It’s a rare thing when title fight combatants each enter the BFL cage with so much to prove as reigning amateur middleweight champion Micah “The Bully” Brakefield (4-2) and challenger Jer “The Jerk” Kornelson (3-2) will for the main event of Battlefield Fight League 12.

Both are highly-experienced BFL amateur veterans, of course, but each now has a truly glorious chance to overcome virtually all lingering doubts heading into what should be the most highly-anticipated rematch in BFL history.

BFL 12 takes place in Vancouver, B.C. on November 18th at The Vogue Theatre, but the entire card will be available for viewing nationwide. The broadcast begins online, with the undercard streaming on Facebook.com, and continues with the first-ever live-television BFL broadcast on The Fight Network!

For those who weren’t in attendance, the first match between Brakefield and Kornelson, which occurred on the Maincard of Nanaimo, B.C.’s BFL8: “Island Beatdown” back on May, 28th, was a back-and-forth classic.

Unfortunately, Kornelsen opened the match with an inadvertent low blow, but Brakefield recovered nicely, scoring a crushing suplex in the very same round. “The Bully” then used his vaunted wrestling skills to positionally dominate much of the opening two rounds, before self-admittedly gassing-out in the third frame and absorbing significant punishment in the dying minutes.

Despite one judge seeing the bout 30-27 for Kornelsen, most in attendance agreed with the split-decision Brakefield earned via a pair of 29-28 scores from the other judges.

Both fighters had their moments, and the fight was certainly entertaining throughout, but that’s not the only reason to be excited for the rematch, nor is it the only factor driving these fighters on as they swiftly approach their second scheduled clash on November, 18th.

For Kornelson, who rebounded with a solid submission win over up-and-comer Jesse Bird (2-1) at BFL9 in July, it is a chance to achieve two goals at once: holding a BFL title belt for the first time and avenging his only BFL loss to date.

Known for his devastating combination of striking prowess and lethal submissions, “The Jerk” surely feels capable of starting stronger and potentially staying fresher down the gruelling stretch of the championship rounds en route to potentially setting the record straight with a win in November.

Micah Brakefield, meanwhile, who claimed the middleweight title via a 25-second KO of Justin Lansing (2-1) also at BFL9, will set an all-time record at BFL12 by and competing in his third consecutive title fight. Even given those impressive accomplishments, “The Bully” has more on the line at BFL12 than one might expect.

Besides demonstrating that his first win over Kornelsen was no fluke, Brakefield must also overcome emotions and fan reactions stemming from his recent unsuccessful outing at BFL11.

Contested for the amateur heavyweight title, the fight ended somewhat disastrously for Brakefield via TKO in just 22 seconds. While the loss came against a much larger opponent in Adam Santos (5-1) and ended somewhat controversially after, in the referee’s view, Brakefield failed to intelligently defend a barrage of incoming strikes while attempting a takedown, it remains true that, in eyes of many MMA fans, you’re only as good as your last performance.

As such, Brakefield must now demonstrate once again the reasons he currently stands atop the middleweight mountain. He must prove to any doubters that, with improved cardio conditioning, his dominant wrestling can, in fact, keep him ahead of Kornelson’s striking and submissions game for five full rounds.

If successful, the current amateur middleweight champion has already indicated his desire to move to BFL’s professional ranks in early 2012. However, that also means this fight is potentially Kornelson’s last, best chance for vengeance.

Our advice? Expect a war.
Tickets for this event are on sale now
See the entire fight card at http://battlefieldfight.com/bfl12/.