There are many MMA gyms in the world and they all share that one thing in common, family. They all have different styles, different characters but they are all similar in the fact that each member feels as though they have a second family they can bond with. This is the case at Kosov Kourt. A facility that is more than just a gym but a hub centred on community and the uplifting of all people. Nika who is dubbed the Queen of the Kourt has always espoused these family values and always held strong community connections where ever she goes. She has built something special and unique within the MMA community and anyone who visits the Kourt will tell you it is an experience like no other.
My name is Alec Banderas and I am a reporter for Kosov Kourt website that keeps the glob up to date on the ins and outs of the gym.
Nika and Tatenda are getting ready for their fights and both are training hard with people flying in from all over the globe, naturally, they have to be tested and isolated until the results come in but Nika manages to run a smooth ship and results are normally with the fighters within a day. The gym is always active as it runs 24/7. It offers food service for the homeless 24/7, it has a number of beds available and showers are always free. But the main part of the gym is to produce champions. Currently, Christian Ibanez is the only fighter here with gold to his name and it is regularly praised, he is a close friend to Nika and in part gives her the credit for where he is in the world. He is an inspiration to all who step foot inside the Kourt and is an active member who runs classes, helps out with the charity work and helps scout for new talent to bring in. He was the one who found Tatenda, he was impressed with the raw power and grappling skills he possessed and saw something of himself in him, he wanted to nurture is talent and give him the opportunity Nika gave him.
Tatenda is 6’6 and pure muscle but his physical form is the only frightening thing about him, to talk to he is a gentleman and a sweetheart. He is always polite and has fit well within the Kourt. He comes from a poor neighbourhood in Zimbabwe and has had to battle a lot of adversity to get where he is and around 70% of is money gets sent back to his family. He has had a lot of fun this camp and feels he has learnt a lot already. He recently said “I feel like I’ve had a new world open up for me and my strengths have gotten stronger. Eric is in for a long night I feel. I kind of don’t want a stoppage, I want to showcase my skill set but obviously I’m going to try and hit him with everything”.
He is looking good in sparring and his physical condition couldn’t be any better.
Nika is constantly busy, her life seems hectic at times and the closest to her worry if she sometimes does too much. Since her father’s passing, she has thrown herself into the gym way more. Her training has gone well and she has been pushing her BBJ more as she is determined to get a submission finish. Since her loss to Knight Nika has put more emphasis on getting the fight to the floor and working her magic there. She had this to say, “ Did that knock out throw me off, yeah, if course it did. I wasn’t expecting it, I had every confidence in myself to get the victory and the fight never even got started before it was over. People say I’m rushing into this fight but I don’t think so, I’ve been prepared to fight since a little girl and I’ve hand plenty of losses along the way. If people think the same thing will happen again they have another thing coming. Trixie is a great fighter and this is a great opportunity to show people I’m the real deal. Losses don’t define you, how you come back from a loss does.”
She is raring to go and her sparring has been special to watch!
The night after GCC:11
A mixture of emotions for the team, Tatenda went out and dominated with a striking clinic which scored him his first victory with Kosov Kourt. But Nika took a brutal beating and showed just how tough she is in there, she was always looking to engage and was willing to fight to her opponent's strengths.
The Queen may not have won but the team remains in high spirits as she wouldn’t allow for anything else!