Northern Combat Invitational returns to Fort Nelson this summer for BJJ extravaganza

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — After a pair of events highlighting the best and brightest in the North Peace’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) community earlier this year, Northern Combat Invitational (NCI) will return later this summer.

According to promoter Clint Parker, NCI 10 and 11 will take place in Fort Nelson for the second time in its history. 

The Northern BC town previously hosted NCI 5 in June 2023. It was an event that Parker remembers fondly.

“It was so good the first time,” said Parker. “I was told by the local community they wanted something bad.”

“We’re going to have a 209-seat theatre and expect a sellout,”

The card is headlined by a grappling match between Fort Nelson BJJ’s Marcel Rains and Chuck Fowler of Fort St. John.  

Both described as “career men,” they squared off way back at NCI 1, with Rains emerging victorious.  

Parker says the two competitors have about 40 NCI bouts between them.

“Marcel has been running [Fort Nelson BJJ] for around two years,” said Parker. “He’s very active in the competitive scene, which is why I brought the event up the first time.” 

“Then Chuck, he’s a local guy who trains with us. He sits on the Chamber of Commerce. He’s a salesman and he’s always out working, always busy.  It’s kind of a cool matchup.”

Taking the co-feature spot is a matchup between Ryan Tuka and Glen Froese.  

Froese is no stranger to NCI competition, and according to Parker, he’s taken home some hardware.

“He’s won the ‘Most Heart’ award on my show a couple of times,” said Parker. “Then you have Tuka, he used to be a bigger guy.  Lost a lot of weight and fighting in a lighter class. I could see him and Marcel scrapping for a middleweight belt in the future.”

He says planning the card has been challenging due to the wildfire activity currently enveloping the Fort Nelson area, but he adds that the town’s people deserve high-caliber entertainment.

“When we did NCI 5, we were driving up to Fort Nelson [during the Donnie Creek wildfire] through clouds of smoke and I thought we’d be asked to turn back,” said Parker.

“But I feel for the people of Fort Nelson, and I want to give them something that makes them come to instead of everybody running away. I want to showcase something for them.”

NCI 10 features a children’s grand prix BJJ tournament. 

Although details aren’t finalized, Parker said he’d like to bring the finals of the grand prix on the evening card to showcase the children in the spotlight.

“Families always admire the tournaments,” said Parker. “They always say it’s something they can do with their kids.  So now, whenever I do a show, I want to try to do a kid’s tournament that day, so they can compete.”

“At night, the family can attend the main event.”

The event kicks off on August 24th with the Children’s BJJ Grand Prix during the day at Fort Nelson BJJ located at 5114 50th Avenue North starting at noon.

NCI 11 will start at the Phoenix Theatre, with doors opening at 6:00 p.m. on August 24th.

See Northern Combat Club’s Facebook page for more details.