MMA Hardknocks – A Look Back

Hey all!  It’s been awhile, huh?  One thing you’ll come to find out is that I tend to procrastinate when it comes to things such as these…apologies.  Um, anyway quick recap of what is going on in the world of yours truly, currently not too much, unfortunately.  I messed up my knee almost a month ago now, and have been on the sidelines since.  Didn’t think it was anything at first, but God really stuck it to me good this time and I’ll be going under the knife pretty soon.  Nothing too bad, but it will keep me out of training and such for awhile.  Short detour is all.  Fully intend to be back in the gym as soon as I’m properly healed up.  Your love and support is much appreciated during these trying times, ha-ha!!

Now onto the pic above.  As I’m suddenly with all this extra time, forgive me for being a little introspective.  Here I’m standing next to my good friends, current Pancrase Champ Kengo Ura and Andy Wang.  These guys really showed me the ropes coming up in my MMA career.  They were two of the first guys I trained with getting into MMA and I owe a lot of who I am to both of them…the good parts I mean, ha.

At the beginning of starting MMA I really was a pretty bad striker.  My wrestling was pretty good, my jiu-jitsu was kinda slick too….but my hands were terrible, and my training partners let me know that each time we sparred.  The beginning for me was just kind of like jumping into the deep end. 

One thing you realize soon in MMA is that things change really quick when striking comes into play.  You have set up your takedowns differently; the guard in itself becomes an entirely different beast all together.  You really have to be active a lot more, or lest you get your face smashed.  It’s not as laid back as jiu-jitsu where you can sit and wait a little and it isn’t a full sprint like a lot of wrestling matches turn out to be.   It’s like you would expect, a combination of everything and a pretty tiring combination at that. 

My time remembering back to those early days, there’s a lot of things that stick out.  One of them is being dropped with a crazy body shot during one practice.  After nursing a bad rib and training cautiously to protect it for a couple weeks, one day a friend that shall remain nameless, forgot about said injury.  The “body shot from hell” as it shall now be known happened soon afterward.   After awhile of writhing in agony on the floor, screaming a good amount of obscenities, Andy would come to check on me.  He later told me, he thought I was dying.   …Well, it felt like I was dying at the time, ha-ha!  It’s funny that these people that would do me harm in training everyday are some of the closest people I know.  Well, it’s a fun life is all I can say.  

I had a whole year training MMA religiously at R1 (Formerly RAW training center) that first year, before I had my first official match.  I believe I was 22 at the time.  I would only have one smoker match before I took the plunge into my first official match.  I made a dramatic come back win in my debut against a two-time state wrestling champ.   As it turned out,  I would be walking back to the locker room away from the cage after my win, when a random super cute blond came running up to me  with a  hug telling me she loved me, and right then I knew… I had found my calling in life:), ha-ha!!

What was the point of this….??  …beats me!

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The Ultimate Fighter

This past Wednesday the premiere of the Ultimate Fighter finally aired and I got to see my match from the show.  Honestly, it was kind of hard to watch.  Actually, excrutiating might be more the word I had in mind, lol.  Just because, I obviously knew the outcome, and got to see some of the very costly mistakes I made. 

For a fighter, you always analyze your matches, especially losses, and let me tell you, by now I’ve probably gone over it in my head a thousand times, had dreams even.  I won’t list all my mistakes, but I should have been more aware of our surroundings the 2nd round and not let the wall climb happen in the first place.  Secondly, obviously the lateral drop was not the wisest decision in my painfully young life.   I usually hit that move often, but in this instance the conditions for the throw weren’t there and I tried to force it.  Dumb move, yes, I know!  Live and learn, I guess.

One of the few positives was I pushed myself and can’t say I didn’t fight hard.  That’s little to be proud of though.  I went to win and dropped the ball.  That just about sums it up.  Weeks prior preparing beforehand, one of my trainers told me, “God opened a door for you”.  Those words stuck with me throughout.  I wanted to give everything.

Thanks a lot to Spencer Paige for giving me an awesome awesome fight.  It was a war and you’re a tough dude, lol.  Aggressive, good hands, good technique.  If anything it was at least entertaining.  

When I lived in Japan, my good friend and teammate, Eriya Matsuda tried to explain a little of the bushido code to me.  Bear in mind, we were a little drunk at the time when he imparted this wisdom!  Anyway, he mentioned how you should always respect your opponent, because if there was no opponent there would be no match.  Your opponent lets you know either how strong you are or how weak you are, and you should always be grateful for that.   He capped it off by saying, “but you always try to kill the opponent!”   haha!  It was a funny moment, and kind of sums up fighting, at least for me.  Respect your opponent, be grateful for your opponent, while at the same time trying to knock his head off!  …It’s a funny life.

