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A teenager from New Brighton has won his first big fight in a mixed martial arts match.
According to Birkenhead News, Nathan Brogan, 16, secured a £500 victory with a 'buggy choke' submission in an under-70kg bout at Steven Henshall's Ikigai grappling event in Bury. The contest was a rematch against Sam Holladay, whom Nathan had previously faced in March of this year.
The teenager secured his first paid win in the fight.
However, the teenager has plans to join the sixth form college at Wirral Grammar School for Boys alongside competing. The 16-year-old has been competing since he was very young. Starting out, he began with Brazilian jiu-jitsu at Next Generation in Birkenhead, where he still trains today. When he was 12, he moved on to Thai boxing and MMA fighting.
"Like many other younger fighters, my ambition is to fight professionally on the MMA world stage and earn a place in the UFC," said Nathan.
He went on to represent England at the IMMAF European championships in Serbia and world championships in Abu Dhabi in 2025.
"When I went to Serbia, I was the first English competitor not to have previously had an MMA bout, just BJJ, which is the grappling part of the sport," he said. "This year I'm hoping to attend a BJJ youth championship in Rome in October, and I'm preparing for my first bout allowing full head shots in December."
As well as his passion for sports, Nathan has combined this by getting involved with the Combat Sports Initiative run by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, which visits gyms offering training designed to counteract knife culture. "I enjoy their sessions and appreciate military personnel connecting with the community," he said.
His coach Paul Rimmer described Nathan as "a fantastic student representing his gym in multiple combat sports". Mr Rimmer also said the young lad could get to UFC-level competing.
Nathan's mother, Jess, also said he has been obsessed with combat sports since he was five years old.
The 16-year-old also shed light on his winning technique, which won him the match.
Nathan explained: "A buggy choke involves looping your arms underneath your legs to trap the opponent's head and arm below your armpit. It generally gets the submission."
