Six Guardsmen represent Team Infantry in mixed martial arts competition

By Rachel Knight
Ngmo.pao@us.army.mil

CLINTON, Mo. - Six Soldiers from the Missouri National Guard represented Team Infantry at a Mixed Martial Arts competition in Clinton resulting in two West Central Missouri champion titles.

Spc. Brandon Iloilo, of Independence, and Spc. Greg Breault, of Warrensburg, had the opportunity to represent Team Infantry in their first competitive fight.

"It's like seeing your kids go to school for the first time," said Sgt. Jed Thornton, of Warrensburg and coach of Team Infantry.

"There were a lot of jitters," said Iloilo. "It's like your first varsity football game under those lights."

Breault was able to win his match in the second round by a technical knockout after training hard for about two weeks with help from Iloilo, the other fighters and their coaches.

"I just blocked everything out," Breault said. "I heard Sgt. Thornton and Brian coaching me from the side and I just followed what they said."

Breault had a surprise after the match as his father had shown up to watch the event and he was unaware of it. His dad was cheering for him and shouting his name, but Breault was focused on the fight and never heard him.

Spc. Steven Atkins, of LaMonte, had the opportunity to fight for the title of West Central Missouri 135-pound Amateur Champion and won. Atkins had won a previous fight and was challenge by a fighter who had a record of six wins and three loses.

Atkins won the fight after the opponent tapped out due to ankle lock Atkins had on him.

Atkins said the fight felt great and probably better than his next win will be because he won the belt for the first time. Now he has to train hard to keep it.

The interesting part of the fight is that Atkins was fighting with a fractured foot and didn't want it taped to give it away. He will be taking time off until his next fight so that it may heal.

Atkins had been training for mixed martial arts competitions for four years before meeting Thornton and getting his shot to actually compete.

Atkins knew he had a good chance of winning the fight after his opponent gave him a superman punch, which is a fake leg kick followed through by a punch, and he didn't even feel it.

Brian Spencer, owner of Battleground Fight Academy and Brian's Gym in Sedalia, said a superman punch is a flashy technique that if done properly can be quite effective. However, most fighters have not mastered the technique.

He said he was very proud of Atkins because "he stuck with the basics and 90 percent of the time that wins it."

Spc. Tyrone Jackson, of Springhill, La., fought to keep his title as West Central Missouri 170-pound Amateur champion and he did so by technically knocking out by striking his opponent with 20 seconds down in the first round. Jackson remains undefeated with seven wins and zero loses.

Spc. Blake "The Bull" Pool, of Peculiar, won his match by performing a guillotine choke on his opponent, which is a popular mixed martial arts move favored by jiu-jitsu fighters. The win boosted his record to seven wins and two loses.

Iloilo, Breault, Atkins, Jackson and Pool are all members of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 1/138th Infantry Regiment Battalion in Kansas City. The last fighter is from Company C of the 935th Aviation Support Battalion in Warrensburg and resides in Carrollton, Mo. Pfc. Damien Jones fights in the professional division of mixed martial arts.

"They did great overall," said Thornton about his fighters. "All of them fought with heart and class. That is all you can ask for."

The fighters are known at the competitions for being "disciplined and respectful." If someone talks junk to them, they just ignore it and continue on with the reason they are there and that is to compete.

When asked what they need to work on the most, all the fighters said "everything."

"You can never finish working on anything," said Atkins.

Thornton said his fighters need to work on "not rushing it and taking their time. They let excitement go to their head and rush into a situation they don't need to be in."

Spencer said their focus for the fighters is developing them as a whole. Instead of teaching them straight discipline and dedication to the gym, they teach them dedication in all of life's aspects.

Thornton said that the Soldiers have to learn to balance the military, competing and home life to be successful.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.