Kelly’s MMA Gym in Bedford will be the venue for a women’s only Mixed Martial Arts group that is kicking off at the end of January, ran by Bedford’s two-time European champion, Lindsey Payne.
In what is traditionally a male-dominated environment, Payne is keen to spread the word of Mixed Martial Arts among women in order to build fitness and confidence and introduce them to what is becoming an increasingly popular sport.
“Most women are quite nervous stepping into a gym full of men to try a sport like MMA for the first time, so you don’t find many women in the gym”, says Lindsey.
“Mixed Martial Arts has been transformational and helped me discover the confidence to be fully myself. Even if those attending experience a fraction of what I found, I would be happy.”
Mixed Martial Arts – or MMA – is a martial art that takes the most practical and successful parts from various martial arts such as boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, kickboxing, judo, and more and puts them together to be as effective as possible in pressure-tested situations.
Lindsey’s own journey to the European title has been emphatic as well as inspiring.
Beginning training just six months after giving birth to her daughter, Lindsey ‘Bringer Of’ Payne made her amateur debut at the Battle Arena in London at the end of 2022, but by the end of 2023, she had won the European title twice as well as the ‘Bad MoFo’ (BMF) Championship.
Lindsey fights out of Kelly’s MMA under head coach Mark Kelly, one of the most experienced MMA coaches in the region.
“Lindsey’s attention to detail in her training is what helped her accelerate to the top of the MMA game. She applies the same level of discipline and effort into her coaching”, says Mark as he assists Payne on her rapid journey in the sport.
Now, Lindsey is hoping to use her training and experience to assist the women of Bedford become fitter and more confident.
The sessions begin on Sunday 28th January at Kelly’s MMA Gym at the East Area Academy on Aston Road in Bedford.
For more information, you can visit https://www.kellys-mma.co.uk/ and you can follow the gym and Lindsey’s journey on Instagram by searching for @Kellys_MMA and @Fighting_Lindsey.
