> Features > Pg 2 Feature Stories > From battalion to battle ring
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From battalion to battle ring
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Reminder Publications photo by George Skovera
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By Natasha Clark
Assistant Managing Editor
SPRINGFIELD Wilbraham's Justin Torrey is no stranger to a tough fight. The war vet spent a tour of duty as a Marine and has returned to the area as a different kind of warrior -- a mixed martial arts fighter.
Torrey was one of 24 who competed on Saturday, Aug. 25 in Extreme Fighting International's (EFI) "International Beatdown" event at the Hippodrome. Reminder Publications followed the Middle Weight title holder last week prior to the bout to see how he made the transition.
Wednesday
EFI cofounder Keith Gordon recognized the need for a local mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting venue and along with business partner Louis Durkin, M.D., set out to make EFI the premier organization for local and international fighters seeking exposure and ultimately a possible shot in a major MMA entity such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
When this writer first met Torrey, he was making preparations of another kind. Sitting on a cot in a large tent in the Mojave Desert more than a year ago, he was involved in intensive training for his deployment to Iraq with 1st Battalion 25th (1/25) Marines, an activated reserve unit from the Northeastern and East coasts.
For 24 days he was immersed in extensive training that refined his skills in urban warfare and cultural awareness. A replica of an Iraq city was constructed in the desert, complete with mosques, police stations and role-playing civilians to give the Marines as true a simulation as possible. Torrey was in Line Company "C" (Charlie) and my former colleague and I were embedded with his Platoon and trailed them for two days. When we were able to steal a moment with him during his down time, among the things he mentioned of importance to him were his family back home in Massachusetts, his brother James who was already in Iraq with the Marines and martial arts and his job at Jeremy's School of Self Defense (now renamed Fighting Arts Academy).
After his tour of duty, six months later Reminder Publications met Torrey at the Hartford Armory as he returned from Camp Pendleton in California, the last stop on his way home from Fallujah, Iraq and into the arms of his waiting loved ones. Now it is almost a year since his return and we caught up with Torrey on Aug. 22, three days before the fight, inside the Fighting Arts Academy where he works as an assistant instructor and trains as a professional MMA fighter.
Torrey has slimmed down since the last time I have seen him and his hair is now closely cropped. He is rather mild-mannered and speaks in an even, polite tone far from the man we will see in the cage three days later.
The 24-year-old has been involved in martial arts, on and off, for the last 10 years. As a youth he said he walked into Jeremy's School of Self Defense "one day and never left."
Jeremy Libiszewski, owner of Fighting Arts Academy, has formed a friendship with Torrey that exceeds the fighting cage.
"I get joy in making sure he's doing something good with his life," Libiszewski shared. "He's like my little brother."
But being his "little big brother," as Torrey calls him, does not make Libiszewski ease up on training the athlete. He said training takes three months.
"One month of body building, weight lifting and technique. [The] second is more conditioning, power lifting. The last month is a lot of sparring, using the medicine ball. Weight lifting is for strength," Libiszewski explained. "The medicine ball for power."
Torrey also runs two miles a day three days a week and incorporates swimming, hitting the gym and wrestling, of which he is led by Alberto Nieves of the Springfield Technical Community College wrestling staff.
Tonight Torrey works the pads held up by Libiszewski powerfully. The sound of his knee connecting with the pad echoes in the room along with the harsh whooshing sound that escapes Torrey whenever he makes contact. Behind him an adult Muay Thai Kickboxing class is in session. Women and men double up into partners, taking turns working the pads. They will make a show of force by turning out Saturday night to support him. The sky outside has long darkened, evening is starting to turn to night and this training session is just beginning.
Libiszewski breaks away from training and sits on a bench in the entryway to give more insight on the sport. He said that out of all of the hard work that goes into training for fights, what athletes hate the most is watching their diet. Libiszewski knows first hand the demands of being an MMA fighter. He's been in martial arts for 18 years and was an amateur fighter from ages 16-18 and a professional fighter between the ages of 18-27.
He said there is a distinctive relationship between trainer and fighter that is hard to explain.
"Training for the fight, having people sweat and bleed with you, you can't [understand] it unless you've fought," Libiszewski stated. And because of that he recognizes that the sport is often misjudged. "This is not a brutal sport. It's an art form, combative art, but an art. Everything is for a reason. Everything is a strategy. It's like human chess."
Durkin mirrored Libiszewski thoughts. In a telephone interview he said MMA is "a lot safer than you would think. With boxing the most common issue is the number of shots to the head. The average match is 12 rounds and at the highest level the average is over 20 shots to the head per round," Durkin said. "In MMA the same fights have only seven to 15 shots to the head per round."
This is a substantial difference considering in MMA rules, each non-championship contest is two rounds of four minutes duration, with a one minute rest period between each round. In the event of a draw, a third two minute round will be in place. Each championship fight has two rounds of five minutes duration, with a one minute rest period between each round.
