ABERTILLERY soldier Jack Marshman will become the first Welshman to fight at the Ultimate Fighting Championships next month.

The 26-year-old, who has trained with Newbridge’s former world champion boxer Gavin Rees in the past, will make his debut at UFC Belfast against Magnus Cedenblad on November 19.

Known to many as Jack ‘Hammer’ Marshman, the fighter is a Lance Corporal with the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment.

He's been training at Tillery Combat MMA in Blaina for the past 10 years with Richard Shore.

Shore said: "It's been a long time coming. We've known about it since Monday – and I have to admit I shed a tear when I heard.

"I'm absolutely buzzing. Jack will be the first Welshman to ever fight in the UFC – that's something that nobody can ever take away from us.

"Jack's absolutely ecstatic. It's a lifetime ambition come true for him and this is the end game he's been fighting for."

Marshman has secured 17 of his 20 professional wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

He is already an MMA world champion after beating Christopher Jacqueline of France to win the Cage Warriors Fighting Championships world middleweight title in London in July.

Marshman earned his title shot by beating the very experienced Ali Arish on the Cage Warriors event at the Newport Centre in June.

And in July he travelled to the historic Camden Centre in London for the title bout, which was shown live on BT Sport and UFC Fightpass, with millions across the world tuning in.

The fight was the main event and Marshman was in brilliant form.

He was dominant in the striking from the start of the round and his pressure finally paid off with only two seconds of the first round to go.

He landed a perfect right hook that sent Jaqueline to the canvas, leaving the referee with no choice but to stop the fight.

Marshman became the MMA world champion after four minutes and 58 seconds of round one.

After that fight he said: "The dream for me now is to go to the UFC. Everyone wants to go to the UFC, that's the dream for every cage fighter.

"Now that I've won the world championship, I hope I will get signed by them."