A Northampton gym is 'absolutely elated' after recording a clean sweep of victories at a mixed martial arts event in the town on Saturday night (December 3).
Hundreds of fight fans headed to Northamptonshire County Cricket Ground on Saturday night to watch 17 bouts at the Battle Arena amateur MMA promotion.
BST Academy, based in Sixfields, had all five of its MMA fighters win inside the octagon front of a hometown crowd.
The victorious BST fighters are Jake Dygas, Marcus Dygas, Marin Vetrilla, Ahsan Ahmed and Hayley Valentine.
Speaking to the Chron at the end of the night, BST head coach Danny Batten said he was 'absolutely elated'.
"We're absolutely elated. To do it in your hometown is like an extra little cherry on top of the cake. And we brought back a title as well through Ahsan.
"We had two pros on and three amateurs. We’re producing people from beginner to all the way through to professional.”
Danny added: "Thanks to Greg Lunn [BST owner]...we're really lucky to have what we have at BST, so a massive thanks to him for supplying everything we need to sharpen the tools to put on a performance we have tonight."
Sarah Dee, managing director of Battle Arena said: “We were delighted with the Northampton show, it was great to see local teams compete on their home turf and we had clubs from London, Birmingham and overseas come to fight.
"We would like to thank everyone for their support and look forward to bringing lots more shows in 2023.”
1. Ahsan Ahmed
Ahsan claimed the Battle Arena British featherweight title via a unanimous decision. The 21 year old said: "Top of the world feeling. Being able to fight for the belt in Northampton, I'm really going to appreciate this high. I don't feel like I've proven anything yet. I'm ready to fight for another belt, I want multiple titles before I go professional. I want to prove I'm one of the best in the country." Head coach Danny Batten said: "I'm really happy for Ahsan... he's a young kid, maturing, and tonight he matured." Photo: Marc Moggridge www.burghleyimages.com
2. Hayley 'The Bloody' Valentine
Hayley won her bout against her Swedish opponent via a unanimous decision. Speaking after the fight, the 25 year old said: "I feel amazing. I cried my eyes out because that meant a lot to me. It's an early birthday present for my dad's 60th, celebrating it with a bang! There was a lot on the line, I'm now three wins in a row, undefeated. It meant a lot. Hopefully, that win puts me on the international stage now and that I'm not something little, I'm something big now. I was ready to put everything, my life, into that fight because I just wanted to win. Winning in my hometown was just amazing too." Head coach Danny Batten said: "Wow. What can I say, Hayley is one of the most active students we have in our gym. She grafts all the time. So, so proud of everything she does." Photo: Marc Moggridge www.burghleyimages.com
3. Marin 'The Lion' Vetrilla
Marin won his professional fight in just 17 seconds after an accurate head kick downed his opponent. The 22-year-old said: "Always I'm going to win. When I go in the cage I'm going to win. Never think I will lose, only win. "I want to say thank you to my opponent, who accepted the fight with two days' notice. I want to thank my family and all who come to my fights and support me. I wanted to make them proud of me. I want to thank my BST team and the Battle Arena organisation for this opportunity." Head coach Danny Batten said: "He's already known as a world class striker. He's going to be one to watch out for in the coming years." Photo: Marc Moggridge www.burghleyimages.com
4. Marcus Dygas
Marcus, who has been training MMA for two years, won his bout via a split decision despite three dominant rounds. The 24 year old said: "This was my second amateur fight. It was a good fight, tough opponent. I've got a lot of stuff to work on but happy with some stuff and unhappy with other stuff. I want to be a world champion, that's what I'm aiming for. I'm looking forward to future fights and can't wait to get back training and have a good 2023." Head coach Danny Batten said: "An absolute animal in the gym. The Dygas brothers are probably the fastest improving students we've ever had. They're like computer robots. They really trust in what we say and they really embrace it. Incredible athletes to train. Very easy to work with them." Photo: Marc Moggridge www.burghleyimages.com