EFI has tried to take precautions in order to protect the health of their participants. Besides stipulations against acts such as butting with the head; eye gouging of any kind; biting or spitting at an opponent; groin attacks of any kind; intentionally placing a finger in any opponent's orifice and more, EFI also requires a fighter has complete a medical request form for consideration.
"[They take the form] to their primary care physician. All fighters are required and on that paper it has a list of past medical history. We also require an EKG. That is mandatory. We also require Hepatitis B and C and HIV blood work," Gordon explained, adding that at the fight they also have a ringside doctor, physician assistants and two backup ambulances; backstage stitches can be sewn and other medical supplies such as defibrillators and IVs are on hand. There is an additional surprise at Fighting Arts Academy and his name is Paulo Gomes. He came to the academy three years ago and said that it has changed his life. After going a few rounds with the pads, Libiszewski sent him out of the dojo to speak with me. Gomes said his past had its share of troubles but that this is a "good way to make a good thing out of it."
Saturday will be his first fight, though he planned to a year ago but was sidelined by a shoulder injury. He said having EFI establish a home in Western Massachusetts has been a good thing.
"The sport's been around for a while. Before you had to go to Boston to fight. Now here we have a place to go," Gomes said.
Friday
Torrey heads to Villa Napoletana where title-holders will be weighed in. He seems to be in good spirits talking with ease to Libiszewski , Gomes and Reminder Publications' photographer George Skovera, as he waits for his opponent Moreno to arrive.
He's prompted to participate in promotional pictures and so he leaves the window table where he's seated to pose with beautiful, scantily clad young women. He jokes later that it is a hard job.
After pictures he heads to a side room to meet with Durkin and answer interview questions on camera that will later be played before he enters the cage on fight night.
When he is through, Gordon weighs him in at 184 pounds. Moreno, from Newton, Mass., has yet to arrive and so Torrey heads to the buffet that has been provided by the restaurant. Later, when Moreno arrives, he weighs in at 186.
Saturday
A little before 8 p.m. and people are still spilling into the Hippodrome on Main Street in Springfield. Women are outside selling black T-shirts with "Torrey" emblazoned on the back to male customers who'd rather pay for their phone numbers.
EFI has sold 1,145 tickets to "International Beatdown" which takes place in the 1,500 capacity venue, which is why Gordon and Durkin plan to move their Oct. 27 event to the MassMutual Center.
I make my way through nearly a full house as I glance over the fight card and simultaneously keep my eye out for Torrey or his entourage. Moreno versus Torrey is the 12th and final match of the evening which means a really long night.
Before the first match begins I find the trio (Gomes, Libiszewski and Torrey) backstage and, surprisingly, Torrey still seems relaxed. He's laughing, playfully referring to Reminder Publications' photographer George Skovera as his shadow when I tell him that, indeed, Skovera will be stalking him later to capture him in more photographs.
This is not the Torrey, however, that emerges hours later being led Libiszewski. His swagger has changed, his head hangs low, his shoulders sort of hunched, his face is set in a hard expression, his cold eyes look into the crowd before he dips out of sight again to prepare for his formal entrance.
After 11 bouts, an intermission and a small disturbance near my seat where the host announced that people came here to see fights in the ring not out of it, it is finally time for the last fight of the night.
The crowd goes nuts when the host introduces Torrey. Fans are standing and cheering at the top of their lungs as they wave his T-shirts above their heads.
Music begins to pump through the speakers and most of the audience is on their feet. He's amped with adrenaline as he makes his way down the aisle and through the crowd. He's bouncing along to the music, rapping every lyric with emphasis as if each word represents what he plans to do to his opponent.
A flood of things happen quickly Torrey takes off his shirt, his entourage proceeds to the blue corner and suddenly Torrey and Moreno are finally alone in the cage save the referee. Torrey starts the fight by giving Moreno a kick to the face and it is still uncertain what may happen next. Both are undefeated, both want that belt.
The fight seems over before it really begins. They move across the cage floor, grappling. When Torrey stands and the opportunity presents itself, he stomps Moreno with his right leg. Soon they are back on the floor wrestling again but as the end of the first round approaches, Torrey positions himself atop Moreno and his fists yield relentless blows that cause the referee to call a cease to the fight.
Hollers erupt from the crowd and Torrey's fight corner. Libiszewski is up and over the side of the cage in a single leap pulling Torrey into a celebratory bear hug.
His boys have done it tonight. First Gomes, taking down Chris Perkins in a first round knock out, and now Torrey wins by TKO (technical knockout) in 4 minutes and 35 seconds, upping his record to 7-0-0.
The belt is returned to its owner and until next time, Torrey is still the man to beat.
For more information on Extreme Fighting International, visit theextremefight.com.
For more photographs of Reminder Publications' profile of Justin Torrey, visit www.thereminder.com and click on Photo Gallery.
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> Features > Pg 2 Feature Stories > From battalion to battle ring
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