Fighting in his second ever professional mixed martial arts (MMA) bout this time Michael Hill will be competing close to home.
On Saturday, March 26, Hill will fight in Nanaimo at Frank Crane Arena (Beban Complex) in the Battlefield Fight League 7: Invasion event. The event will feature one of the largest cards in BC MMA outside the Ultimate Fighting Championship, showcasing 15 fights including a few amateur bouts.
Hill will fight Bill Fraser who fights with the Comox Valley Boxing Club Bulldog MMA. Fraser, also a professional boxer, comes into the fight with two wins and two losses in his professional MMA career. He is coming in after a loss and is looking to make a comeback.
If Hill wins the fight he may have the opportunity to fight Battlefield’s undefeated amateur champion Jacen Brooks, who was set to fight Fraser before his loss. Should Hill beat both opponents he feels it would be a good start to his professional career and help him build a name for himself.
Hill is in the middle of six weeks of fight camp at Toshido MMA Academy in Kelowna with coach David Lea. He said he’s been training hard and working on his standup fighting and ground defence. Hill has also started training with a new conditioning coach and working on his diet with a nutritionist. He said he feels great and is ready for the fight.
“Feeling good, feeling healthy,” said Hill. “March 26 I’m going to be ready to bang.”
When he heard about an event happening in Nanaimo, Hill rallied hard to get on the fight card. He’s excited to have the opportunity to compete with family and friends in the audience cheering him on. He said his mother has already purchased a considerable number of tickets and he knows the level of support in the arena will be high. Hill said he’s feeling some pressure to come out a winner in front of the home crowd but he knows the energy he’ll get from the support will make all the difference.
“It means so much to me,” said Hill. “Everyone I know that’s supported me, that’s been there throughout my life telling me I can do it, is going to be there.”
Hill signed a two-fight contract with Battlefield, with the second fight to be determined after the March 26 bout.
Doors for the event open at 7 pm. The event will be aired live on The Fight Network.
Readers interested in purchasing tickets for the Nanaimo fight can go online.
