Beginners cause massive rumble at MMA White Collar fight

Monday 03 April 2017

Rumble on the Rock’s eight White Collar MMA trainees gave the public value for money on Saturday when they stepped into the octagon for the first time at Fort Regent.

They may have been beginners but they certainly weren’t tenderfooted. Adam, Jess, Fabio and Michael didn’t pull their punch, and their adversaries Joe, Sophie, Jay and Luis had to concede victory. Fabio, who lost an impressive 20 kilos for his fight, and Jess were perhaps the two most impressive fighters.

Pictured: Jess (left) beat Sophie in the only MMA White Collar female fight of the night.

All of them, as well as Grant who fought against a MMA amateur because of a lack of an adversary, had embarked on a gruelling 12-week training programme. Mosthad never trained in MMA or any other martial arts, with it all culminating on Saturday night when they went head-to-head in the octagon. While they all joined for different reasons - to prove to themselves they could do it, get back in shape, or just for a challenge - they probably all wished at some point to hear their names being called after, "And the winner is ...!"

Although only four could be crowned bout winners, they all received a medal to recognise their efforts over the past 12 weeks. Last month, Miro, the head coach, told Express: "All of them are winners for doing this. A good MMA fighter is mentally tough, and they all have it just because they went through the training. It is a big step to go in the octagon!"

They all learned the name of their adversary two days before the actual fight as their coaches paired them according to their skills. Miro explained: "They have all trained with each other so they all know each other's strong points and weaknesses. We want the fights to be even and for both fighters to have a good chance of winning."

Pictured: Michael with his support team before he stepped in the octagon to face Luis.

It was the first time Rumble on the Rock had white collar trainees step in the octagon, and the event certainly didn't disappoint. The public, gathered around the ring, enthusiastically cheered the fighters on as though the 'red corner' and the 'blue corner' were in a competition to decide who would be the loudest. Families and friends of the fighters were also there to push their favourites to victory or to comfort them if they hadn't been on the lucky side.

But the entertainment didn't stop there. In the nearly packed Fort Regent, MMA amateur fighters took to the octagon and the punches went up a notch. Local favourites Brandon Le Long and Adam Wilk beat their respective adversaries Lee Anthony and Grant Hepburn and promised to come back soon for the next event in July. Matt de Gouveia also defeated his opponent, Ritchie Katona, and earned himself a generous round of applause.

Sadly, local nurse and K1 enthusiast Alice Hall lost to her UK opponent Leigh Newton, but not without putting in a good few kicks. Things got a little bit wild after that, as Aaron 'Jungle' Mazurke made his way to face another UK fighter, Mikey McGowan. He must have been feeling pretty energised thanks to the standing ovation the public gave him, as it took him no more than 40 seconds to claim victory.

But the evening wasn't all about fun and fights, it was also about raising money for Autism Jersey. The total amount collected during the night will soon be announced.

In the meantime, Rumble on the Rock is already cooking up some exciting things with a new White Collar in December.