Young Mansfield MMA fighter Rhys excels in adult rules bout
Mansfield MMA fighter Rhys Lawrence is celebrating his first victory as an adult amateur in a competition mostly following the sport’s professional rules.
Lawrence travelled to Grantham with others from Resurrection MMA in Sutton to compete in Wolkernite Fight Championship Seven.
‘I was excited for the fight because for the first time I could give and take strikes to the head and fight without shin guards which I had to wear as a junior competitor.
"This means in MMA jargon that I am now competing under Amateur Class ‘A’ rules. My opponent was Sam Hillbrown from rough Diamonds MMA gym in Cambridgeshire. I hit him straightaway with some powerful shots and got him to the ground where I finished it before the end of round one with a triangle submission. That means that I encircled the opponent’s neck and one of his arms with my legs in a triangle-shaped configuration.’
Lawrence turns eighteen in the summer and works at his gym as a junior MMA coach and one to one personal trainer.
‘I started MMA because I always liked watching UFC fights and thought why not give it a go especially as there was a gym near me. I quickly fell in love with it and went on to win three of my five junior bouts. I train hard all year round to be fully prepared for any contest that might be available. I’m just looking to be in action in the cage as often as possible. For all its fierce reputation MMA has made me who I am. The sport has given me self-respect, confidence, discipline and introduced me to so many amazing people. My family are my biggest supporters. They recognise how hard I work. They’ll support me as my career develops.’
Christian Smith, head coach at Resurrection MMA commended Lawrence on his achievement. ‘Rhys has a lot of talent but works hard in the gym perfecting his skills. He showed maturity in his debut fight overcoming his opponent with technical precision. We’re also delighted with young Kaycie Eason who’s just thirteen and older competitors Travis Roe,19, and Dorian Swiatkowski, 26.’
Kaycie courageously took on an older, more experienced opponent and remained totally composed before and during the bout proving that he belongs in the cage despite losing on a close decision. Travis had a tough fight getting caught in the first round giving him an eye injury. He kept up the pressure courageously and gained much valuable experience. Trav certainly won the third round. Dorian was on the main event up against a high-level wrestler who succumbed to Dorian in round one tapping out as Dorian had him pinned down in ground and pound. All our athletes he should be proud of their performance.’
‘I want to thank all our supporters,’ said Lawrence, ‘including parents who willingly do all the transport and our coaches Chris and Tim who put in the work to help us all level up every day in the gym and make these opportunities possible. Thanks to cornermen Corey, Millie and Luke for getting us ready and keeping the spirits high as we waited our turn in the cage.’
All athletes appreciate sponsorship to assist them develop their careers. ‘I’m grateful to my sponsors for their generosity,’ said Lawrence. Many thanks to Hungrilla, Pressure Performance, Rand Shotblasting, Fade House, My Fresh Active and Gorilla Haus. Other potential sponsors can message on Facebook Rhys Lawrence or Instagram or e-mail [email protected] . Resurrection MMA is in St. Michael’s Street NG17 4GP and for further information about classes or sponsorship call 07813 775126 or message via Instragram resurrectionmmaa.