Horbury MMA youngster Joel Scholey competes for England

Joel, 15, recently took part in international competition in Abu Dhabi when he represented England in an MMA tournament and found it a fantastic learning experience as he won his contest against an opponent from Mongolia and lost to a Tajikistan competitor.

"From going to Abu Dhabi I have learned a lot more and gained more incredible experience,” said Joel.

"I was the only person out of Wakefield to go do this and I am looking to do this again next year. I train MMA five hours a day everyday and I have been doing this for the last two-and-a-half years.

"MMA now is a part of my lifestyle and everything revolves around it.

“In this time I have done many grappling competitions, winning matches and having many K1 and MMA fights.”

Wakefield Trinity assembling a talented squad for 2023 says John Minards

Joel trains at the Powerhouse Gym in Ossett and he is grateful to his coaches for his rapid development to national and international level.

He added: “To say I have only been doing it two-and-a-half years my coaches James Power, Alex Thompson and Adam Russel have all taught me everything I know and built me up in such a short amount of time to be able to go do these things.

"I enjoy my time training, learning discipline and confidence. MMA has changed my life.”

Joel has the backing of local councillor Simon Fishwick, who said: “This young man is a fantastic ambassador not only to his community but to Wakefield. I fully endorse and support him on every level.”