The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

A Bahamian pioneer in mixed martial arts has returned to home soil to assist the local development of the sport.

Bahamian UFC veteran Yves Edwards hosted an MMA seminar at the Empire Mixed Martial Arts Bahamas Gym located at J-Line Fitness Bahamas, on Saturday.

In the approximately four-hour session, Edwards covered a myriad of topics, including the basics of MMA striking, wrestling, “ground and pound” and cage drills.

Over a dozen fighters participated in the event staged at the home of EMMA, a group that was established in 2006 by Dr Kent Bazard.

“The seminar was well attended. We had a lot of guys who represented various schools throughout the country and, for many of the guys involved, it was somewhat of a surreal experience,” he said.

According to Bazard, Edwards, the creator of the “thugjitsu” fighting style with over 60 professional MMA bouts on his r�sum�, was impressed with the talent in the Bahamas and potential room for growth of the sport.

“He knows the Bahamas has a high talent leve. When a lot of the guys got on the mat and we really got into things he could tell that we have had high levels of training and instruction,” Dr Bazard said.

“He was also impressed with the facility and with that in place, we really have the ability to develop the sport of MMA at an elite level in the country.

Edwards has a professional record of 42-21-1 MMA, 10-9 UFC.

In his latest outing, Edwards was defeated by Yancy Medeiros in the preliminary round of the under-card of UFC Fight Night 31:UFC Fight for the Troops 3 on November 6, 2013 at Fort Campbell in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Edwards has lost his last three fights and four of his last five. His last win came in December 2012 with a knockout win over Jeremy Stephens at UFC on Fox 5.

“For the the local guys, whether they were more experienced or just starting out in the sport, it was an incredible few hours for them getting the opportunity to rub shoulders with someone who has accomplished such great things, and really reach the pinnacle of the sport,” he said. “What really meant a lot is to know that he is one of our own, so that served

as a motivational tool as well.”

Dr Bazard said the session, which lasted over four hours, is just one example of the many initiatives the public can expect to see from the MMA community in the near future.

“We look to start a seminar series, with shorter time spans and to get an even greater focus on specific elements of MMA,” he said. “We also look to host sparring days and we are looking toward the launch of our amateur and semi-pro leagues so there are a lot of exciting things to come.”

Dale Dean Jr, vice president of the Bahamas Mixed Martial Arts Association, also lauded the benefits of the seminar.

“So much information was passed, it’s amazing. If you want to be serious about pro fighting in either MMA, wrestling or kickboxing you missed a great seminar,” he said. “Thanks to Yves for doing this and imparting his wealth of information down to the guys here.”