Young Amanzimtoti fighters bring home medals
Under-18 mixed martial arts athletes from Combatcoaching.com and Bushido MMA Gym won gold and silver at the Maritzburg Show's Youth MMA Invitational.
YOUNG mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes from Amanzimtoti impressed the audiences at the Maritzburg Show’s Youth MMA Invitational on October 19.
This national tournament featured over 30 youth and senior fights, providing U18 athletes with an ideal platform to develop and display their MMA skills.
Coach Morné Swanepoel of CombatCoaching.com praised Ethan Richards for his impressive performance, securing a third-round win with a modified rear-naked choke.
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“At 15, Ethan is making strides in the MMA world. He earned a silver medal at the IMMAF African Championships in Namibia, with one win and one loss in the youth division, and went on to represent the country at the world championships in Abu Dhabi in August,” he said.
Bushido MMA Gym’s coach, Greg Thomas, celebrated his athletes’ achievements as they brought home four gold and one silver medal.
“This was the first time my athletes have fought in a cage. Jaime Rich (17) had two fights on the day; he won his first fight with a second-round armbar against a Protea fighter and earned silver in a challenging bout with a South African and African champion who is ranked fifth in the world,” he said.
Swanepoel added that he has an athlete lined up for a match at the MFC in Greyville in December, marking the last MMA event of the year.
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