UFC top-middleweight fighter Mark Muñoz held a press conference yesterday late afternoon at the Gold’s Gym branch in Quezon City, Philippines. Bleacher Report MMA, represented by yours truly—had the following exchanges with “The Filipino Wrecking Machine”:
Karlo Silverio III Sevilla: You’ve beaten Chael Sonnen in collegiate wrestling years ago. Now, when it comes to MMA fighting—how do you compare your MMA wrestling with Sonnen’s MMA wrestling?
Mark Muñoz: In MMA wrestling, Sonnen is better; I’m humble enough to say that. But I hit harder. My ground-and-pound is a lot better; my scrambling is a lot better.
He might take me down, but he’ll never hold me down—I’m the cream, and he’s water. I always rise to the top; I always come out on top. It’s not a certain technique, but it’s a mentality.
And Chael’s a great guy, great fighter, but I truly believe I can knock him out or submit him. And that’s the truth. I’m not trying to say this arrogantly, but I truly believe I can beat him up. And if he didn’t feel that way either (about beating me up), then there’s something wrong with him. You’ve got to have that confidence.
KS: You were sidelined by that elbow injury (from fighting Sonnen last January 28), and you’ve said you would be ready to fight only by June of this year.
You’ve also just said (earlier in the press conference) that you believe you’ll get a shot at the UFC middleweight title this year. You really believe you’ll fight for the title (currently held by Anderson Silva and to be challenged by Sonnen this June) within this year?
Not by next year?
MM: This year.
Muñoz exudes unshakable faith and confidence; in God, in himself and in the people around him (and that includes teammate and UFC welterweight star Jake Ellenberger).
The night before the press conference, he coached his fighter Raja Shippen (3-6) in Pacific X-treme Combat 29 in Pasig City. Shippen gamely challenged Harris Sarmiento (33-23) in the co-main event, but was stopped by the 56-fight veteran in the first round via punches.
“He’ll learn from this loss and rise again,” said the 2001 NCAA Division I champion from Oklahoma State University (OSU).
“I’ll stand by him. We’ll ride ’til we die.”
Evening had settled when the press conference ended. Muñoz proceeded to the mat area to commence his MMA clinic attended by Filipino MMA fighters and enthusiasts. There he proved that he teaches by example—explaining and demonstrating every drill before his students.
A former wrestling coach at the University of California, Davis and the OSU, Muñoz still coaches wrestling—and now MMA fighting—at his Reign Training Center in Orange County, Calif.
He finds being a coach difficult and easy at the same time.
Difficult because, as he admits: “I run the gym, and I train myself. I try to excel in all things.”
“It is easy because I live to teach.”
A silver medalist in the 1998 World Junior Wrestling Championship, he also expressed his desire to help the fledgling Philippine wrestling team. He is willing to conduct clinics at the National Wrestling Gym when he revisits (this is his first), and contribute to getting Philippine wrestling on “the map.”
He adds: “I walk out every time with pride, with the three stars and the sun (symbol of the Philippine flag). I’m proud to be Filipino.”
There is a paradox with this coach and fighter’s “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” nickname; after all, outside the Octagon, he is actually a humble builder of people’s lives.
I did not finish watching his MMA clinic, did not get past the warm-up exercises and witness a demo of Muñoz’s feared Donkey Kong ground-and-pound. It was time to take my wife and two little boys to Sunday mass.
Saint Pio Chapel was just across the highway from Gold’s Gym. During the sermon, the priest preached, “A man who has faith sees many possibilities in life.”
Mark Muñoz is a prime example of that man—and fighter.
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