Britannia Beach resident Gwyn Berry鈥檚 first trip inside the Battlefield Fight League (BFL) cage was one to remember.
The 2012 Howe Sound Secondary School (HSSS) grad tapped out Sohrab Said at 1:37 of the second round BFL 33 at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam on Friday, Nov. 7.
Berry鈥檚 coach, Kasey Smith, said it was a great debut for his student.
鈥淚t went fantastic,鈥� he said. 鈥淕wyn was calm and composed and his muay thai was on point. He used his length and reach, and when his opponent took him down, Gwyn was able to reverse him and lock in a mounted triangle choke.鈥�
Smith said Berry has been working out with the Squamish MMA team for about a year and a half after being introduced to the sport by Kasey鈥檚 brother Cole Smith.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been a sponge and has been with us on and off for about a year and a half,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 really taken off and moves really well. He uses his angles and reach and really put on a great display of muay thai.鈥�
Berry fought at a catch weight of 150 and Smith said the six foot, one inch fighter will likely fight his next fight at 145 pounds. Smith said Berry won an amateur tournament at the Richmond Olympic Oval earlier this year and has been training intensely the last several months to prepare to enter the cage.
Squamish MMA continues to grow and Smith said the club鈥檚 reputation is growing amongst the local MMA community.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a lot of really good guys in Squamish,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just this little club, but we go to other clubs and train and we鈥檙e just as good as their guys.鈥�
Kasey pointed out that his brother Cole is currently training in Thailand and has a fight scheduled there on Nov. 22.
鈥淐ole met Jeremy Kennedy at the last BFL show he was at and they got along well, and a few days later he invited Cole to train with Team Quest in Thailand,鈥� Kasey explained. 鈥淗e鈥檚 training six days a week there and it鈥檚 a huge opportunity.鈥�
Cole fights Dylan Fussell at the Full Metal Dojo 3 event in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Nov. 22. Cole returns to Squamish in March and Kasey said there should be big fights in 2015 for his brother.
Kasey encouraged anyone interested in MMA or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) to check out the Squamish Martial Arts Centre in Downtown Squamish. Instructor Scott Strachan teaches BJJ on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Smith teaches MMA on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
For more information on the club, visit www.squamishmartialarts.com.聽
