A 15-year-old London boy has told how he has been trained in violent combat since he was eight years old — claiming he was “bred to fight”.
Lone’er Kavanagh, whose parents met doing martial arts, spoke of his passion for Mixed Martial Arts, known as MMA, in which participants are allowed to punch, kick, knee, elbow and choke their opponents.
The teenage fighter from west London, the subject of a London Live TV documentary called Fight Club London to be shown on Sunday, trains seven days a week and said he likes the “family” atmosphere of gyms.
He takes part in MMA tournaments, on mats, and also fights in a cage against a single opponent.
He said: “Because my parents were fighters, I was surrounded by it but I first started when I was eight. My first competition when I was 10. It’s fun and I just like the atmosphere in the gym and everyone’s like family.”
Documentary-maker Leo Gizzi claims to have found at least three MMA-related deaths in the last seven years. The sport is said to be worth billions in the US, but in Britain it is still in its infancy.
Asked about its dangers, Lone’er said competitors know what they are letting themselves in for and claims he has only ever suffered “a few bruises here and there”.
He added: “People say martial arts is a very high-risk sport but I think every sport has a risk and the players and people who are willing to take it up know the risks and are willing to live with them.”
He said he used to be bullied at primary school, but it stopped after he punched another child in the face so hard that he was left with a toothmark on his fist.
Lone’er, who hopes to be able to make a career out of MMA when he finishes school, said: “I train every day, because I enjoy it. Some people my age love playing football or other sports, I love doing martial arts.”
When he enters the cage for a fight he said he thinks of his father, who died of a heart attack eight years ago, and added: “I just know he’s there, mentally he supports me.”
The documentary in the Platform 8 series also features female judo champion-turned-cage fighter Ameesha Bhudia, 27, against Molly McCann.
