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Local fighter seeks redemption in headliner bout
  
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By Brad Meyer
At age 31 and with a record of 18-22, local featherweight Rocky Long sees his upcoming bout with an up and coming mixed martial arts fighter as a chance to get his career back on track.
Long faces off against American Top Team’s Chris Manuel in the main event at Urban Rumble Championship 5, set to begin at 7 p.m. July 18 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Conroe.
“I’ve really been taking my training seriously in the last year,” said Long during a break in his training at Cardio Boxing Gym. “I’m working five or six hours every day for this match. It’s very important to me.”
Indeed, Long’s journeyman career has been a mixed bag of success and failure – taking ill timed and ill-advised fights just for a paycheck. Now he says he’s learned from his mistakes and is ready to prove himself before he faces the inevitable fate of retiring from the cage.
“I take a much different approach to fighting now,” he said. “I study my opponent’s strengths and figure out ways to take away his advantages.”
He also approaches fighting with more consideration and less emotion. In addition to his personal goals, Long teaches MMA fighting to students with aspirations of making it big in professional fighting.
“A lot of kids come in here thinking they’re tough and have what it takes to fight,” he said. “You learn a lot about their character and dedication when you see how they react to getting hit. Talk is cheap inside the cage.”
Not all of Long’s protégées are young men dreaming of UFC fame. Businessmen and housewives are signing up for the grueling MMA workouts with increasing frequency.
“The training fighters go through is much more intense than you find at a normal social club gym,” he said. “You can feel and see the results a lot quicker.”
Long’s opponent comes from American Top Team, one of the top MMA training organizations in the country, with a roster of well known fighters and several current and former champions.
“You’re likely to see several big names in the MMA world attending the fight,” said URC founder David Landry. “The sport is growing in Texas and attracting a lot of attention from MMA fighters and training organizations.”
Urban Rumble 5 is part of the Space City Bike Fest event – featuring live music, bike show and activities – taking place July 17-19 in Conroe. Ten fights are scheduled with tickets starting at $20. The event is open to patrons 18 and up.
For more information on Space City Bike Fest, visit www.spacecitybikefest.com or call (281) 725-6000. For more information on Rocky Long or to purchase tickets to Urban Rumble 5, visit www.cardioboxinggym.com or call (281) 367-0090.
Long faces off against American Top Team’s Chris Manuel in the main event at Urban Rumble Championship 5, set to begin at 7 p.m. July 18 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Conroe.
“I’ve really been taking my training seriously in the last year,” said Long during a break in his training at Cardio Boxing Gym. “I’m working five or six hours every day for this match. It’s very important to me.”
Indeed, Long’s journeyman career has been a mixed bag of success and failure – taking ill timed and ill-advised fights just for a paycheck. Now he says he’s learned from his mistakes and is ready to prove himself before he faces the inevitable fate of retiring from the cage.
“I take a much different approach to fighting now,” he said. “I study my opponent’s strengths and figure out ways to take away his advantages.”
He also approaches fighting with more consideration and less emotion. In addition to his personal goals, Long teaches MMA fighting to students with aspirations of making it big in professional fighting.
“A lot of kids come in here thinking they’re tough and have what it takes to fight,” he said. “You learn a lot about their character and dedication when you see how they react to getting hit. Talk is cheap inside the cage.”
Not all of Long’s protégées are young men dreaming of UFC fame. Businessmen and housewives are signing up for the grueling MMA workouts with increasing frequency.
“The training fighters go through is much more intense than you find at a normal social club gym,” he said. “You can feel and see the results a lot quicker.”
Long’s opponent comes from American Top Team, one of the top MMA training organizations in the country, with a roster of well known fighters and several current and former champions.
“You’re likely to see several big names in the MMA world attending the fight,” said URC founder David Landry. “The sport is growing in Texas and attracting a lot of attention from MMA fighters and training organizations.”
Urban Rumble 5 is part of the Space City Bike Fest event – featuring live music, bike show and activities – taking place July 17-19 in Conroe. Ten fights are scheduled with tickets starting at $20. The event is open to patrons 18 and up.
For more information on Space City Bike Fest, visit www.spacecitybikefest.com or call (281) 725-6000. For more information on Rocky Long or to purchase tickets to Urban Rumble 5, visit www.cardioboxinggym.com or call (281) 367-0090.
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