Brett McDermott (born 10 September 1978) is an English mixed martial artist, and former professional rugby league footballer. In rugby he represented Ireland, and played club level for every Cumbrian clubs except Carlisle Border Raiders. In MMA, he has been a professional competitor since 2013 and is the current BAMMA Heavyweight Champion. McDermott also competed for Rizin and Bellator MMA.

Brett McDermott
Born (1978-09-10) 10 September 1978 (age 46)
Cumbria, England
Other namesThe Spartan
NationalityEnglish
Height6’15 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight217.6 lb (15 st 8 lb; 99 kg)
DivisionLight Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Fighting out ofBarrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England
TeamFlex MMA
Years active2013–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total14
Wins9
By knockout8
By decision1
Losses5
By knockout2
By submission2
By decision1
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Rugby league career
Playing information
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1996–01 Barrow 67 16 0 0 64
2002–03 Workington Town 42 14 0 0 56
2004–05 Whitehaven 40 5 0 0 20
2006–11 Barrow 128 22 0 0 88
Total 277 57 0 0 228
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2003–07 Cumbria 3 1 0 0 4
2009–10 Ireland 4 0 0 0 0
Source: [1][2]
As of 12 November 2023

Rugby league

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McDermott, who competed in professional rugby for 15 seasons, was playing for Barrow in 2009. He also represented Ireland, including games against France in 2010.

On 30 March 2011, McDermott announced his retirement from rugby league.[3] A couple of days later, he later admitted that he had retired after being charged by the Rugby Football League (RFL) for failing a drugs test.[4] In June 2011, the RFL confirmed that McDermott was banned for two years after testing positive for drostanolone and 19-norandrosterone.[5]

Mixed martial arts career

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After being banned from rugby league, McDermott became a MMA fighter.[6] In 2013, he turned professional and fought Thomas Denham at BAMMA 12, but lost by submission.

McDermott competed in the Rizin Fighting Federation Heavyweight Tournament on 29 December 2015, losing in the quarterfinals against former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Muhammed Lawal by knockout.[7]

McDermott stepped in on a few days notice as a replacement for Vladimir Filipovic to face Liam McGeary in the main event at Bellator 173. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round.

Personal life

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McDermott is married with three children. He is of Irish descent.

Mixed martial arts record

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Professional record breakdown
14 matches 9 wins 5 losses
By knockout 8 2
By submission 0 2
By decision 1 1
No contests 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 9–5 Tony Mustard TKO (punches) MTK MMA: Probellum 7 September 2019 1 2.40 Liverpool, England
Win 8–5 Ruben Wolf TKO (punches) BAMMA 29 12 May 2017 2 0.54 Birmingham, England Return to Heavyweight. Won the vacant BAMMA World Heavyweight Championship.
Loss 7–5 Liam McGeary TKO (doctor stoppage) Bellator 173 24 February 2017 2 1:06 Belfast, Northern Ireland Catchweight (215 lb) bout.
Win 7–4 Dan Konecke TKO (punches) Full Contact Contender 17 24 September 2016 2 2:50 Manchester, England
Loss 6–4 Kenneth Bergh Submission (guillotine choke) Clash of the Titans 16 9 July 2016 1 1:02 Cumbria, England
Win 6–3 Jamie Sloane KO (punch) BAMMA 25 14 May 2016 1 3:58 Birmingham, England
Loss 5–3 Muhammed Lawal KO (punches) Rizin World Grand Prix 2015: Part 1 - Saraba 29 December 2015 1 9:20 Saitama, Japan Heavyweight bout. 2015 Rizin Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal.
Win 5–2 Pelu Adetola TKO (punches) BAMMA 23 14 November 2015 1 1:57 Birmingham, England
Loss 4–2 Marcin Lazarz Decision (unanimous) BAMMA 20 25 April 2015 3 5:00 Birmingham, England For the vacant BAMMA World Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win 4–1 Oli Thompson KO (punches) BAMMA 17 6 December 2014 1 1:43 Manchester, England
Win 3–1 Paul Bennett KO (punch) Stoke Fight Factory: Rage in the Cage 4 26 April 2014 1 1:09 Stoke-on-Trent, England
Win 2–1 Shaun Lomas Decision (unanimous) Stoke Fight Factory: Rage in the Cage 3 30 November 2013 3 5:00 Stoke-on-Trent, England Return to Light Heavyweight.
Win 1–1 Jason Tyldesley TKO (punches) Alpha Male FC 2 6 July 2013 1 1:20 Scarborough, England Heavyweight debut.
Loss 0–1 Thomas Denham Submission (rear-naked choke) BAMMA 12 9 March 2013 2 3:58 Newcastle, England Light Heavyweight debut.

Championships and accomplishments

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Rugby league

Whitehaven

Barrow Raiders

BAMMA

References

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  1. ^ "Player Summary: Brett McDermott". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  2. ^ RLP
  3. ^ "McDermott Ends Raiders Career". North West Evening Mail. CN Group. 30 March 2011. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  4. ^ "Barrow prop McDermott retires after RFL doping charge". BBC Sport. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  5. ^ "Two-year RFL ban for former Barrow prop Brett McDermott". BBC Sport. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  6. ^ Wharton, Brad (4 March 2013). "The week in MMA: Five things we've learned from the world of mixed martial arts". Mirror Online. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  7. ^ http://mmajunkie.com/2015/12/rizin-fighting-federation-1-day-1-live-results Rizin Fighting Federation 1: Day 1 results: Aoki stops Sakuraba, tourney starts with big KOs
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