter Ligier
Women’s Flyweight: Valerie Letourneau vs. Kate Jackson
Heavyweight: James Thompson vs. Phil de Fries
Featherweight: Jeremy Petley vs. Lewis Monarch
Welterweight: Mohammad Yahya vs. Ashley Griffiths
