The New Face of Ultimate Fighting

The New Face of Ultimate Fighting

Most of us are, and always have been, under the impression that the sport of ultimate fighting is a brutal hand-to-hand, no holds barred, fight to the death. However, 28-year-old Ryan Gabourie would like to set that myth to rest and enlighten us to the real sport that he’s grown to love. “The sport almost defeated itself right from the beginning because that’s how they promoted it; as a blood sport!” says Ryan.

Ryan, in his fifth year teaching Phys-Ed and History at Centennial Secondary School has been actively involved with the sport of ultimate fighting for four years now and has trained in the art of Jujitsu for eleven. Part of his Jujitsu training included sparring with professionals and it was then when the inspiration to compete in ultimate fighting struck him. “There were guys at my club who had trained and competed professionally, so I would be their sparring partner and they didn’t hit me very much, so I figured that this is for me.”

Fresh from his most recent victory at the Ultimate Generation Combat XI in Montreal on October 1, where he unequivocally defeated world ranked Gabriel Rossi by using a triangle choke to force Gabriel to tap out just 2:10 into the first round, Ryan “Gattling Gun” Gabourie would like to set the record straight about the sport and see that it gets the attention and respect he feels it deserves.

So, with that in mind the QSR visited with Ryan to get the real story behind the sport that has received so much negative attention and to find out what his students and colleagues think about his choice for an extra curricular activity.

Ultimate fighting evolved from the no-holds barred full contact fighting into the legitimate sport it is today and is more aptly referred to as Mixed Martial Arts.” Ryan explains. “It involves aspects of boxing, martial arts, wrestling, and grappling and usually the winner of a match is determined by the opponent who can utilize the best combination of these disciplines. A typical match consists of three 5-minute rounds and the plan is to get your opponent to submit and signal his surrender by either tapping his adversary or the mat three times. In some instances, a submissive rival may also voice his intent verbally to the referee. A fighter can accomplish this either by putting his opponent in an arm lock, leg lock, or a choke, or by alternatively making his challenger uncomfortable enough to submit. If fighters become deadlocked and the referee feels that there is risk of injury or if there’s a lull in the action, he can try to spur them on or stop the fight and have them start again. If neither combatant taps out then a decision is referred to the judges who base their verdict on aggressiveness, position, and submission attempts. The only required equipment includes four-ounce gloves, mouth guards and groin protectors. Contestants usually range in age from twenty to thirty-five and compete in a variety of weight classes.

Standing 5’ 11” and weighing 190 lbs. and with no physical marks indicative of recent battle, Ryan certainly does not exactly reflect the stereotypical image of a champion ultimate fighter. Even his colleague, Steve Botterill a business teacher of four years, had this to say when he found out what his friend was doing with his free time. “I didn’t believe it at first, it blew my mind actually, that a teacher could do both!” His astonishment was easily explained when he added. “I thought it was like on Pay Per View back in the day, with blood everywhere, until I actually saw it and realized there was an art to it.” Steve goes on to remark, “Everybody’s first impression is that it’s pretty ugly, but his supporters who have seen what happens recognize that it isn’t so.” To back up his previous statement, he adds. “The day after he doesn’t even look like he’s been in a fight.” Then he laughs and says, “It helps that he’s winning too!” Though he does admit that even losers usually walk away unscathed. Steve also noted that Ryan’s involvement has made an impression on the students too. “I think it kind of shows them a different side of teachers. A lot of kids look up to him; they think that it’s pretty neat!”

Joe Discrese, CSS Phys-Ed Department Head and wrestling coach, agrees with Steve that Ryan’s association with the sport is having a positive affect amongst the student body. “It enforces all good qualities; like training methods, respect for your opponent, respect for others, they learn about their body’s limitations, etc. I think it’s a quality thing for the kids to be involved in. Ryan has also started a sort of mixed martial arts club here at school and sometimes they even come out with the wrestling team.” When asked if he’s witnessed any of Ryan’s matches Joe’s expression brightened and he replied. “Absolutely, I’m a big fan! I love all sports but I find mixed martial arts very exciting.” He re-enforces his feelings by adding. “It’s awesome to have someone on staff that competes professionally; someone of that caliber in our school!”

Ryan also believes that his students are benefiting from the exposure to the sport. “I think a lot of the kids are interested in what motivates me to do that (fight) and some of the more athletic minded students appreciate the amount of work and determination I put into it. They’re very interested and even look up the results on the Internet and they like to talk to me about it.” To corroborate this he adds that although it’s difficult for students to travel to his matches they are aware that he returns with videos “and they line up at the door to watch them on the computer or TV.”

Fifteen year-old Will Matacheskie and seventeen year-old Justin Magee grade 11 and 12 CSS students are very excited about their teachers’ involvement. Will says, “I think that having a teacher involved in Ultimate Fighting is great. Ultimate Fighting is a very tough sport and a respectable one too. Having my teacher involved makes me really respect him for what he does and who he is. Family and friends think that having a teacher involved in Ulitmate Fighting is really great. He loves what he does and shares the knowledge in self-defense classes.” Justin agrees completely. “I think it is great. I believe Ultimate Fighting is the best sport out there and I am glad to know one of my teachers is in it and doing well. This sport is definitely not for everyone. My family and friends think it is great because he is doing two things of interest and is willing to train others.”

In addition to his regular regime or cardio and weight training, Ryan usually travels to his home club, Gladiators Mixed Martial Arts in Kingston, twice a week. Moreover, if he has a match coming up he intensifies his routine for eight weeks prior to include a full six days’ training and sessions with a sparring partner. “I very often say that if you pick any aspect of life or any goal, that the work and the determination that you put in to reach that goal is what’s important.”

As for the danger aspect of the sport, Ryan just shrugs it off. “I’ve learned to defend myself to the point that I don’t feel it’s dangerous at all.” And for those who think he’s crazy to do what he does, he has the definitive answer for that too. “It doesn’t seem crazy to me, I wouldn’t compete in boxing or rugby, cause to me, those are dangerous sports!”

So, what are Ryan’s plans for the future? Well, since he has no intention of taking on his teammate who is currently in possession of the UGC Welterweight championship belt, he’ll continue to focus on teaching obligations and promoting his beloved sport. However, with the rapidly growing interest in the sport from noted specialty channels such as Reality TV, Pay Per View, TSN, and HBO, Ryan did mention that he’s been discussing future endeavors with promoters Apex and TKO, but until his next title match in March, he’ll be battling on “one fight at a time”.

To find out more about Ultimate Fighting or to follow Ryan’s progress check it out on the Web at www.impactmma.com.