Photo Credit: Ultimate Fighting Championships
Mexican mixed martial artist Hector Urbina (16-8-1) started his career fighting seven times in a year, but looking back he says he learns from his mistakes and credits being new to a country for competing subsequently.
“I didn’t get along with people,” said the high school wrestler. “I kept wrestling. My coach told me that the best way to be good at something is repeat it and repeat it.”
Flash forward to today, Urbina will now have a chance at an opportunity to compete in the number promotion in mixed martial arts as he will compete in the reality show, The Ultimate Fighter, where former champions Frankie Edgar and B.J. Penn will serve as coaches.
“I look up to them both,” he said. Penn and Edgar are major names and am so excited.”
Urbina, who trains at American Top Team in Coconut Creek,Fl., started his career in 2006 with two amateur fights and six pro fights. At one point he fought three times in a month. He went on having a record of 4-1 from September to December 2006.
“I was fresh out of high school,” he said. “I didn’t have anything going for me other than wrestling.”
Urbina said he took a couple punches during that period of his lifetime that hurt his body almost forcing him to take time off.
He had been offered scholarships to college, but his legal status wouldn’t permit it as he arrived from Mexico to the United States.
“I didn’t have gyms near me or anyone near me,” he said. “I just did as much as I can.”
Since he had a base in wrestling, he decided to try out mixed martial arts when his father got him a fight at a nearby promotion.
“I took the fight and I won it in 40 seconds,” he said. “I thought it was cool because I knew how to wrestle and that’s a good base for mma.”
Since then, he now has moved to Florida where he trains with top names in the world of mixed martial arts. He had wanting to move, but due to finances he wasn’t able too.
His manager helped him move to ATT and says his game has completely changed his mma game to a new level.
“It brought up my game up,” he said. “I got in the best shape of my life and all the coaches look out for me.”
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