On 14 November 2026, Onyx Combat Academy coach Tom Mearns returns to competition in Brighton, where he will face Allaeldein Elmaghrabi in a 79kg submission-only BJJ match at OXO.
For the people who know Tom as the coach leading our Thursday evening Submission Grappling and MMA sessions, it is easy to overlook how much competitive experience sits behind his coaching.
Tom has spent years testing himself in combat sports, from professional MMA at Cage Warriors and Bellator to submission grappling and catch wrestling. He is also continuing to put those skills to the test.
He is still competing. And he is still winning.
From professional MMA to the grappling mats
Tom’s published professional MMA record stands at 10–9 across 19 bouts: two wins by KO/TKO, two by submission and six by decision.
His career took him onto two of European MMA’s best-known stages: Cage Warriors and Bellator. At Bellator 200 in May 2018, his contest with Mike Ekundayo ended in the second round through an arm injury. Tom returned to Bellator in London in 2019 and continued competing on the Cage Warriors circuit.
His victories include Declan McAleenan, Joshua Onwordi, Jean N’Doye, Orlando Wilson Prins and Bailey Gilbert. He beat Onwordi by split decision in 2021 and Gilbert by unanimous decision at Cage Warriors 157 in London in 2023. His most recent recorded professional MMA appearance was at Cage Warriors 168 in March 2024.
That MMA record tells only part of the story. Moving his competitive focus towards grappling has meant new challenges and different rulesets.
Still competing. Still winning.
At the British Catch Wrestling Championships, Tom took bronze after a run of five wins and one close decision loss. The performance earned him an invitation to the World Catch Wrestling Championships.
More recently, he returned to the grappling competition circuit at NAGA — the North American Grappling Association — and took gold. The NAGA competition bracket provides the result record.
For students at Onyx, that matters. Tom still prepares for competition, manages the nerves before a match and makes decisions against an opponent trying to stop him. His coaching draws on experience that continues to develop.
Bringing competition experience to Onyx
Tom brings that experience to Onyx Combat Academy in Northampton, where he leads our Thursday evening Submission Grappling and MMA programme. Check the current Onyx timetable for session details.
His background fits the way we want grappling taught at Onyx. A takedown has to lead somewhere. Positional control needs a purpose. Escapes create transitions, and scrambles create opportunities. In submission grappling, the objective is to connect those skills and find the finish.
Tom has spent years solving those problems against resisting opponents. That perspective helps students understand both how a technique works and when to use it.
Beginners can build a sound foundation through structured coaching, while more experienced athletes can sharpen their transitions and decision-making. You do not have to compete to benefit from a coach who does.
Next stop: OXO Brighton
The next test comes on 14 November 2026 in Brighton: Tom Mearns against Allaeldein Elmaghrabi, at 79kg, under submission-only BJJ rules.
No cage. No striking. Just grappling and the pursuit of the submission.
Tom goes into the match with the experience of a long combat-sports career and recent success on the grappling circuit behind him. For the people he coaches, his willingness to compete is an example in itself.
Coaches ask students to deal with nerves, test their skills and accept that things will not always go their way. That advice carries a particular weight when the coach is still willing to do the same.
On 14 November, the coach becomes the competitor again. Everyone at Onyx Combat Academy will be behind him.
· Brighton, UK
Train with Tom at Onyx.
Explore our MMA and Submission Grappling programmes, meet the coaches and find a session that suits you.