Author: Ed Kapp

Jason House’s days begin early and often end late, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

“I don’t get out of bed; I jump out of bed,” the 28-year-old CEO and founder of Iridium Sports Agency says.

“I love this.”

House, the son of an entrepreneur-turned-deputy-sheriff and a long-time waitress, usually begins his day around 5 a.m. From there, House likes to drive to Irvine’s Team Oyama MMA and Fitness to put in some training time on the mats or in the weight room—“whatever I can get it in,” he says.

After training, House, the recipient of hundreds of phone calls and emails throughout any given day, “hits the phone” to touch base with his more than 40 clients, coaches, promoters, sponsors, journalists and other associates. The proud owner of a car that has logged more than 12,000 miles over the past few months alone, House spends much of his day behind the wheel—whether it is to drop off new equipment or supplements for his clients or to sit down with coaches.

House, an alumnus of the University of La Verne in his native California, works hard these days, but he isn’t exactly a stranger to putting in long hours.

As a full-time law school student, House worked under Ken Pavia at MMA Agents—where he got his start on the management side of the fight game—a law firm and also waited on tables during the evening at the local Outback Steakhouse.

“Part of the blessing of going to law school and doing the things that I’ve done,” the Diamond Bar product says with a laugh, “is you learn how to manage your time.”

At 25—an early start by all accounts—House, who had recently left MMA Agents but wasn’t yet ready to walk away from the prospect of intertwining his passion for fighting and his education, created Iridium Sports Agency.

“When things didn’t work out with Ken, I just wasn’t going to let my dream fall apart like that,” he says. “I looked at my dad and my dad said, ‘Listen, son, I started my company with nothing to my name. If you want it bad enough, you can go get it,’… He said that whenever we watch the fights—we used to order all the events at the house—I was going to be wondering if I could’ve done it.

“‘You can do it if you want,’ he said, ‘So I suggest you go do it.’”

House decided to take his father’s advice—and a $2,000 loan.

There were some doubts at the onset, to be certain. But within the first year of Iridium Sports Agency opening its doors—a busy 12 months by any measure—House had helped a 26-year-old Reuben Duran ink a deal with the UFC. Since that first major contract—a milestone for any agency—House has helped guide the careers of high-level mixed martial artists like Ian McCall, Shane Del Rosario and Francisco Rivera.

For House, the secret to his success is rather simple.

“It’s just hard work and being honest,” he says. “If you just work hard, keep your nose to the grind every day and you’re an honest man, people will respect you—you’ll have their trust. This sport is all about trust.”

With the UFC and Bellator FC seemingly putting on more cards every month and smaller promotions sprouting up now more than ever before, House feels that the best is yet to come for his agency.

“The sky is the limit,” he says. “As long as we keep working hard and keep grinding every day for our clients, the sky is the limit. We have some really great clients coming up—we’ve got a really, really great group of guys coming up.”

Ed Kapp is a Regina, Saskatchewan-based freelance journalist. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations were obtained firsthand.

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Rick Hawn made his professional mixed martial arts debut less than four years ago—a late start by all accounts—but age is only a number for the 36-year-old lightweight.

“I was kind of a late-bloomer in judo and it was kind of the same thing with MMA,” the Eugene product said. “I still feel young even now, but back then as well. It was a new sport, so it was scary, but I looked at guys like Randy Couture who started at the same age and he was super-successful and doing great things way into his forties, so that really inspired me. If he could do it, I could give it my best shot, too.”

Within a week of officially retiring from judo, Hawn, a member of the United States’ 2004 Olympic squad, was working to make his mark in the then-unfamiliar world of mixed martial arts. It may have been a quick turnaround, but it was a move that Hawn planned on making well before he first set foot in an MMA gym.

“I enjoyed watching it when I was training judo—I was a big fan of MMA,” Hawn said in retrospect. “And it was something that I really wanted to do when I was done doing judo.”

In just a few short years, Hawn has gone from a highly touted rookie to a bona fide emerging star in mixed martial arts.

Hawn, a two-time Pan American medalist in judo, won his first eight professional matches—including six by way of stoppage—before signing with Bellator FC in 2010. Hawn made it to the welterweight tournament final in 2011, but lost a split decision to Jay Hieron. After Hawn’s loss to Hieron—the lone blemish on his professional resume—he dropped to lightweight and registered three consecutive victories en route to claiming the organization’s 155-pound tournament crown in May.

Hawn’s time spent on the mat gave him a leg up over fellow newcomers in MMA, but it is his work ethic, he feels, that is responsible for the bulk of what he has so far accomplished in the cage.

“I’m never satisfied with my results or my training; there’s always room for improvement,” he said. “That’s what is great about martial arts—you can never be perfect. You have to keep training for what it is that you strive for. You know you’ll never get there, but the journey and the trip there is pretty amazing.”

The next stop on Hawn’s journey is to be Bellator 85 in Irvine, Calif., on Jan. 17th, where he is to return to action against Michael Chandler for the Bellator FC’s lightweight championship. Hawn’s next match is arguably the biggest fight of his life—although he is treating it as another day at the office—but he feels that the best may be yet to come.

