Went to an exciting fight card recently, “Battle on the Bay” by
Rocktagon MMA, an Ohio-based company’s first fight promotion in San Francisco
Bay held at the Craneway Pavilion. It was great. I ended up sitting next to
this very pleasant, frail, little elderly grandmother and her two adult
daughters. She seemed so out of place in this big room filled with muscle
shirts and skinheads and tattoos and waitresses in bikinis and burly security
guards and huge waves of testosterone energy washing over the crowd and
electrifying the place.
She was there to see her grandson fight, John ‘JT” Donaldson, a 19-year-old bantamweight Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist from Livermore, California, just starting his professional mixed martial arts career. She told me she was nervous for him but very excited and very proud at the same time. I instantly connected with this beautiful, little grandmother and her young grandson starting out in this extremely dangerous and brutal business.
JT’s fight was third on the card. I was shocked to discover he was fighting Ernard Rosic, a guy who trains at the same UFC gym in Concord, CA, where I work out, the only fighter on the card that I’d ever met in person. My allegiance sorely tested. Who should I root for in this fight? My intuition kicks in, no way my man, I’m definitely going with JT.
The bell rings, the match a whirlwind of action. These lighter weights so quick, so explosive, they’re flying all over the ring, exciting stuff. JT gets thrown on his back, covering up from huge ground and pound attack, arms and legs flying everywhere, the crowd goes crazy. Suddenly, a huge roar, the people in front of us jump up screaming, can’t see what’s happening, pandemonium, the ref waves the fighters apart, it’s over. Oh my gosh, what just happened?
It was surreal. Crowd screaming, we’re screaming, can’t tell what happened, both fighters still tangled on the canvas. And then, as if in slow motion, with the “Rocky” theme playing in my head, JT jumps to his feet, fists in the air, like the phoenix rising from the ashes. Oh my gosh. HE JUST WON! HE WON! Woohoo, we all go absolutely crazy. He had managed to lock in an armbar, won the fight by submission. Unbelievable! Incredible finish!
Then the real magic started. JT’s hand is raised. The crowd goes nuts. He pulls on a blue t-shirt, gets taken to center ring for his post-fight interview. With his voice trembling ever so slightly, he says “This fight’s for you Grandpa. I love you and I miss you.” He then explains to the crowd that his grandparents raised him, his grandfather died two years ago and he really misses him, and then . . . he points directly across the ring to this little, delicate, frail woman sitting back in the crowd right next to me, and says into the microphone . . . “and I LOVE YOU GRANDMA.”
Everyone in the pavilion turns to look at her, huge cheers and loving energy from all the people in the room directed at this little woman . . . and I’m sitting right there just basking in her reflected glow. It was a spiritual moment I’ll never forget.
The photo above was taken just minutes later after JT exited the ring. He came straight over to hug his grandmother. Such an intense display of love and emotion . . . what a night. These two people touched the lives of hundreds of fight fans last night. I was so honored to be one of them.
She was there to see her grandson fight, John ‘JT” Donaldson, a 19-year-old bantamweight Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist from Livermore, California, just starting his professional mixed martial arts career. She told me she was nervous for him but very excited and very proud at the same time. I instantly connected with this beautiful, little grandmother and her young grandson starting out in this extremely dangerous and brutal business.
JT’s fight was third on the card. I was shocked to discover he was fighting Ernard Rosic, a guy who trains at the same UFC gym in Concord, CA, where I work out, the only fighter on the card that I’d ever met in person. My allegiance sorely tested. Who should I root for in this fight? My intuition kicks in, no way my man, I’m definitely going with JT.
The bell rings, the match a whirlwind of action. These lighter weights so quick, so explosive, they’re flying all over the ring, exciting stuff. JT gets thrown on his back, covering up from huge ground and pound attack, arms and legs flying everywhere, the crowd goes crazy. Suddenly, a huge roar, the people in front of us jump up screaming, can’t see what’s happening, pandemonium, the ref waves the fighters apart, it’s over. Oh my gosh, what just happened?
It was surreal. Crowd screaming, we’re screaming, can’t tell what happened, both fighters still tangled on the canvas. And then, as if in slow motion, with the “Rocky” theme playing in my head, JT jumps to his feet, fists in the air, like the phoenix rising from the ashes. Oh my gosh. HE JUST WON! HE WON! Woohoo, we all go absolutely crazy. He had managed to lock in an armbar, won the fight by submission. Unbelievable! Incredible finish!
Then the real magic started. JT’s hand is raised. The crowd goes nuts. He pulls on a blue t-shirt, gets taken to center ring for his post-fight interview. With his voice trembling ever so slightly, he says “This fight’s for you Grandpa. I love you and I miss you.” He then explains to the crowd that his grandparents raised him, his grandfather died two years ago and he really misses him, and then . . . he points directly across the ring to this little, delicate, frail woman sitting back in the crowd right next to me, and says into the microphone . . . “and I LOVE YOU GRANDMA.”
Everyone in the pavilion turns to look at her, huge cheers and loving energy from all the people in the room directed at this little woman . . . and I’m sitting right there just basking in her reflected glow. It was a spiritual moment I’ll never forget.
The photo above was taken just minutes later after JT exited the ring. He came straight over to hug his grandmother. Such an intense display of love and emotion . . . what a night. These two people touched the lives of hundreds of fight fans last night. I was so honored to be one of them.
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OTHER ARTICLES BY ARENA CREATIVE GROUP
Mni Wiconi: Sacred Stand at Standing Rock
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My Crazy Escape from Alcatraz
Football Lessons, Life Lessons
Vision Quest on Mount Shasta
Wild West Challenge Boxing
www.billarena.net
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