Meet the mixed martial arts club

Marjan Hussein
Staff Writer

Mixed martial arts is a growing phenomenon among young people worldwide today with athletes from all over the globe taking the ring to contend for championship status.

According to an article in the New York Times (Quenqua, 2012) on the Fight Club Generation the idea of mixed martial arts is to create space where a fighter can use any style of combat to subdue an opponent.

The article also states that fandom of mixed martial arts keeps increasing as even MMA themed birthday parties are gradually becoming a thing in the U.S.

William Rivard, a senior pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering and the president of the MMA Club at MNSU states that MMA is an ideal sport that engages one fully requiring them to be in top shape to compete. 

“The MMA Club at MNSU acts like a stepping stone for those who plan to continue with the sport after graduation plus is an excellent way to get a workout in,” Rivard said.

MMA includes different fighting styles such as boxing, wrestling, jujitsu, karate, Muay Thai along with other combative styles of fighting.

Rivard has been actively participating in the sport for almost a decade and states that when he first joined the MMA Club at MNSU the atmosphere invigorating.

“When I first joined the club, I was stunned by the focus of the guys who were training themselves and pushed each other to always keep working, it was quite surreal,” Rivard says. 

Rivard aspires to bring about the same atmosphere of dedication, passion and motivation to the club. “The Club is free for MNSU students to join thus if you have any experience in the sport or no experience at all, the club is all access to students,” Rivard says.

Rivard states that it was a hassle managing his time in the past but over time he has learned a ton of organization skills over time thus things have gotten easier.

Rivard is also the Vice President of the Engineers Without Borders Club and states that he is gains significant leadership skills from both clubs he is involved in.

The MMA Club has a strong presence in social media, Facebook to be specific where most communication about the club occurs. MMA and UFC are highly interlinked as the article in the New York Times states and though some people may term it as cock fighting, the sport is legit with numerous rules that must be adhered to.

Dan Moret, current UFC fighter and one of the founders of the MMA Club at MNSU is a great example of how far involvement in a small club at college level can take one.

The MMA Club members always feel inspired when Moret talks about his humble beginnings at MNSU. Rivard states that apart from Dan Moret, John Castaneda is also another prominent fighter in the UFC who started out at MNSU. 

Rivard is keen on keeping the club active and ensuring all participants have fun whenever they attend a training session. Sports offer individuals the opportunity to try something new in addition to exploring different ways to stay active.

Sports builds character, instills discipline and creates lifelong bonds thus joining the MMA Club could be the start of a route that leads one to do impeccable things.

Feature photo by David Bassey | MSU Reporter.