My Exposure to Mixed Martial Arts My first exposure to Mixed Martial Arts was through a video a friend sent to me of the fight between two wrestlers - Tito Ortiz and Frank Shamrock. With my experiences as a high school wrestler, I loved the fact that the sport of MMA gave wrestlers an opportunity to compete, sometimes even as a career, beyond collegiate wrestling.  From that point forward, I became a relentless seeker of anything related to MMA and began imagining the day where I would have the opportunity to step into the cage. On January 31, 2004 Randy Couture, MMA Legend and UFC Hall of Famer, fought Vitor Belfort at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV. A few nights before the fight, HBO Real Sports aired their segment on me and Randy happened to be watching. He invited me to watch the fight live and meet him in his locker room. I could hardly believe the offer I had received.

When I met Randy for the first time, he was about a half hour away from stepping into the cage. I could not understand how he managed to stay so calm and collected before his fight, and could clearly see the confidence that made 'The Natural' the champion he is today.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

In March of 2005, with only limited exposure to the sport, I decided to enter as an amateur competitor in the Gracie World Cup Submission Grappling Championship. The tournament was hosted by the Arnold Schwarzeneggar Classic Sports and Fitness Expo where I was competing as a powerlifter. I had never even seen a live submission competition, but I worked with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt Steve Maxwell before the tournament started to learn the rules of the sport.

Unlike MMA, in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappling competitions athletes are only allowed to work for holds to force an opponent to 'tapout' or submit. In my first bout, that is exactly what my opponent forced me to do! I secured a takedown from wrapping up my opponent's legs, but it was not long before I was caught in a guillotine choke. I fought my way out of the choke to reassume a dominate position, but a moment later I was finished in a reverse triangle choke while scrambling to keep control of my opponent's legs.

Instead of feeling discouraged, I fell in love with the sport and have not looked back since. I realized that in a combative situation my wrestling skills became obsolete when paired with a well-versed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. From that point forward, I dedicated myself to training in and understanding the century old sport.

A few weeks after the tournament I had lunch with Forrest Griffin. Forrest took a leave from the UGA Police Department to pursue an opportunity to appear on Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter reality MMA show - it paid off, as he would later become the Light-Heavyweight World Champion. Forrest invited me to train at the Hardcore Gym, a glorified garage in Athens, Georgia with several of the world's top-tier mixed martial arts competitors, under blackbelt instructors Adam and Rory Singer. From the moment I stepped on the mat, the environment and camaraderie had me hooked.

Over the next several years, I sought opportunities to train with the best the sport had to offer - including the famed Pat Miletich and his MFS Elite team in Bettendorf, Iowa, and Diego Saraiva, Nova Uniao blackbelt and UFC Veteran. In the summer of 2007, Adam Singer awarded me with a blue belt - a big accomplishment in a martial art where belts are not given lightly.

I competed in several submission grappling tournaments and never placed lower than the top four, which included 3rd place in the 2008 North American Grappling Association NAGA National Championships.

Creighton Mixed Martial Arts Academy & My MMA Debut

Also in 2008, I began training under Paul Creighton, Renzo Gracie blackbelt and UFC Veteran. Paul's unbelievable attention to detail in submissions and positions helped take my jiu-jitsu game to another level.

Paul was invaluable in helping me prepare for my MMA debut and cornered me in the fight. My debut was met with controversy. Many people voiced doubt that I could overcome my obstacles and survive a single round in the sport. Despite being unable to secure a takedown initially, I proved to be the aggressor in all three rounds. In the end, it wasn't enough and I eventually lost a three round unanimous decision by the judges, 30-27.

I am still training under Paul Creighton and set my focus on competing internationally in submission grappling - dreaming of one day grappling in the most renowned tournament of all: the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Championships.