AS a sell-out beckons for Ring Series III, York’s mixed martial arts community has another British champion.

The city’s fighting fraternity can celebrate another national ace after 12-year-old Connor Gore captured a GB gold at the WKC British Open championships held in Manchester.

The have-a-go-Haxby youngster negotiated two gruelling contests to claim his crown as reward for several months of sheer graft since upping his training programme under Stu Phillips and Tony Dias of the United Masters gym in Layerthorpe.

Said Dias, who is also co-promoter of tomorrow’s Ring Series III show at York’s Energise centre: “Connor has been so enthusiastic and has really taken all the lessons on board since he switched training to us at United Masters.

“The show at Manchester was his first major competition and the training he has put in five days a week, in both junior and adult classes, got its rightful reward.”

Oliver Richardson from Dias’ club in Malton won a bronze, while York’s Sam Watkinson also shone after being put into a higher weight category on the Manchester show.

Wigginton-based Watkinson is due to open the Ring Series III bill tomorrow from 6pm when the United Masters prospect takes on Connor Ayscough in a junior bout.

That contest is the first of 11 bouts at the Acomb-based Energise venue culminating in a Commonwealth super-welterweight title showdown between Ian Houillebecq of the York Legions club and Carl Tankard from Manchester.

Nine York-based fighters will be in action on the show for which doors open at 5pm.

Tickets are available from Dias, phone 07956 612667, fellow promoter Gaz Watkinson, phone 07798 765259, and Dave Phillips, co-founder of the Legions gym, phone 07946 477001.


RING SERIES III card

Connor Ayscough (G-Mac Kickboxing) v Sam Watkinson (United Masters) 52kilogramme light-contact kickboxing Jamie Clarke (Combat Academy) v Bon Pierre (Big Katt MMA) 67k K1 class Hayden Lynch (G-Mac) v Charlie Foster-Vigors (York Martial Arts Academy) light-contact

Calvin Pattison (Fit To Fight) v Luke Burks (York MMA) amateur full contact Brendan Needham (MKA) v Curt Schofield (Spartans) K1 junior English title Josh Martin (Leeds Cage) v Martins Baulkains (United Masters) 70kg K1 Kori Fox (Fit To Fight) v Mark Long (York MMA) 65kg title

Adrian Pociecha (Barnsley) v Dean McQuade (Legions) boxing Tyrone Power (Birmingham) v Wes Nunns (United Masters) 83-86k K1 area title Richard Laming (MKA) v Liam Goodwin WRSA title

Carl Tankard (MKA) v Ian Houillebecq (Legions) WRSA Commonwealth super-welterweight 67-70k title