Two members of the Pukekohe Mixed Martial Arts Club will be attending the Amateur World Mixed Martial Arts Championship in Belgrade, Serbia in February.

Local fighters Gene Jeremic and Owen Erskine will represent New Zealand as they face competitors from 35 other countries when the competition begins on February 12.

Jeremic (Pukekohe) and Erskine (Waiuku) train out of the ExtremeMMA gym in Pukekohe. Both men are NZ Grappler Gold medallists in their respective weight divisions.

“We are not the type of gym that wouldn’t do all of this without a purpose,” coach Ben Yeoman told Counties Sports Hub.

“It is a 20-hour flight, leaving behind your families, spending a lot of money, asking people to help raise funds – we are going there to hopefully bring back a couple of world titles.

“These boys have worked their arses off – right through the Christmas period knowing this was coming. There was no resting or anything.”

A brutal schedule awaits when the two fighters get to Serbia with five fights on five consecutive days.

“With five fights in five days our guys need to be ready physically but also be mentally focused as well,” Yeoman said.”

The gym is raising money to fund their trip with carwashes, raffles and a Give A Little page set up.