STORM Damage mixed martial arts light heavyweight champion, David Morley, is set to defend his title in Canberra soon.

The Storm Damage MMA Australia light heavyweight title will be contested in Canberra on 9 September, so David has a full three months of preparation ahead of him.

The Medowie father told News Of The Area, “My opponent is Dean Maxwell, who is an up and coming fighter, with his last two fights ending with a submission, and KO with his hand raised.”

David started Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) eight years ago, because he was inspired to have an amateur boxing fight, but was met with a lack of enthusiasm by his old gym in Newcastle.

David decided to make his idea a reality, and rang Jamie Ballard at Ballard’s Academy of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts at Beresfield.

David said “I fell in love with everyone there, it is such a great atmosphere!”

“I can’t speak highly enough of Jamie and Melissa Ballard, Dino Legovich, Craig McEvoy, Daniel Murray, and my whole jiu jitsu family, they have done more for me than I can put into words.”

“I highly encourage kids and adults to have a go at jiu jitsu, it’s life changing!!

Before beginning BJJ and MMA, David was 128kg, smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, and couldn’t walk a flight of stairs without losing his breath.

He is now a fit 100kg, though he fights at 93kg.

David said “This will be my last MMA fight, as I have proved to myself what I have needed to.”

“It is so all-consuming preparing for fights, it’s a massive burden on my family, so I feel it’s time for me to step back, spend some more time with my family and work on some young fellas at the gym that want to have a fight.”

“I’ve fallen in love with teaching some of the skills I have learnt over the last eight years, and have begun to teach kickboxing at Ballards on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and at Project Health and Fitness in Medowie on Friday mornings,” he said.

 

By Rachael VAUGHAN