 Instructor Name:Liam Kerrigan
Head Instructor Liam Kerrigan began his training at Tong Dragon MMA in 1995. His training began with and continues to be in submission grappling, Muay Thai kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Doce Pares escrima...
Contact:lk1988@comcast.net
Other Information:
Liam began his training at Tong Dragon MMA in 1995. His training began with and continues to be in submission grappling, Muay Thai kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Doce Pares escrima. He has trained consistently over the years and earned his first degree Black Belt in 1999. That same year is when he began competing in submission grappling tournaments throughout the Northeast. His first tournament was the Garden State Games in 1999, which he placed 1st.
Liam has never stopped competing since. He has competed countless times in all of the events for the North American Grappling Association (NAGA), Grapplers Quest and any other tournament he can get too. He was a leader in competition for the Tong Dragon Kids Competition team earning NAGA Kids Team Titles for 3 consecutive years of 2000, 2001 and 2002. The Team has been ranked in the NAGA Top10 Teams since 1999. He earned his 2nd degree Black belt in 2001.
Liam has also been ranked as the #1 Male youth in both gi and no gi since 2002, as nationally ranked by http://www.mma.tv/. He has won countless 1st, 2nd and 3rd place medals in multiple divisions for weight, age, above both and absolute. In 2003 Liam competed in the First Annual No Gi Pan Am Tournament in California. He placed first and became a Pan Am Champion at age 14! He soon earned his 3rd degree Black Belt in 2003.
Liam began to train with TDMMA BJJ instructor Fernando "Cabeça" Sarmento Jr. in 2002 when Fernando came to Tong Dragon. He earned his green belt in 2002 and trained hard to achieve his blue belt. He earned his blue belt under Fernando in September 2004 after winning 3 gold medals at the NYS BJJ Federation Tournament including 2 superfight victories both by submission. In April of 2005 Liam traveled back out to California to compete in the 2005 BJJ Pan American Games. He won the Gold for his dvision at age 16! Liam received his purple belt in September of 2007 from Fernando. He received his brown belt in BJJ in 2010. Liam has also trained and competed on his high school wrestling team, Central Regional High School.
In 2007 Liam began his amateur fighting career. He ended his amateur career where he finished at 5-1-1 in amateur MMA, 1-1 amateur boxing and 2-0 amateur muay thai. He also has won 2 Amateur MMA 159lb Championship titles. One for Reality Fighting and the other for New Breed Amateur Fight League.
In September 2009 Liam went Pro for MMA in Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat. He currently holds a pro MMA record of 3-1-1.
Liam also earned the rank of Apprentice Instructor under Eric Colňn from Sifu Richard Bustillo of the International Martial Arts & Boxing academy. He did this in September of 2008. In 2011 he was awarded his Associate Instructorship under Eric Colon by Sifu Richard.
Liam has been pictured and appeared in multiple grappling magazines discussing the Teams results and his accomplishments. He continues to train Muay Thai, submission grappling, Doce Pares Escrima and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Tong Dragon MMA. He is the head instructor for the children's program. Liam has also traveled to Brazil with the academy to train in our Annual Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Summer Camp at Nilton Ferrierra's Academy in Salvador, Bahia. |
