Issue 129
June 2015
From a tattoo shop in Mexico City’s roughest neighborhood, colorful UFC welterweight Augusto Montano gets philosophical about his fighting life
Division: Welterweight
Age: 30
Pro debut: 2008
Record: 15-1
Team: Bonebreakers
Alias: Dodger
Style: Striker
Augusto Montano is proud to be called a product of his environment. Born and raised in Iztapalapa, one of the most populated and dangerous boroughs of Mexico City, he’s climbed to the top of the MMA tree in his homeland and is its most exciting homegrown talent.
With his colorful hairstyles, all-over body ink and flamboyant punk rock-inspired lifestyle, Montano looks like a star already. Yet when you spend a few minutes with him it becomes apparent he’s much more than a gimmick.
Philosophical and a martial artist at his core, the 30-year-old is doing everything in his power to become a UFC champion, but inspiring the next generation of young Mexicans to follow in his footsteps excites him more than anything else.
Fighting was part of Montano’s upbringing. Violent street gangs are a way of life in the backstreets of the Mexican capital and he admits it’s one he was forced to become accustomed to.
“My first street fight happened when I was six because I was in a gang in my hood,” he tells FO. “We would hang out to play soccer and fight other kids from rival hoods. All I wanted was to be accepted, respected and to reassure myself in the hood. I wanted for them to know that I would fight anyone. I didn’t care if they were bigger or older than me, I always fought to be respected.”
Eventually he turned his back on street fights in favor of competition thanks to an unlikely meeting with trainer Raul Senk – who was tutored in martial arts by Jess Galvan in Los Angeles – at a punk hangout with his brothers.
“I found Raul at El Chopo, a venue where the punk culture thrives. All punks gather there to exchange books or music. Raul used to sell books, music and alternative newspapers. I used to see him every week to buy new material from him.
“One time he offered me a book and then invited me to go to one of his kung-fu lessons because I told him I liked sports and was looking to get into some kind of martial art. It was hard but I loved it. And I was hooked from the beginning.
“I went to those lessons trying to find a way to defend myself, but what really drove me there, I know now, was something else. I was looking for something extraordinary. Martial arts gave me the opportunity to use this energy to build a person, a strong mentality, a real man. And that’s the premise of the entire Bonebreakers team. Raul saw me, young and looking for an alternative, and with his experience he helped me out.”
‘Dodger’ admits too that while he was mined in the backstreets of Mexico City, he was polished on the road. He’s spent more than two years traveling across the US for training and worked with some of the leading coaches in the sport to build his exciting 15-1 pro record.
Despite being a leading member of Mexico City’s Bonebreakers fight team; Montano headed north. First to Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, then on to Chicago.
“I spent a year and a half at Jackson’s,”
he reveals. “I had to break up all of the things I have here that make my life comfortable. I already had the respect of my peers, people knew who I was, so to go over there and start from scratch – being a nobody – did wonders for me.
“That was the best thing that happened to me at Jackson’s. I don’t fight for recognition any more, I fight against my own comfort, my ego. So to go over there and detach myself from my culture, my girlfriend, my city – the most comfortable things I have – that’s what made me grow the most. It made me grow in every aspect of my life. Being a nobody over there worked perfectly.
“Once I finished my time at Jackson’s I decided to go to Chicago, where they have the best wrestlers. I go to develop the things I need to work on most. I’m trying to reach my highest level.”
In Chicago, Montano works with striking coach Mike Valle and wrestling coach Izzy Martinez. He spent his entire UFC 180 camp in Illinois, sparring with TUF Latin America 145lb champ Yair Rodriguez, but his true home is still in Mexico.
“Bonebreakers and my master, Raul Senk, they made the fighter and the person I am today. I will never leave them. People know my name, but I’m only the tip of the arrow. What comes behind is all the strength, the group, the people that help me,” he says.
“They don’t only help me to train, they bring their great energy, everyone around the team. Dodger is not just me; it’s everyone at Bonebreakers. I never leave my culture behind. I love to come back to my city and give back the things I’ve been learning outside to my teammates, to all of my team.”
Montano hopes to extend his knowledge across Mexico. He’d like a UFC belt around his waist, but most of all to give street kids other options in life away from crime.
“I want to take the opportunity to invite Mexican youth and all of the world’s youth to try MMA so they can bring attention to their own internal voice,” he says. “Do the work that really means being a martial artist, giving relevance to the spirit, personal development such as honesty, honor, discipline, determination.
“This is what I have done with my life. And I couldn’t be happier with my life and the choices I have made. MMA is for all.”
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