The past 2 years in my life have been a whirlwind. I have lived in San Antonio, Houston, and Austin. I have visited Thailand and Korea. I have fought 6 times & I have represented 5 different gyms in those fights. I have fought in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Miami, and Kansas City. As a middle class boy  from Ravenswood, West Virginia, I'm thoroughly enjoying my life. I have had the opportunity to meet many great people along the way, and record memories that will last a lifetime.

I love what I do everyday. My time in the military taught me that your time is precious and that you should always do what you love. I train hard everyday, twice a day most days. The amount of dedication and discipline it takes to fight on a world level in this sport is not something your everyday human can even fathom. When I first started, I had no idea the time and effort I would end up devoting to these art forms I dearly love. Fighting is not just a sport, it is a lifestyle. Physically it is very demanding, but it is the mental aspect that will make or break you. That sets the elite away from the obsolete.

Although the life may look glamorous from the outside, I assure you, it is not what it seems. We don't get paid Million dollar contracts like your modern day athlete. In fact the best of the best and the most affluent fighters make only hundreds of thousands when they fight. Which makes a 6 figure contract something well sought after. A fight isn't just 1-25 minutes of work, it is a culmination of all your sacrifice, all your emotional and physical energy you have put into your training over the last 8 weeks. Sometimes for only a couple thousand dollars. (I know right :/ ). It is the love of the art that keeps me going, the love of the competition. The absolute love to push myself to my deepest limits and keep going. To constantly test yourself and your true character. There is no better 'See what you're really made of' competition on the planet.

With that, I'll say this. Everyone loses. You WILL lose in MMA. I have lost, and losing is something I am not used to, but I have learned more about myself and my character in my 3 losses than in my 9 wins combined. Your ego will be checked, & there is always someone bigger and badder. It's how you come back from that adversity and how you handle failure that defines your character.

I am training in Austin, Tx at Austin Muay Thai & Jiu Jitsu. I feel very fortunate to be here. I had some unfortunate events in my career in 2011 and I feel I am back on a path to the top. I have a great coach in Elton Wells and superb training partners. Not to mention I am lucky enough to train along side UFC/Strikeforce Badass Tim Kennedy on a daily. But what sets the environment apart is the team aspect. All for one and one for all, my last teams were like this too.. but there is something different about this place and I believe it starts with our leaders Elton & Tim, leading by example. Never settling for anything less than your absolute best. That is what brings out the best in me as an athlete. I cannot be allowed to slide(although I try not to). I must be pushed well beyond what I think is possible, and that's where mental strength comes in.

Currently I'm in the middle of my training camp for my January 28th fight for G1 Fights against Yoshiaki "Bancho" Takahashi. This is a great international opportunity for me and I'm approaching the fight as a 'must win' in my mind. I have had a couple set backs and I'm sure I have doubters. Which fuels my fire to prove them wrong and rise to the top. I have no doubt in my mind that I'm putting in the right work to be victorious.

In conclusion to my first blog entry, I thank you for stopping by to read and learn a little about me. I'm sure there will be much more to learn as I unfold and write my thoughts and life into the blog world. I will keep this blog updated on my daily routines and just random things that cross my mind as I live my life the only way I know how, my way.