April saw the conclusion of the 2017 IMMAF European Amateur Championships, held in Sofia, Bulgaria. NFM Windsor protege Adam Amarasinghe (9-0-0) was the lone Brit to medal in the competition, winning all four tournament bouts en route to claiming the bantamweight crown. Amarasinghe defeated competition from Azerbaijan, Ireland, Italy and Portugal along the way.
Karl “The Wrecking Machine” Etherington (12-3-0) was also in action in early-April, having fought UFC-veteran Ruan Potts (11-6-0) at EFC 58 in South Africa. Etherington, who is #9 in our heavyweight rankings, succumbed to an onslaught of punches midway through the opening stanza.
UTC product Deon Brunning (3-0-1) also featured on EFC 58, pasting Zimbabwe’s Regis Muyambo (4-5) in a lightweight affair. Brunning controlled the action from the outset, eventually securing the TKO victory in the second round.
Strawweight Bryony Tyrrell (4-1-0) collected the most notable scalp of her young career in April with a unanimous decision effort over Griet Eeckhout (3-1-1). The three-round title tilt headlined 360 Promotions: Volition event in Belgium.
Helen “Hellrasier” Harper (4-2-0) made her Bellator MMA debut in April versus Ukranian export Lena Ovchynnikova (12-4-0) – the first bout since Harper’s since her unsuccessful stint on The Ultimate Fighter Season 23. Ovchynnikova was able to showcase her superior striking in the fight, eventually forcing Harper’s corner to stop the contest after the conclusion of round two.
Welterweight honorable mention Carl “The Bomber” Booth (7-1-0) was back fighting under the Brave CF banner in April, this time in Mumbai, India. Booth was originally awarded the unanimous decision victory after his five-round main event clash with Tahar Hadbi (13-6-0) went the distance, however, the promotion has since changed the result to a no contest following a timekeeping error.
Hardeep Rai (1-0-0) made a successful transition to the pro ranks on the undercard of Brave CF 5, submitting Arnan Chaiyasan (0-1-0) of Thailand with an armbar in the first round.
Heavyweight traveler Tony Mustard (6-3-0) trekked to Romania in April, where he fought for the third consecutive time on foreign shores. Mustard would also suffer his third straight loss, submitting to an armbar from Anatoli Ciumac 65-seconds into their main event scrap. The stoppage was marred with controversy, as the submission was applied whilst Mustard protested to the referee about strikes to the back of his head.
Ashleigh Grimshaw (18-10-1) was the last Brit to compete abroad in April. Grimshaw needed just 95-seconds to submit an overmatched Ciro Ruotolo (6-6-1) with a triangle choke. The bout was part of an event co-promoted by Venator FC and Pro Fighting, hosted in Cesena, Italy.
