World ranked MMA fighters headline ‘Locked & Loaded’

By Romario Samaroo

As Guyana prepares for its first ever Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights at the highly anticipated ‘Locked & Load’ card this Sunday at the Giftland Mall, Liliendaal, two of the world’s best fighters will headline the historic event.

With two professional cards, making their first showing in Guyana, Keron Bourne will go toe to toe with Lawrence Hearwood in the Bantamweight (125-135 pound) class while Martin Joseph will match gloves with Emerson Hurley in the Light heavy weight (195-205 pound) category.

Bourne and Joseph, both from Trinidad and Tobago have impressed on the world scene and will be tough to beat having developed a phenomenal record over the years. However, Hearwood, who hails from Guyana, has also had a good outing in the ring with a 10-2 record.

Bourne has accumulated a number of championships over the years including national boxing champion in 2013 as well as National Sambo Champion from 2012-2016.

His career has also been the talk of the town from an early age having copped Bourne at the Central American Caribbean Games in Judo back in 2004 when he was 19. In 2012 he was also the winner of double bronze at the Sambo Pan Am Championships. In 2013 he was elevated to the silver medal in the Sambo championships and was ranked 7th in the Sambo world Championship.

In 2014 he once again climbed the ladder and won gold at the Sambo commonwealth championships as well as gold and silver at the Pan Am equivalent.

His career continued to flourish in 2015 where he won silver at the President cup in London and 5th in the World championships in Africa. Last year, Bourne was belted with the Ruff N Tufff International Sambo title while also earning accolades such as bronze and silver at the Pan Am championship.

Meanwhile, Joseph has also stepped his game up over the years beginning with his first recognition in the domestic circuit back in 2010 where he won the national kickboxing championship. In 2012 he was the national Sambo and grappling champion while continuing to hold the Sambo champion each year until 2016.

In 2011 Joseph was a silver medallist at the World championship in Iran before being a bronze medallist at Sambo Pan Am championship in Columbia. In 2013 he was ranked 14th at the Sambo world championship in Russia and won bronze at the Sambo world championship in Panama. In 2014 he won gold at the same event, this time hosted in Trinidad and Tobago before going to London and earning a bronze medal in the president cup. He was ranked 16th at the Sambo world championship in Japan in the same year.

In 2015 he won bronze at the Sambo President cup and the Pan Am games. He was further moved to 8th in the ranking at the Sambo world championship in Africa.

His MMA career has seen him undefeated with five wins. In 2014 he won the Ruff N Tuff invitational and Curacao championship while winning the Aruba International and Barbados Caribbean Championship in 2015. He also won the Ruff N Tuff invitational international championship in 2016.

Additionally, there will be five amateur fights with Lashawn Sladden (T&T) taking on Guyana’s Kwanza Thompson in the light heavy weight category before Erland Maloney (T&T) battled Isaiah Cave of Guyana in a lightweight showdown.

In the other lightweight match, Ahmad Khan, also of T&T, will square up against Kareem Simon of Guyana, while Colwyn Benn and Ryan Beaton, both from Guyana punch it out in the Heavyweight class. Last on the cards for the amateur fights is the flyweight clash between Gershom Griffith of T&T and Ray Gill of Guyana. Tickets for the monumental night cost $1,000 general admission and $2000 ringside organised by Ruff N Tuff MMA and Fight Central 592, Guyana.