by James Bovington
Three fighters from Bramley’s Valor Martial Arts took part in a charity MMA competition at The Village hotel in Headingley arranged by UIltra events and Richard Smith of Bad Company gym which is shortly to relocate to premises behind Bramley Shopping Centre.
Lewis Horman, 23, joined brothers Josh Tilley, 21, and Jack Alderson who recently turned eighteen in eight weeks of intensive preparation leading to a three round two-minute bout against another fighter from the squad of 30 recruited by Jon Harris.
“I enjoyed the whole thing,” said car fitter Lewis. “Talk about an activity to bring you out of your comfort zone and it’s been excellent for my mental health. I’ve raised money for Men’s Mental Health.
“The training was difficult. I was proud to get the win and I feel that my opponent Saul Castel from Keighley and I put on a thrilling performance. I could never have seen myself doing this before, but I’ll be up for it again as it’s so good for both body and mind.”
For teammate Josh Tilley this was the third MMA bout with Ultra fundraising this time for Mind. He said: “I had a great time again, made some good friends and proud that I’ve now had three MMA bouts.
“These shows are an excellent way to have a nice good old scrap legally and as safely as it can be, and you get frustrations out of your system. Deep mutual respect develops between the opponents and people enjoy watching. The atmosphere is fantastic. From now on I’ll be concentrating on kickboxing.”
Fighter safety is priority for former professional MMA fighter Karsten who was both referee and judge at the Leeds event.
“My job is to look after these novice fighters. This is the lowest level of MMA and competitors are inexperienced. There’s no hitting to the head when on the canvas and in fact head kicks are prohibited so when the fighters are standing it’s just punches to the face like in a boxing match.
“But for the fighters the show is an exhilarating experience as they’re treated like a rock star for the afternoon and the crowd goes crazy encouraging them on. Absolutely unforgettable.”
Jack Alderson was the youngest participant and is enthusiastic about his performance. “I did better than expected. I felt proud walking to the cage, and I proved what I’m made of. It took courage and now I know I have it.
“My opponent was older and has done Jiu-jitsu so for me this was a learning experience and has made me determined to continue as a fighter. I’m grateful to everyone who made this possible for me and especially to those who sponsored me so that we’ve raised £250 for Prostate Cancer UK, a charity that has helped a family member.”
Information about taking part in a future Ultra MMA or white-collar boxing event in Leeds can be found here. If wanting further information about Valor Martial Arts call 07845 805624 or e-mail valormartialartsleeds@gmail.com.
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