Teenager Taylor Perkins of Stoke's Warfare Academy is hoping for his second win on an amateur MMA show when he travels to Birmingham's Bingley Hall on 20th July to face Alfie Ellis from Five Elements MMA in Basildon, Essex. 

He said: "I'm going for my second win. I'm seventeen and there's no one else in Stoke my age so obsessed with martial arts. I do landscape full time and train MMA seven days a week under Harry Burton at the Warfare Academy."

The former student of Birches Head High started kickboxing at six but committed exclusively to MMA at fourteen. "I won five of my six kickboxing bouts and one Thai boxing match. I'm now in the 53 kg strawweight division. After this fight I'm looking to stay injury free and active and work my way up to become a ranked UK MMA fighter. I want to be able to turn pro early with plenty of experience under my belt."

17-year-old Taylor will face Alfie Ellis in Birmingham on 20 July (Image supplied).

"Manchester's Brendan Loughnane is for me the perfect example of a martial artist. This sport keeps people like me off the streets and getting into the wrong crowds so instead I can do better things with my life. I love competition that's the thing that gets me to the highest point in life. There isn't a time when I'm not training, and I train every day twice on a Saturday and a Sunday. I love walking the dog but otherwise it's intensive training. To be successful everything goes into progressing my MMA career ."

Perkins is currently sponsored by AMBC Ltd., Tru-Pro Landscaping, DV Machining and Fabricating and Sizzlers Fast Food (Abbey Hulton).

The former Birches Head High student trains seven days a week (Battle Arena / Marc Moggridge).

However, he is looking for more "to make training and travelling around England to compete easier". Future sponsors should contact Taylor on Facebook Taylor Perkins or by email at [email protected].

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READ MORE: Stoke-on-Trent school pays tribute to 'passionate and committed' former headteacher

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