World Look Out, Here Comes Newfoundland and Labrador!

Corner Brook, NL - Living in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, there were not many opportunities for a person to be a professional fighter. For a long time there were no MMA gyms and no professional MMA organizations in which to fight in. I grew up around martial arts, having a father who was actively involved, and wanted to broaden my martial arts abilities. Being mainly self trained I decided that my best option was to move away to train. I left the Island and began my training. While training in MMA, for my first pro fight, I was injured. During recovery I learned about other Newfoundlanders who had to go away to train and fight so I decided to come home and do something here. With three MMA gyms recently opened on the Island, I decided to be a manager and promoter instead. With a variety of contacts on my list and being well known on the Island, I felt that I could do it, this could happen.

So what’s stopping me? Why aren’t Newfoundlanders able to fight on the Island? Newfoundland and Labrador doesn’t have an active athletics of boxing authority in which to sanction professional fights. My first step was to find out why and what happened. After many phone calls, and a big long distance bill, I made the contacts I needed to. Right now I am waiting to hear back from the former group in charge of the boxing authority. Once reinstated, I’ll be bringing in some big name MMA organizations (I have already made the contacts with some organizations).

But what about the Newfoundlanders who want to fight? Where do they go to for training? I have done some research on that and found three great gyms on the east coast of the Island; Total Martial Arts, Foley’s Atlantic Martial Arts and Bushido MMA. All three of these gyms are great and involved closely with some big names; Total Martial Arts is under Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy, Bushido MMA is affiliated with Jeff Joslin and Foley’s Atlantis Martial Arts is affiliated with Pedro Sauer.

After talking to some of the instructors of these gyms I feel I should mention some of the names the world will soon be seeing in MMA organizations around the globe; Cory Avery (Kick Boxer and BJJ Blue Belt), Corey Stringer, Jeff Evely (Boxer and BJJ Blue Belt) and Tom Dunne from Total Martial Arts and Robbie Wiseman, Jason and Michael Foley, Mike Sampson, Jim Hynes (BJJ Blue belt) and Paul Woodruff (BJJ Purple Belt) from the other schools.

With these gyms being in place you would think that potential fighters would stick around here and train, right? Wrong! Remember, there is no sanctioning body to allow professional MMA organizations in, so what do others do? Ask Kris Lee or DJ Pike.

22 year old Kris Lee was forced to move to Ontario to pursue his dream of being a professional MMA fighter. Originally from Pinware, Newfoundland and Labrador, he now lives in Kingston, Ontario. Lee spent 4 years bravely serving our country as an artillery soldier in Shilo, Manitoba. During this time Lee met Murray Jackson, a friend who served in the forces and a submission wrestler. Lee and Jackson trained together in Kingston, Ontario after voluntarily leaving the Armed Forces. It didn’t take Lee long to realize he needed more then just that, so Lee joined Mixed Martial Arts Planet which is owned by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Mike Sweeney, and Brown Belt Rebecca Sweeney. Lee is currently training at Gladiator Mixed Martial Arts under Rob Wynn. June 1st Lee began an 8 week training camp for his next fight in Hull, Quebec on the Freedom Fight Title Quest card, where he will be pinned up against Jason "The Monster" Bisonnette. Lee currently holds a record of 2-0-0 and plans to make it 3-0-0.

21 year old DJ Pike is currently residing in Montreal, Quebec training under Firas Zahabi. If that name sounds familiar it should, he is the lead trainer at Tristar Martial Arts gym where George St. Pierre started his highlight career. DJ is originally from Mount Moriah, Newfoundland and Labrador where he and his friends would watch MMA on TV. After sparring with friends Pike realized this was a passion for him and decided he want to be on TV too. DJ packed up his things and moved to Montreal to begin following his dream. With no real experience Pike never realized as to what caliber his skills were. It didn’t take him, and the gym, long to realize he is destined for success. With a lot of natural talent all he needed was some good training. Pike’s first fight, which will be an amateur fight, is scheduled for early this summer. Afterward Pike plans to look for professional fights in some of Canada’s best organizations.

All of us Newfoundlanders wish them luck.

So again, where does this leave Newfoundland and Labrador? Right now, waiting. Once the boxing authority is reestablished and sanctioning fights Newfoundland and Labrador will be able to host some amazing MMA events and the world will see the skills of so many undiscovered naturally talented who want to be fighters.

World look out, here comes Newfoundland and Labrador!