Plans for the second installment of the Bahamas Open Martial Arts Championships (BOMAC) cage fighting series are all set for this weekend and despite the fact that inclement weather is on the horizon, event organizer and Beast Mode Fight Team Chief Instructor Dr. Kent Bazard said that the show would go on. BOMAC 2 gets underway at 7.p.m on Saturday at the British Colonial Hilton. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $35 for ringside seats and $50 for VIP.
Interested persons can purchase tickets at both Outdoor Sportsman locations, J Line Fitness Center and Seafront Sushi. The main event of the evening will feature Rico Farrington against Mike Perry, while Robert Turnquest will take on Amisial Smith in the co-main event.Other fights on the 15-match card include Joash Walkins vs John Cicio and Melanie Camden vs Gillian Robertson, in what will be the first female mixed martial arts (MMA) fight in The Bahamas. Team beast mode fighters will also be represented in six of the fights. "Fans can expect an even bigger show than the first time.
For the very first time we will have professional fighters here in The Bahamas, headed by Robert Turnquest, who is of Bahamian decent. So I know he is excited to fight at home," said Bazard. "I'm also excited about the women's match. Everyone that knows me knows that I think that women are the future of the sport. People always tend to underestimate women, so I think that there fights are always more active, in my opinion.
"Our local fan base is really growing here and I'm happy to bring the sport here for the people to see with their own eyes. Also, we have received a lot of interest from international fighters looking to come to The Bahamas to fight. We're a young promotion, and we have taken some really big steps in a short amount of time." There was some skepticism surrounding whether or not BOMAC 2 would go on this weekend, due to fact that tropical storm Erika is set to make land fall in The Bahamas this weekend.
However, Bazard said that fans around the island insisted that the show go on and that they would come out and show their support regardless of the weather. BOMAC 2 was originally set to take place at an outside venue, but the inclement weather forced Bazard and crew to make the change. "The weather really forced us into making some changes. It also affects travel. All of our fighters have to fly in or travel in some way to The Bahamas, so that's always an issue," he said.
"With the storm traveling this weekend, it made us consider what should we do, but so many persons contacted us about it and we decided to push through with it. There might be a little rain and wind, but we are going to fight through the storm." Turnquest said that he's amped about getting into the cage in front of the local crowd and that he's looking to put on a show once he gets out there. "I expect a good fight and a really good event on the whole.
Three of the five main fights on the card are fighter from our gym, so I know for sure that they are some good fights for the fans," he said. "I had no idea that you guys had MMA until the first BOMAC back in April. I know there are a lot of fighters that would love to come down here and fight, and the more of them that come here, the more people are going to talk about it."
Camden added that she's not too concerned about the magnitude of being in the first female fight in the country, and that she's solely focused on getting the job done on Saturday. "I think it's going to be a great show, it's my first time in The Bahamas, and although it's only my second amateur fight, I think it will be great regardless," she said. "I don't see it as pressure, but rather a great opportunity.
Its just another fight and another day to train, after this we will be moving on to something else." The event is being sanctioned by the Bahamas Martial Arts Federation and the Florida State Athletic Commission (FSAC), and Gatorade will serve as its official sponsor. Following BOMAC 2, Bazard said that they have a women's only fight card coming up on October 3rd in support of breast cancer awareness month called Fight for the Cure, and another on December 20th. The name for that has yet to be released.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
