The Fighter’s Curse
Combat sports push athletes to their absolute physical and mental limits. Since Campbell McLaren helped create the UFC, the goal has been simple yet brutal. Now the founder of Combate Global—a Spanish-language promotion listed by Forbes as one of the top 10 most valuable combat sports leagues in the US—McLaren established the blueprint: find the best of the best, lock them in a cage, and see who survives. However, there is a darker side to this pursuit of greatness.
Often, the drive to compete leads to isolation. Athletes spend their lives training, only to hit a brick wall. Eventually, they face a unique problem: there is simply no one left to fight.
The Birth of a Revolution
In 2019, McLaren once revealed to me the origin of the sport. It started with a simple “What if?” He wanted to know what would happen if the world’s best Brazilian fighter faced the world’s best wrestler. This curiosity sparked the legendary rivalry between Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock.
These pioneers became the first UFC Hall of Fame inductees. Despite controversial outcomes and different styles, they shaped modern Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). They proved that styles make fights, but dominance creates legends.
Learning the Hard Way
This evolution was felt on the local level as well. In San Francisco, the martial arts scene on Mission Street was thriving. Master Zhong Luo and his family sold ninja stars and nunchucks, teaching traditional Kung Fu. However, the arrival of MMA changed everything.
Master Lue, who later opened “Dragon House,” recalled a pivotal moment. He once competed against Royce Gracie in a “USA vs. Brazil” event. Lue entered as a confident Kung Fu champion. Yet, halfway through the fight, Gracie tossed him across the mat. Instead of anger, Lue felt inspired. He asked, “Can you teach me how to do that?” This mindset is what separates champions from the rest.
When No One Wants to Fight
As athletes evolve, they often outgrow their competition. This mirrors the entertainment industry, where top artists struggle to find peers who can keep up. In the fighting world, this silence is deafening.
Gianni “Kriptonita” Vazquez (13-4-1), a 5-time MMA UNF Champion, knows this well. In a 2025 interview on the “En Esta Esquina” podcast, he expressed his frustration. Vazquez gets bouts booked, but opponents back out once they realize who he is. His message is clear: “You can’t call yourself a fighter if you don’t want to fight.”
Proving There Are Levels
The struggle is even harder for veterans like Javier “Chunty Boy” Torres. A seasoned pro and trainer for stars in the UFC and Bare Knuckle Boxing, Torres recently came out of retirement. He set a massive goal: three fights, in three weeks, in three different countries.
Torres maintained a grueling routine, training up to five times a day. The results were terrifying for his opponents. At Hyperstrike FC 2 in Sint Maarten, he secured a TKO against Walter “Showtime” Luna in the first round. Days later, at UCC 82 in Honduras, he destroyed rising prospect Leonardo “El Demoledor” Ruiz in just over three minutes.
Torres proved his point. He wanted to show the world that “there are levels in Combat Sports.” However, after decimating two opponents back-to-back, the phone stopped ringing. Suddenly, no one wanted to fight the coach who finishes fights in the first round. For true champions, the view from the top is glorious, but it is undeniably lonely.
Watch Torres Vs Ruiz at UCC 82 Honduras “HERE!” Video courtesy of Javier “County Boy” Torres Instagram: @javiertorresofficialmma
