MMA fighters from Madeira fly over for 'Clash of the Islands'

Friday 07 July 2017

Jersey will "clash" with Madeira in the ring this Saturday as four local MMA fighters face their Madeiran counterparts at Fort Regent.

Brazilian Power Team will be part of the first 'Clash of the Islands' with eight athletes from Madeira flying over to compete against local fighters.

The Madeiran team trained with Simon Shaw, a former MMA athlete who lived on the island for 23 years before moving to Madeira five years ago, at KnuckleHeads, the biggest mixed martial arts school in the island. Michael Cañas, one of the local organisers and MMA instructors, says: "He saw how well MMMA was doing in Jersey and he wanted to bring his fighters over. We worked together to set up this fight with complete beginners." 

MMA beginners, Alan Wilk, Fabio Beko and Joao Sousa, who trained in MMA with Miro and Eddie Afonso at BPT, will face Madeiran fighters for their first high-profile fight. Local MMA star Matt de Gouveia, who also trains at BPT, will be on the ring to face Matt Rodrigues, another Jersey man who moved to Liverpool. The evening, which follows the very popular first White Collar MMA fights in April, will also include some K1 Boxing with Laura, a trainee from Temple Fitness, fighting an athlete from Newcastle. 

Michael Cañas says that the idea behind the "Clash of the Islands" was to bring a "different dynamic" to the MMA fights.

He explains: "Rumble on the Rock is our flagship event. We wanted to bring a different flavour and encourage the Portuguese community to join. Our coaches are Portuguese and some of our fighters are too so we thought it would be nice to the local community involved. We are looking into having Portuguese food available at the event."

The new concept will move from the usual Gloucester Hall to the Queen's Hall, a smaller venue that sits 300 people, which should feel "more intimate" and "less daunting for the fighters" says Mr Cañas.

Depending on the result of this first inter-island competition, BPT is hoping to see the event run on an annual basis. Mr Cañas says: "If this new concept works we would like to see it turn into something similar to the Island Games where Jersey could face other Islands."

In the meantime, the Jersey fighters are brushing up on their grappling and fighting skills with the hope to shine and make Jersey proud when the bell rings on Saturday.