MMA Fight Night 20 is on at Harvest Ridge
Instructors Jose Burgos, lower, and Micah Snyder of Raw Iron Gym demonstrate a technique for the students during a recent training session. Teaching discipline, commitment and many other benefits of the sport has changed the lives of many who have invested in mixed martial arts.
Harvest Ridge may be known for its many fair sounds, but on Saturday, Feb. 22, the expo center will be filled with a party atmosphere like no other when Fight Night 20 explodes in a series of 16 mixed martial arts matches.
BCM Promotion’s Fight Night 20 will feature a card full of amateur mixed martial arts fighters who will mix it up in a series of three 3-minute rounds, with the doors opening at 5 p.m. and the first bell for fight one starting at 7 p.m.
Local MMA fighter Josh Sayers will be among those entering the cage, and he said people can expect a great show.
Sayers said Fight Night brings an energizing feel to it. He said there’s nothing that compares to the energy of walking into the arena with the lights, the sounds and the anticipation of watching an evening of matches.
He said the action is fast, the fighters are both powerful and graceful, and above all, there is an ultimate respect among each fighter.
“The atmosphere is unreal,” Sayers said. “It’s electric.”
While many people might watch mixed martial arts and see it as a contest of brute force, power and violence, what lies beneath the surface of the action on the canvas and in the cage is something much more powerful and meaningful to those who invest in the sport.
“You can’t fake character in this sport,” said Jose Burgos, coach and owner of Raw Iron Gym. “There’s no playing around in this; you have to invest and make a commitment. You can’t lie to yourself. You’re challenging yourself every day, and you’re having someone else challenge you.”
Burgos said as coaches, their challenge is to help build character in the young men and women who come in to work out, and they understand who they are and who they can become by making a commitment to push themselves to places they weren’t sure they could go.
That only comes with an enormous level of commitment.
Coach Micah Snyder said watching each individual grow and blossom as they gain in confidence and self-esteem and as they find camaraderie in their fellow fighters is something special.
He said there is definitely a sense of family unity among the group of committed people training at Raw Iron Gym.
He said while it isn’t easy, it is worthwhile when they stick with it.
“Honestly, I sometimes wonder why they still keep coming in,” Snyder said. “These young people who train here work hard and train hard, and what they get out of it is a peace of mind.”
Snyder said many of the fighters come hoping to overcome their own struggles, from anxiety to self-esteem and confidence in themselves that goes beyond the training and extends into their everyday lives.
The coaches are taking raw material and turning them into diamonds.
Local fighter Josh Sayers, who perfected his craft of wrestling in the West Holmes Knights program, is a testament as to how effective the training can be.
Sayers said his first encounter with Burgos changed his life.
He said after wrestling at WHHS, he was looking for something to fill that void in his life, and he found it with Burgos.
During a time in which he was struggling to truly find himself, Sayers’ first encounter with his coach was meaningful. His car broke down on the way to his first training session, so he walked about a mile to the gym.
He and Burgos sat and talked at length that night about what Sayers wanted in life, and Sayers said Burgos’ encouragement and belief in him made a huge impact.
“It was much needed in my lowest time,” Sayers said. “I have this brotherhood now that is so meaningful to me. It gives me strength. It takes so much dedication and commitment, and it has been so rewarding for me. What is so beautiful is that you only get out what you put into it, and having this group of guys supporting each other is so amazing.”
Sayers said MMA has helped rebuild his mental battery, and it helps reenergize him each time he works out.
He also said it isn’t about belts and championships, but simply making himself a better person.
“It’s become more than about me; it’s about all of us working together and making each other better,” Sayers said. “I think being an inspiration to people and fueling the younger generation and helping them to understand that they can step up to accept challenges is exciting to me, and it’s something I’ve learned through this experience.”
Thus, mixed martial arts is more than merely a chance to unleash aggression. It is a way to build character and promote a sense of family.
General admission bleacher seats for Fight Night 20 are $25 for the entire evening. General admission floor seats are $30 while cage-side seating is $90. Tables of eight seats also are available for groups for $500.
Tickets are available at www.bcmpromotions.info or by scanning the code here. Food and drink will be available courtesy of Exclusively Yours.