The two headliners hit the scales and met their mandated weight requirements without incident at Friday’s official weigh-in.
Watson (13-4, 3-0 BAMMA) last appeared at BAMMA 4 in September, when he defended the promotion’s 185-pound crown in a unanimous decision over Alex Reid at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England. The 28-year-old has posted nine wins in his past 10 outings. Watson, who has spent time training at the Tristar Gym in Montreal and Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts in Albuquerque, N.M., owns notable victories against former International Fight League champion Matt Horwich and EliteXC alum Travis Galbraith.
Spawned by the Chute Boxe Academy, Rua (20-11-1) has not fought since October, when he lost a unanimous decision to Roy Boughton under the Warrior-1 MMA banner; the defeat snapped a four-fight winning streak for the well-traveled 30-year-old Brazilian. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and potent finisher, Rua has secured 18 of his 20 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. He held the EliteXC middleweight championship for three months in 2007.
BAMMA 6 will also feature a pair of middleweight tilts, as UFC veteran Frank Trigg (184.5) meets John Phillips (186) and Ivan Salaverry (186) comes out of retirement to face Matt Ewin (184.5). The 40-year-old Salaverry last appeared at UFC 84 in May 2008, when he submitted to a first-round armbar from Rousimar Palhares at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Tom
Watson (184.5) vs. Murilo Rua
(185)
John
Phillips (186) vs. Frank Trigg
(184.5)
Matt
Ewin (184.5) vs. Ivan
Salaverry (186)
Jeremy
Bailey (172) vs. Laurens-Jan
Thijssen (170.5)
Valentino
Petrescu (184) vs. Joao Souza
(186)
Jason
Ball (156) vs. Leonardo
Santos (156)
Che
Mills (170.5) vs. Marcio
Cesar (171)
Neil
Wain (260) vs. Marcin
Bartkiewicz (246)
Shane
Omer (154) vs. Aaron
Wilkinson (156)
Costas
Doru (156) vs. Jeremy
Petley (155)
Lee
Taylor (170.5) vs. Kenny
Moyston (167)
Ryan
White (203) vs. Fraser Opie
(206)
Murrey
Fullerton (168) vs. Charles
Scott (169.5)
Scott Jensen (156) vs. Craig Chesters (155)
Sam
Watling (169) vs. Leigh Cohoon (170)
Catalin
Zmarandescu (236) vs. Sharif Mohamed Ali (243)