Burlington mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Bobby Poulter will be participating in BTC Fight Promotions’ 25th event, BTC 25: Legacy, on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Children’s Arena in Oshawa.
Poulter has been practicing MMA since 2014 when he discovered a love for the sport after only a short time.
“I got started when I moved to Burlington from Thunder Bay when I was 17,” he said. “I had to start a whole new life, and I had nothing else to do. I found myself in the gym, and from there I found a community. I knew this was my thing.”
Poulter started learning MMA without any background in combat sports, but has taken to it quickly in the welterweight division.
“I started with MMA,” he said. “I had no base beforehand. I never had a background in wrestling, no Jiu Jitsu, no Muay Thai. I went into my first fight camp without any experience in hand-to-hand combat whatsoever, but at this point I’ve studied them all. I’m a complete mixed martial artist, everything I’ve learned has been from an MMA style.”
Poulter currently has five wins and two losses on his record, with most of his victories ending in a knockout. The majority of Poulter’s fights end in the first round.
Poulter said that his competitive nature is what has helped him take to the sport so quickly, and has an extensive athletic background outside of martial arts,
“I’ve been competitive my whole life,” he said. “I’ve been competing in athletics since I was five years old. I played high level lacrosse, hockey and football. I’ve been competing with others and myself since the earliest stages that I can remember, so it was easy to just walk in there, start training and see that direct line to compete. You have to train, you have to work hard, but you can go in there and do very, very well. It’s an average man’s sport, if you have the drive and work ethic then anyone can do this.”
Poulter’s opponent at the event is Sanad Armouti, from Boston, Massachusetts. Armouti has a record of three wins and two losses, and holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is regarded as one of the best martial arts that an MMA fighter can learn.
Despite being lined up against a tough opponent, Poulter is looking forward to the experience.
“Coming into this fight, I feel great,” he said. “I feel like I've settled back in because in my last fight, I got to fight three rounds. Most of my fights end in the first minute to two, so I feel like I'm ready to go back in there again. I'm a couple of wins away from hopefully getting a big shot either in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) or in the PFL (Professional Fighters League), so I’m treating this fight just like a championship fight. To me, it's everything.”