Created in 2004, the MMA League allows amateur fighters to build experience and test their skills before graduating onto bigger shows. With the League’s popularity on the increase, MMA League founder and chairman Mark Leonard filled JOE in on a range of changes on the cards.
By Fergus Ryan
Back in January, the League announced a new sponsorship deal with Ultimate MMA Supplies, a rule change and a new team format that will function in addition to the individual titles.
More recently, a ‘Video of the Week’ feature has been added to the League’s website (www.mmaleague.com) which will allow participants to submit footage of them in action.
MMA League fighters in action:
Meanwhile, more fighters are to be given the chance to compete and Round Two will see dual events at opposite ends of the country – on 9 July in Colaiste Criost na Ri in Cork and a week later on the 16 July in Derry’s Long Tower Youth and Community Centre.
The prize for the winning club in the team competition has also been announced – the team with the most points accrued after Round 4 will win a seminar with European MMA pioneer Ian ‘The Machine’ Freeman.
A former doorman and plumber, Freeman has fought on promotions all over the world including Cage Rage and Pancrase and was the first fighter from the UK to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Freeman’s finest hour came in front of his home crowd at UFC 38 in London with an utter destruction of Frank Mir.
“If you want to live the dream and make it to the UFC, then the MMA League is the right place to start,” said The Machine. “I’ve seen a lot of events all over the world and when it comes to a safe, fun competition the MMA League is one of the best.”
“There are a lot of clubs in the League who support us in huge numbers – this is our chance to pay them back,” added Leonard. “Ian was one of the first MMA fighters to be successful on the world stage, and his seminars are wildly popular. It will be a real treat for the club that wins and we are delighted to be able to make that happen.”
Giving the opportunity to train with a European MMA great was also the inspiration to add the extra events in Cork and Derry: “There is such an amazing prize on the line; I wanted all the clubs in the country to have the chance to compete for it. I felt it was time to return to Northern Ireland, but I didn’t want to exclude the clubs further south and that’s how the Cork event came into being,” Leonard said.
Two clubs in the north-west are currently top of the MMA League Club leader-board; Evolve from Derry in first place and Rillion Gracie Academy in Letterkenny in second. In third and fourth respectively are Dublin club Xtreme Fitness and Limerick based Pankration Academy.
“The North West has the advantage at the moment, but I am expecting a lot of coaches to do something about that for the next event. If the League follows the patterns of previous years, this event will go down to the last point in the last event. I can’t wait.”
Any fighter currently training and looking to explore the option of amateur competition can get more information at www.mmaleague.com.
If anyone is curious about amateur MMA competition or interested in supporting the sport at a grass roots level you can drop along to an event close to you.
- Round 2 Munster – Cork 9 July Scoil Criost Ri, Cork
- Round 2 Ulster – Derry 16 July Long Tower Youth and Community Centre, Derry
- Round 3 Dublin – 24 September Loughlinstown Leisure Centre, Dublin
- Round 4 Dublin – 26 November Loughlinstown Leisure Centre, Dublin
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