Sheffield MMA fighters win on major South Yorks show
Sheffield Shootfighters enjoyed success on the recent Caged Steel show at Doncaster Dome as Charlie Chambers and Gabriel Bell both won their amateur MMA bouts by knockout on what is considered one of the most prestigious shows in the North.
Chambers, 29, described his bout with Glasgow’s Marcus Anderson as a “tight fight but with a well-deserved win” in front of the mainly South Yorkshire crowd. “Although the opponent had started well, I adapted quickly and halfway into the second round I delivered two powerful shots to his head which had him down both times with the referee stopping the contest with about a minute to go. My winning shots were both with the right hand but were set up differently. I was proud of my performance, showcasing what I can do for all those people to see.”
Middleweight Chambers fighting at 84kg works full time as a scaffolder. “My partner and I are also preparing for the arrival of our first child. Work has to accommodate my training. I did sessions morning and night for this contest and my record is now four wins and one loss. I’ve been with my club for eleven years and over that time I’ve coped with various injuries. I love everything about MMA which has been a consistent outlet for me helping me focus through the stress that life can throw at you and allowing me to express myself.”
Gabriel Bell lives in Eckington where he grew up and started MMA training four years ago. He’s been with Shootfighters for a year. Fighting at 93kg, light heavyweight Bell won his sixth amateur MMA contest over Birmingham’s Ben Ojog. “There were some vicious exchanges in this bout which I’m sure thrilled the crowd. The noise from our supporters suggested so anyway. I didn’t feel in danger at any point. I’m proud to have kept my 100% finish rate. I’m already back in the gym training and am proud to have won four of my six amateur contests.”
“We planned correctly for Gabe and Charlie to deal with their opponents,” said coach Sam Boult. “Exactly what we expected would happen did, and they executed it perfectly. They're brilliant fighters and it's an absolute pleasure having them both at the club. Gabe is looking to get a fight matched shortly.
“Sheffield Shootfighters has been around for almost a quarter of a century and we’re keen to welcome new members. Best if they just turn up. We’ve got a Kids MMA team that’s growing by the week and on Wednesday afternoons at four we run Mind Body connect which brings MMA to vulnerable people.”
“Gabriel and Charlie are exactly the type of athletes Caged Steel is built for,” explained Alex McReynolds head of marketing and matchmaking at Caged Steel. “Both bring heart and skill to the cage, with a willingness to test themselves against strong opposition. This drives the level of competition on our shows. Caged Steel provides high-quality opportunities for elite athletes like Gabriel and Charlie to showcase abilities and build profiles in front of a live crowd and global livestream exposure. We hope to see them under the lights again throughout 2026.”
Shootfighters are located at 110 Duchess Road S2 4BL. Contact them via e-mail [email protected] or @sheffieldmma on Instagram. Caged Steel 43 takes place on July 4. Tickets are already available at https://www.caged-steel.co.uk .