Broadcast on July 6, 2026, the weekly *Sports Monday* program from Belize opens with a spotlight on one of the country’s most promising emerging combat sports talents, 18-year-old amateur MMA fighter Dominic Beaino. The SJC student and rising lightweight contender has turned heads across Belize’s amateur fight circuit after delivering one of the most impressive knockout performances in recent regional amateur history, ending his latest bout in just four seconds with a lightning-quick, lethal combination that left his opponent unable to continue.
Competing out of the Prevail Combat Club, Beaino carries an unblemished 4-0 amateur record, with no draws or losses to date. Weighing in at 153 pounds, the young athlete has drawn on the resilience tied to his Lebanese heritage, framing his approach to the sport around a philosophy that echoes the work of iconic poet Khalil Gibran: that pain fuels growth and deeper understanding. Beaino trains twice a day, four days a week, splitting his schedule between MMA technique work in the evenings and strength and weight training to build power and endurance. For the teenager, pain is not an obstacle to avoid, but a tangible, authentic experience that serves as a foundation for improvement. Beaino has his sights set on a professional MMA career, and the program extended well wishes for his future athletic pursuits.
Shifting to other key regional sports developments, the Orange Walk Running Rebels secured a critical comeback victory to even the best-of-five finals series against the Belize City Defenders. Heading into Friday’s match, the Rebels trailed the series one game to zero, but pulled off a hard-fought 60-55 win to level the bracket. The series will now return to Belize City for the next round of competition this coming weekend.
In fast pitch softball action, the ongoing Marconi Leal Fast Pitch Tournament hosted in Sandhill saw a dominant performance from the Guardian Bombers against the hometown Sandhill De-Trop team. The Bombers’ explosive batting and athletic defense overwhelmed the home side, putting up six runs in the third inning and an additional three runs in the fourth to seal a lopsided victory before the final frames.
Rounding out the week’s coverage, Belize’s under-17 women’s national volleyball team put up a valiant fight at the 2026 Central American Championships, narrowly missed out on a podium finish with a hard-fought five-set loss to Costa Rica in the bronze medal match. Despite the team’s close defeat, Belizean standout Jamielle Espejo turned in a historic individual performance, taking home three awards: Best Receiver, Second Best Attacker, and the tournament’s Top Scorer. Looking ahead, more international volleyball action is on the horizon for Belize, as the country’s under-21 women’s national team is currently competing in the Pan American Cup in Columbus, Ohio. This broadcast of *Sports Monday* was brought to viewers by the National Sports Council of Belize.