Ava is a two-time European Champ in a very tough sport!
Ava Tyrie is 15 years old and competes in the very physically demanding world of mixed martial arts and a measure of her amazing ability and total commitment can be gauged from the fact that she is already a two-time European champion and has won 2 bronze medals in the world championships in the last two years!
Her sport demands total commitment and willingness to put in an immense amount of time in the gym, huge focus on the development of skills - and a readiness to travel because competing at this high level has taken her to Belgrade for the European Finals twice and to Abu Dhabi for the World championships twice!
Loves her football too!
Not content with that little lot, Ava also enjoys playing football and she currently plays in goal for the Haverfordwest County Girls under 15 team that is coached by Mikey Loveridge at the Bridge Meadow Stadium.Of course, this demands more time commitment and travel because the team plays matches along the M4 corridor against clubs like Swansea City and Pontypridd, as well as training several times a week.
“We are a new team this season,” Ava told us, “and we are gradually growing in confidence with Mikey’s help, so our results have been promising as we are getting to know about each other as players.”
Family commitment to her sport
Going back to her main sport, her father Stuart is a well-known former rugby player and a leading coach of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA in Wales, which is where Ava started out as she went along with him to BJJ Pembrokeshire in Pembroke Dock, which he has built from scratch and is now a very successful club respected across Wales.Stuart has won MMA amateur and professional championships in his younger days and now has such a talented squad in Mixed Martial Arts that a number of them are involved with the Welsh National MMA team as reward for their talents – and for Stuart as the coach who has instilled the self-discipline that is needed alongside a huge commitment.
Ava’s sister Poppy (13) is already a participant in MMA and has won a silver medal in the European Championships as proof of her remarkable progress – and arguably the most vital cog in the family machine is mum Catherine, who has never wanted to take part but provides all the back- up, like sorting out arrangements, kit etc – and is recognised by her MMA trio as the best taxi driver in the world!
MMA Explained
By the time Ava was eight she had started to take part and showed talent and confidence from the outset, and two years later took her first steps in Mixed Martial Arts, where her work in BJJ was a great help.But there is a difference in the sense that in BJJ there is a reliance on gaining submission holds or a judge’s decision on points, but in MMA it is a mixture of wrestling, boxing, kick boxing and brazilian Jiu-Jitsu! There is another part of MMA that marks it as different because all the action takes place in a large cage, with a referee the third person inside, making sure that both fighters are OK - as the crowd sit outside and cheer their favourites on in a gladiatorial atmosphere!
In terms of kit there is only a gum-shield, gloves and shin pads - without the need for protective head gear because under IMMAF rules there are rightly no blows to the head at under 18 level.
Ava trains every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for BJJ at the club, with lots of fitness stuff to warm up and then a focus on skills which are then put into practice in sparring sessions - and MMA training on Mondays, Wednesdays and also Saturdays - and the evidence of that total commitment can be gauged from her successes so far.
Family matters . . .
In the Four Nations Championships (Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland) Ava pocketed a silver medal and then followed this up with bronze medals at the 2024 and 25 World Championships in Abu Dhabi, with dad Stuart in the corner of a very successful Welsh team that competed against opponents from around the world, including a large contingent from the USA, Ukraine, Israel and other countries.Then she was even more successful in the European Championships, both occasions in Belgrade, where she beat all three opponents, two by choke holds and the other on the judges’ decision at the end of the contest.
“They were very proud moments to receive both gold medals,” admitted Ava, “to stand top on the podium and hear the Welsh National anthem being played.
“I certainly couldn’t have done it without family support, because as well as dad’s expertise he has passed on to me, with mum Catherine a brilliant cheerleader and fantastic taxi driver who takes me everywhere I need.
‘Then there’s my sister Poppy (13), who is also started really well in Mixed Martial Arts in her 1st Championships winning a deserved silver medal in Belgrade in her age group, so I am proud of her efforts, too.”
Most MMA medals than any other Welsh competitor!
It is good to report that Ava’s success has been recognised because in November she was chosen as the winner of the Under 16 Junior Girls’ category at the PembrokeshireSports’ awards at Folly Farm - and already has a framed picture on the wall at Ysgol Harri Tudor (Henry Tudor School) in Pembroke.Her outstanding feats have also been recognised by MMA Cymru, who placed their congratulations on their web site for now being the most decorated (in terms of medals right across the men’s, women’s, girls’ and boys’ categories, which is amazing for a 15 year old!
And finally . . .
In chatting to Ava recently, PembrokeshireSport.co.uk was immediately impressed by how modest and mature Ava is; someone who is firmly grounded and without any showing of how well she has done. Much of that is down to Catherine and Stuart in their support of their daughter.
She is a credit to her family, club and country and we wish her every success in the future, feeling absolutely sure that we will be hearing lots more about her progress as time goes by!
**Ava would like to thank her generous sponsors that helped her win the Euro’s last year, the bronze medals at the world’s, also last year, and for becoming European Champion for the second time recently.
*BJJ Cardigan
*Big Brums
*Brolec Electricians
*Enviroventure
*Tenby House
*The Highgate Inn
*Welch & Co Solicitors