A Teesside University Student has competed for a professional mixed martial arts contract.
Phoenix Wilson was one of 20 people selected to train and compete and film a new grass routes MMA (mixed martial arts) talent show called Find A Star on a streaming platform for the sport called MMATV.
The 21-year-old Sports Journalist from Teesside University was selected after applying for Find A Star via social media to go to RDX Cagefit Gym in Watford to train and compete across six weeks of boot camps.
During and at the end of the boot camps contestants will be cut down to eight and from there they choose four competitors who the panel of judges will award the professional MMA contract.
The panel of judges consisted of some of the UK’s elite fighters with: UAE Warriors Heavyweight Champion Chi Lewis-Parry, KSW fighter Jason” the assassin” Radcliffe, Oktagon Alex Lahore, Promoter for Prim3 MMA Matt Carroll and MMA TV founder Siju Roseje.
These judges put the competitors through gruelling training sessions to whittle the competition from 20 to 4 eventual winners Lewis-parry, Radcliffe and Lahore all took sessions to test the mental and physical aspects of the competitors with Matt and Siju always keeping and eye out for the stand out competitors to see which competitors has what it takes to survive the brutal and uncompromising levels of the professional MMA world.
The Winners of the Find A Star contest will win a life changing multi-fight contract with Promoters Prim3, a fly on the wall style documentary filmed on the lead up to their debut fight with Prim3, a long-term contract with Mogul Management and a one year sponsorship deal with sports manufacturer RDX.
MMA TV’s Founder and judge on Find A Star, Siju Roseje, said: “It’s been a long and hard process for these talented fighters to make it to the final and they have one last chance to impress us and grab this once in a lifetime opportunity with both hands.”
“We are looking for well-rounded fighters with big personalities who can deliver in the cage and, judging from what we have seen so far its going to be tough to choose.”
The competition includes an electrician from Plymouth, a care worker from Walsall, a Horse Groomer from Huntingdon, a salesmen from Bristol and a Business development manager from London.
Through out the competition the Find A Star competitors have been given the opportunity to show off their expertise in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai, kickboxing cardio and strength and conditioning.
Phoenix said: “Over my summer vacation from University all I could do is obsess over this opportunity and all my soul and effort went into getting in shape for the competition.”
“It was a huge relief to get to the end of the show and still be standing.
“All competitors and finalist in their own right could be crowned the winners of this competition and I wont be upset if I didn’t win but I think I have what it takes to be the winner and impress the judges and bring the contract home to Middlesbrough and I am excited to see the outcome of the show!”
MMA TV has more than 30 million people across the world streaming and watching world class fights across MMA TV’s pay per view and subscription model giving not just the winners a platform but also the other competitors a platform to promote who they are and giving them a chance to get their foot in the door and gather a following through the tv show.
MMA TV also has the rights to some of the world’s leading MMA and combat sports promotions for hosting their events online, Promotions such as PFL and ONE Championship as well as Muay Thai Grand Prix and others, you can subscribe to the streaming services by simply downloading the app and buying the subscription for £5 per month.
MMA TV’s founder Siju started MMA TV as a platform for the top MMA talent to showcase their skills and attract investments and promotional partners to themselves and the MMA Industry, which for some MMA fighters does not come around to often as its seen as a cutthroat business.
