Harry Marple ahead of BAMMA 20: “We are reinventing the game one day at a time”

‘Dirty’ Harry Marple isn’t sweating his BAMMA debut! Having long been considered one of UKMMA’s hottest light weight prospects Harry amassed an impressive 11-0 record, and competed on some of the best shows in the UK. Now 1-0 as a professional Harry debuted in spectacular fashion choking out Jacob Szymanski with a rear naked choke just after minute in the first.

Just a few days out from the fight and the lightweight should be shedding those last few kilos, but not Harry Marple. Not only is this his BAMMA debut, it is his Welterweight debut too as he faces Chris Astley this Saturday at the Barclay Card Arena in Birmingham.

“MMA has become weight watchers, and I’m not playing that game anymore! When a fighter steps on the scales they’re malnourished and dehydrated. This 24 hours before they are about to compete in the hardest sport in the world?! It makes no sense to me! I walk around at 77kg eating what I want. Dieting to 73kg and then cutting to 70kg was miserable! Until you’ve had to cut that weight you have no idea how much food runs your life! My opponent is probably starving himself right now, and I’m about to eat some cheesecake. Who’s winning? I’ll tell you me!”

Harry doesn’t subscribe to the opinion that a weight cut can lead to a decided advantage in the cage: “If your opponent weighing 3-4 kilos more than you is the reason you lost? Then you are a toilet and weren’t going to lose that fight anyway! Skill and technique win fights, a couple of kilos is irrelevant. In my opinion the man with the best skill set wins every time!”

So without the pressure of the weight cut ‘Dirty’ Harry can revel in stepping into the BAMMA cage for the first time.

“I am excited for this fight! BAMMA are the leading show in the UK right now, and when I finish Chris in spectacular fashion I will get to watch it on TV!”

Harry is making reference to the BAMMA and SpikeTV UK deal which has BAMMA airing on the broadcasting giants new UK channel.

“You know that whenever I get in the cage I leave it all in there, and 9/10 times I get the finish…this fight will be no different! Look I’ve got a great team behind me and my coach ‘Relentless’ Paul Taylor has competed at the top level and with my team mates we are reinventing the game one day at a time.”

BAMMA 20 takes place Saturday April 25th at the Barclay Card Arena, Birmingham.

By @SteveCA_MMA