Friday, May 22, the Emerald Coast Convention Center will host life mixed-martial arts cage fighting in an all-ages show. Three fighters from Milton’s own Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and mixed martial arts (MMA) group, Team Remedy, will compete: Jeff Slezak, James Allen, and Shawn Swafford. According to Head Coach Tra Alidor, Slezak and Swafford will be competing in an MMA event for the first time.
According to Alidor, Allen, from Pensacola, has been training on and off four the last five years. He brings a 2 and 2 MMA record to the fight. He described Allen’s style as well-rounded, and athletic.
Swafford, Alidor said, has no other fighting background other than his last 2 years with Team Remedy. From Pace, Alidor said, “Shawn is a freestyle fighter that’s laid back. His nickname is ‘Just Chill.’”
Slezak is the more veteran fighter of the three as Alidor said he’s “been doing martial arts most of his life,” and training with Alidor for the last two years. Alidor described Slezak as a technical striker with a good ground game. Slezak’s first ever MMA fight will also be his last with Team Remedy as Alidor said the former military man with a wife still in the Navy are getting stationed in California starting in June. Alidor agreed this fight sounds like a send-off for Slezak. “Jeff has been a good friend of mine for about five years and I’m going to miss him.”
According to Alidor, his classes have grown since last summer. “Some nights are small, but some are big…I have had 21 people in one class.” He said most come for BJJ but a few for MMA. Starting Monday, Alidor said the team will start training at a Berryhill after school care facility on Berryhill Road. For details, contact Alidor at 572-1226.
Follow THIS LINK for a video of Allen and Swafford training for Caged Combat 6.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: MMA: Three Milton fighters prepare for Caged Combat 6 (with video)