Richmond Marine claims victory in first steps towards MMA dream

Photo By Sgt. Rocco Defilippis | Cpl. Micah C. Terry (right), a guard force Marine with Marine Forces Europe, kicks his opponent, Silyevic Yasmin, in the head during the Mettler Fight Night in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany. Terry defeated his opponent by unanimous decision, winning all three rounds of the Muay Thai kickboxing match.  

10.30.2008

Story by Sgt. Rocco Defilippis 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa     

As the lights dimmed and his ominous, gladiator-like entrance music built to a climax, Cpl. Micah Terry walked confidently toward the ring as a crowd of fighting enthusiasts and fellow Marine supporters chanted his name.

With months of dedicated training behind him, Terry balanced the adrenaline pumping hrough his body with a calm focus that comes only from confidence in one's abilities and preparation.

Terry, a guard-force Marine with U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe, has aken the arine Corps warrior ethos and incorporated it into his ersonal quest to become a professional mixed martial arts fighter, competing in and winning his first sanctioned fight Oct. 25, 2008 at the Mettler Fight Night in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany.

"I had been preparing for this fight for more than three months," Terry, a native of Richmond, Va., said. "This is a big step in my career. I've had to convince people that this is something I am dedicated to, and now that I've taken this step, it's opened many doors to advance my dreams."

Terry said his ultimate goal is to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship league, the largest MMA promotion in the world, in the heavyweight division. Standing at 6 feet 4 inches and 235 pounds, Terry's main style is Muay-Thai Boxing, an art focusing on kick, and elbow and knee strikes combined with traditional boxing.

"My strength is my kicks," Terry said. "As a mixed martial artist, this style of fighting brings me comfort, because of my experience and comfort level with fighting on my feet."

While watching a fight on television may bring entertainment to many, Terry said there is nothing like stepping into the ring, prepared to engage your opponent man to man.

During his first sanctioned fight, through the International Sport Kick Boxing Association, Terry defeated his opponent, Silyevic Yasmin, by a unanimous decision after three rounds of intense, full-contact kick boxing.

"I know the reason I was victorious in this fight is not only my physical training, but the focus I placed on my mental preparation," Terry said. He added that from the moment he walked into the ring, he knew he was able to balance the excitement and adrenaline of coming fight with the reassurance that he was fully ready, mentally and physically, to claim victory in the match.

While he has spent hours and hours in the gym, preparing his body and focusing his mind, his fight during the Mettler Fight Night is a good start in his progression through the sport.

"You have to win a certain amount of amateur fights," Terry said. "The more victories you have under your belt allows you to advance from amateur status to professional. From here, I will compete in an MMA fight in January."

Although the match was a sanctioned event, Terry's recent fight was strictly a Thai Boxing fight, meaning only established kickboxing rules applied and ground fighting was not incorporated.

While the Muay-Thai style may be Terry's passion, he doesn't plan on limiting himself to only kickboxing matches, and he says he is looking forward to the fight in January when he is baptized in the fire of MMA

"I'm not trying to read too far into the future," Terry said. "But I am determined to make that day another victory."

Terry said from here, he will return to focus his training and preparation to his January MMA cage match.

Training both at German gyms and in the Marine Forces Europe bachelor enlisted quarters Marine Corps Martial Arts room, affectionately dubbed "The House of Pain" by the Marines here, Terry says he will look to himself and the support of his fellow Marine training partners to prepare for his first MMA test.

"Most people do not realize the training that goes into a professional fight," said Gunnery Sgt. Marcus Dawson, Marine Forces Europe administrative operations chief. "There are a lot of tough guys around, but what shows heart is the dedication to keep coming back to train."

As the lights dimmed and his ominous, gladiator-like entrance music built to a climax, Cpl. Micah Terry walked confidently toward the ring as a crowd of fighting enthusiasts and fellow Marine supporters chanted his name.

Dawson said one of the most important parts about fighting is the team a fighter surrounds himself with in his training. For Terry, the support, partnership and training he gets from his fellow Marines and the Corp's elite warrior philosophy have been key aspects of his progression so far.

"The Marine Corps has taught me to push myself in my training," Terry said. "To overcome pain rather than avoid it. These are qualities that make good fighters."

Mixed martial arts fighting is obviously not a sport for everyone. It takes a special kind of motivation and a strong desire to overcome both the physical and mental hardships to excel in the ring-the kinds of things displayed by Cpl. Terry.

Terry's next match is slated for January at the Gods of War III MMA tournament in Kaiserslautern, Germany. According to www.kampfsportnews.com, the Gods of War is one of the largest and most important MMA tournaments in Germany.

• Date Taken: 10.30.2008
• Date Posted: 10.30.2008 12:46
• Story ID: 25742