Unified MMA 47 takes place Friday, December 2, 2022, with 12 fights at Genesis Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Maged Hammo has long been known as an all-action fighter who is incapable of being in a boring fight, and he has lived up to that reputation in his first two appearances inside the Unified MMA 47 cage.
In consecutive championship fights against Neal Anderson, the 32-year-old has won and successfully defended the promotion’s featherweight title with fourth-round stoppage finishes. After submitting Anderson in their first match, Hammo had to come back in the sequel, fighting back after being dropped early in the fourth to finish Anderson before the frame was over.
Here is everything you need to know about Unified MMA 47:
How to watch Unified MMA 47 Live Free and Start Time:
- Date: Friday 02 December 2022
- Start Time: 07:30 PM ET
- Venue: Genesis Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Live Stream: Unified MMA 47 Live (try it free)
Unified MMA 47 What to say:
“I guess it’s just one of those things,” Hammo laughed when asked about his and Anderson’s chemistry, which constantly delivers interesting, competitive fights just a few days before his return to the Unified MMA 47 cage.
“It felt incredible (to win), and the way I finished it, too,” said the featherweight champion, who will defend his title against Justin Basra at Unified MMA 47 on Friday night at the Genesis Center in Calgary. “My goal in that fight was to make a statement, and I believe I did that and accomplished some positive things.”
In addition to earning the desired statement victory, Hammo demonstrated that he continues to progress and evolve as a fighter with each subsequent appearance.
While he made his professional debut in 2010, the Canadian Martial Arts Centre (CMAC) representative battled consistently and raised his game in the early stages of his career before a knee injury and the global COVID-19 pandemic forced him to miss nearly three years.
Since his return, Hammo has sandwiched a hard-fought loss to Dana White’s Contender Series alum Alex Morgan between his two stoppage victories against Anderson, demonstrating his characteristic persistence and crucial improvements in areas that often only come with age and experience.
When asked what has improved the most over the last few fights, Hammo answered, “I think it’s ring knowledge.” “Having been in there for so long, the older you get, the wiser you get in Fight IQ, and I think I’m on the correct track thinking systematically instead of just rushing in there swinging and throwing bombs.”
Despite taking a more methodical, cerebral approach in his second fight with Anderson and generally going ahead, Hammo may have to revert to throwing hands later this week when he faces the returning Basra with his featherweight title on the line.
Basra had an unblemished amateur career and continued his success in his first five professional fights, establishing himself as one of Canada’s top prospects by the end of 2018, but he hasn’t competed since.
Injuries initially sidelined him before COVID pushed his return even further back, with Basra then waiting for the right moment and opponent to present itself. When he returns to the cage in Friday’s main event to battle Hammo for the championship, the champion expects him to be as dangerous and talented as he was before his layoff, if not more so.
“He’s still the same man in my imagination,” Hammo said of Basra. “He’s savage, good, and this is a fantastic opportunity for me to assess where I’m at in my fighting career.” This is an actual test to see what I’m capable of, and I know he’s a dangerous man no matter how long he’s been away.
“He’ll come in strong, but I’ll come in stronger and end this fight.”
Along with seeing this as an opportunity to defend his title, test himself against an unbeaten opponent, and put himself on the radar for a potential UFC call-up should the sport’s premier organization return to the Great White North in the first half of 2023, Hammo sees every opportunity to compete as an opportunity to give back to the community.
“I want to start doing things for the younger generations to keep them out of trouble,” Hammo explained. “These days, there are a lot of disturbed youth who don’t have outlets, and I want to develop something for all these children who have nowhere to go.”
His exposure to mixed martial arts began while he was a troubled adolescent on the wrong road. Lee Mein, the creator of CMAC and a Canadian MMA fixture, took him under his wing and provided him with an outlet and a passion, and Hammo has been carefully studying his trade (and staying out of trouble) ever since.
“I would still be on the streets doing what I did if it hadn’t been for Lee and what he did for me,” he said. “I’d be in jail or doing stupid things.” I’m grateful to have met Lee; he’s essentially fathered me to where I am now.”
Not only does Hammo want to devote time and energy to the region’s children, but he also has difficulties closer to home that he wants to address after this bout.
“Honestly, right now, I just want to win this case and then focus all of my efforts on getting my family back from Iraq,” Hammo explained. “With the battle going on, they’re in a lot of problems, so I want to concentrate and put my concentration on getting my family down here before I hunt for more opponents after this.”
Unified MMA 47 Fight Card:
- Maged Hammo vs. Justin Basra
- Tom O’Connor vs. Devon Brock
- Sean Michael vs. Ramil Kamilov
- John Nguyen vs. Diego Santos
- Tim Smith vs. Matt Krayco
- Ali Charkie vs. Fay Bursell
- Usman Khattak vs. Steven Thomas
- Sebastian Lopez vs. Colton Boxell
- Leo Bonin vs. Chris Henhawk
- R. Running Rabbit vs. Derek Khosa
- Justin Fernandez vs. Jhonson Garzon
- Arman Deol vs. Mike Roe
