Future champs emerge at Barebones champs

Whenever the conversation turns to grassroots MMA in the Mother City, it’s hard not to marvel at the sheer potential waiting to be unleashed.

- BUNTU GOTYWA

The combination of raw talent and unwavering hunger is something special.

Thanks to platforms like Barebones MMA Championships, that potential is being harnessed and showcased. This past weekend marked the fourth instalment of the event.

The amateur promotion has exploded into a breeding ground for martial artists taking that first nerve-wracking walk to the cage.

It’s not uncommon for new tournaments to bring a different energy but what Lyndall Sandenbergh and her team have built goes beyond innovation.

This weekend's event, hosted in Sunningdale, was also a homecoming for some fighters.

Watching them return with improved skills and renewed confidence is the clearest sign that something great is happening here.

It's only a matter of time before many of these names start appearing in the biggest MMA promotions around the world.

The ambition and the dreams are already there and you can hear it in how these young fighters talk about their futures.