By IMMAF.org lead writer, Jorden Curran 18-year-old mixed martial arts competitor Flynn Booth will make his international amateur debut this month at the IMMAF Oceania Open Championships in Melbourne, Australia. [caption id="attachment_17127" align="alignright" width="630"]
Flynn (left) and Howie Booth (right) – photo via Otago Daily Times[/caption] Booth was born into a life of martial arts. The New Zealand native and Team Hammerhead product is the son Howie Booth, himself a veteran coach having also served as a UFC judge, in addition to being a certified official under IMMAF and the New Zealand MMA Federation (NZMMAF). Since his 18th birthday last September, the young Booth has kicked off his amateur MMA tenure going 2-0, boasting first round stoppages on each occasion. Booth now steps up to the IMMAF platform, set to compete in the Men’s Lightweight bracket. “Flynn has been around us since the day he was born,” Team New Zealand coach, Matt Toa, explained. “His father, Howie Booth, was my first trainer, he’s also an IMMAF and UFC official. On his 18th birthday last year, Flynn had his first fight and won by round-one KO. Two months later he had his second and same result, a first round KO.” Also representing New Zealand, 26-year-old Ezekiel Wetere bounces back into action, ready to show what he can do after an early exit from the 2017 IMMAF World Championships where the Middleweight competitor lost out to reigning IMMAF European champion, Dario Bellandi. In addition, amateur MMA and kickboxing competitor Anne Wilson represents New Zealand for the first time, the 29-year-old will compete in the Women’s Flyweight division. Sarah Archer returns to the New Zealand team for the first time since 2016. Archer took home bronze medals from the 2015 and 2016 IMMAF World Championships, competing in the Women’s Strawweight brackets. Age 26, she now targets gold and a triumph that will get the ball rolling for a prominent 2018. The New Zealand national amateur team has built itself a repetition for success with regular gold medal winners at the IMMAF World Championships. Last year, and following their 2016 success, New Zealand was solidified as a top-10 nation in the IMMAF World Rankings as Gase Sanita secured the 2017 Women’s Lightweight title, accompanied by Strawweight silver medalist Hannah Dawson. The 2018 Oceania Open Championships take place from 16-18 March at the Arnold Sports Festival in Melbourne, Australia. For more tournament details visit MyNextMatch.com.]]>
