The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WITH two cage fights under their belt in 2015, BOMAC is set to host a third later in 2015, this time geared toward a good cause.

BOMAC is scheduled to host “Fight For the Cure” in October, featuring an all-female mixed martial arts card.

Dr Kent Bazard, BOMAC co-ordinator, and Empire Mixed Martial Arts founder, unveiled plans for the event during BOMAC 2: The Revenge hosted at the British Colonial Hilton over the weekend.

The BOMAC 2 card featured the first female MMA cage match in Bahamian history featuring Melanie “Bear Traps” Camden against Gillian “Savage” Robertson.

“We have for the first time, females in the cage. Everyone who knows me knows that I think females are the future of the sport. They are very intense, they train hard and they always have more to show, so their fights tend to be active and more exciting. So, I’m very happy to make history and have females fight here for the first time,” Bazard said.

“We want to see more of this and in October we are happy to announce an all female card during Breast Cancer Month. It will give greater exposure to our female fighters as that sector continues to grow and at the same time raise awareness during that time of year.”

In the historic match it lived up to its expectations and provided some of the most exciting moments on the card as Robertson won via unanimous decision over Camden.

In fact, the most experienced fighter on the amateur card, male or female, improved to 7-2 with the win while Camden fell to 1-1.

October is universally recognised as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

It is an annual international health campaign organised by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure.

The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.

The “Fight For The Cure” will join several other major sporting initiatives in the breast cancer awareness cause, including Sunshine Insurance Race weekend (Marathon Bahamas and the Susan G Komen Race For the Cure) the Ride for Hope and a number of others.

Bazard noted the MMA community continues to grow in the Bahamas with the hosting of each event.

“The response has been huge. The local fan base has been growing and I’m very happy to bring the sport here for people to see with their own eyes. It’s exciting for people to sit inches from the cage and see action. We’ve also gotten quite a response from international fighters who want to come here and compete just because it’s the Bahamas. We’re a young promotion and we’ve actually taken some very big steps in a short period of time.”