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It's the Welsh Valleys, and a lot of young men here are brought up rough and ready.

More than a few of them come to this gym deep in the Gwent Valleys. Some have come straight from the youth offending service, others have either been in prison or on the verge of being sent there.

The gym's head coach, the man who's working hard to give them a channel for their aggression, is in no doubt.

"A lot of the boys we've got here - particularly the ones in their early 20s - would say they'd have probably ended up in prison if they didn't come here," says Richard Shore.

Surrounded by the natural beauty of the South Wales Valleys, the Tillery Combat MMA Academy is on Blaina's quiet and unassuming High Street.

Tucked away from the main road and guarded by tall black fencing, you could blink and miss it. Step inside and it suddenly seems ten times bigger.

The walls are plastered with posters of professional fighters and medals dangle from the walls in a proud display of the success of some of the gym's fighters. Hardcore and rap music is blasting from speakers. It's a combination that's helping the people training within the gym's four walls get closer to their goals.

Those goals, however, are very different. There's a civil servant in his 40s sweating it out after several hours in his office job. But just a few feet away is the first ever Welsh fighter to reach the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the fastest growing sport on the planet, whose biggest star, Conor McGregor, was recently paid around £23 million for his boxing match against American boxer Floyd Mayweather (who was paid around £77 million).

(Image: Richard Swingler) (Image: Getty Images North America)

Back in Blaina, Jack Marshman, who won on his UFC debut in Belfast just under a year ago, has become the inspiration for others dreaming of success to follow and helped the story of what's happening at Tillery Combat rise to the surface. Now it's done that, it wants to continue to grow.

A decade ago, Richard "Shaky" Shore, the gym's head coach, told the 12 men who took the first ever session that he would get one of them into the UFC.

"It's been a long road," he said.

"When we first started we were training in a cellar under a nightclub which was eight metres long and four metres wide.

"We had no funding but then the reputation of the club grew. I knew back then, from this area, there's not a lot for people to do. A lot of the youngsters are brought up rough and ready, they're aggressive by nature and we try to give them a platform to channel that aggression into something positive and maybe earn money by becoming a professional fighter.

(Image: Richard Swingler) (Image: Richard Swingler)

"Back then I knew with my mindset and the work ethic and the goal I had for the club that we would eventually get someone into the UFC.

"After doing all the local circuits, travelling around the country and across Europe we finally got there so it's really pleasing for me, it's a goal achieved. It's given a lot of lads an outlet. Some of the lads referred to me have come from the youth offending service and have been in prison or on the verge of going to prison.

"We've got a fantastic atmosphere and togetherness, we're a real team. But at the same time we've got standards. They know we don't tolerate fighting on the streets or people taking drugs. They come here, get their head down, and if they're serious about the sport this is the place to be."

Now in his mid-40s, Richard is focusing on passing on his knowledge to the next generation, having himself represented Great Britain in jiu-jitsu at the World Martial Arts Games 10 years ago.

And his hottest talent now is arguably his son, 22-year-old Jack, known as "Tank".

As with Messrs Calzaghe, Eubank and Spinks, father and son are working together towards one goal: reaching the top and staying there.

The gym's other fighters use words like "frighteningly good" and "seriously dedicated" to describe Jack. They are convinced he's "going to be a real star".

The featherweight could find no further suitors after an amateur MMA career in which he won all 12 of his fights, meaning the only option was to turn professional.

As of May 2017, the talented youngster boasts a 5-0 record as a pro, blowing away a much-fancied French opponent Konmoh Deh to catch the attention of fight fans the world over. And with that success, a dream call from the UFC edges ever nearer.

"We're not far away," adds Richard.

"I set myself targets every year. My aim would be, in the next 12 months, to get another two fighters into the UFC.

"It would be unheard of for an unfashionable club based in the valleys in South Wales, without any sort of financial backing or sponsor, to take it from 12 members starting nine years ago to one of the most established clubs. I believe now that we are a top three club in the UK and one of the best in Europe. The next dream is to get it to a world level."

It's not an overnight process. Richard says a lot of people arrive at the gym hoping for a quick fix and have left after a couple of months.

"It doesn't work like that," he says. "Success doesn't just come from being a gifted athlete, it comes from hard work."

Jack certainly hasn't been afraid of putting in the graft. He captained his local rugby side at the age of 15 but dedicated his life to MMA to bolster his chances of achieving his goals.

(Image: Richard Swingler) (Image: Richard Swingler) (Image: Richard Swingler)

Packing three gruelling sessions into a day six times a week is no mean feat, and it's something the featherweight is doing to ensure the world continues to take note. He's gearing up for the sixth fight of his pro career against undefeated Italian Federico Mini at Cage Warriors 87 in Newport on October 14.

"Everyone at the gym knew how good I am, I know my own talent and what level I'm at, but the fight in May proved that to people from the outside looking in," said Jack.

"It really got my name out there and it's now put me in a position where I can progress. People like Conor McGregor have taken the sport to a whole new level and there's a big buzz around it now so if anyone's 50:50 just give a try and you can do some amazing things."

Amazing things indeed. But regardless of what Jack goes on to achieve in his career, the Welshman will never forget what Tillery Combat has done for him and the other 11 who dared to dream when all seemed lost just 10 years ago.

"This place is like my second home," added Jack.

"I probably spend more time here than in my house. I was always in martial arts, but as soon as this place opened, since I was 12 years of age I've been up here five days a week at least.

"I take pride in this place. Nothing makes me happier than representing my country but representing the gym aswell. With the likes of Jack Marshman, our name is getting out there now."

His sentiments are echoed by Kris Edwards, another fighter who has shown Tillery Combat is the place to be to make a name for yourself.

"It means the world to me this place with all of the boys here," he said.

"Being able to come up here and train is something we love doing. We're like a family up here, inside and outside of the gym.

"We've all been together since the beginning, and there's ups and downs in this game. Jack Marshman worked hard for years before a lot of fans even knew him. He was in this circuit fighting along with me and Tank.

"Obviously Jack was the first one to break through and that's such an incentive to everyone else. Regardless of results, we all get together in the gym afterwards and start again."

But the gym isn't all about people who want to become the next big name in an ever-growing sport. Rob Lane, a 41-year-old civil service worker, heads here two or three times a week to work up a sweat after slogging it out at an office for hours a day.

"I've been training here for about 12 months," said Rob.

"At my age I'm not going to compete so it's just about getting a bit of fitness. I'm in a desk job all day every day so it's nice to get a bit of a sweat on in the evenings.

"I live two minutes down the road, there's always people to train with, it's always full and a good laugh and there's no egos here."