#deaf grappler

New Post has been published on http://www.txmma.com/legacy-amateur-series-17-main-event-preview/

Legacy Amateur Series 17 main event preview

By TXMMA Staff // Dez Moore

  Austin’s “Deaf Grappler” headlines Legacy Amateur Series 17 fight card opposite Peyton Burns

  AUSTIN, TX, July 25, 2014 – Legacy Amateur Series returns to the capitol city Austin, Texas for the first time in four years to present Legacy Amateur Series 17. The nine-bout card, a part of the Naturally Fit Expo, features many of Austin’s finest amateur mixed martial artists including undefeated fighters David Kim, Brittany Robertson, and Leroy Montoya, as well as other notable local fighters such as Kevin Morin and Sean Clements. The card is headlined by two of Austin’s finest lightweights, Garrett “The Deaf Grappler” Scott and Peyton Burns. This bout brings two of the best amateur lightweights in Texas together to showcase their abilities against each other.

Garrett Scott, also known as The Deaf Grappler, currently holds an undefeated 4-0 record, all by submission or TKO. His most recent win was a TKO victory over Jon Leal for the Belts of Honorious lightweight title. In all four of Scott’s victories, he has never fought past the second round, utilizing his grappling abilities to secure the takedown and either submit or ground-and-pound his opponent, forcing the ref to stop the fight. In each of his victories, Scott was the overwhelming favorite due to his grappling experience compared to his opponents lack thereof. This will be the first fight for Scott that sees him facing someone with grappling experience that is equivalent to his.

The man standing across Scott Saturday night will be Gravity Fight Club’s Peyton Burns. Burns is a former high school state-wrestling champion. Burns has had his fair share of success in MMA as well. At 3-1, Burns holds two TKO victories and one unanimous decision victory over Peter Stanonik, a very dangerous and highly talented striker from Houston. Burns recently suffered his first loss, a triangle choke submission, at Belts of Honorious 6. His loss came in his first title fight, the same title that Scott won at Belts of Honorious 3. Burns admitted to looking past the fight and began focusing on his fight with Scott at LAS17, a fight he considers his toughest yet.

Both fighters rely heavily on their grappling abilities inside the cage. This fight will see Scott’s Jiu-Jitsu vs.. Burns’ wrestling. Scott and Burns both classify themselves as ground fighters. In terms of measurables, Scott has a three-inch height advantage and prior experience fighting at a higher weight class in his first three fights. They both have the same number of fights and their wrestling experience dates back to their high schools days. This fight can go either way and will look to be one of the more technical fights of the night with both fighters having specific MMA disciplines. It should be a very close fight that comes down to takedowns and aggressiveness.

Fans in attendance will see two fighters with much at stake. Both fighters have aspirations to take the next step and move forward to the pro level and winning this fight could be the first step towards doing just that. Expect Scott and Burns to both bring a great deal of intensity to the cage and put on a show for the crowd in attendance.

  Legacy Amateur Series 17 – Updated Fight Card

    155 lbs.: Garrett Scott (4-0) Ronny Lis BJJ vs. Peyton Burns (3-0) Gravity Fight Club

155 lbs.: Branden Chandler (0-0) Genesis Jiu Jitsu vs. Peter Stanonik (3-1) Strike and Submit

145 lbs.: Joshua Foster (2-2) Grappler’s Lair vs. David Kim (3-0) Cooper MMA

145 lbs.: Dezmond Moore (1-0) Ronny Lis BJJ vs. Jackson Hawkins (1-2) Pinnacle TC

135 lbs.: Elizabeth Palacios (1-0) B.O.C. vs. Brittany Robertson (1-0) AKATX

125 lbs.: Leroy Montoya (2-0) Warrior’s Edge vs. Kevin Morin (2-4) Luling MMA

155 lbs.: Joseph Karnavas (0-1) Ronny Lis vs. Waylon Bronstrup (0-2) Enlightened Warriors

170 lbs.: Sean Clements (1-1)   Onnit/Gravity vs. Tim Lashley (1-1) TCOB

New Post has been published on http://www.txmma.com/deaf-grappler-looks-to-stay-undefeated-in-mma/

Deaf Grappler Looks to Stay Undefeated in MMA

Photos by Mike Calimbas (BJJ Event Photography)

  Hearing-Impaired Garrett Scott Looks To Prove Dedication and Commitment Can Overcome Any Barrier To Success In Mixed Martial Arts

  For Garrett Scott, aka “The Deaf Grappler” and one of the more outspoken members of the Texas BJJ/MMA community, this Saturday night will mark a big moment. He’ll be looking to secure his second MMA win against Vidal Meza in the main event of Austin’s Belts of Honorius event.

“I knew I wanted to compete in MMA for a while before I actually started (training in it),” says Garrett. After attending a seminar by future coach Paul Nixon at Rubicon Fightsport (now American Fightsport), he became one of the first students of the team upon its grand opening. Despite a vast language barrier that made it a challenge for him to learn on the same level as everyone else he’s persevered – even going so far as teaching sign language to everyone he needed to learn from. For him, it takes a lot of mental strength and dedication to train consistently in all facets of MMA but in his words, “that level of dedication speaks to my soul.”

Looking back at his preparation for MMA and subsequently this fight, Garrett Scott will come in well-prepared, regardless of his hearing impairment. He’s also lived a healthy lifestyle, not drinking, smoking, or otherwise, and has always been active – both with outdoor sports in his off-time and also throughout his schooling where he trained as a freestyle wrestler before making the move into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and the litany of other fighting styles that make up MMA.

“I am very disciplined and train hard daily,” he says. “I have been through many trials as a deaf grappler, but I never let this seep into my soul, I have experienced barriers but found only opportunity, that is my daily story. I know what I want and I will make no excuses, I will only conquer.

Conquer he did in his first fight, when he beat Xavier James at Cage War in Capital City this past January. He won by RNC in the first round after staying persistent in fighting through his opponent’s strikes and pushing forward with his takedown attempts.

He’ll look to do it again at Belts of Honorius against Vidal, someone he believes is a strong Muay Thai fighter with some strong grappling skills.

“The length of my takedown attempts (in his last fighr) taught me to close the distance better with my hands, feet, and body movements so that my takedown attempts aren’t drawn out. For this fight Master (Ronny) Lis kept my Jiu-Jitsu strong and polished, while Master (Paul) Nixon worked on many takedown situations and angles, as well as head movement, while Kru Wellington Brito worked on my Muay Thai. I am confident; my training was the hard part. I have many skills, namely a strong jaw, a fast scramble, strong containment, good throws and takedowns, many submissions, and I am a capable striker. I am fearless and I have relentless perseverance, the only outcome for me is victory.”