Issue 043
November 2008
An aggressive wrestler-turned-MMA fighter, Jay Hieron is a key member of the Xtreme Couture team. Born in Long Island, college wrestler Hieron slipped into a life of crime after being kicked out of school but found salvation in MMA.
A mature and focused 32 years of age, Hieron (15-4-0) was welterweight champion in the International Fight League (IFL) and has recently signed with upstart promotion Affliction.
Where are you right now?
I’m in Vegas right now, just finished training. I just did strength and conditioning and cardio training. I work with a guy who works with all the fighters [at Xtreme Couture], his name is Jake Bonacci. He’s a great addition to the team.
What do you remember of your first fight?
Oh man, I don’t remember too much about it. I didn’t really have that much experience – I fought on emotion, it was kind of a blur. It was a quick fight, it only lasted two minutes. I took the guy down and ground and pounded him; there wasn’t really any technique involved! Now I’m composed and I’ve been there before, and I know what’s going on.
How do you feel you’ve developed as a fighter? You don’t just look like a wrestler anymore.
I got to say, I’m blessed to be training with all the great fighters I train with – I can’t say enough about my camp. I got good people and world-class fighters around me, and there’s only one thing you can do when you’re training with A-level guys every day: you’re gonna get better.
You’re one of the main team members at Xtreme Couture. Can you explain a little about what you do at the gym?
I’ve been training with Randy since before the gym was open. I help the guys out; I corner them. The great thing about that is that we have a family thing. When you have a guy in your corner, you want to believe in them.
You’ve seen the high and lows like every fighter, how do you deal with that?
Man, I’ve been fighting my whole life, since day one. I was adopted; my birth mother was having a rough time in her life using drugs and stuff. I got adopted to a great family, the family I was adopted to, my mother was white. I’ve been fighting my whole life. I just believe as long as you keep going forward and work hard it pays off.
With the life you’ve had, fighting must seem easy in comparison?
Yeah, but also I’m blessed that a bad situation for me turned into a great situation. My adopted family was incredible, they were with me bad and good, through the ups and downs.
You’ve just signed with Affliction, how do you feel about that?
I’m excited. Affliction stepped up; they believed in me. They were very interested in me. It’s a great time to be in the sport right now and I’m blessed to be a part of it.
Were you disappointed with what happened to the IFL?
The IFL had money issues and they sold the company to the UFC. It’s one of those things. It’s the same story of my life: the ups and downs. I was riding high in the IFL and now I’m starting fresh. I believe everything happens for a reason. I’m not upset with the situation. It’s a new day for me.
What do you want to be remembered for?
The guys I look up to are not the guys with the perfect record or who look great every single fight. The guys I look up to are the guys that had to struggle, that never had anything given to them, because that’s my story. I want to be remembered as the guy who never had anything given to him, who always had to go out and get it. Those are the stories I like.
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