As a competitive soccer player in her youth in Okinawa, Japan, Liz Carmouche admits she wasn't a fearless competitor. "Before every game for five years, there were aggressive, carnivorous...
When Joe Heiland finished his college wrestling career, becoming the first member of his small-town family to graduate from college, he knew he wanted to keep competing.
As usual, the conversation about a fighter's life and background begins with a question about the beginning. For Australian fighter Jessy Jess, that meant growing up while "going around in a...
The first time Mike Mucitelli accepted an MMA fight, all he really wanted were some tickets. With an interest in martial arts, Mucitelli called a local MMA show to see if he could go. The ne...
When Brian Kelleher was young, his mother worked at a bowling alley. Being around the lanes turned him to the sport, and he got good. Real good. Now the Bellator 95 fighter and New York pros...
Steve Mocco was nearing the end of his long and distinguished wrestling career, and he had turned his attention to coaching the Lehigh University wrestling team. He wasn't sure if compe...
Tyson Steele is well aware of the fate that might have awaited him if he didn't find jiu-jitsu in his spare time and continue to an MMA career. Steele's hometown of Carlyle, Saskatchewa...
Jan Blachowicz grew up more as a soccer player, basketball player and a boxer in Poland. He was in an area with plenty of mountains and other outdoor activities available, especially be...
About three years ago, Todd Schmauss was working through life as a personal trainer and volunteer assistant wrestling coach. With a history in wrestling stretching back to his well-known...
Jeff Rexroad was just beginning to build his martial arts skills when, like many other times during his military and civilian careers, he was called to go to a different country. This wa...