“I’ll go until my body says I can’t do it anymore,” said Hawn, who feels he can reach the pinnacle of his sport. “I don’t listen to the critics or when people say, ‘He’s this age,’ or ‘He’s that age.’ That means nothing—it’s about how I’m performing on a world-class level and being successful. I could be 50 years old and if I’m still competing at a top, world-class level, then why stop, right?”

Ed Kapp is a Regina, Saskatchewan-based freelance journalist. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations were obtained first-hand.

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For Tamikka Brents’ two most recent mixed martial arts matches—an amateur and a professional tilt—she made her way to the ring with a rainbow flag.

Brents, perhaps unsurprisingly, has a fairly straightforward explanation for her choice.

“I just wanted to show people that I’m out, I’m proud about it, I don’t care,” the outgoing 24-year-old Springfield, Ill., native said with a laugh. “Basically, just, ‘Yeah, I’m gay. You got a problem with it?’ I’ll punch you in the face, too (laughs).”

It wasn’t until after Brents finished her bouts—both decisive first-round victories—that her best friend gave her another reason to wave her flag with pride.

“She saw me come out with my rainbow pride flag and she said that she bets that for the younger generation who were trying to come out, it would boost their confidence to see someone in a mentor-type role or someone they look up to come out with that flag,” Brents said. “It helps them—it gives them that comfort that it’s okay.”

Fortunately for Brents, who told her family and friends that she was a lesbian about five years ago, she didn’t have a problem being open about her sexuality as many others do.

As such, Brents didn’t necessarily need a role model to help ease her transition.

“Coming out to my friends, they didn’t care,” she recounted. “I think the big hurdle was coming out to my parents, because I was thinking, ‘Oh, man, what are they going to do? Are they going to be cool? Are they going to cry and be sad? Are they going to be happy that I’m happy?’ Luckily, I finally came out to them and it was good. My dad was like, ‘Okay, so what do you want for dinner tonight?’”

For Brents, clearing the air and being open about her sexuality—truly being open about herself—was like taking a weight off her shoulders.

“When you’re not being your true self, when you’re not comfortable being your whole self around people when you’re not out, it’s just harder,” Brents explained. “You might not think of it as stress or something weighing on you, but it does. When you finally come out, you feel totally different…It’s like you can breath, you can be yourself.”

Brents understands, of course, that many people—including some in her social circle—aren’t as fortunate as her to have a healthy support system intact.

“I know some of my friends had to deal with their parents disowning them and, when they heard that my dad was super accepting of it, they were like, ‘Wow,’” she said. “I guess I just got lucky.”

Brents has some words of wisdom for both those who are on the verge of coming out and those who oppose homosexuality.

“In my opinion, just do it,” Brents said. “Get together and just do it. If it’s bad, it’s bad. But it’s like ripping off a Band-Aid; you don’t want to do it slow, you’ve just got to take it off. Just do it. If it comes out where it’s bad and they don’t like it, well, at least it’s off your chest. You can’t control other peoples’ emotions and actions, so go on and get it over with so you can be happy with yourself.”

“I always say don’t knock it until you try it,” she added with a laugh when asked if she had anything to say to those who oppose homosexuality. “But I know not everyone is going to try it. I would just say go with what you’re feeling, but don’t hate or dislike somebody just because they’re different.”

Beyond that sound advice, Brents—who said her colourful flag will be at her side for the remainder of her fighting career—would be more than happy to serve as a role model in the future.

“I feel like I could give a lot of input and advice on situations…” said Brents, who is to return to action against Amanda Bell at Invicta IV in Kansas City on January 5. “I would love to be an advocate for the LGBT.

“That would be cool.”

Ed Kapp is a Regina, Saskatchewan-based freelance journalist. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations were obtained first-hand.

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To say that the past 12 months have been kind to Sam King as a martial artist would be something of an understatement.

King, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt under the highly respected AJ Scales at Regina’s Complete Martial Arts and Fitness, has entered the ring as an amateur mixed martial artist four times since December of 2011.

In each bout—including a 24-second TKO victory over Ian Odland at Saturday Night Fights 6 in Regina earlier this month—King’s opponent failed to reach the second round of action.

“I would say it has been the best year of my life,” the 21-year-old Queen City product said with a laugh after a recent training session. “I feel really good about the past year. The only thing that I didn’t win was one jiu-jitsu tournament. Everything else that I went to, I ended up winning.”

King, who trains with Scales six days a week, has tasted victory quite a bit recently, but he emphasized that he isn’t necessarily surprised by the success that he has found over the course of the past 12 months.

“I put my work in and I do my best when I’m in the gym,” King offered. “I make the gym my life, so that’s what I have to show for it—all the success that I’ve had.”

King intends to continue paying his dues under the watchful eye of Scales, though he admittedly isn’t certain what his future in MMA—in both the amateur and professional ranks—holds.

