World class Steel City MMA
Two members of a Sault Ste. Marie mixed martial arts gym will be testing their skills on the world stage, while their coach will serve as the head master of Team Canada in Jakarta, Indonesia this December.
Hannah Horner and Brock Pinder will be representing Sault Ste. Marie’s Steel City MMA at the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts World Championships in three months, while their coach, Brent Fryia, will lead the Canadian team as its head coach.
Fryia noted that it was that it was a fortuitous meeting that led to the trio heading to the world stage.
“I was approached by someone connected to the American team, who had seen one of our fighters compete in Michigan … they wanted him on the USA team. When I told him we were Canadian they put us in touch with the local association. Canada hadn’t sent a team to the world championships since the pandemic and they really wanted to see us there. That’s how it started,” relayed Fryia, who is the owner and head coach of Steel City MMA in the Sault.
Horner and Pinder, who normally compete at 125 pounds and 145 pounds respectively, will each move up one weight class for this tournament due to the unique weight requirements of the tournament.
“Having to weigh in the morning of competition, up to three days in a row makes things a lot tougher … many people move up a weight class for this event,” explained Fryia.
The GAMMA world championships is an open event meaning both amateurs and professionals can compete. Horner and Pinder, who both compete as amateurs will be taking a step up in competition to test themselves against emerging professional fighters, as well as elite amateurs from around the world. The chance to wear the maple leaf and test themselves at this level is not lost on either competitor.
“Competing at this level isn’t something everyone gets to do in their lifetime. There’s more of an incentive to be the best fighter and person I can be when I know I’m representing my country,” Horner said of the opportunity.
“I feel honoured to be representing my country against opponents from around the world, I’m grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to the challenge.” echoed Pinder.
In the meantime, Fryia has been busy rounding out the Team Canada roster.
“Considering it was on relatively short notice, I think we’re putting together a really strong team,” noted Fryia who has reached out to fellow Canadian coaches to fill in spots on the team. “Ideally, we’d have a training camp to evaluate talent and select the team, but for now, I’m relying on coaches I know and trust to recommend athletes who can compete at this level.”
Of note is former Sault Ste. Marie resident and Steel City MMA member, Willow Morton, has also been named to the national team. Morton now lives in Toronto and trains at Hitters Fight club and Grant Brothers MMA.
Sault Ste. Marie residents will have the opportunity to see Pinder and Horner in action locally before they head to Jakarta, as they will both be competing at “Northern Fights” Kickboxing event at The Machine Shop on Saturday, Nov. 9. This event will serve as a final tune up before finishing up a rigorous training camp and heading overseas.