According to a report from MMA in Asia, beloved UFC featherweight “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung will be out of action until October of 2016 due to mandatory military service duties in his native South Korea. By law, South Korean men must serve in the military by the age of 30, and the 27-year-old […]
According to a report from MMA in Asia, beloved UFC featherweight “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung will be out of action until October of 2016 due to mandatory military service duties in his native South Korea. By law, South Korean men must serve in the military by the age of 30, and the 27-year-old […]
Ryan Bader’s 2014 campaign to reach the top of the light heavyweight division is yet to officially get off the ground, but things are certainly off to a bright start. Earlier this week, the winner of the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter inked a new four-fight contract with the UFC. The former Arizona State […]
Ryan Bader’s 2014 campaign to reach the top of the light heavyweight division is yet to officially get off the ground, but things are certainly off to a bright start. Earlier this week, the winner of the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter inked a new four-fight contract with the UFC. The former Arizona State […]
The Marines, enjoying someone fighting for them for a change. (Photo: MMAOnTap.com)
There is no shortage of military metaphors in the world of MMA. “War Diaz.” “War Penn.” Our athletes don’t just compete, they go to battle. Even that shirt you claim not to own is ‘an expression of combat known worldwide’.
But these are mere words. For a select few of the sport’s elite, the challenges they encounter inside of the cage are nothing compared to the trials they signed up for by enlisting in the armed forces. It turns out the reasons MMA fighters serve their country, and their experiences in the military, are as varied as anyone else’s. As we celebrate Veteran’s Day, check out a quick glimpse of their lives in uniform.
Thanks to the folks at Ranger Up for making their crew available.
The Marines, enjoying someone fighting for them for a change. (Photo: MMAOnTap.com)
There is no shortage of military metaphors in the world of MMA. “War Diaz.” “War Penn.” Our athletes don’t just compete, they go to battle. Even that shirt you claim not to own is ‘an expression of combat known worldwide’.
But these are mere words. For a select few of the sport’s elite, the challenges they encounter inside of the cage are nothing compared to the trials they signed up for by enlisting in the armed forces. It turns out the reasons MMA fighters serve their country, and their experiences in the military, are as varied as anyone else’s. As we celebrate Veteran’s Day, check out a quick glimpse of their lives in uniform.
Thanks to the folks at Ranger Up for making their crew available.
Sergeant, United States Marine Corps (5 years), three tours to Iraq
What drew you to enlist in the armed forces?
I was drawn to the military because I love a challenge and I love to travel, two things I thought the marine corps could offer me. I was going to school full time and working full time and I couldn’t afford college anymore. I had done my research and knew that I could get the gi bill which would pay for school. All the stories I heard about missions and boot camp sounded amazing. Everything just seemed to add up that the military was my best option.
On a typical day in service you’d find me…
A typical day in the military consisted of little sleep and sacrificing that little to sleep to lift weights and run. In Iraq after my workout I’d walk to work with my weapon and gear. As a unit we’d do morning fod walk then work off the aircraft maintenance in our shift. While I was working and waiting for equipment to test I’d usually do pushups, squats, lunges, and curls with the tools I had. After my 12-16 hour workday I’d do my long walk home. It was chill time alone to relax and mellow out from the workday. By the time I got back to the can or hut I lived in I would just shower then listen to music or try and watch a movie on a friends working laptop.
What has your time in the military meant to you?
My time in the military was opportunity. I met people I never would have met and saw things I never would have seen. It also opened up doors that previously weren’t even possible. College, something previously taken off the shelf was made possible again. I met people that introduced me to sports I had always been interested in like snowboarding and skydiving. My time in the military represented a lot growth for me.
Ranger Qualified Special Forces Sniper (2003-Present), Bronze Star recipient
What drew you to enlist in the armed forces?
9-11 had a really big impact on me in the sense that it gave me an opportunity to look at my life and I thought it was a very pointless, pathetic, narcesis, ethnocentric existence. I wanted to do something important, so I enlisted to change my life.
On a typical day in service you’d find me…
My unit, we’re shooters. So we spend three days of the week at the range. So Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, we’re at the range, and Monday we’re getting ready for the range and Friday cleaning up after the range.
What has your time in the military meant to you?
Having the honor to defend our country is something that every single person should do in their life. I’m not saying everybody has to be a shooter, but it changed me in every way. A shit head in 2002 to a hard working, productive member of society within two years. It changed my life in every way. So now when people are using their constitutional first amendment right—even if it’s things that make my blood boil—when it happens I know I’ve done my job because I’ve fought for the constitution and to defend this country and now they’re using that right that I’ve defended. So I love seeing people do things that I’ve fought for.
Private First Class (E-3), U.S Army (1990-1992) Montgomery G.I. Bill
What drew you to enlist in the armed forces?
I enlisted in the army because I was coming out of high school with no real plans and had gotten my girlfriend pregnant so I had to do something to provide.
On a typical day in service you’d find me…
On a typical day you would find me in the motor pool working on our M-1 tank.
What has your time in the military meant to you?
I’ve found that it’s helped with life in general. I’ve also found a much deeper appreciation for my country as well.
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Today is about more than bitching that you can’t go to the bank and the ability to speed through school zones. If you see a man or woman in uniform, let them know that they are appreciated.
We caught up with the one and only, the All-American Brian Stann, to chat about everything going on in the world of mixed martial arts as well as his own life. It’s a well-known fact that Stann is a decorated U.S. solider, but did …
We caught up with the one and only, the All-American Brian Stann, to chat about everything going on in the world of mixed martial arts as well as his own life. It’s a well-known fact that Stann is a decorated U.S. solider, but did you know about the non-profit organization he’s the president of that helps veterans get […]
