BRADFORD is being represented by two fighters and three coaches at the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation World Championships this week.

Marie Spencer, from Team Fulinkazan in the city centre, and Jackie Harper, from Aire Valley Martial Arts in Keighley, are fighting for Team England at the event in Bahrain which started this week and runs until Sunday. The duo will compete at flyweight and strawweight respectively.

Team Fulinkazan’s Joanne Doyle will be involved as head coach of the England women, while Fulinkazan head coach Mark Spencer and James Doyle – who coaches at both gyms – are also involved in coaching England.

Joanne Doyle is an active fighter herself but has opted to travel as a coach for this event as part of her senior role. She recently returned from the US, where she narrowly missed out on the World Class Fight League flyweight title.

She commented: "I am proud to be part of what is the largest women's team from this country at an IMMAF championship. The team is ready to go and it will be an honour to support and corner these fantastic athletes."

The 2018 IMAAF World Championships look set to be the most competitive in the tournament’s short history. Following an amalgamation with the World Mixed Martial Arts Association, more top level fighters are now competing on the IMMAF platform.

Earlier this year, Joanne Doyle won silver against Swedish fighter, Frida Vastamaki in the bantamweight final at the IMMAF European Championships in Romania. Following that she was appointed UKMMAF women’s team head coach, and has continued that role with Team England.

In 2016, she won the featherweight (65.8kg) gold medal at the IMAAF European Championships and bronze at bantamweight (61.2kg), at the Federation’s 2017 World Championships.