BFL 57 had it all.
From Battlefield Fight League history being made, to wild controversy in the co-main event, it was a night to remember for all in attendance at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam, B.C.
In the history-making main event, Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels stole the show with a second round TKO victory over Christina Ricker (now 0-1) in the first women’s bout to headline a BFL card. Horth Wessels said the fight went exactly as she and her coaches had planned and prepared for, and she was able to execute her game plan to perfection.
“We knew she wouldn’t want to stand up with me,” said Horth Wessels in an interview.
“My coaches knew she was going to move forward, and we’d be fighting against the cage.”
With the victory, Horth Wessels moves to 2-0 in her professional career, and is now looking for a big-time fight.
She said her contract states she will be fighting for the title in her next fight, and she’s looking to do so against a high-level opponent.
“I want to fight for the title in January, and I want to fight an ex-UFC, ex-Bellator, or ex-Invicta opponent.”
Controversy Packed
The co-main event of the evening didn’t last long, but came with some extra baggage.
Austin Batra successfully knocked out Perry Hayer with a stiff left hand just 32 seconds into the fight, but proceeded to jump in for another big shot just as the referee was stepping in to prevent anymore damage. After the smoke had cleared, it was determined Batra (now 4-2) would be disqualified for his actions, making Hayer (now 6-7) the new amateur welterweight champion.
Batra said he did not do this with bad intentions in mind. He said he had to make a split second decision on whether to see what the referee did, or do as MMA fighters are instructed to do, which is fight until the referee steps in.
“I’m not a dirty fighter. I’m a mixed martial artist. When you step in that cage and your adrenaline is running, and you were just addressed with rules in the back telling you to keep going until the referee tells you to stop, it’s a tough pill to swallow,” said Batra in an interview.
“You can watch the video over and over again; I was already in the air when the referee stepped in, and I tried my best to avoid him when I saw the referee.”
In the amateur featherweight title bout, Marlan Hall (now 4-2) and Gwyn Berry (now 4-2) went toe-to-toe for almost five full rounds, putting on a technical striking clinic.
But late in the final round, it would be Hall who would put an end to the marathon, locking in a guillotine choke at 1:55 of the fifth round to take home his very first BFL title.
“This means everything to me right now,” said Hall in an interview.
“I didn’t think I was going to break down and cry, but 12 weeks of hard work just overpowered me.”
The first four rounds saw both Berry and Hall landing their share of shots, with Berry using his length to land strikes from a distance and Hall using his movement and precision to land his strikes.
Hall said it was a lot tougher than he anticipated to get inside on Berry, and was very impressed at what Berry brought to the table.
“He really impressed me. I’m really glad I got to test my skills against him,” said Hall.
“He’s a tough kid, and I have the utmost respect for him.”
Mike Morley, Casey O’Leary, Manny Fernandez, Sasha Tadayoni, Christopher Donald, Derrick Laing, Mark Purdy, Taran Bir, Hugh Gleeson, and Daniel Abdenour were also victorious on the evening.
