Can undefeated Frank Trevino become the face of Mexican MMA?

Seven years ago, Frank Trevino was 280 pounds and had never even considered training in MMA. Now he’s a welterweight and middleweight champion in a regional Texas promotion and hoping to become the face of Mexican MMA.

“I started back in 2006,” Trevino told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “I started watching a lot of UFC, and me and my friends started doing a little backyard activity and getting into it.

“I was a little on the hefty side at the time – I was maybe weighing anywhere from 267 to 280 pounds. I was always an athlete, but I let myself go after high school. I was petty heavy, and I got to the point where I said, ‘You know what? I’ve got to do something.’”

That something would eventually be MMA, but it started with muay Thai – even if only by mistake. Born in Mexico but now living as a naturalized citizen of the U.S. in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, Trevino (10-0) was hoping to box but ended up adding a few more weapons to his arsenal.

“I actually found a muay Thai instructor by mistake,” Trevino said. “He was teaching this guy at a local boxing gym, and we went by and checked him out. I had been going around and visiting other schools in the Valley. There was nobody that was offering actual, real stuff. They were offering what they thought they knew, but it wasn’t something that was going to be effective for real. It wasn’t going to help me.

“As far as karate and stuff like that, I didn’t think it was enough to help me out in the cage or even in self-defense. When I found Kru Kayan Sitsanthaparn, which is my instructor, I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the sport, with the culture, with the way of life. The work ethic is pretty much nonstop.”

Trevino later added Brazilian jiu-jitsu training to his routine, but his passion remained muay Thai. That quickly changed in a most unpredictable manner, when Trevino says an encounter with fellow Texas-based fighter Robert Villegas ignited a fire.

“I had an encounter with Mr. Robert Villegas,” Trevino said. “We had invited his school for a nice little smoker-type deal. They said they trained in muay Thai, so we had them over for a nice little competition. They came over, and we wiped the floor with them. No disrespect, but that’s just what happened. Then their instructor, Robert Villegas, came over like a week later saying that he only had two amateur fights at the time and that he was making a debut as a professional and he wanted to work on his striking. That’s the reason he came over to the gym.

“Me and him ended up going to the first two rounds, and it ended up getting a little bit more elevated than it was, and I ended up finding out he had other agendas to go in there and try to hurt any of the students that were a part of the school. I ended up finding out the guy was 6-0 as a professional MMA fighter. He’s a well-known black belt, and he came over with a real bad attitude. As a 235-pound fighter who was fairly new to the game, I think I schooled him. He might think he got the better of me, but I think I got the better of him. He was the one getting frustrated and sucker-punching me after the bell. That says it all. You don’t have to sucker-punch somebody if you’re winning.”

So in August 2008, Trevino debuted at “South Texas Fighting Championship 3: War Zone,” a card that also featured Mexican import and current UFC fighter Erik Perez, who was actually 0-2 as a professional at the time.

“I ended up winning by armbar, even being a striker,” Trevino said. “It was kind of weird. That little bit of jiu-jitsu I learned in that little time was enough. It helped me a lot.”

Trevino since has reeled off 10 straight wins to open his career. All 10 victories have come under the South Texas Fighting Championship banner, and he owns the company’s 185- and 170-pound titles. He’s hoping the big show comes calling soon, and even though he’s now a U.S. citizen, he’s hoping to serve as a representative of the Mexican MMA fanbase.

“I think it’s growing more than people think,” Trevino said. “I think if (UFC President) Dana White would take a trip over to Monterrey for a little bit – maybe he’d have to have a couple of bodyguards with him to make sure nothing happened to him – I’d say he’d be very impressed. They’ve got shows out there in Monterrey. I did my first muay Thai smoker over there, and it was a crazy event. We had more than 60 fighters that night, more than 30 fights, and it was all muay Thai. It was very, very crisp muay Thai.

“There are a lot of schools out there that are very, very knowledgable in the sport of MMA, and they actually have a Gracie Barra academy there in Monterrey. I know the sport is growing as far as popularity and following and whatnot as far as the people in Mexico.”

Currently, that honor falls largely to two people: UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and hot prospect Perez. Trevino is a fan of Perez but isn’t so sure Velasquez is a proper choice for that title.

“He wears ‘Brown Pride’ tattooed on his chest,” Trevino said. “He should have that erased, I’m sorry. If you’re going to wear a tat on your chest, live up to it. It’s not just fighting. It’s the love of the people. That’s brown pride.”

But before Trevino can try to lead a nation, he’s got to get himself on a platform that will allow him to do so. With eight stoppages in 10 career wins, the undefeated prospect believes he’s ready for that opportunity.

“As far as the UFC goes – or a big show – I’m ready,” Trevino said. “Let’s do it. I’m 10-0 right now. I don’t know what else to do as far as getting attention. Maybe this year I’ll see if I can turn some heads.”

(Pictured: Frank Trevino and Wanderlei Silva)