It can be hard to find a way back out when a person heads down the wrong path in life, especially if they fall into the trap of becoming entrenched in gang culture, where the threat of death or prison always looms large over their heads. Some fighters know this only too well and can […]
It can be hard to find a way back out when a person heads down the wrong path in life, especially if they fall into the trap of becoming entrenched in gang culture, where the threat of death or prison always looms large over their heads.
Some fighters know this only too well and can ruefully speak from first-hand experience, but for them, there was an escape route from the chaotic life they were leading, with mixed martial arts proving to be their salvation.
In this article we’ll look at 10 such cases, exploring the often bleak and tragic circumstances that led to their decision to join a gang in the first place, the trouble it caused them, and how pursuing a career in MMA helped turn their lives around and lead them all the way to the UFC.
Tito Ortiz
UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz rose to become one of the most famous fighters ever to compete in the sport, which is quite an achievement when you consider his childhood.
Both of his parents were heroin addicts, so Ortiz was fending for himself on the streets of Santa Ana, California, from an early age.
As young as five years old, Ortiz had already drunk beer and smoked cigarettes, and by nine he’d joined one of the region’s most notorious gangs, ‘F-Troop,’ after going through their initiation beating which saw him repeatedly sucker-punched by other members to prove his toughness.
According to Ortiz in his biography, ‘This Is Going To Hurt,’ he was soon getting into trouble doing “hoodlum stuff,” and in the years that followed he robbed houses and cars, fought rival gangs, tried “just about every drug there was to do except heroin,” and was “in and out of juvenile hall.”
After one of Ortiz’s friends was shot and killed next to him in a drive-by shooting, his mother moved with him to Huntington Beach, and with the police cracking down on gang culture in that area, Ortiz would turn his attention to wrestling and slowly but surely, he moved away from his troubled past and set out on a new path in mixed martial arts that would lead to him becoming a UFC champion.
UFC 216 – Lando Vannata Vs. Bobby Green Lando Vannata turned a lot of heads and raised a lot of eyebrows with an impressive UFC debut wherein he nearly got the better of Tony Ferguson.He promised of potential, and even knocked out John Makdessi with a wheelkick that was nothing short of spectacular. However, he […]
UFC 216 – Lando Vannata Vs. Bobby Green
Lando Vannata turned a lot of heads and raised a lot of eyebrows with an impressive UFC debut wherein he nearly got the better of Tony Ferguson.He promised of potential, and even knocked out John Makdessi with a wheelkick that was nothing short of spectacular. However, he was humbled at UFC 209 at the hands of David Teymur.
Vannata’s loss only goes to prove that there is always room for improvement. He gets to be in the spotlight again come UFC 216 on October 7th when he faces off against the more experienced Bobby Green. Vannata has been training hard from what we know, and this will be the perfect opportunity for him to showcase his newly acquired skills.
UFC 216 – Pearl Gonzalez Vs. Poliano Botelho
Pearl Gonzalez really messed up her UFC debut, it was pretty diabolical as everything went horribly wrong for her. Sadly, the UFC cuts her no slack and has put her up against Poliano Botelho who is strong favorite going into this match up.
Things don’t look positive for Gonzalez at this point. She is going to have a hard time, and we doubt she is ready for a challenge this tough, this early.
UFC 216 – Walt Harris Vs. Mark Godbeer
There is always one fight in every UFC fight night which features two massive men that can both pack a punch. While it might not be the most agile or technical fight of the night. There is certainly going to be a display of brute force in this match up. The two middle heavyweights should make for an interesting fight. This one is really hard to predict, can go either way.
UFC 216 – Matt Schnell Vs. Marco Beltran
This fight is pretty much going to help the UFC decide who is going to be cut. Firstly, the weight division itself is losing popularity and the UFC themselves don’t seem to bother much for this weight class. Furthermore, both fighters have suffered back to back losses and whoever is on the losing side here will certainly be going home for good.
UFC 216 – Tom Duquesnoy Vs. Cody Stamann
This fight is basically the UFC giving Duquesnoy a stage and an opponent which is ideal for him to show off what he can do. The ex BAMMA champion did impress in his debut and the UFC seem keen to see what else he can do at the expense of Cody Stamann.
Stamann might be able to prove the UFC wrong and actually cause an upset here, but it is going to be an uphill task to say the least.
Pearl Gonzalez will attempt to get back in the win column this October when she faces Poliana Botelho at UFC 216, according to a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Gonzalez was involved in a heavily-publicized ordeal prior to her UFC 210 fight in April with Cynthia Calvillo, which she lost via submission. The day […]
Pearl Gonzalez will attempt to get back in the win column this October when she faces Poliana Botelho at UFC 216, according to a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Gonzalez was involved in a heavily-publicized ordeal prior to her UFC 210 fight in April with Cynthia Calvillo, which she lost via submission. The day […]
Boxing is often credited with having given many a troubled youth an alternate path away from a life of crime, as well as an opportunity to make something of themselves – and the sport of mixed martial arts is no different. Researching this article, there were many tales to be had of the rough childhoods, […]
Boxing is often credited with having given many a troubled youth an alternate path away from a life of crime, as well as an opportunity to make something of themselves – and the sport of mixed martial arts is no different.
Researching this article, there were many tales to be had of the rough childhoods, thuggish behavior, and poor choices that had led to 10 current UFC stars having been sent to jail at some point in their lives.
However, one recurring theme that cropped up more often than not was of these individuals then discovered MMA upon their release, and they were then able to use that as a springboard to move beyond their criminal past, channel their energy and attention in a more positive direction, and it ultimately lead to them competing in the Octagon.
