MMA Fighter Can Beat You One-Handed
New England native Nick Newell hopes to put on a show in front of a hometown crowd at the World Series of Fighting event at Foxwoods on Friday.
It might not seem like a fair match when a one-handed fighter faces a two-handed athlete, but for Nick Newell, it’s just another day at the office.
Born with a congenital amputation of his left arm, the World Series of Fighting lightweight doesn’t view his condition as a disability at all. In fact, he’s turned this perceived disadvantage into an advantage in the cage, amassing a near perfect 11-1 professional record with 10 first round finishes.
Mixed martial arts legend and WSOF commentator Bas Rutten notes how Newell’s condition helps him sink in deeper, stronger chokeholds which make it nearly impossible for his opponents to escape.
“He uses that as an advantage,’’ Rutten said. “All these people go, ‘It’s harder [for an opponent] to defend a rear naked choke,’ and I go, ‘Listen. The things that he gives up, imagine not having a hand in mixed martial arts… that’s a big disadvantage to have.’ So he tries to work with the disadvantage he has to try and to make it into an advantage.’’
‘Notorious’ 2.0
Nick Newell, right, defeated Keon Caldwell at WSOF 4 in Ontario, California on Aug. 10, 2013.
While the 29-year-old Newell is a veteran of the sport, his next bout Friday at Foxwoods will be filled with a few firsts.
Set to face Joe Condon in the night’s co-main event, the contest will be Newell’s first in his home state of Connecticut. The evening will also be the first time that he’s set foot in a cage since seeing his perfect professional record snapped at the hands of WSOF champion Justin Gaethje via knockout last July.
Despite coming off a devastating defeat, Newell said he doesn’t feel any added pressure to win going into this weekend’s fight. He could also care less about what the critics have to say because the only person he’s fighting for is himself.
“I always have a little chip on my shoulder to succeed because that’s the type of person I am,’’ he said. “I don’t fight to impress anyone, I just fight because I enjoy it. I know that I’m good, so I don’t have to prove that to anyone. All I ask of myself is that I go out and perform to the best of my abilities.’’
After his first loss, Newell took a few months off to rehabilitate some nagging injuries and work on his technique.
The former top contender admits that he ran himself into the ground a bit while training for last year’s title fight. Now that he’s taking recovery more seriously, Newell says he is in top form and “ready to put on a show.’’
Rutten believes that the loss was a blessing in disguise for Newell because it showed him what he needed to work on.
“I think that particular fight was good for Nick because now he knows, ‘Oh, OK, I got to work on that,’’’ Rutten said. “It was a big life lesson for him and I don’t think people are going to pull that off again.’’
Newell believes he’s patched up those holes in his game.
“Even though I took a step back, I took a bunch of steps forward,’’ Newell said. “Training makes you better and I’ve certainly done a lot of it since my last fight.’’
What’s never needed work, though, is Newell’s mental fortitude.
The values of tenacity, toughness, and hard work were instilled in Newell early on in his athletic career. While he lost many of his first matches as a collegiate wrestler, eventually he became a dominant force on the mats and was named team captain at Western New England University.
Rutten remembers the first time he met the man they call “Notorious’’ at a training seminar back in 2006. The former UFC champion says that he was impressed with Newell’s ambition and mental strength even before he had made a splash inside the cage.
“He said, ‘Remember my name. I’m going to start fighting,’ and I go, ‘Like this?’ He said, ‘Yeah,’ and I said, ‘Hats off to you,’’’ Rutten said. “Suddenly he’s there and he’s just finishing people left and right. He made up his mind a long time ago.’’
“I think the way he grew up has made him a strong mental person,’’ Rutten added. “Fighting is pretty much all mental.’’
Hometown Hero
Friday’s fight at Foxwoods with be Newell’s first in his home state of Connecticut.
As a well known figure on the New England MMA scene, Newell is often spotted at events around the region offering his support to local fighters and promotions.
The Milford, Connecticut resident splits his time training at Fighting Arts Academy in Springfield and Ultimate MMA in North Haven, Connecticut. Newell says he has no plans to leave his hometown for larger training centers or more experienced sparring partners located around the country because he prefers the camaraderie he has with his current team and wouldn’t change a thing.
“I feel like I’m making more progress here at home. I don’t have a million guys on the team, but everyone on my team is good,’’ he said. “It just works out perfectly for me. The support I get around here from everyone is incredible.’’
While he’s fought in New Hampshire, Boston, and various towns in western Massachusetts, Newell’s never fought in Connecticut.
He believes the hometown crowd will come out in force on Friday night, making for an evening he will remember for the rest of his life.
“All my friends ask me when I’m going to fight around here, well, here it is – I’m coming to Connecticut,’’ Newell said. “I’m probably the biggest name fighter from Connecticut right now, so I’m really, really lucky to have that. I feel like the crowd is going to give me super powers.’’
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