Big Birmingham Round-Up | A Look Back At A Historic Year For The Brummie’s

This year in MMA, Birmingham based athletes have shone like never before. From the top with title winning, Leon Edwards, further down the pyramid to fighters like Shay Ingram and Muhammad Shazlee, the city have ended the year on the top of the mountain.

With Team Renegade and Fearless MMA growing in stature, elite level fighters are becoming the norm around this part of the country. The Renegade gym has recently moved to a bigger and better facility, enticing fighters from all over the country to come and get their work done in the second city, with Arnold Allen being the most recent adopted Brummie.

Allen has ended his year on a high, beating Calvin Kattar, and despite it being an unfortunate ending, he has pushed himself closer to the title picture. A fight with Max Holloway looms, for the UFC’s return to the UK in March.

It’s not just fighters in the main promotions that have been making their mark this year though, from the bottom of the pyramid, there are names that people are going to have to become familiar with.

Muhammad Shazlee turned pro late last year after a 12 fight amateur career. And with that, has gone 5-0 so far in his impressive emergence. Doing his work across several different regional promotions, the dominant welterweight will be arriving on the national scene before we know it.

Back in March this year, Shazlee scored an emphatic win over Martyn Harris at Golden Ticket Fight Promotions, getting the unique calf slicer victory. Seven months later, he went on to secure another submission victory, finishing off his year 2-0.

Shay Ingram on the other hand is tearing it up in the amateur scene. He holds the featherweight titles in both Battle Arena’s and Golden Ticket Fight Promotions amateur featherweight division. In his last outing, Ingram defended his amateur featherweight title at GTFP 18, with a well executed performance, topped off with a rear-naked-choke finish. Still extremely young in his fight career, Ingram is a frightening prospect who will be looking to shake things up on a pro-level this coming year.

Coming back through adversity is something that Brummies do as well as anyone. That statement goes for both Aiden Lee and Matty Byfield.

Both fighters started their years with unfortunate endings to their respective fights. Aiden Lee’s Bellator tenure was ended after an unintentional eye poke, and Byfield’s Cage Warriors debut was unfortunately cut short due to an accidental groin strike.

The heart and determination of both Birmingham fighters saw them both bounce back emphatically though, and in their next outings, both picked up impressive wins. Lee took his tools to Amsterdam, Levels Fight League where he found himself victorious after securing a round 1 guillotine over Gabriel Santos, and Byfield utterly dominated Szynkiewicz at Cage Warriors 142.

Matty Byfield then came back again before the year was out, and once again, dominated against Daniel Ladero winning in round 2 via ground-and-pound, picking up a gnarly finger injury in the process. Aiden Lee has recently booked a fight for the new year, and will take on the experienced, Eder Gama, in Centurion FC’s main event on the 20th of January.

Ageing like a fine wine, is Tim Wilde. Starting his year with a majority draw to Alfie Davis, Wilde made it his goal to go out in his next one, and get the victory. He did just that against the tough Saul Rogers, picking up the decision win, making him unbeaten in his last four fights at the age of 35.

One of the most impressive young prospects in the sport, Jake Hadley, didn’t start the year in the way in which everyone expected. He did however end the year with a win, and showed how high his ceiling is. The way in which he despatched of Carlos Candelario, exhibited how well rounded of an MMA fighter he is, especially when you take into account that Candelario’s only previous losses were against other top prospects.

Leon wasn’t the only Birmingham native to win gold this year. Tom Breese did so at Levels Fight League back in June. Not long after, he went and made his debut with Polish promotion, KSW. Again, Breese was successful in his pursuit, getting another submission victory on his promotional debut.

Now, where to start with the Edwards brothers? Year periods don’t get much better in fighting, especially when you factor in that it’s against the toughest competition out there. Fabian Edwards started his year with a career best win. An assertive win against legend Lyoto. There were then question marks over Bellator’s decision for his next fight to come against Charlie Ward. Despite that, he went out there and once again, put on an extremely dominant showing, finishing his year 2-0.

Leon Edwards, undisputed welterweight champion. Pound-for-pound, headshot… You know how it goes. Stories don’t get much better, and more inspiring than Edwards’. The dream of a city, channeled through to one man, the support of a fighting nation behind him. The dream of a young Jamaican boy realised in one breathtaking kick. “Rocky” Edwards has changed the landscape of MMA in the UK for the long run.

Team Renegade and Fearless MMA are doing the lords work, giving the youth of today an outlet for their problems. And with that, I for one cannot wait for the year 2023 and what is on the horizon for the fighters in the second city.