Just to anyone that reads this, know that I’m not done.  I have one solitary dream, and this is pretty much it.  I’ll do it or die trying.  I’m no one special, but I promise you that I will give everything and will see this road through to the end.  Be it salvation or damnation waiting for me, whatever come first.

Thanks to everyone!

Steve Magdaleno

Popularity: 62% [?]

Bonds

Above is a picture of my team from my time in Japan, Sakaguchi Dojo.  They are wonderful people, all of them, and I consider myself extremely lucky to know them.  

Japan can be a difficult place for someone who goes there, maybe a little arrogantly speaking close to no japanese as was the case with me.  Getting used to the culture, knowing virtually no one, and just trying to get my footing was a trial of sorts.  Odds were pretty stacked against me from the start, but everything changed because I met really great people at Sakaguchi Dojo.  I no  longer felt lost and was happy to belong.   I made great friends and have so many good memories training and just being around everyone there.  I was truly blessed.

I am writing about my team back there in Tokyo today, because the dojo I trained at closed down this week and I really wish I could have been there for the last couple days.  I have a strong bond with everyone there and would have liked to be there at the end.  Training there and just seeing everyone day in and day out my time in Tokyo was one of the happiest times of my life.    Life was busy but there was always good people around so it was a happy existence. 

Things are good though.  There’s a new Sakaguchi gym in Yokohama now with my good friends, Yukio, Eriya, and too many other great friends.  I miss everyone and hope I can catch up with everyone soon.
Steve Magdaleno

Create Your Badge

Popularity: 14% [?]

The Return – Wargods 5

Whoa it’s been awhile.  So two weeks ago I made my return fight in the states after almost a one and a half years absence.  I really would have posted more about it if I knew earlier there was going to be a match, but it came about pretty suddenly.   Luckily I’d been training well and so when the opportunity came my way I was happy to take it. 

The match wasn’t without it’s drama though.  A day before the fight my opponent pulled out, leaving me kind of just twiddling my thumbs in the air and thinking to myself, God must really have it out for me or something, ha.  There had been some miscomunication from what I understand, but I don’t completely know so I won’t go into it.   Anyway, I hate disappointing people, friends and family especially. 

Luckily, Carlos Garces stepped up and gave me a good fight.  Funny, I saw he fought the very week after and won.  That’s a fighter.   I really didn’t know what to expect from him, since he was pretty much an unknown element to me and sometimes that’s the worst kind.  If possible I usually watch tapes and try to figure out some strategy tailored to my opponent.  As you can guess, that wasn’t the case this time.  I pretty much just relied on my skills that I’ve honed since I was a kid and they pulled me out okay this time around.  r1 3:30 arm-bar finish.

The best thing out of all of this was that I fought again.  Training day in and day out for so long with no fights coming up kind of eats away at you, so this was really a blessing.   Just feeling that rush and just doing what you train for everyday was great.  The actual competition is the best feeling.  So anyway, I was pretty happy with this and I don’t ever want to have that long a break between fights again.  Thanks to my sponsors, MMA Pro Sports, Nevertap, and especially my coach, Vladimir Matyushenko over at VMAT.   Anyone reading this, cheering me on, I hope to never disappoint you guys. Thanks!

Steve Magdaleno

“The best kind of fire is the one that burns through adversity”

Popularity: 13% [?]

Testing Testing One..Two..One..Two

On To The Next World

January-11-2008

So this is how this thing works huh….hahaha!  Alright enough maniacal laughter.  Time for introductions I guess.  My story isn’t too different I guess.  My name is Steve Magdaleno and I am currently chasing the dream of my life.  I’m a pro MMA fighter with a record of 5-0 and I’m determined with every fiber of my being to see just how far I can go, how far this heart will carry me. 

If you look at my last name you may wonder to yourself, “I wonder what kind of  last name magdaleno is?”.  Well, it’s spanish and I’m very proud of it.  Both of my parents originally came to the U.S. from mexico and met here in the states.  They always taught me to work hard and to not give up on my dreams.  I’ve had the very best of teachers.  

I’m an accomplished martial artist and a top level grappler having won many jiu jitsu competitions, along with my pro record.   I lived in Japan for almost two years where I worked to become a more complete mixed martial artist.  I won three pro mma matches my time there and was the 2008 Pancrase Neo Blood Champion, even was lucky enough to get the MVP award.   That was a feeling like no other. 

More importantly I met great training partners, great friends, friends I wouldn’t give up for the world.   ….so I think that’s about up to date with me now.   Don’t worry there’s more to come but you better have the common courtesy to buy me dinner first, ha!

I train at VMAT in El Segundo, California with a great coach/great friend, Vladimir Matyushenko.  I treasure my friends, my family, and I promise even greater things are yet to come.  I’m definitely on a road but to exactly where is yet to be seen.  I can only do my best, but I promise you nothing less than absolutely that.

Steve Magdaleno

Popularity: 13% [?]