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Life in the cage James Williams’ journey from Northern Games ambassador to MMA fighter Words by Dez Loreen / Photos by Shayla Snowshoe
James Williams is no stranger to athletics. Since he was a young boy, he was shown the traditions of the Northern Games from his uncle Donald Kuptana. Then throughout high school, Williams was always on the ice, eventually playing Junior A hockey for different teams across Canada. the first time, and within his first few sessions he already knew he wanted more.
NWT talent on the card, and it would be a great start for Williams’ amateur MMA career.
He was six months into jiu-jitsu training when a friend convinced him to give the combat sport (popularized in Canada by Georges St-Pierre) a try.
Then, almost immediately, an opportunity for a fight came up. He was given the Christmas holidays to decide if he would take his first fight with only four months notice.
That December Williams stepped into the ‘Just Fitness’ MMA gym in Yellowknife for
A super card was being made for Yellowknife, where he grew up. There was already some
It was a lot to think about. Even though Williams had a background in jiu-jitsu, being in a real fight would be much different. When competing in jiu-jitsu, there is no striking, only throws and holds. Williams knew he would need to increase his ability in the cage if he wanted to succeed.
But it wasn’t until 2012 that Williams found his true calling – in the middle of a cage as a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.
