Ultimate Fighting: Jake makes big plans (From Gazette Series)

Ultimate Fighting: Jake makes big plans

10:12am Thursday 23rd October 2008

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LOCAL Mixed Martial Arts star Jake Blyth has set his sights on fighting in the prestigious Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) next year.

The 23-year-old who grew up in Thornbury and now lives in Cam, won the Ultimate Fighting British Welterweight Title last month after beating Simon Phillips in an Anger Management Cage Fight.

He now has big plans for 2009, which includes defending his title and being spotted to compete in the high profile UFC.

He said: “By the end of next year I want to have had my first fight in the UFC.

“I like to set myself goals on a 12-month basis so by next year hopefully I will have been in there, come out on top and will hopefully then progress.

“I don’t want to be in there just to say I have been in UFC - when I go in there I want to make a statement.”

Blyth has been trained in Range Fighting by legendary Mixed Martial Artist Mark Weir in Gloucester since he was nine-years-old.

The former Castle School pupil started with taekwondo and has progressed through different martial arts before cage fighting.

Blyth has only lost one fight, which came through injury against Lee Austin at Thornbury Leisure Centre earlier this year.

He returned to his home venue for his next fight to win the national belt which made it an extra special occasion for him, along with the opponent he beat as Phillips had only lost twice by decisions in 25 previous amateur and professional fights.

Blyth said: “That overrode getting the belt itself to beat someone of that calibre.”

“It was nice to win in front of the home crowd. I had a fight there before but lost that because I injured my ankle which was the only loss I have had so I wanted to put that right.”

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