Mark Munoz has officially made a name for himself.
The state of the middleweight division is up in the air right now, but if there's a "mix" Munoz emphatically added himself to it last night. Munoz's TKO win over C.B. Dollaway definitely puts him in line for future contender matchups.
Middleweight has been a perfect fit for Munoz. Although Munoz's UFC career hasn't all been smooth sailing, his progress as a fighter has been. With each fight Munoz grows into a more well-rounded and dangerous fighter.
Last night's first round victory didn't give Munoz much of a chance to display any new learned skills, but he showed confidence and poise against a very solid fighter in Dollaway. He also got a chance to remind the middleweight division about his heavy hands.
Since squeaking by Nick Cantone in his first fight at middleweight, Munoz has been on a 4-1 tear, racking up wins over solid competition. His only loss at 185 lbs was by split decision to No. 1 contender and perennial bridesmaid Yushin Okami.
It was a tough loss, but nothing to dwell on. For Munoz, almost beating one of the best middleweights in the world only three years into his career was something to feel positive about.
Having succeeded at the highest level of collegiate wrestling, Munoz is well aware of what it takes to make it to the top. To be a champion in any sport, you need to be resilient. You need an interior fortitude that will not crack when facing adversity. A champion never counts himself out, there is no quit; that's Munoz.
The 33-year-old Munoz has now been fighting professionally for almost four years. It was while working as a coach with the UC Davis wrestling team that he met Urijah Faber, who was also a member of the coaching staff.
Faber would eventually leave the coaching staff and to go on to superstardom in the WEC. For a person with the drive of Munoz it was difficult to sit and watch from the sidelines. The hunger to compete gnawed away inside of him as he watched Faber's career blow up. Munoz knew that he had to get in on the action.
Munoz made his pro debut in July of 2007 as a light heavyweight. After winning his first three fights, Munoz was picked up by the WEC. He fought twice in that organisation, earning two wins, both by TKO stoppages.
When the decision was made in 2008 to eliminate the heavier weight classes in the WEC, Munoz was one of only a handful of fighters who was brought over to the UFC. Munoz was viewed as an exciting prospect with a ton of potential and, as it turns out, they were right. Eventually.
Munoz's first fight was against Matt Hamill at UFC 96. Hamill, who is scheduled to meet Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at the upcoming UFC 130, is a serious test for a fighter making his organizational debut. Munoz fought hard to make the bout competitive, but he was out-matched by the bigger, more seasoned Hamill.
If the current conviction is true, that it doesn't matter what people are saying about you just so long as they are talking about you, then Munoz's debut against Hamill was a phenomenal success. Because after that fight, people were talking.
It was at 3:53 of the first round that Munoz's name was first made in the UFC, courtesy of Hamill.
With his back to the cage and his hands down low, Munoz was knocked into unconsciousness by one of the most devastating head kicks in UFC history. It was the first loss of Munoz's career and it was fodder for Monday morning water cooler talk. People were talking about Munoz, but for all the wrong reasons.
When your first loss is on the sport's biggest stage and in such a spectacular fashion, it can be tough to deal with. But if you want to succeed in MMA you have to learn how to deal with it in a positive manner. That's what it means to face adversity and overcome it.
Munoz's loss to Hamill didn't break him, it made him a better, stronger fighter. He knew he needed to improve to hang with the guys at this level. That's why he pushes himself to train harder.
Now that hard work is propelling him to the top of his division. Munoz has people talking about him these days for all the right reasons. He's making a name for himself as an elite fighter and piling up footage for his own highlight reel.
Jessica White Anna Friel Monica Bellucci Minki van der Westhuizen Katharine Towne
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