- November 5, 2024
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Seven are former Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas athletes.
Nine Flagler County fighters will enter the cage and put their bodies on the line next month when they compete June 8 in the Breakthrough MMA event, which will take place at the Plaza Resort and Spa, in Daytona Beach.
The nine fighters are a part of the Flagler Bushido Club, a mixed martial arts fight team based out of Flagler Beach.
Mixed martial arts is a form of fighting that includes boxing, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, wrestling and submissions. In amateur MMA, there are three three-minute rounds. Winners can be determined by points, but most fights are over when a fighter gets knocked out or quits. In order to qualify as a professional, an amateur must compete in five fights.
The gym, located in Flagler Beach, was founded in October by coach Reese Hall. Hall is a purple belt under Renato Tavares and a two-time Sunshine State BJJ Open Champion in the super heavyweight division.
He said the team formed when a bunch of fighters from various gyms throughout the county joined together.
The nine fighters who will compete next month include David Nobrega, Justin Swilling, Tommy Oetting, Lee Dawson, Johnny Barrett and Isaiah Gutierrez, all of whom went to either Flagler Palm Coast or Matanzas high schools. The other two fighters are Nick LeBlanc and Travis Hutchins.
At next month’s event, Hall wants to see his fighters further their careers. For some, it’s for the competition. For others, it’s about a paycheck.
“I want them to be able to make a living and feed their families as athletes,” Hall said.
Barrett, a standout wrestler at FPC, finished fifth in the state in the 189-pound weight class as a senior last year. Later that year, he became a father.
Hall said Barrett passed up a full-ride wrestling scholarship to support his family.
“For him this is real serious,” Hall said. “He has the brightest future you can imagine.”
Barrett is 1-0 in his MMA career, but he is still trying to hone his skills as a fighter. He went 7-0 in a recent jiu-jitsu tournament.
Swilling, 22, graduated from Matanzas and went on to wrestle at Cumberland University, in Kentucky. Next month’s event will be his debut fight.
Dawson, another Matanzas graduate, currently attends Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Soon, he’s making a move to Washington, D.C., and will be joining the FBI. This event will be Dawson’s debut fight.
Hall said his team often trains throughout Flagler Beach. That includes running the Flagler Beach bridge. While out training, many cars honk at the team and recognize what they are doing.
And though many of the fighters of the Flagler Bushido Club might not be household names, all that could change June 8.
FIGHT CLUB
The Flagler Bushido Club will have nine fighters compete in the Breakthrough MMA event June 8, at the Plaza Resort and Spa, in Daytona Beach. Many of the fighters are graduates of either Flagler Palm Coast or Matanzas high school. The fighters are as follows:
David Nobrega (FPC), 29, (FPC) 2-0
Justin Swilling (Matanzas), 22, debut fight
Tommy Oetting (Matanzas), 22, 1-1
Lee Dawson (Matanzas), 21, debut fight
Johnny Barrett (FPC), 19, 1-0
Isaiah Gutierrez (FPC), 22, 0-1
Philip Rowe (Matanzas), 21, 0-1
Nick LaBlanc, 27, debut fight
Travis Hutchins, 28, 1-0
