It was no great shock when Rhys McKee called for his upcoming bout with Tim Barnett to be contested for the BAMMA world title.
BAMMA straps have proved to be calling cards to the big leagues for the likes of Mark Godbeer, Paul Craig, Tom Watson, Scott Askham, Ryan Scope, Tom Duquesnoy and Daniel Crawford over the recent years.
Barnett won the RDX belt — a secondary BAMMA title reserved for top prospects — when he handed McKee his sole professional defeat in Feb. 2017.
Originally the rematch at BAMMA 34 was to be contested for the RDX belt, but when world champion Scope vacated his title to sign with Bellator, 22-year-old McKee petitioned for the upgrade in title stakes.