My First MMA Fight: Legacy 51, Grand Casino Hinckley, Hinckley, MN, Friday, February 5, 2016
On Friday, February 5, I took my first MMA bout on the big Legacy 51 promotion up in Hinckley, MN at the Grand Casino. The main card was televised on AXS TV, and Dana White, president/owner of the UFC, was in attendance. It's rare to get to make your debut on a show this big, so I'm happy I accepted the fight on 2 weeks notice, and I'm proud of how I fared against a well-known Minnesota jiu jitsu black belt and former collegiate wrestler.
So, how'd this even happen? Muay Thai fighters aren't supposed to just drop-in to the MMA world, especially not against a jiu jitsu black belt! Well, I was literally bugging my coach on a Friday, and he came to me with this fight on Saturday. I was asking to be considered for any MMA matches that may come up, thinking that maybe I could get on a card 6-8 weeks out. I wanted to stay busy ahead of my Muay Thai tournament schedule set to kick off in April. As luck would have it, so to speak, an opening became available on the Legacy 51 show, where the original opponenet had backed out for whatever reason. The show was looking for a last second replacement, and we jumped on it.
I want to be known as a game fighter. My plan to this point has been to learn by volume, I don't have the time to carefully plan and pick a couple of fights per year. I'm in this for different reasons. I want to show others what is possible, and that they can do this. I want to show myself what is possible.
The fight went all 3 rounds, and I dropped a decision loss, but I was able to stop quite a few takedown attempts from my opponent, and I landed a few heavy shots that clearly rattled him. However, he was able to get me to the ground and kind of hold on for dear life until the fight was over. I expected him to be able to submit me if the fight went to the ground, but I was able to stave off his submission attempts. Takedowns score highly in MMA, so though my opponent didn't do any damage, the points earned from the takedowns also earned him the victory. All-in-all, a great experience for me. The bout was professionally recorded by the AXS TV film crew, and should be made available online at some point in the future.
As always, thanks to my coaches, teammates, and sponsors...and to my family for backing me on this crazier aspect of my life.
