Focus Mode – Kayne Isaac
Kayne Isaac is an MMA fighter from Gillingham, Kent. Training out of Granite Gym, he is currently preparing for his next bout at MTK MMA where he takes on William Timmis for the MTK RDX Amateur Bantamweight title. With 6 weeks left of camp, UK Fight Site visited Kayne to get an insight into the man himself.
There aren’t many 19-year-olds that can claim 15 years of combat sports experience – but Kayne is one of them. Kickboxing at the age of 5 and BJJ at 11 years, he has already accrued more gym hours than many fighters do in their entire life. His skills have taken him the entire length and breadth of the country, as well as America. However, MMA is now Kayne’s main focus.
To date, Kayne has notched up a perfect 4 – 0 record. Although 4 victories on the bounce is impressive, what’s more, interesting is the manner of his wins: all fights have ended by submission. This doesn’t make pretty reading if you’re Timmis or anyone else in the division for that matter. Kayne is a fighter with over 10 years of striking experience but has yet to use it.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Kayne. On the eve of a fight in 2017, he was informed that a close friend had been stabbed and subsequently passed away that night. Not wanting to let down friends and family who had bought tickets, Kayne fought and dedicated the victory to his friend. The following period was a dark time for him and for a whole year he lost all motivation to train or fight. When asked what brought him back to the game, Kayne pointed across the gym at Chris Garnett.
Chris is head coach and owner of Granite Gym in Rochester. He was the one who put the metaphorical arm around the shoulder, ensuring Kayne returned to the fold. Like the best head coaches, Chris’s role is not just teaching the intricacies of combat. The gym is a place of safety and self-improvement, where Chris mentors and oversees everything. It’s this approach that allowed Kayne to rediscover the love of the fight game. Since training at Granite Gym Kayne has improved as a fighter and as a man.
It’s often said that a fighter’s gym is his/her church. With the Granite Gym, you can take that saying literally. It is an actual church. Huge archways, pews, and all period features are intact. It’s a very surreal environment to experience. However gentle and calming the atmosphere is within the gym, the training is anything but. The sparring is as hard as I’ve seen in a training session. Whether it’s striking to the body and head, or takedowns to the mat, all fighters have an incredible intensity to the drills. It’s these sessions that will put Kayne in the best position possible when adversity strikes on 13th April.
Kayne is not taking this fight lightly. With family support, he now trains full time, dedicating most of his waking hours to improve as a fighter. He sees this as the first step towards a breakout year. If he wins, his profile will grow even bigger and there will be no shortage of opportunities for him to take. Kayne has an unbeaten record, a wealth of experience, time on his side and a supportive team behind him. Despite training in a church, I have a feeling prayers won’t be needed in order for his dreams to come true.
MTK MMA
MTK RDX Amateur Bantamweight Title Bout: Kayne Isaac vs. William Timmis
Saturday 13th April
York Hall, London
