Four amateur fighters from Doncaster’s HD Performance Centre distinguished themselves on the spring Caged Steel Show held at its regular Doncaster Dome venue. AJ Hall won his debut caged boxing fight with MMA victories going to Ramzi Braiek, Dylan Power and Rami Hameed.

“I’m mainly an MMA fighter with six wins in eight contests and currently enjoying a four-fight winning streak, all coming by stoppage,” said Hall, 26, who’s a plumber by trade and lives in Hexthorpe. “I’m nursing an injury preventing MMA, so I took the boxing bout and took this boxing bout at super-bantamweight. I love fighting in general, and competing on Caged Steel means I get to fight for a hometown crowd. I was delighted to get a second-round stoppage over my experienced opponent, Manchester’s Jordan Battel, with what was described as a continuous heavy barrage of vicious shots.”

Doncaster’s Ramzi Braiek, 24, defeated Merseyside’s Tamim Raisi in what was both their debut MMA bout. “I’ve trained for three years at HD. I fit my training around the business I’ve built up, RTB Joinery and Tiling. I’m dedicated to MMA and want to see how the journey goes, but maybe eventually I could compete as a professional. The main thing is to enjoy the sport and build up a fanbase in Doncaster. The fight was a tough one as my opponent came in determined to wrestle. I adapted to this and eventually won by stoppage in round three.”

Teenage fighters, 6th-form sports student Rami Hameed, 17, and trainee electrician Dylan Power, 18, also made their Caged Steel debuts. “I’ve trained at HD for nearly four years. I upped the intensity of training for my bout on Caged Steel. I like everything about MMA, the striking and the grappling. I’m looking forward to turning 18 soon when I’ll be able to strike the opponent in the head and showcase my full skill set. Of course that works both ways. I aim to take MMA as far as I can and maybe emerge as Doncaster’s next UFC fighter. For now, this win at featherweight over London’s Yasir Khalid was my career highlight, allowing people to see just how dominant a fighter I am.”

Dylan Power, at 18, competing as an adult, wore no extra body or head protection. Power immediately launched a relentless attack on his Glaswegian opponent Leo MacDonald several years his senior. “The fight was amazing,” said Dylan. “Just being there showing what I can do. I did some Taekwando when younger but have been training seriously at HD for about a year. This is the first of many wins.” Dylan’s mother Becky Fowler is “proud that my son is achieving his ambition. He worked so hard to make the right weight, and his determination paid off.”

“HD Performance Centre had a fantastic night on Caged Steel 42,” said HD co-owner and MMA agent Adam Newsome. “We finished with a perfect 4–0 record as our athletes showcased their hard work and spirit. The fighters were outstanding from start to finish, with one describing it as the best fighting night he’d ever experienced in terms of the team’s morale, energy, and togetherness.”

“We pride ourselves on hard work, strong team values and offering mutual support and pushing one another to improve. Our instructors, including Head Coach Marc Diakiese, Wayne Murrie and Joe Ambler, deserve the credit. The four entering the cage had earned the opportunity, putting everything into their fight camps, working hard, and following advice throughout. That commitment ensured they all performed so well.”

Dominic Gibbs set up Caged Steel in 2011. “Doncaster delivered again, drawing crowds from across the UK and showcasing why Caged Steel, based in Doncaster, is the home for UK MMA. We continue to raise standards with high-quality fight cards mixing MMA, caged boxing, and caged kickboxing that fans love to watch live.”

HD Performance Centre is located at Village Street, Adwick-le-Street DN6 7AA. Contact HD via Instagram @hdperformancecentre or by online search. Caged Steel 43 takes place on 4th July. Tickets are already available at https://www.caged-steel.co.uk .