Almighty FC 25 is already shaping up, with plenty of fight announcements being released for Barnsley. One of these announcements is a Flyweight clash that has us salivating. Here’s everything you may have missed from Almighty FC 24, in case you missed it.
Malik Basahel and Sheldon Ryan are as well known as it gets on the amateur scene. That’s where the similarities stop. Sheldon is a 28-year-old man who’s seen any and every outcome possible in the fight game. Malik is a 20-year-old up and comer who has yet to taste defeat.
These two fighters are different in just about every aspect of life, outside of their weight class. So, fittingly, they’ll clash at Almighty FC 25 in Barnsley.
Sheldon Ryan (7-2)
Fans of the UK scene know Sheldon Ryan, and they know him well. Seven amateur wins spread out through Almighty, FCC, UKFC and even Cage Warriors. Sheldon Ryan is no new face. He comes off a loss to Joe Fields, who many deem the number one Flyweight in the UK. His next objective will be to take the zero of a well-respected up-and-coming newcomer, Malik Basahel, in exactly the type of fight that gets Sheldon’s competitive juices flowing.
Sheldon is as battle-tested as it gets in the amateur ranks. Having fought – and defeated – the likes of Scott Johnson, Jake Jenks, JJ Jones and Jack Henshall, Ryan enters this one with all the confidence that comes with having been there before. There will be bright lights on this clash, but Sheldon will be ready. For many, the questions are more on the side of his younger opponent.
Malik Basahel (5-0)
Although Malik will enter Almighty 25 an undefeated 5-0, the pressure is most definitely on the twenty-year-old prodigy. He recently achieved his fifth victory at Caged Steel 28, yet Malik shifts his attention to Almighty 25 and Sheldon Ryan. Of his five prior opponents, none have come even close to the experience level of, Ryan. Basahel is facing a tall task in Barnsley, so he’ll have to come ready.
After finishing his first three opponents, Basahel has secured valuable cage time in each of his last two bouts. Malik won decisions at Caged Steel 27 and 28, which proved he’s just as effective later in the fight as early on. Malik could find himself mentioned with the Shawon Choudhury’s and Joe Fields of the UK Flyweight scene with a win over a name like Sheldon Ryan. It would only be fitting for a man who would then stand 6-0 and defeated one of the toughest around.
Almighty FC’s LOADED Flyweight Division
Almighty FC 25 goes a long way towards figuring out what is going to happen at Flyweight for AFC. Shawon Choudhury is the current titleholder, and he’s recently added some UKFC gold to his collection as well. Joe Fields is clearly next up, having wiped out two opponents in a combined 2:11 before most recently winning a decision over Sheldon Ryan.
Outside of the top two, the division is wide open. That’s where Malik Basahel and Sheldon Ryan slot in. Ryan could wipe the taste of that defeat from his mouth and angle himself to be right back in the title picture. Basahel looks to add a statement victory over a well-known name, as it’s surely the victory that nets him a title fight somewhere. Both of these men have so much to gain, yet so much to lose. There’s a lot on the line in Barnsley, especially at Flyweight.
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Featured Image Credits to Almighty Fighting Championships
