Jack Shore launches striking-only Stand and Bang promotion in Wales

Former UFC fighter Jack Shore is moving into combat-sports promotion with the first event under his Stand and Bang banner. BBC Sport Wales reported that the show is scheduled for Saturday, 22 August at Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre, nearly two years after Shore retired from professional mixed martial arts.

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The card is set to include 23 bouts staged inside a 20-foot boxing ring. Competition will be limited to striking, with takedowns and grappling excluded. Most of the contests are expected to use MMA gloves, creating a format that Shore believes can appeal to spectators who find ground fighting difficult to follow.

Shore said the judging will focus primarily on damage, although ring control, defence and more difficult techniques can also affect scoring. He developed the idea after friends told him they attended MMA events specifically to watch him but were less interested in bouts featuring athletes they did not know, particularly when exchanges moved to the ground.

The event was announced in March, and Shore has since dealt with late withdrawals that required fights to be rebooked. He told BBC Sport Wales that reaching fight week and staging a show the crowd enjoys would represent success, regardless of whether the first promotion makes money or breaks even.

Shore has remained involved in MMA as a coach since ending his fighting career in December 2024. He retired at 29 after compiling a professional record of 17 wins and three losses. His career included a rise into the UFC bantamweight top 15 before he moved to the featherweight division.

Now 31, Shore said he has received offers to compete in boxing, kickboxing and grappling but has not been persuaded to return. He continues to spar while coaching and acknowledged that the temptation has not disappeared completely, though he described himself as effectively retired. For now, his focus is on building Stand and Bang and using his experience as a fighter to shape how participants are treated.