BEN HUDSON WILDE | A PRAETORIAN MMA SUCCESS STORY
Today, Ben Hudson Wilde is one of the most recognisable young coaches at Praetorian MMA.
He helps coach the MMA Kids and Teens programme, works with younger students throughout the week and is becoming an increasingly important part of the coaching team. If you spend any time around the club, there is a good chance you will see Ben helping newer members, supporting younger students or putting in extra training long after most people have gone home.
What makes that remarkable is where his journey began.
THE BOY LOOKING FOR HIS PLACE
When Ben first joined Praetorian MMA, very few people could have predicted where he would eventually end up.
Like many teenagers, Ben wanted to belong. The difference was that he often went about it the wrong way.
When he first arrived at the club, people did not always warm to him. He tried too hard to fit in. He tried too hard to make people like him. Sometimes his behaviour pushed people away rather than bringing them closer.
Many people only saw the surface. What they missed was that underneath it all was a young man searching for direction, purpose and somewhere he felt accepted.
Before joining Praetorian MMA, Ben had already experienced challenges that many teenagers never face. He had not attended school in the traditional way, struggled socially and alcohol and poor choices had already become part of his life at an age where most young people should simply be worrying about homework, sport and friendships.
At times, it would have been easy for people to write him off.
Some probably did.
Martyn Styler never did.
SEEING SOMETHING OTHERS MISSED
One of the themes that appears repeatedly throughout Praetorian MMA's success stories is belief.
Long before somebody becomes successful, somebody has to believe they can become successful.
Martyn saw potential in Ben when many others struggled to. That did not mean making excuses for poor decisions. It did not mean lowering standards. If anything, it meant the opposite.
Ben was challenged. He was held accountable. He was expected to improve, expected to behave better and expected to earn opportunities rather than being handed them.
At times, Martyn found himself defending Ben behind the scenes when others had already made up their minds about him. Not because Ben was always right, but because people often failed to see who he could become.
Over time, that belief started to matter.
Slowly, Ben began changing.
FINDING BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU
Like many athletes at Praetorian MMA, Ben's journey started with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
The mats gave him something he had been missing.
Structure. Accountability. Goals. A reason to keep showing up. A reason to improve.
During his early years, Ben trained under a variety of influences and coaching styles. He spent time learning from Gregorio Acousta Tomas during Gregorio's period at the club and gained experience from the different training opportunities available to him.
Most importantly, however, he continued building his foundations at Praetorian MMA.
Training became a habit. The habit became part of his identity. The more time he spent on the mats, the more he began changing as a person.
THE ROB REVOLUTION
When Rob Goodson joined the coaching team in January 2024, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu programme at Praetorian MMA evolved significantly.
Rob's attention to detail, emphasis on pressure, positioning and strong fundamentals had a major influence throughout the club.
Ben was one of the athletes who benefited from that change.
The standards rose. The expectations rose. The technical level rose.
The result was another important stage in Ben's development. His understanding of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu improved dramatically and his confidence on the mats continued growing.
DISCOVERING MMA
Whilst Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gave Ben a foundation, Mixed Martial Arts became the direction that truly captured his attention.
This is where another important influence entered the story.
If Ben were asked who his coach was, there is a good chance he would point towards Kieran when discussing his MMA development.
Kieran's aggressive, forward-pressure style and competitive mindset resonated with Ben. The relationship helped shape the way he approached training and gave him a clearer direction for where he wanted to go.
Through MMA, Ben discovered a challenge that demanded complete commitment.
The more he trained, the more focused he became. The more focused he became, the more he matured.
LEARNING FROM EVERYONE
One of Ben's greatest strengths is that he has never limited himself to learning from one source.
He has absorbed knowledge from everyone around him.
He has trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Rob. He has worked closely with Martyn for years. He has benefited from Nathan Johnstone's arrival and the additional technical depth Nathan has brought to the programme.
He develops his striking through training with Christian Bloomfield. He learns MMA through Kieran. He trains as much as possible with Martyn.
He attends sessions whenever opportunities arise.
Most importantly, he asks questions. He studies. He listens. He learns.
Ben has become the type of athlete who continues training when nobody else is around. Whilst others go home, he often stays. Whilst others rest, he often asks for another round. Whilst others are satisfied with what they know, he looks for ways to improve.
That dedication is one of the biggest reasons for his success.
CHANGING HOW PEOPLE SEE HIM
Perhaps the most impressive part of Ben's journey has nothing to do with combat sports.
It is the way he has changed as a person.
The teenager who once struggled to fit in has become somebody people actively seek out.
Students ask him for help. Parents trust him. Teammates respect him. People enjoy having him around.
The young man who once tried desperately to make people like him has become somebody who no longer needs to.
His actions speak for him. His work ethic speaks for him. His character speaks for him.
That transformation is worth more than any medal.
GIVING BACK
As Ben developed, he began taking on more responsibility within the club.
Today, he helps coach the MMA Kids and Teens programme, supporting sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30pm and helping younger students develop both technically and personally.
He is also expected to play an important role in the future growth of the club's Friday MMA classes.
For younger members, Ben represents something powerful.
He is proof that people can change. He is proof that your past does not have to define your future. He is proof that hard work, accountability and consistency matter.
Many of the students he now teaches would struggle to imagine the teenager he once was.
That may be the greatest compliment possible.
THE FUTURE
Unlike many success stories, Ben's journey is still only beginning.
His ambitions now extend beyond coaching and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. His focus is firmly fixed on Mixed Martial Arts.
Working alongside Martyn, Kieran, Nathan, Christian and the wider coaching team, he continues developing the skills required to compete in MMA.
The goal is clear.
To eventually step into the cage and test himself as a fighter.
Whether that happens in 2026 or beyond remains to be seen.
What is certain is that Ben will be prepared when the opportunity arrives.
Because preparation is what he does.
MORE THAN A SUCCESS STORY
Ben's story is not really about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
It is not really about MMA.
It is not really about coaching.
It is about growth.
It is about accountability.
It is about somebody being given an opportunity and deciding not to waste it.
The difference was not talent.
The difference was time, support, accountability, hard work and a willingness to change.
Ben Hudson Wilde's story is still being written, but it is already one of Praetorian MMA's greatest success stories.
START YOUR OWN JOURNEY
Ben's story started by walking through the door. If you are thinking about starting Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA or combat sports for yourself or your child, Praetorian MMA has clear pathways to help you begin.
