Athletic sports have always been a cornerstone that fueled emotion and excitement in people, giving them the freedom to fully embrace The Thrill Of Victory Or The Agony Of Defeat, to coin a phrase popularized by Jim McKay in the 1970s on the wide world of sports. Now we are in 2023, and it is time for the next generation of athletes to take center stage at the GAMMA Youth MMA U18 World Championship from Nashville Tennessee to Alexandroupoli Greece.
So, what can we expect from today’s fighters? Will they evoke the same energy and excitement that fans crave for combat sports, where they can’t wait to tune in? With today’s modern technology of cell phones and streaming apps like Fight Scout, it is far easier to enjoy a live event at any time of day.Let us discuss the passion and dedication of today’s youthful mma fighters. They have the same light in their eyes as the fighters of old, and their determination to win is just as strong. What distinguishes them from my perspective is ‘joy.’ They are generally happy to live in the moment and just be kids, but when the buzzer sounds, they transform into warriors dedicated to proving they belong in the ring plus are willing to leave it all on the mat, win or lose.
What really caught my attention as I watched these athletes get ready to compete was what they were doing before they stepped into position to compete. Take Willow Liles, for example, our -69 gold medal winner, her constant energy and infectious smile capable of melting the toughest of hearts standing there playing with her dad as if the last thing she is getting ready to do is a mma match.
Then there’s Scofield Vang, our 80 bronze medalist, with his funny demeanor and playfulness that would lead you to believe he’s on a playground rather than fighting against 16 other nations for the title of greatest in the world.
These are some of the fighters I had the pleasure of seeing compete in Nashville so their competitive skillset was never in doubt. So let’s talk about athletes I’m seeing for the first time like Leonid Reyna our 110 gold medal winner he had a calm laid back way about him that would make you think he enjoys watching more than he enjoys competing but after seeing him compete on the mat to win gold this is far from the truth He demonstrated a fight IQ far beyond his years in his ability to anticipate his opponents’ moves and setup traps that lead to victory and gold. He is unquestionably one to watch.
Naturally, if you can’t tell by their weight class, they are some of our younger athletes, so it will be many years before you see their full potential show through, but they are off to a great start. Let us continue the discussion with some of our older athletes who are one or two years away from beginning their amateur MMA career. I must say that the future looks extremely bright. The skill level on display would make you overlook the fact that these athletes are only 16 and 17 years old
Let me begin by noting that there are many excellent athletes I could name in this post who have amazing stories to tell, but these are the ones I have the most experience with and a good understanding of why they stand out from my perspective. As a combat sports enthusiast, there are several things that, in my perspective, distinguish an athlete with the potential to be great.
Maxwell Stary, our -140 gold medalist, for example, his ability to rack up win after win regardless of the tournament or opposition he faces makes you wonder if there is any limit to what this young man can do when all of his opponents seem to know exactly what he is going to do and he is still able to do it anyway, which most of the time leads to submission and tapout by his opponent.
How about Dalton Riggs, our -125 gold medalist? This young man sometimes leaves you speechless with the raw talent he displays in the ring or on the mat, where if you are not paying attention or blink, you can miss the entire match. His ability to tap you out in a matter of seconds makes you do a double take that this is a young teenager you are watching.
But if I had to pick one, it would be Evelyn Wilson, our -130 gold medalist, who simply seems to take everything in stride. As long as I have been watching her compete, I can’t recall many times when she has matched up against anyone in her weight class and a lot of the time she may lose due to size or a lack of grappling skills, so what does she do? She takes steps to improve herself by changing gyms, where her skills can be elevated and become more well-rounded as any combat sports athlete would do in order to compete at the highest level and brought a completely new fighter to Alexandroupoli Greece that I must say with pride that I did not recognize it was evident that her new training had paid off and she demonstrated that how you start has no bearing on how you finish.
So, to sum it up, there were so many great stories unfolding in front of my eyes that there was no way I could fit it all in, but I will say this: the future looks bright and I am proud to be a part of it, GAMMA is doing great things and the level of competition rises with each event, so the sky is the limit from where I am sitting.
