The Will to Overcome
For the past three months I’ve been watching and editing interviews from my sociological study, Unlocking the Cage. I search for the similarities and differences in over 400 fighters, noting attributes that influence a successful career, and which attitudes don’t pay off. The project began nearly two and a half years ago, and I still try to follow as many of the fighters as possible, watching the ups and downs in their fight careers, as well as their personal lives. Being a fighter is not easy, and I have deep respect for any professional who enters that cage. I have even more respect and admiration for those men and women who have overcome adversity and battled their way to victory. That’s what this past weekend was all about.
Click to watch UTC pilot featuring Joe Lauzon (1:20 mark)
One of my favorite fighters is Joe Lauzon, the first UFC veteran I interviewed. Besides being a brilliant submission expert and exciting fighter to watch, the man has no quit in him. Anyone who witnessed the Jim Miller fight can testify to that. Joe’s real resolve was tested January when he discovered that his newborn son, Joey, had a cancer called Neuroblastoma. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for Joe, Katie, and little Joey, and I completely understand why Joe didn’t know if he’d ever fight again. Fortunately, little Joey is a badass just like his father and he’s doing well. His fight isn’t over though, and neither is his dad’s. Joe got back in the cage on Friday and finished off a very tough Michael Chiesa in the second round with a ref stoppage, earning his 13th performance bonus, and breaking the UFC record.
Click to watch interview
Michelle Waterson is a fighter from Jackson-Winkeljohn’s in Albuquerque, NM that I had the pleasure of talking with in August 2013. Michelle had won the Invicta FC atomweight title four months earlier, and was hard at work preparing to defend her belt. She talked about the sacrifices of being a professional fighter and how she managed to make time to be a mother and wife.
Instead of a reasonable 6-9 month period between fights, Michelle was stuck in limbo. Her contract prevented her from joining the UFC, and a lack of Invicta FC events kept her out of the cage for 17 months. It’s no surprise that she considered taking a break from the sport so she could get pregnant again and focus on her family. Nearly every fighter will tell you that the fight is the fun part, that training is the battle. Training sessions are not the glamorous 15 second clips you see in promos, and I couldn’t imagine being stuck in her position with no pay off for all the hard work. She stuck it out and was finally given an opponent. On Saturday, she fought Yasuko Tamada, overwhelming the Japanese fighter with the fight being stopped near the end of the third round.
Click to watch interview
Another fighter I interviewed while I was in New Mexico was Steve Garcia, a young man who had just suffered an injury that knocked him off the Bellator card I was in town to cover. Instead of being bitter about the injury, Steve spoke with such confidence that I had no doubt he’d be back. He believed that MMA was his calling, and the injury was simply a small setback. Steve went on to win his next three fights, extending his streak to four, and remaining undefeated, with a split decision win over Kin Moy Friday night at Bellator MMA 123.
One of the things I love about my project is that I don’t limit myself to hitting the biggest gyms and talking to the top-ranked fighters. I’m interested in every fighter’s story. Two who stand out had fought on a New England Fight card that I covered in 2012, and were again fighting for the organization last Saturday.
The first time I watched Bruce Boyington step into the cage, I was not rooting for him. A few days before, I had interviewed his opponent, Keegan Hornstra, at The Shop MMA in New Hampshire. Keegan had talked about how much the fight meant to him, and I watched him busting ass to drop the last few pounds. It was painful to watch Bruce land a devastating spinning back kick that knocked Keegan out at just 10 seconds in.
Click to watch interview
I interviewed Bruce a few days after the fight, when I stopped by Young’s MMA. He spoke about his life-long pursuit of his martial arts dream and his time in the Marines. With a family and full-time job, Bruce knew fighting wouldn’t be easy, but he was giving it what he could. The past two years have held some ups and downs in his career, but Friday night he stepped into the cage and was victorious, winning the NEF lightweight title via TKO in the second round.
Click to watch interview
The other fighter on the card was Derek Shorey, another fighter I met at The Shop. He had recently moved up to Maine and was training with Marcus Davis, a UFC veteran and one of my favorite interviews. In 2012, I watched Derek lose to John Raio, a tough, hardworking family man who now owns First Class Fitness and MMA. When I heard they were having the rematch on Saturday for Derek’s pro debut, I wasn’t sure who I should root for as I’d also interviewed John. John’s an outstanding guy but I had been following Derek’s difficult journey through his amateur career, and hoped things would finally turn around for him. I didn’t see the fight, but it sounded like John was winning the first round until Derek came through with the choke and a much needed win, proving to himself that all the sacrifice and hard work does indeed pay off.
I’m happy for the fighters that pulled off a win this weekend. My deepest respect goes to everyone that steps into the cage, dedicating their life to the sport, and putting it all out there in front of friends, family, and an often brutal crowd. These fighters can use your support, even if it’s simply liking their Facebook page or following them on Twitter. I hope you’ll also consider donating to the Lauzon Family’s Jimmy Fund Walk to help fight cancer.
Visit Donate.JoeLauzon.com to help make a difference.
