Fighter follows gym’s blueprint
The local impact from City Kickboxing’s international success will be on full display at this weekend’s King in the Ring.
The home of middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and six more UFC fighters, as well as heavyweight boxer Junior Fa, the Auckland fighter factory has established itself as one of the best combat sports gyms in the world. So it’s no wonder aspiring athletes would come knocking, looking to hone their skills under Eugene Bareman, Doug Viney and their team of martial arts experts.
As we’ve seen with Australia’s UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski, it’s not just Kiwis – and he’s not the only example.
With his career at a ‘‘crossroads’’ and having seen the waves Adesanya and Dan Hooker were making in the UFC, rising Aussie fighter Cameron Rowston decided to make the move across the Tasman at the start of 2019 to train at City Kickboxing (CKB).
Almost two years on, he hasn’t looked back.
‘‘It was a bit of a big move but I was at a crossroads and it was either go all in or go and find another career,’’ Rowston told Stuff. ‘‘So I decided to go all in.
‘‘I moved over here because I saw how well the gym was doing so I decided to come over and just learn as much as I could from Eugene and Doug and all the other coaches at the gym.
‘‘I just knew that these guys are smart, it’s working for them, they have a very good process in place so I’ll just be a blank piece of paper and just let everything happen.’’
The next step in Rowston’s development is tomorrow’s King in the Ring in Auckland where the next super cruiserweight champion will be crowned. Rowston, CKB team-mate
Robel Hailu and Wellington’s Navajo Stirling are among the emerging fighters vying to be the last one standing in what shapes as a wide open eight-man elimination tournament.
New Zealand’s premier combat sports series, the King in the Ring is a proven stepping stone to the international level and City Kickboxing athletes have been at the forefront.
The previous 92kg winner, Carlos Ulberg, has just been signed to the UFC, joining teammates and fellow former ‘Kings’ Adesanya and Hooker on MMA’s biggest stage. UFC lightweight Brad Riddell is another CKB fighter who made his way through King in the Ring.