Ashley was awarded his black belt, while still standing on the podium of the British Open in 2015, a competition he had won. The belt was tied around Ashley’s waist by long-time coach Chris Rees and Braulio Estima, becoming (at the time) the youngest Welshman to ever be attributed the black belt (21).
Ashley also ventured several times into the world of amateur mixed martial arts (MMA), although not with the intent of making a career out of cage fighting, simply to test his ground efficiency.
Main Achievements