Bartlesville-area girl earns spot on USA team for kids MMA competition in Greece

An imminent trip to Europe by a Bartlesville 9-year-old girl MMA warrior was more than 2,500 years in the making.

Houston and Konchi Stout have learned their daughter, Alaina, has qualified to represent the USA at the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts World Championships in September in Greece.

The biggest challenge now is attracting enough sponsors so that Alaina and at least one accompanying adult can make the trip.

For Alaina -- who Konchi offered the nickname "The Enforcer" -- the 28-hour winged surge through the heavens would be her first jet flight.

"I'm looking forward to flying," Alaina said through her dad. "I can't wait to get to Greece. … MMA is my favorite."

In the short time since she's learned about the possibility of going to Greece, she's been on the internet checking out informational videos about the country, Houston added.

Meanwhile, Alaina is set to compete this weekend in Azle, Texas, for the Texas Youth MMA State Championship in her division.

She has covered a lot of miles for a person her age, bouncing from Arkansas to California and to Texas this weekend and hopefully to Greece in the fall (Sept. 27-Oct. 1).

Stout said he has tried to make the trips, all by car up to now, educational and enjoyable.

"I enjoy just having fun and seeing new things," Alaina said about her four-wheeled trekking.

In mid-spring 2023, Stout powered to the MMA national co-ed title for ages 8-9 at the GAMMA Junior National Championships held in Little Rock, Arkansas. Stout defeated three boys to capture the crown.

A few weeks later, Alaina competed in an international kids' MMA co-ed tournament in Ontario, California. She fought hard but didn't fare as well, due to a combination of illness and more rugged male competition.

Following this weekend's Texas competition -- in which Stout will again battle in the 8-9 division -- she will turn 10 in September. That advance in age also means she will compete in a girls-only division in the world championships in Greece.

Stout is almost undefeated against other girls since she began training and fighting five years ago.

"She's lost to another girl maybe three or four times out of 50 matches," said Houston, who operates the Pantheon Enterprises Martial Arts School and competitive team in Bartlesville.

The competition in Greece will be full MMA, with the exception of head strikes, Houston said. The young gladiators will be able to use arm bars, chokes, punches and kicks while trying to subdue their opponents. Stout will be part of the GAMMA Team USA representation.

It was more than 2,500 years ago in Olympia, Greece, when the forerunner to today's mixed martial arts was introduced in the 648 B.C. Olympic Games.

Labeled pankration (roughly translated as 'total combat'), the sport in 648 B.C. consisted of boxing, wrestling, kicking, holds, chokes, and so on -- similar to modern MMA.

The early combatants likely couldn't have imagined that millennia later it would still be a viable athletic endeavor for adults and kids throughout the world -- including a 9-year-old from Bartlesville named Alaina.

Although only 9 now, Stout is a battling veteran. She has fought in approximately 50 matches between kickboxing, MMA and judo tournaments, Houston said.

"Her strengths are she has a natural balance and flow to her," Houston said. "She has natural body mechanics to go along with that she is ridiculously strong for her size and age. She is very understanding of movement."

Those interested in sponsoring Alaina in this opportunity can call 918-332-5751 to learn more.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville 9-year-old earns spot in international MMA event