COLLEGE STATION, TX, October 12, 2012 – When it comes to truly scary looking guys in Texas Mixed Martial Arts, BVMMA’s Matt Steward would probably be right up there Deebo from Friday and that big bald guy from Over the Top. He’s just that mean looking. You’d never guess that he is a respectful and humble individual just looking to make his way and do well as a pro in the sport starting with IMKF’s upcoming “Tournament of Immortality” opening round in Houston on October 20^th.

As far as his personal history goes, Matt is a USMC veteran who served as part of the 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines based out of Hawaii back in the mid 2000’s. It was then that he got his first taste of the MMA world through a few grappling lessons but he didn’t seriously start training in the sport until he moved back to College Station in 2007. Nowadays he’s a personal trainer at Gold’s Gym in College Station who trains at BVMMA which just so happens to be right across the street. “Once I’m done, I go straight to practice,” he told us. He says other than spending time with his girlfriend he practically lives in the gym.

“I’ve been fighting for free and this is my pro debut so this certainly isn’t about the money. But then again, the $15,000 tournament grand prize definitely doesn’t hurt my motivation. Really, I just love to test myself. In a society that is increasingly growing softer, fighting is one of the few physical arenas left for men to test themselves physically and more importantly, mentally. Once that cage door shuts, it’s pure. It’s you and your opponent, and it’s a battle of will on display for everyone to see. I know I’m not the most talented athlete in the world but I’m stubborn and I have a hard head, so I work harder than most other people. I just want to work hard, compete to the best of my ability, and see where this ride goes.”

Preparation will be Key in Pro Debut

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, Steward will have a tough test in the opening round when he takes on Jon Kirk, a longtime Texas veteran who is also his third opponent after initial matchups with Josh Foster and Yonny Osuna fell through.

Fortunately for him, his focus has been more on getting ready overall as opposed to preparing for once specific guy.

“Training camp has gone great. I’ve been injury free, which is always a blessing, and we have had so many guys prepping for fights of their own that the environment at BVMMA has been fantastic. So much energy and hard work being done that you can’t help but push that last little bit when your body is screaming at you to stop.”

“Preparing for a fight can become a grind. So much work has to be done to get ready, and it takes so much time that you have to be careful and make sure that you are taking care of everything else outside of fighting. Work has to get done to pay the bills. My days start at 5am, and end after practice about 9pm. Somewhere in there I have to take care of everything that needs to get done at home, and make time for the people that matter to me. When you’re beaten up from day in and day out of training and utterly exhausted from 15 hour days it’s easy to let things slip. I’m focused though. Once I’m in that locker room, zero-in on the task at hand, run through my pre-combat checks, and put myself in the same mindset as I would for a combat patrol in Afghanistan.”

“As always, I want to thank my coaches and training partners at BVMMA. This is a team sport even if it’s an individual performance.

I want to thank Cellucor sports nutrition for providing quality supplements to enhance my training. http://www.cellucor.com/

I also want to put in a very important word for the Marine Infantry Veterans Foundation. I have my share of wear and tear from my time as a machine gunner, but I am lucky enough to still be healthy enough to step in that cage. Not all of my brothers are so lucky. While there are many organizations dedicated to helping veterans, the particular issues that infantry Marines may face after deployment are often diluted by the many necessities of the rest of the armed forces. This is an organization that exists for Marine infantry veterans to reach out to someone that understands without judgment who they are and where they’ve been. “