Carman’s Jared “The Rebel” Revel is gearing up for his first professional kickboxing fight next month after spending the past decade as one of the top professional middleweight MMA athletes in western Canada.
Growing up in Carman as a hockey player, Revel moved from his home to British Columbia in 2002 at 18 to try out for a junior hockey team. The hockey didn’t work out, but he stayed on the West Coast and started his adult life there.
He worked several jobs and was playing beer league hockey when he felt he needed something more for exercise. Revel and a friend joined a martial arts class to get into shape and learn something cool.
Revel took to it quickly, and after winning the first Jiu-Jitsu tournament he entered, he was hooked and dove deeper into the sport.
His first MMA (mixed martial arts) fight was in 2012 as an amateur. Over the next two years, he compiled a 5-1 record while winning the Battlefield Fight League (BFL) Middleweight Title. In 2014, Revel made his pro debut for the same promotion and won.
In 2019, after ten pro fights and an 8-2 record, Revel became the Middleweight Champion and defended the title multiple times. In 2023, Revel was inducted into the BFL Hall of Fame for his illustrious MMA in the BFL. He still has the BFL record for most wins in middleweight history, most submissions, most finishes, and most title wins.
Revel’s pro-MMA fighting record is 13-4. His last fight was in June 2023, and he is currently on a two-fight winning streak.
He’d seemingly won it all in his fighting discipline and was ready for a new challenge. So, with that said, the now 40-year-old Revel is moving to the world of kickboxing and is getting ready for his first professional bout.
Revel will be fighting against Ethan Schultz on Nov. 16 at the Angel of the Winds Casino and Resort in Arlington, Washington, for the Middleweight Pro Kickboxing Title.
“I’m very much looking forward to trying kickboxing out in a fight like this,” said Jared Revel. “I’ve been training for it for the past few months at my gym and I think I’m ready to give it a good go. I’ve always loved kickboxing and the techniques involved with it, so it should be a great challenge.”
Revel also recently signed a contract with the new Global Fighting League (GFL), which will start next year and possibly take him around the world for MMA fights. He is officially eligible for the GFL MMA Draft, slated to take place on Jan. 15, 2025.
The GFL will introduce teams based in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas. Each team will compete in a league and team-based model that promises to revolutionize the sport of mixed martial arts. GFL athletes will receive 50% of the league’s revenues, ensuring their financial well-being and active participation in the league’s success.
Revel is also involved with the RebelFire Mixed Martial Arts school in Langley, British Columbia, which trains people of all ages in mixed martial arts. The RebelFire MMA Gym provides a variety of classes, including grappling, striking, MMA, kids’ grappling, kids’ kickboxing, and open mat sessions.
“It’s been very rewarding getting to work with these kids and our numbers in our school have been great and continue to climb since we started it up,” said Revel.
Despite spending most of his time on the West Coast now, Revel is still a Manitoban at heart. He still enjoys cheering for the Winnipeg Jets and enjoys all the time he gets to spend with his family and friends from back home.
“I get back to Carman to see my family every now and then. My folks are great and come out to the West Coast too to visit my brother and me and their grandkids, so I very much enjoy whenever I’m able to see and spend time with them.”
