Rudy Reyes is a martial arts success story... one in which the Asian disciplines, coupled with a heaping of determination, have helped this Recon Marine survive the Iraq war and prevail over his personal aftermath to build his mind and body stronger than ever before. He has been featured in HBO's Generation Kill and the History Channel's Apocalypse Man. And he recently authored a book about his total experience called Hero Living. In this EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, Rudy talks about what he's found the most rewarding in his own journey through everyday life and the martial journey... and how he forges ahead to inspire others.
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ONE Championship kick-started their exciting month on Wednesday, April 7, with ONE on TNT I inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The long-awaited meeting between ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano "Mikinho" Moraes and ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson took center stage and had a shocking conclusion.
Five other bouts helped fill out ONE's primetime debut in the United States.
Need a recap of what went down at ONE on TNT I? Here is what you missed from the latest edition of ONE Championship action.
Main Event: Adriano Moraes vs. Demetrious Johnson
<div id="333ca" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f238edca7354d3367fae8d4145f0155d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1379990247551889408" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Adriano Moraes 🇧🇷 SHOCKS THE WORLD, becoming the first man to finish Demetrious Johnson! @adrianomkmoraes #WeAreONE… https://t.co/JVSVwKC973</div> — ONE Championship (@ONE Championship)<a href="https://twitter.com/ONEChampionship/statuses/1379990247551889408">1617850288.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Moraes Winner by Knockout</p><p>Round 2 - 2:24</p><p>For the first time in a 14 year career, Johnson was finished. The jaw-dropping knockout came in the second round as Moraes successfully defended the ONE Flyweight World Championship.</p><p>The Brazilian clipped Johnson with a right uppercut that staggered "Mighty Mouse" and put him on the mat. As Moraes followed up, "Mikinho" delivered a short knee to the face that put an end to Johnson's title bid. Moraes' stunning finish of the all-time great made him the top flyweight on the planet.</p>Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Danial Williams
<p>Rodtang Winner by Unanimous Decision</p><p>Following the title tilt, Rodtang "The Iron Man" Jitmuangnon put on a show as he welcomed Daniel "Mini T" Williams to ONE. The Aussie proved to be a game opponent and gave Rodtang a run for his money, but in the end it was a clear-cut decision for the Thai star. The exciting matchup was a great showcase for ONE Super Series, Rodtang, and Williams as well.</p>Eddie Alvarez vs. Iuri Lapicus
<p>Lapicus Winner by Disqualification</p><p>The opening bout did not go as expected. The potential best match of the night ended early after illegal blows to the back of the head from Alvarez were called by the referee. Alvarez was shown a red card and Lapicus was given the victory. However, fans can likely expect a rematch as nothing was settled in this contender's matchup.</p>Tyler McGuire vs. Raimond Magomedaliev
<p>Magomedaliev Winner by Unanimous Decision</p><p>Dagestani Raimond Magomedaliev put in an excellent 15 minutes against Tyler McGuire to make a solid case to be the welterweight division's top contender. The American pushed forward for 15 minutes, but Magomedaliev had the answers every step of the way to earn a unanimous decision.</p>Enriko Kehl vs. Chingiz Allazov
Kehl Winner by Split DecisionEnriko Kehl and Chingiz Allzov met again, but this time it was inside the ONE Circle. The longtime kickboxing rivals showed how closely matched they were in an exciting back-and-forth banger. After nine solid minutes, Kehl got two of the three judges to see it his way to grab the narrow victory.Oumar Kane vs. Patrick Schmid
<p>Kane Winner by TKO</p><p>"Reug Reug" Oumar Kane continued his ascent as the next African star with a first-round mauling of Patrick "The Big Swiss" Schmid. The Senegalese grappler got to show-off his developing striking before taking the match to the ground and ending the bout with strikes.</p>BONUS: Johnson Speaks after Loss to Moraes
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0fa185c6947cacd0ea88b2c6cbb33739"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5TA5R_F9yJo?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>From Your Site Articles
- Demetrious Johnson: Anatomy of the GOAT - Black Belt Magazine ›
- ONE On TNT I Press Conference & Faceoffs Highlights - Black Belt ... ›
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Can we admit we find it off-putting when someone struggles with being famous?
