BAMMA crowned a new lightweight champion when Ryan Scope edged out former UFC fighter Mikael Lebout after three rounds in the main event Friday night in Newcastle.

The championship win saw UK standout Scope get back to his winning ways following his first career loss to Lew Long in May.

UFC veteran Lebout controlled the pace of the first round. Although he marched Scope down, it appeared as though the Brit did a lot more damage than his opponent when the duo returned to their corners between rounds.

The fight sprang into action in the second when Lebout rocked the Englishman with a left overhand. As Scope tried to gather himself, Lebout forced the action to the ground. In the dying embers of the round, Scope latched onto an armbar but the Frenchman stayed safe enough to hear the bell and enter the third.

Neither fighter made a big statement in the final five minutes. The Newcastle crowd got behind Scope in the final throws, but Lebout proved too elusive for him to launch a last ditch attempt to finish the fight.

BAMMA’s big promotional push behind British reality TV star Aaron Chalmers paid off when the Newcastle native eased passed debuting professional Karl Donaldson in 44 seconds. With the victory, Chalmers made it three first-round finishes in as many tests under the banner in 2017.

Despite showcasing some head movement early on, Donaldson got rocked inside the first 30 seconds with a straight right hand. Chalmers knocked him to the ground with a left hook and finished the bout with strikes inside the first minute.

In his post-fight interview, the “Geordie Shore” cast member called for a showdown with Bellator fighter, Kevin “Baby Slice” Ferguson Jr.

TUF Smashes contestant Colin “Freakshow” Fletcher lost out to Anthony Dizy after coming in three pounds over the lightweight limit on Thursday. The Sunderland native spent the majority of the three rounds on his back as Dizy scored with short strikes.

Brother of UFC welterweight Leon Edwards, Fabian Edwards, improved his unbeaten record to 3-0 with a first round rear-naked choke against Louis King. The middleweight knockout artist called for a showdown with middleweight champion, Mike Shipman, after the win.

Alex Enlund protégé Adam Proctor announced himself in BAMMA’s welterweight title conversation with a first-round submission win over Nathan Jones. The SBG South Shields man took the UK veteran down with ease and chose the perfect moment to secure the rear-naked choke in the first round

Rhys McKee proved his worth by marking the first fight of his new BAMMA contract with a win. Known for his dynamic striking game, McKee looked to take the fight to the ground against unpredictable promotional newcomer Kams Ekpo.

Despite giving up top position in his attempts to take Ekpo down, McKee finished the fight with a triangle choke in the first round as “Shin Panther” tried to land ground shots.

Main Card

Ryan Scope def. Mikael Lebout via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

Aaron Chalmers def. Karl Donaldson via TKO (strikes) at 0.44 of R1

Anthony Dizy def. Colin Fletcher via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)

Undercard

Fabian Edwards def. Louis King via submission (rear-naked choke)

Adam Proctor def. Nathan Jones via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:22 of R1

Rhys McKee def. Kams Ekpo via submission (triangle choke) at 2:08 of R1

Justin Burlinson def. Josh Plant via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:54 of R1

Warren Kee def. Curt Warburton via TKO (strikes) at 1:05 of R1