Northampton fighter who dreams of UFC glory set to fly out to USA as part of 'once in a lifetime' TV show opportunity

A fighter from Northampton has been handed a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' to feature on a television show tournament where he could win a professional contract.

Marin 'Lion Puncher' Vetrila, from BST Academy in Sixfields, was successful in the UK trials for new tv show The MMA Fight Academy, hosted by leading promotor Cage Warriors.

The 22-year-old is set to fly out to San Diego, California this month (February) to compete against 40 other fighters for a chance of being signed on to Cage Warriors and to win a share of the £500,000 cash prize.

Marin said: "It's an opportunity. I'm confident. Always when I go to fight I'm going to win.

"I knew they were going to accept me after the trials, I just felt it. I have to do this, it's an opportunity for me. It's what I'm doing for a job.

"I want to be a UFC fighter. I want to hold a belt in the UFC. I want to help all my family and friends. When I'm rich and famous, I can help everyone."

The Moldovan, who started training when he was 11 years old, will now go through an all-expenses paid, 12-week fight camp in San Diego and have access to world class training and career advice, with a full management team in place.

In addition, fighters will receive a $300 weekly allowance during fight camp, allowing them to focus on training full time.

Marin went on to thank those who have helped get him to where he is.

He said: "I want to thank The MMA Fight Academy and Graham Boylan [Cage Warriors boss] for this opportunity, and thanks to BST Academy and Adam Hale Training for my preparation. Soon I will show you made the right decision by choosing me."

Danny Batten, head coach at BST Academy, said Marin is “special”.

He said: “The lad is very, very mature for his years. It’s a great opportunity for him to showcase his skills and potential. The potential there is pretty special.”

Cage Warriors boss Graham Boylan said he was “impressed” with Marin at the trials.

The fight boss said: “It wasn’t easy to narrow the field down, but we feel that we’ve picked the strongest possible team for what could be a life changing experience for those involved.

“The hard work starts here though. These athletes have a once in a lifetime opportunity to receive coaching and guidance from elite-level industry leaders. We’re taking care of their coaching, their equipment, their nutrition and they're being paid to train…all they have to do is show us they’ve got what it takes to be the next breakout MMA superstar.”

“Nothing like this has been done before. This is just the first step in what will be the beginning of The Fight Academy; a university to train and develop the stars of the future.”

Some of the most famous and successful names to come out of Cage Warriors include former UFC double weight division champion Conor McGregor and Liverpool's Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett, who are both signed with the UFC.

Modestas Bukauskas, who also trains at BST Academy and was formerly in Cage Warriors, is set to fight at UFC 284 this weekend against Tyson Pedro in Dubai.