A St Helens carer and mum-of-five has stepped into the mixed martial arts cage to raise £10,000 for several charities close to her heart.
The efforts of Tarita Gore, 50, have now been recognised after she received the award for being the ‘Most Inspiring Participant in 2025’ by Ultra Events – ahead of 18,000 other competitors. Having previously participated in white collar boxing matches with Ultra Events, Tarita this time decided to take part in one of Ultra’s mixed martial arts contests.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is the fastest-growing combat sport on the planet, and differs from boxing insofar as it takes place in a ‘cage’ or octagon, and participants are also allowed to use their legs and do ‘holds’ on opponents. It mixes elements from different martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling, and boxing.