It’s a positive take on what is otherwise a dark collection of stories that demonstrate just how close some of these stars came to throwing away any chance they had of making something of their lives. Let’s take a look back at how 10 current UFC athletes turned it around after going to jail.
Mark Hunt
Some of heavy-handed heavyweight Mark Hunt’s many fans may be surprised to discover that in his younger days before he discovered MMA, he had a reputation for violence and criminal behavior in his home city of Auckland, New Zealand.
Hunt and his siblings suffered horrific physical abuse at the hands of their father growing up, and the anger felt as a result of that led to him regularly getting into trouble himself for fighting on the streets.
Hunt also became involved in petty crimes and admits to having stolen dozens of cars in his early teens, before finally being sentenced to nine months in jail at just 16-years-old after mugging a man for his Dr Martens shoes.
Hunt didn’t learn his lesson though and was later put behind bars again for assault.
It was only when a bouncer convinced him to try martial arts after witnessing him knock out several people outside a nightclub that Hunt finally started to get his life on track, and in the two decades since he’s gone from living a pitiful existence to earning $750,000 every time he fights in the Octagon.
Pearl Gonzalez admits she lost control after the fiasco regarding her breast implants. Gonzalez’s UFC 210 bout was in jeopardy when the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) told her she wouldn’t be cleared after she tipped the scales. The commission ended up having a change of heart and allowed her to compete inside the […]
Pearl Gonzalez admits she lost control after the fiasco regarding her breast implants. Gonzalez’s UFC 210 bout was in jeopardy when the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) told her she wouldn’t be cleared after she tipped the scales. The commission ended up having a change of heart and allowed her to compete inside the […]
Well, who the hell saw that coming? In one of the more baffling performances I’ve had the pleasure of seeing, Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson decided to implement an interesting game plan in his rematch with Daniel Cormier at UFC 210. Directly after losing in the exact same sequence of movements, Johnson did the unexpected and retired from the sport at the height of his powers. And he wasn’t the only fighter to call it a career. Let’s delve into the fallout of UFC 210.
Well, who the hell saw that coming? In one of the more baffling performances I’ve had the pleasure of seeing, Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson decided to implement an interesting game plan in his rematch with Daniel Cormier at UFC 210. Directly after losing in the exact same sequence of movements, Johnson did the unexpected and retired from the sport at the height of his powers. And he wasn’t the only fighter to call it a career. Let’s delve into the fallout of UFC 210.
Patrick Cote decided to retire after giving a decent showing against Thiago Alves. Rather than focus on the performance itself, I thought I’d speak on what I believe Cote has left behind in his wake. Patrick Cote was one of those warriors from a bygone era where boxing and takedown defense made you an elite competitor. Along with Georges St-Pierre, David Loiseau and a handful of others, Cote put Canada on the map. Cote not only evolved with the sport when it was necessary, he proved himself to be a tough out even at the very end. While he may not get the kind of send off other more successful fighters will receive, I’m here to say that Patrick Cote was certainly one of the most entertaining fighters out there that always put on a show and put it on the line. Damn it, now I’m getting all misty.
Back to the violence…
The most entertaining fight on the main card was swiftly followed by the most disappointing. Pearl Gonzalez battled Cynthia Calvillo in a pretty entertaining scrap. Calvillo opened strong with a ton of offense, though Gonzalez did show some good defense with an interesting opened handed right shield which prevented some significant damage on the feet. Once the fight hit the ground however, Calvillo showed once again why she’s such a problem in the grappling arena. A rear naked choke would eventually materialize in the third round. Calvillo is now has two victories in as many appearances and for whatever reason people are already wanting to match her up with strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. No. Just, no. While Calvillo is certainly talented, she has a ways to go before she’s ready for the champ. Angela Hill should be a nice challenge to see exactly where she’s at.
Chris Weidman and Gegard Mousasi had a pretty entertaining match. That is until the middle of the second frame which saw Mousasi land a knee to Weidman’s head that was potentially illegal. The match would eventually end with Mousasi getting his hand raised but with no real definitive winner. Weidman’s approach of footwork, kicks, and feints masked his takedowns rather well (something I’ll definitely touch upon in another article). Mousasi was effective in the second round rattling off hand combinations that hurt the former champion. A rematch would be the fair thing to do, but during this new era of MMA it’s all about what sells, not necessarily what makes sense.
Last, but not least, Anthony Johnson decided that he’d rather wrestle with the superior wrestler rather than keep the fight at striking distance as he faced off against Daniel Cormier. It was an interesting approach that perhaps could have worked had he used the strategy to through off Cormier throughout the round. Instead, ‘Rumble’ stuck to his guns and kept being fought off. He did land some heat towards the end of the first frame which broke the champ’s nose. It was in the second frame that we saw Johnson wilt as he was taken down by the same single leg-inside trip that he succumbed to the first time he face Cormier. From there it was all de ja vu as Cormier secured the back and sunk in the rear naked choke.
Despite the performance, Anthony Johnson was still able to retire with a level of eloquence and dignity. His retirement was far more surprising than Patrick Cote’s own, especially when you consider that Johnson is still in his prime. Many are trying to suggest that we haven’t seen the last of Anthony Johnson, but in reality I hope it is. A fighter knows when they’re done and if ‘Rumble’ lacks the motivation then what’s the point of getting in their and potentially injuring himself. If his head isn’t in the game then he’s just putting himself in danger. Yeah, he puts himself in danger for a living, but it’s a whole different ball game when you just don’t want to be there anymore.
For my part, I’m thanking Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson for the memories. As far as competition goes, he will be missed.
Do you think Anthony Johnson should have retired?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
