Ryan Bixler: Mixed martial artist

By DUANE NOLLEN
The Oskaloosa Herald

OSKALOOSA February 05, 2008 11:57 am

— Ryan Bixler has taken his love of wrestling to the next level as a professional mixed martial artist.
Bixler, 21, grew up in Oskaloosa and wrestled for 14 years, but for almost two years now, he has fought professionally in the ring as a mixed martial artist.
Mixed martial arts incorporates wrestling and other disciplines such as boxing, jujitsu, mauy thai, judo, karate, kick boxing, kung fu and taekwondo. MMA began in the United States in 1993 with the formation of the Ultimate Fighting Championships and is the fastest growing sport in the U.S., according to the History Channel’s “Human Weapon” Web page.
“I’ve fought in a 12-foot cage. I’ve fought in 33-foot cages and boxing rings,” Bixler said. “It’s two people in the ring.”
A mixed martial artist can win a match three ways — submission, technical knock-out or knock-out. Some leagues will let a competitor throw in the towel while others won’t. Also, referees can stop a fight if one of the competitors is too badly injured to continue, Bixler said.
There are three levels of MMA — amateur, professional and championship. An amateur fight is composed of three three-minute rounds. A professional fight lasts for three five-minute rounds. A championship fight lasts for five five-minute rounds.
Bixler said that the Midwest is a region where amateur MMA reigns and that the really good professional contests are held in Las Vegas or in California. Bixler said he also has competed in Tijuana, Mexico.
Bixler is serious about his craft.
“I’m a professional athlete,” Bixler said. Bixler, who usually fights at 155 pounds, has a record of 19 wins and four losses.
When there’s a fight coming up, Bixler says he’s in the gym for eight to 12 hours a day training.
A professional fighter in training will practice all the different styles — jujitsu, mauy thai, boxing and wrestling — for one to two hours each. Then you lift weights, do cardiovascular exercise and do film study of your opponent, Bixler said.
“It’s a full day,” he said.
Bixler says he doesn’t have a favorite style of fighting.
“I love all the styles. The more I learn, the more I love,” he said.
“I’m a wrestler — ‘ground and pound,’” he added. But he likes mauy thai, where you can throw elbow strikes. “I love to use and incorporate all styles,” he said.
Bixler said the key to MMA fighting is muscle memory from doing countless repetitions of the martial arts because the pace of the fight moves too fast for someone to think.
Sometimes you can train too hard.
Bixler said he lost a fight because he trained too hard.
“I ended up losing too much weight too fast,” he said. The night before the fight he was in the hospital because he lost 24 pounds in two days. He had received a last-minute call on Tuesday about a fight on Thursday and he had tried to make weight.
While he fights at 155 pounds, Bixler has fought at 170 pounds.
Bixler said he has fought some guys who weighed 250 pounds. In that case, the strategy is to “just keep moving. He’ll wear out.”
Currently, he and his fiance, Adrienna Jenkins, are personal trainers at the YMCA in Oskaloosa. Interestingly, Jenkins also is a mixed martial artist from Hawaii. Bixler trained for MMA in Davenport and then in San Diego, where he met Jenkins.
The couple embarked on a professional MMA career together before coming back to Oskaloosa.
“We made a living. It’s a full-time job,” Bixler said.
In the Midwest, MMA fighters compete for purses of hundreds of dollars while in Las Vegas or California, you can win purses of thousands of dollars, he said.
Bixler said there is a lot of respect shown between professional fighters. Sure, fighters tend taunt each other before a match when emotions run high, but afterwards, they show a lot of respect, he said.
Bixler doesn’t like the attitude shown by many amateurs. They tend to be “posers” who “showboat” a lot, he said.
“Around here (the Midwest) people don’t take it serious. People wear their ‘tap-out’ T-shirts but they don’t know fighting,” he said. Some amateurs “are great, but most do it to be cool,” he added.
“I let my actions speak for themselves,” he said.
Bixler said it takes a special person to be a serious MMA competitor.
“I don’t recommend it to people,” he said. But, he does recommend that people learn a martial art because it instills discipline and an appreciation for the human body.
While a professional MMA fighter can make good money, the sport takes a toll on the body.
“You’re sore for a couple of days” after a fight, Bixler said. “I’ve broken hands, broken feet. I’ve been cut open.” Bixler said he once took an elbow strike above the eye that cut him pretty bad.
However, promoters of the bigger fights have excellent medical coverage for the MMA competitors. Some have 72 hours of full medical coverage after a fight while others provide 30 days of full medical coverage, he said.
While most MMA fighters are young, some veterans fight into their 30s or 40s, Bixler said. Dan Henderson is a champion fighter and he is still fighting in his late 30s/early 40s, Bixler said. Also, Bixler’s old coach, Pat Miletch of Davenport, has fought at the age of 42 or 43.
Bixler and Jenkins will offer their martial arts knowledge to the public this year with classes at the YMCA. In March, they plan to teach jujitsu classes and in April, kick boxing. Currently, they teach an MMA class to a group of five students in the evenings.
Herald Editor Duane Nollen can be reached by email at oskynews@oskyherald.com

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