UMC crowns first champions as new promotion launches with success

Excitement is in the air for many amateur mixed martial artists in the city. In recent months, there has been a surge of great platforms for budding fighters to showcase their skills and potential.

And not just in the cage itself, the professionalism of the fight-night setup, designed to mirror a pro environment, plays a huge role in building belief for fighters who hope to turn this into real careers.

The Undisputed MMA Championships is the latest success story after hosting their first edition, aptly titled UMC 1.

Held at Oaklands High School in Kenwyn, the brainchild of Fighterz Inc’s Fidaah Edries and Irshaad Ally, crowned three UMC champions in what was a well-produced show that delivered inside the cage too.

The original vision for the promotion was to stage fights closer to home for many fighters, instead of events that are far apart and require long travel. Kenwyn is far more central for athletes coming from places like Pelican Park, Athlone, and Kenilworth, just to mention a few.

Fighterz Inc. left the school with two belts on Saturday night courtesy of Aayesha Majiet and Yusuf Salie.

The gym mates were up against Jen Bromwich and Nilesh Jess, respectively. Majiet’s fight ended in a first-round TKO, putting aside the disappointment of missing out on a belt the last time she competed.

Salie, on the other hand, had to dig deep, going the distance with Jessa and earning a hard-fought decision.

It could have been three titles for the club if Reuben Job had not missed weight in his scheduled title fight against Nic Laubscher.

Not something any fighter wants, but that disappointment faded once the actual fight started as the two promising athletes delivered an action-packed five-rounder that lived up to expectations.

Devon Sarkis closed the night with a unanimous decision victory in another high-energy bout against Zaahir Abrahams.

The results were clear for Sarkis, who had Don Madge in his corner, but the fight itself was far from one-sided, with Abrahams proving a worthy challenger who forced Sarkis to work for everything.

A total of 14 fights, starting from the youth division, were on display over the weekend, with a clear indication that the stage will be set even higher in the new year as this promotion continues to grow.