On July 19, the Cape Fear region’s first mixed martial arts competition, dubbed Clash at the Coast, will be held at Cape Fear Community College’s Schwartz Center in downtown Wilmington, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Several students and instructors from Wrightsville Beach’s Evolution Mixed Martial Arts Academy will be participating in the event.
“We have seven fighters on the card, and they’re
Staff photo by Joshua Curry
John Cornett, left, Clayton Wilson prepare at Evolution Mixed Martial Arts Academy for the upcoming event Clash at the Coast,being held at the Schwartz Center on July 19. |
going to be competing against other fighters from around the country,” said Jeremy Owens, who helped coordinate the event. “There are going to be 30 fighters … and we’re looking at having 15 fights on the card — three professional bouts and 12 amateur fights.”
Owens said the athletes are excited about the opportunity to participate in an event here at home.
“Mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in the world right now. You can see it all over the television,” he said. “This is the first opportunity for local residents to witness mixed martial arts live, and it’s the first chance that the fighters have to fight in front of their hometown crowd, where in the past they’ve had to go out of state to fight, which the guys from Evolution have been doing for quite some time.”
Participants from all over the country, including Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina and Hawaii will be in Wilmington for the event, which Owens said will bring a significant amount of business to downtown Wilmington.
There are careful precautions for the fighters’ safety, including a referee licensed by the boxing commission, medical staff on hand, and pre-fight physicals for each athlete. “The athletes’ safety is the first concern,” said Owens.
For more information, including the rules governing the fights, visit www.carolinafightpromotions.com.