The mere mortals of us will probably as a rule be incredulous when we see people who get to do things people dream of and avoid real jobs. Especially when their gig gives them checks with lots of zeros on them. But some reflection might lead us to see fighting is probably not in the category of things that should illicit that kind of thinking. Does anyone in their right mind dream of stripping down to their skivvies and stepping into a cage to potentially be beat to pulp for a few thousand bucks? If you do, you may want to find an MMA gym near you.
<p>If possible, take a minute and watch Johny Hendricks' top knockouts.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="90ce4829e7d841d8d5a8d9f7a9c74b62"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qq9Eo21ZQTE?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>Alright, are you back? Now imagine you just watched that and have a bout agreement in front of you to fight him. Are we excited yet? Well, George St-Pierre had to do just that. Recently in an interview on the Complex Sports Podcast (promoting his acting role in the Marvel world) and then again on ESPN's Ariel Helwani Show (promoting his involvement in Karate Combat), GSP echoed his past statements that he was terrified to fight – hated it, in fact. Seemed as though to him it was tantamount to what people might think of as akin to the worst fears of all. Apparently, the top fear in that discussion is public speaking, but now we have to add to that terrifying oral book report; punches, kicks, blood, loss, shame, and so on. Now is that time where we take a breath and consider both of these things together, viz. Big Rigg demolishing people into piles of rubble and his future opponent saying he does not like fighting. Put a pin in this thought for a bit though, if you would.</p><p>In very stark contrast to what seems to be a very sensible attitude toward unarmed combat is the attitude of a man named Justin Gaethje. A man who was bothered before his fight with an equally terrifying foe as Hendricks albeit a weight class lower. Ask anyone in whatever weight class Edson Barboza might be about him and it is a guarantee there won't be a lot of hands raised eager to oppose him. Well, there is Paul Felder who wanted more rounds with the machine-like striker, but back to Gaethje. Was Justin bothered by fear like GSP? No, he was bothered he was not nervous enough and postulated in his post-fight interview as to why. This after having just knocked Edson literally stiff and of course exercising one of the most terrifying moves in MMA – the dreaded back flip off of the cage in victory. What was the issue at hand? He told us: "I just love this way too much?"</p><img
class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" lazy-loadable="true"
data-runner-src="https://blackbeltmag.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNjAzNTU4Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1Njg2ODAyN30.x51H4VDHjwgeH9lr_P3lEwx_C-WS2zPWBcq1ThHUoAk/image.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C132%2C0%2C641&height=700"
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data-rm-shortcode-id="f6ad7e527ad61f7e50d6cc2d0995f293" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Justin Gaethje" />
<p>Alright, let us now put this word problem together. Two of the most successful MMA fighters of all time seem to have exact opposite sentiments for the sport they very much conquered (or nearly in Justin's case having missed the belt in a loss to undefeated GOAT candidate, Khabib Nurmagomedov). Does it bother the fan who hears GSP say he did not love fighting? Do we expect him to be like contender Gaethje and love it <em>too much</em>? Or is it possible we should ask, why in the world should anyone love something enough to be locked in a blender with Edson Barboza? Who in their right mind would watch Hendricks fell Martin Kampmann like a tree and say, "Count me in"?</p><p>Cilantro. That is something we civilians can relate to in life where people seem to either love or hate it. And while some may act like it is as bad as being knocked unconscious, it just isn't. There is so much at stake in an MMA fight (or career full of them). A look at those ominous words of Nick Diaz speaking to the regret of leading his younger brother Nathan into fighting will (or should) give every fan pause. The thoughtful fan knows there are fighters who love it and we can indeed appreciate that. Even marvel at it. But when someone speaks to how tough it is or even as GSP or Diaz have, they are not a pop-star who have been spoon-fed mounds of Scrooge McDuck money to do something relatively easy. If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life – GSP worked hard for his money. </p>
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