New Path MMA's Megan Rennie had months of training pay off as she fought her way to a victory in her first-ever mixed martial arts match in Fort McMurray June 8.
Rennie won her match at the Prestige Fighting Championship 10 by unanimous decision after three rounds of fighting. The Boyle School teacher was participating in her first ever MMA fight and was the co-main event for Prestige Fighting Championship's fight card, according to the New Path MMA Facebook page.
The victory was the product of months of training, Rennie said, adding the fight was an enjoyable experience.
"It was really a lot of fun. It was about as difficult as I expected it to be. I put a lot of training into it so it felt rewarding to win the first match," Rennie said in an interview.
That training included 10-12 hours in the gym each week, mixing in training for jiu jitsu, boxing and kickboxing, Rennie said.
There was a lot of stress as she entered the ring, Rennie said. But she added coach Josh Kitchen told her to keep in mind that she was doing this for fun.
"It made me remember this is a fun sport and this is my choice to be here and it made the experience so much more fun," Rennie said.
Kitchen said Rennie's victory was impressive, especially considering she was going up against a fighter who had already been in three previous MMA matches.
"She went into the competition and executed perfectly," Kitchen said, adding Rennie has a strong ability to adapt to new techniques. "Megan's ability to adapt and learn new skill is very advanced."
A contingent of four New Path MMA members including Kitchen joined her in Fort McMurray to support Rennie as the lone fighter from New Path MMA competing. A crowd at Neighbour's Pub in Athabasca also cheered her on from home while watching a livestream of the event, according to the club Facebook page.
Rennie said she was successful in the fight, which lasted three rounds of three minutes each, by reading her opponent Kate MacDonald and using her superior strength to her advantage.
"I knew she was really good at jiu jitzu and was a grappler so I was prepared for that. I trained a lot of defence," Rennie said. "Knew I had more power and strength than she had so that was to my advantage."
It was Rennie's second competitive fight, after she also won a kickboxing match in Fort McMurray March 2.
Kitchen said he is proud of the progress his athletes are making and how his gym has been able to compete against much larger clubs and more experienced coaches.
"It's been very, very rewarding for me as a coach to see what we're doing is working and it's working in grappling tournaments, it's working on kickboxing fights, it's working in MMA fights. It's good for the club, it's great for my athletes," Kitchen said.
He added he has purchased additional mats to increase the space for MMA training at his facility and also has plans to move New Path MMA into a bigger facility within the next three to six months.
Rennie said she will next be working to train for a half-marathon during the summer but after that, she plans to return back into the MMA ring.
"It's so much fun. It's a huge confidence boost for me," Rennie said. "It's really helped me not only within the gym, but even as a techer, even as a friend, to have the confidence to get certain things accomplished. It's just a different kind of sport. It's really empowering."
