Barnaoui Replaces Murphy for BAMMA World Lightweight Title

The BAMMA World Lightweight title fight has been struck by injury as Jake Murphy withdraws from the bout against Curt Warburton, to be replaced by France's Mansour Barnaoui. News of the working replacement was broken exclusively on Inside MMA on AXS-TV last Friday, and can now be officially confirmed by BAMMA officials. Murphy sustained a shoulder which will require 10-12 weeks rehabilitation, according to his management.  The new Lightweight title fight between Warburton and Barnaoui forms part of the main card at Mixed Martial Arts event, BAMMA 13 at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena on 14^th September. Tickets are on sale at http://bit.ly/1bUZXbR.  
        

Watch Inside MMA exclusive here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA-q9gaEeKM

French based Tunisian Mansour 'Tarzan' Barnaoui fights out of Team Magnum in Paris, with 9 victories and only 2 decision losses to his name. Barnaoui launched his professional MMA career with a 7 fight winning streak and the majority of his wins have come via submission with 2 by TKO. Barnaoui most recently defeated Russian Zulfikar Usmanov by Rear Naked Choke at M1 Global on 21st August.

Curt Warburton has been long awaiting his opportunity to fight for the BAMMA World Lightweight title. Originally slated for BAMMA 12, challenger Warburton's scheduled fight against champion Rob Sinclair was postponed due to Sinclair being injured. Warburton went on to fight Steven Ray instead in a BAMMA Lonsdale British title match up in which he defeated Ray. Before Warburton could meet Sinclair, the world champion vacated his title on signing with US promotion Bellator; and Warburton was pitted against American Jake Murphy for the vacant belt for BAMMA 13.

Warburton originally commented on the bout:

“I’m looking forward to fighting for the world title...  Having already been crowned BAMMA Lonsdale’s British champ, I now look forward to being crowned the BAMMA  World Champion too.”

With new opponent Mansour Barnaoui on the horizon, Warburton said: "Different opponent, same outcome."

The match between Scott Askham and Jorge Michelan Luis Bezerra has been confirmed as a BAMMA World Middleweight title bout by BAMMA's VP of Talent Relations due to terms agreed in an extension of Askham's exclusive contract to BAMMA. Askham recently defeated BAMMA Lonsdale's former British Middleweight Champion, Jack Marshman. Marshman was given the opportunity to challenge Tom 'Kong' Watson at BAMMA 9 for the BAMMA World Middleweight title.

BAMMA 13 Tickets are on sale now from £25 at http://bit.ly/1bUZXbR

BAMMA 13 will feature on Channel 5 and 5* in the UK;  and will be televised on AXS-TV in the US, The Fight Network in Canada, Red Media in Russia, TV Esporte Interativo in Brazil and Setanta in Africa.

Follow @BAMMAUK @curtwarburton and @92_mansour on Twitter