For over a month now, Austin Guarino’s name has been mentioned multiple times in phone conversations, emails, facebook postings and texts. Some people love him; some people love to hate him.
Either way, Guarino is a man on a mission to become the very best Professional HWT in the state of Georgia. He is 5-1 as an amateur and 2-0 as a professional. He has ripped through his first two professional opponents like a violent and dangerous F5 Tornado. This Saturday will be a good test for Guarino, as he faces Josh Lening who holds a perfect record of 6-0 as an amateur and is 2-3 as a professional.
Guarino trains with Warren Thompson of Iron Clutch, Team Quest (Dan Henderson, Dave Herman and Ovince St. Preux) and Justin Montgomery in wrestling. Guarino is known for his ability to stand and bang and has KO power in both hands and almost every other part of his body. His hands are deadly weapons that quickly leave his opponents waking up on the canvas, wanting to know what happened.
Gaurino is confident and well-prepared for his fight and feels he has shown growth in utilizing his skills with his previous opponents.
He credits his growth to the high caliber of training he receives on a continual basis. Guarino trains three times a day for three to four hours in the areas of cross fit, lifting and sparring. He says his cardio is at an optimal level due to cross fit training. Guarino has been very fortunate to train with some of the best in the world.
It is a far cry from how he started out, training in an old chicken house with equipment that was being thrown away in a dumpster. Guarino was very creative and made the most of what he had to work with, and it has paid off big time for him.
Guarino was discovered by Lane Collyer, and this is how it happened:
“It was definitely strange. After skiing, I went into a bar for pizza and a beer and somehow the bartender and I struck up a conversation about what I do for work and the barkeep says ‘Hey, I got a guy for you’ and I was of course hearing this quite a lot, not at all interested but met with him later and then gave him a shot. Crazy!”
Adrian Patrick is credited with making Guarino successful as a professional and has really helped get his name out in the “Who’s who among the MMA Elite.” Patrick says Guarino is the future in MMA and wants to help him by only matching him with progressive fighters who will challenge him.
Andy Foster, director of the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, says Guarino has a great deal of potential and needs to be tested against the best.
Guarino wants to fight three more times and then go into one of the big organizations and showcase his skills against the best in the business. He is not taking his fight with Lening lightly. He knows Lening is going to be a challenge he has to be prepared for. Guarino wants to take this opportunity to test the waters and see where he stands.
None of Guarino’s fights have lasted more than two minutes. He hopes that this one will so he can gage his performance accordingly, as well as give his family, friends and supporters something to watch as he headlines King of the Ring IV in Norcross, GA, this Saturday.
Guarino would like to thank his parents, Chris and Jennifer Guarino, for their hard work and support by allowing him to train full-time. He would also like to thank his coaches and training partner, Nick Smiley, for always being there for him.
He is especially grateful to his sponsors, Roswell Auto Brokers, and to American Body Works for his cardio and conditioning. Guarino knows that without the help of his family and supporters he would not be where he is today.
Only time will tell if Guarino will continue to be a repeat offender in the MMA world. If you are a fan of Guarino’s, you should not miss this fight. I am looking forward to seeing this young man in action!
King of the Ring IV
The Grand Ballroom:
6100 Live Oak Pkwy (Atlanta) Norcross, GA
Doors: 6:30pm
Fight: 7:30pm
(Off Jimmy Carter Blvd)
Buy Tickets Online at www.KoKings.net
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