Middleweight Mark Munoz realizes that with a win Saturday at UFC 131 against former No. 1 contender Demian Maia, he could be in the now familiar position of fighting a friend in the future.
In his previous two outings, Munoz has faced friends C.B. Dollaway and Aaron Simpson. The former two-time All-American wrestler views it as part of the job.
“It’s a tangled web we weave because the guys that I train with, train with Demian,” Munoz explained to MMADieHards.com. “Junior Dos Santos trains with him, and some other guys I know do, too, but I know how it is. I don’t take it personal. I know its all business. I come from the sport of wrestling, and we all train together. Sometimes we wrestle on more than just one occasion. I remember I wrestled my nemesis more than 15 times, so it’s no different to me.”
Munoz is the owner of Reign Training Center in Lake Forrest, Calif., which does not leave much opportunity for him to visit other gyms. The “Filipino Wrecking Machine” does have a setup in which he can utilize the talented fighters at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, Calif. to prepare, as well.
“I stay at Reign’s, but I go to Kings MMA because we have a partnership,” Munoz explained. “His guys come over here and my guys go over there. We got a great thing going between Kings MMA and Reign Training Center. I told them between Kings and Reign’s we’re going to reign together like kings.”
Along with operating his own gym, Munoz manages his time for his family, which consists of four children, and his friends. The 2001 NCAA wrestling champion also has to train himself and other fighters for their matches, promote his own fights and charitably volunteer his time. The key words in Munoz’s day are “prioritize” and “delegate.”
“I have a lot of good friends that actually chase me out of the gym,” Munoz confessed. “I prioritize my time, plus I like to give my time as much as possible. Along with what I do, I’m also opening a 501c3 (nonprofit organization). I have my camps and my clinics that I do for West Coast Wrestler. That, along with my kids’ activities, events and their sports — there is definitely a lot going on. I prioritize my time and make sure I have time for the people that are most important to me, and that’s my family and friends. If I can’t get something done, I’ll make sure it gets done later. But the things that need to have time now are my friends and family.
“The business side of it is something I can delegate. I can keep track of who I have doing what, but I’m still in the gym everyday trying to be a good businessman. This place is my second home. I try to prioritize, because if I don’t, I’ll drive myself crazy.”
The use of two gyms has been essential to Munoz in his preparations for Maia. It’s no secret that Maia has the capability of submitting anyone in the division, but Munoz has trained for Maia’s best tool, therefore he will not hesitate to use his vicious ground and pound when the fight hits the canvas.
“I’ve been concentrating on my jiu-jitsu,” Munoz admitted. “I’m training with Fabricio Werdum because he’s over at Kings. I’m training with Marcel Louzado. He is the BJJ instructor at my school who beat Demian Maia in competitions a few times. I’m training with Ryron and Rener Gracie from the Gracie Academy. I got great guys to help prepare me for this fight, so if it goes (to the ground), I’m still going to hit him. I know he’s going to want to take it there and I know he will, so I’m not going to shy away from it.”
Maia fought Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight belt just 14 months ago, so Munoz recognizes the potential significance of defeating the Brazilian.
“It’s a huge win,” Munoz admitted. “Maia is a veteran, so for me to get past him and win does speak volumes, I think. I’m looking forward to this fight. This is a great fight for me and I can’t wait.”
Munoz has the privilege of training with Silva and the rest of the Blackhouse family, and though they could not be there to assist him leading up to this fight, the Reign owner states they will be reunited soon. Munoz is also hoping he can assist Silva in his next title defense, against Yushin Okami.
“When (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira is back from his injury I’m going to start training with him again,” Munoz said. “Anderson is in Brazil, and Lyoto (Machida) is coming down every once and a while. I train with those guys when they’re around, (and) if Anderson calls me up, I’m there. That fight is in Brazil, so I think he’ll be preparing in Brazil. We’ll see what happens, but I would love to help him out like I did before. Obviously I fought Yushin before, so it’s a no-brainer. I’d love to help him out.”
If Munoz conquers Maia, that will mark three consecutive victories and six wins in the Filipino’s last seven fights. With another win over a top-ranked opponent, Munoz could find himself facing none other than Silva.
“That’s a bridge we’ll cross when I get there,” Munoz explained. “I respect Anderson a lot and he’s a good friend of mine. We’ll see. If that happens, then we’ll have some things to talk about and discuss.”
They might be talking very, very soon.
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