Martial Arts: Cage gives gym fighting chance

Tauranga has its very first MMA cage. Photo / John Borren

A Tauranga mixed martial arts gym has set a target of getting a fighter on to a UFC card within the next two years.

UFC president Dana White is rumoured to be bringing his special brand of mayhem to New Zealand for the first time in 2015, which has triggered First Avenue West's The Martial Arts Academy into action.

"It's only a matter of time until they are here," said owner Scott Coburn.

"There was an article that came out recently that said they were looking to have their first fight event in New Zealand in 2015. We want to be positioned to have fighters in that event and we are sure we will have."

A 6x6 training cage has been installed alongside a standard ring in the spacious training school that will boast a number of highly skilled trainers across a wide range of disciplines.

"We wanted to be the first place in town with a cage and make a good, clean, polished community environment and get these guys in here training.

"Everyone knows you can make mixed martial arts work in a gym or a big warehouse, but we wanted to go a different way.

"We wanted to build more of a school - this is a centre of excellence.

"We have national and international champions, New Zealand representatives and a muay thai instructor coming in with 95 professional fights with 81 wins and 14 losses. We've got Kelvin [Crazy Horse] Joseph, who is a brilliant instructor and the current MMA light heavyweight champ. We also have others fighting for national titles in November."

MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world and is a part way down the long path to legitimacy.

The introduction of weight classes, improved drug testing, properly sanctioned fights and fantastic marketing have all helped shift the popular opinion of the sport from glorified prison violence towards a legitimate athletic pursuit.

It is this change that has allowed for the expansion of the MMA training market, meaning The Martial Arts Academy is well placed for the continued surge in interest.

Joseph, who has a promising stable of young fighters intent on earning the academy more national titles, sees the opening of the new premise as the catalyst for many of his fighters.

"A lot of the guys have been wanting to fight but I've held them back a little bit because there hasn't been the opportunity to train against the cage.

"It's a very important part of the game to know what to do when you're pinned up against something that doesn't move."

Joseph has just returned from training with 10-time world Brazilian jiu jitsu champion Roger Gracie in London, and was to defend his title in Auckland next month before his opponent pulled out.

The academy will feature fitness and bully classes, instruction in taekwondo, muay thai, capoeira and MMA.