This past weekend, on Saturday, July 22nd, hundreds of spectators flocked to the beach in front of La San Pedrana Bar and Grill at the Holiday Hotel for the third edition of the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) 501 Fight Night III: Trinity. MMA fans enjoyed an evening lined up with several fights (Jiu- Jitsu and MMA), with a main event that saw Belize City-based Rahyem Lambey take home the Featherweight title belt.
Organized by 501 Belize Promotions Ltd, the event was delayed by a short period of rain. When the rain ceased, the first fights in the Jiu-Jitsu category started around 8PM. One of those fights featured Thomas Godfrey from WAR Training Center in Orange Walk Town. Godfrey recently represented at the Central American MMA championship in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, where he won second place. He made a mark in the sport for Belize, bringing home the silver medal.
Following some intermissions, ring announcer, Patrick Peyrefitte introduced the first MMA bouts. Julian Duran took on Freddy Cucul. From the onset of the fight, Cucul went on the offensive, and at the end of the three rounds, he was declared the winner. This is Cucul’s first win since he started MMA. The next match ended with Nevin Duran emerging victorious over Anuar Codd.
The next fight had to be stopped before the third round. Kaylen Smith faced David Martinez in a match with plenty of action, leaving Martinez unable to finish the fight. With that, Smith was declared the winner.
Next, organizer Ian Williams invited fighter David Blanco to the ring to receive the Flyweight title belt. Blanco kept the belt after there was no one available to fight him. He hopes to defend this belt in a future fight. He invited anyone to challenge him.
The co-main event of the evening was next, and the crowd at La San Pedrana and on the beach continued cheering on the fighters. The second-to-last match saw Marvin Mundo take on Elroy Williams. Mundo took control of the fight from the first round and pinned Williams to the floor. Williams could not recover, and the referee had to stop the fight, declaring Mundo the winner. Williams experienced a brief breakout as he was determined to win. Afterward, he accepted the results and committed to becoming stronger next time.
As the evening continued, the anticipated match between Bryce Peterson and Rahyem Lambey drew loud cheers from the audience. The fight was fierce and only lasted two rounds. Peterson, San Pedro’s favorite, used his ground tactics as an advantage. However, Lambey proved more decisive and the dominant fighter in both matches. In the second round, Lambey pinned Peterson to the floor. Peterson tapped out after a chokehold. Lambey was declared the winner and gladly accepted the Featherweight title belt. He thanked Peterson for the challenge, and Peterson, wearing his Bantam belt, acknowledged his defeat and congratulated Lambey.
Following the fights, Island Flames and DJ Shyfta kept the afterparty going.
Organizers thanked everyone for showing up to support the 501 Fight Night III: Trinity event and all the sponsors that helped with their contributions. They include Tiburon Rum, Belikin Beer, Crystal Water, San Pedro Town Council, Triple-R, Drift in Belize, Gille-s Pour House, La San Pedrana, Holiday Hotel, Rum Dog, Xsite Belize Sailing and Adventures, The Truck Stop, Blue Bayou, Blue Water Grill, El Fogon, Brooklyn Bagels, ABN Golf Carts, 303 Bar and Grill, Stella’s Sunset Wine Bar, Estel’s Dine by the Sea, Coconut Café, Havana Cigars, CrossFit Wolf, Secret Beach Water Park, D’Family Café and Deli, and Level Up Barcade.
 501 Fight Night III: Trinity was held at La San Pedrana.){kind=link}