From Bangor to Belgrade – Oliver’s bid for European MMA medal glory

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Oliver Marshall, (fifth left) with his classmates from Hybrid Devils MMA Gym in Bangor. Included is proprietor, Andy Young

By Julie Waters

A THIRTEEN year-old with dreams of becoming a professional mixed martial arts fighter has been selected to represent Ireland and Northern Ireland at the European Championships next month.
The family of Oliver Marshall now hope to raise £3,000 to fund the trip for him and his team to attend the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) in Serbia, in February.
Time is of the essence to raise the much needed funds and the family have set up a Go Fund Me page to help bring the local youngster one step closer to fulfilling his dreams.
Should Oliver be successful in his European bid, it is believed he will be the first North Down teen to bring a medal home from the prestigious European Championships.
The talented Bangor Grammar School pupil has already won 20 sporting medals in the past three years and is the current ‘No-Gi’ Irish Champion at Grey belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
The teen trains five nights a week at three gyms in the borough including the Hybrid Devils in Bangor. His coach, Andy Young, who is a two time world champion, is also due to travel with the youngster to the championship.
“I am delighted to have qualified, it has been a lot of hard work over the past three years, so it is nice to see that the hard work has paid off,” said Oliver.
“This is a major achievement and the biggest step I have made in my martial arts journey. To compete for my nation at such a prestigious event is a dream come true for me and a major goal accomplished.”
He recalled his journey over the past decade saying: “When I was three years old I started doing a self defence class and in more recent years I have been competing and training in mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu jitsu. Over the last 12 months I have been competing regularly in youth MMA acquiring multiple medals along the way.
“I regularly train five days a week at three different martial arts gyms in the North Down area as well as keeping on top of my schoolwork at Bangor Grammar and playing for their rugby team.”
Oliver says he really enjoys the thrill and chaos of fighting. “It is really energetic and you are battling out to see who is the best,” he said.
Proud mum Amanda said he has worked extremely hard to get to this level and is keeping up with all his school work at Bangor Grammar as well as playing rugby.
“We are still in a bit of shock but it is a fantastic opportunity for him, this is what he wants to do, to become an MMA fighter. He really does put in all the hard work training for five nights a week at three different gyms.”
As amateur MMA is an entirely self-funded sport, Amanda said they have set up a Go Fund Me page to help cover the travel and accommodation costs for Oliver and his team. Anyone who would like to support Oliver’s championship bid can log on to: https://gofund.me/d19636b7