A 12-year-old athlete from Albuquerque is set to represent the country in jiu-jitsu at the International Combat Organization World Championship in France from October 14 to 18.
Jayla Perkins’ journey began when her family moved from California to Albuquerque, betting on her potential and training opportunities at Jackson Wink MMA Academy, a renowned training ground for professional fighters.
Her dream of becoming a fighter began at age 5 as she watched matches on TV with her father.
Tiana Perkins, Jayla’s mom, says it’s crazy to think that sometimes, when a 5-year-old tells you something, they could know what they are talking about.
Jayla is the oldest of six children, and over the years, she has competed in 12 states, earning more than 200 wins, including more than 190 submissions.
Tiana remembers pretty much every medal she has earned over the years.
The Journey Was Not Easy
It took her several different tournaments and tries before she got a single medal, or third place, even. And she kept sticking with it.
And just like any other teen, Jayla has life outside the mat. She is the only girl in her school’s football team, the Albuquerque Bulldogs.
Her grit and toughness stem from her early life experiences, according to her mother.
During Jayla’s early stages of her life, they were homeless, living in a car.
To her mom, it was where Jayla found her same flexibility in life–her initial foundation in her life has allowed her to have flexibility even in the face of uncertainty during competition.
Jason Howells, the head jiu-jitsu instructor at Next Move, says the innate toughness she has is easy to spot when she’s competing. He said Jayla looked the
Her Competition In France
However, they are facing a challenge. Jayla, her five siblings, and her parents need to get to France in October for the competition.
But, they’ve already got some help lined up from none other than UFC legend Jon Jones.
Jones and Jayla recently appeared in a viral Instagram post, where Jones promised to try to match the total amount raised in a GoFundMe campaign to help at least Jaylas secure passport, flights, lodging, and meals for the international tournament.
Jayla will compete on October 14 in France, where she will face top athletes from around the world.