“I like to just live day by day—I don’t like to think too far away,” he said. “If you’d ask me that a year ago, I would have no idea that I’ve had four fights under my belt right now. We’ll wait and see what happens next December, right?”

Ed Kapp is a Regina, Saskatchewan-based freelance journalist. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations were obtained firsthand.

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In Shah Bobonis’ younger years, there was precious little that the Miami product wanted more than to make his living in the world of baseball.

“As far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a professional baseball player,” the 34-year-old recounted.

“My father was a left-handed pitcher who played semipro and winter league baseball in Puerto Rico. I grew up having some type of baseball practice every day when my father came home from work and on the weekends.”

Bobonis, a 52nd draft pick of the Seattle Mariners in 1997, never ended up making his living on the mound. But Bobonis, who likened himself as a pitcher to Tom Gordon and Turk Wendell, noted that his time in baseball did help lead him to a sport that he enjoys “exponentially more”—mixed martial arts.

“After my baseball career was over, I began boxing in the amateurs just to keep competing at something and stay in shape,” he said. “While at the boxing gym, I met Jorge Masvidal, who invited me to the Freestyle Fighting Academy.”

“And the rest is history.”

As a mixed martial artist, Bobonis, a brown belt under Miami’s David and Marcos Avellan, has won 15 of 23 professional bouts—including seven in a row dating back to January of 2011—and is a 135-pound titlist in Mexico’s Combate Extremo.

Bobonis, who now trains alongside Muhsin Corbbrey at Corbbrey’s Champions Training Centre in Savannah, defeated the previously unbeaten Cornelius Godfrey at XFC 20 in Knoxville in September.

While Bobonis, a professional mixed martial artist for the past five years, feels that the similarities between baseball and MMA are few and far between, his time on the diamond—as evidenced by his success—appears to have paid dividends in the cage.

“My time in baseball made me a person who longs for competition, no stranger to hard work and prepared me for the stress of competition,” he said.

“Shah is a true mixed martial artist,” Corbbrey said. “Many of the MMA guys out there are one-trick ponies. Not Shah. He focuses very hard on every aspect of MMA and is strong in every range. Shah trains daily with champion boxers, Muay Thai fighters and grapplers, as well as Division I wrestlers. When you fight Shah you really have to pick your poison, because he is dangerous anywhere the fight goes.”

Bobonis feels he could succeed in any sport he focused his efforts on and, as such, he feels that his future is bright in MMA.

“So far, I think I’ve just started to scratch the surface of my MMA career,” he said.

“When I walk away from the sport, I want to be known as one of the best bantamweights fighting in my era.”

Ed Kapp is a Regina, Saskatchewan-based freelance journalist. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations were obtained firsthand.

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Roli Delgado admittedly has modest aspirations at this point in his mixed martial arts career.

“Fighting to my potential, fighting free of anxiety and just performing,” the 31-year-old offered when asked what he would like to accomplish before he hangs up his gloves.

But Delgado, a co-owner of Little Rock’s Westside MMA, is quick to point out that martial arts will continue to play a prominent role in his life long after he retires—regardless of his accomplishments in the cage.

“I don’t ever plan on walking away from the sport; I will just transition to coaching full time,” he said. “I love my students; they are some of the biggest assets in my life.”

One may wonder if Delgado, a self-described insecure, goofy, dorky kid growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, was born to be a fighter, but the three-time UFC veteran and victor in Bellator FC believes that he is a natural on the coaching side of the game.

“I enjoy helping people and it comes natural to me, to be honest,” said Delgado, who began teaching Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a purple belt at a university club nine years ago.

“I’ve gotten better over the years, but when you really want to help people it shows and they really try to do you proud.”

Since Westside opened its doors in 2006, Delgado has had quite a bit to be proud about.

Delgado’s club, which is undefeated in its past 15 outings in Little Rock, has produced blue belts who have bested brown and black belts in tournaments and served as Hillary Williams’ home base during her quest to ultimately becoming a black belt world champion.

Delgado, who counts helping Williams beat Megumi Fujii to claim a bronze at the 2009 ADCC submission wrestling championships in Barcelona as one of his fondest memories as a coach, helped fellow Arkansans Seth Kleinbeck and Mike Wessel reach Strikeforce and the UFC, respectively.

“Communication skills, for sure, that and a true passion,” Delgado said when asked to what he attributed his success in coaching. “It doesn’t hurt that I’ve done everything that I ask my fighters to do. The guys that came up around the time I did really paved the way for this sport.”

Delgado, who is partial to coaching over fighting, is happy with what he has accomplished in MMA, but he feels the best is yet to come for him in the world of martial arts.

“I think the program that me and Matt Hamilton have set up is going to lend us to having many more fighters in big shows, as well as some top grapplers regionally,” said Delgado, who may return to competition in 2014. “ … I want to be known all over the world as a place in the middle of Arkansas where they grow tough fighters from scratch!”

Ed Kapp is a Regina, Saskatchewan-based freelance journalist. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations were obtained firsthand.

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