By James Bovington
A teenager from Harrogate has proven he has the ultimate fighting spirit after stepping into the mixed martial arts cage to raise thousands of pounds for charity.
Michal Zdunek, 19, recently competed in the West Yorkshire Ultra MMA showcase at the Village Hotel Leeds North.
A teenager from Harrogate has proven he has the ultimate fighting spirit after stepping into the mixed martial arts cage to raise thousands of pounds for charity.
Michal Zdunek, 19, recently competed in the West Yorkshire Ultra MMA showcase at the Village Hotel Leeds North.
Driven by a lifelong admiration for the sport, the former Rossett School student refused to let his lack of experience stand in the way of achieving a personal dream.
Explaining his motivation, Zdunek, an account manager who moved to England from Poland at age two, said:
I’d always admired MMA fighters who have the courage to give it their all in the cage.
I’d dabbled in Thai boxing before finding out about Ultra MMA. They arrange everything, putting on a glamorous show where novices fight a fellow beginner from their training cohort.
Training Hard for a Good Cause
The Ultra MMA organisation offers participants eight weeks of free, intensive martial arts training. In return, fighters commit to selling tickets to the showcase event and raising money for a charity of their choice. Zdunek chose to step into the cage to fundraise for The Stroke Association.
Zdunek joined a tight-knit group of local contenders—including seven young fighters aged 18 to 20—to train at Leeds’ renowned Bad Company Gym.
Recalling the intense preparation, Zdunek said:
I enjoyed every step of the process, including the gruelling training as the coaches pushed us incessantly to achieve. The atmosphere at the final show was thrilling.
A Hard-Fought Victory
On the night of the event, Zdunek faced off against Dom Williams from Wakefield in an exhilarating, fast-paced amateur bout. While the rules are adapted for novice safety—barring strikes to the head of a grounded opponent—the intensity remained incredibly high.
Following a relentless exchange of powerful right-hand shots from Williams, Zdunek managed to secure a spectacular stoppage victory just 15 seconds before the final bell.
Reflecting on the brutal nature of the bout, Zdunek admitted:
Dom is absolutely rock hard and he certainly gave me a beating. But it was phenomenal.
We punched each other hard in the face, and now we’ve become friends! It took immense courage, and we absolutely proved what we are made of.
Together, Zdunek, Williams, and 32 other local participants raised a massive £11,700 for various charities over the course of the evening.
Step into the Cage This November
Following his victory, Zdunek is moving on to compete in Muay Thai, but he is strongly encouraging other West Yorkshire residents to give combat sports a try.
Urging others to sign up, Zdunek said:
I’d encourage anyone to get into combat sports, whether it’s for fitness or competition. You learn incredible transferable skills while developing lifelong confidence. The next Ultra event is in November, so volunteers have all summer to get fit.
Ultra MMA will return to the Village Hotel Leeds North on 28th November. Free training camps are scheduled to begin this September.
Prospective fighters must be aged 18 or older by the time training starts.
To register for the upcoming training cycle, visit the official Ultra MMA sign-up page.
For Harrogate locals wanting first-hand advice on what it takes to survive the cage, Michal is happy to be contacted directly on Instagram at @michal_zdunek_sales.
