Fighters Only

Issue 021

January 2007

By Lisa Pancino

ronin: Ro"nin", noun. In Japan, under the feudal system, a samurai who has become a wanderer without a lord; an outlaw.

A modern-day Ronin, Carlos Newton lives by his own rules – which definitely makes him one tough guy to get a hold of! Owning and operating two separate businesses, managing his training and fighting schedule keeps the 30 year old on the move like a runaway train – but this locomotive is far from derailing. Hop on board, grab a window seat and enjoy the ride, as we take a trip with one of the most uniquely interesting mixed martial arts personalities around.

The journey began nearly three decades ago, when Newton was first introduced to martial arts at the early age of four years old. “My stepfather was a black belt in karate, and he started teaching me.” Newton fell in love with martial arts and hasn’t stopped training since. “I trained in all kinds of martial arts, it didn’t matter what it was,” explains Newton.

Newton was actively training in a variety of martial arts when he finally got his first taste of the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) at the age of 16. “I was watching the UFC with some friends,” Newton reminisces, “I saw it, and I told them ‘I’m going to do that one day.’” To Newton, it was just another competition to enter. He had already begun to have a great deal of success in the grappling circuit, and saw the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as another challenge for him to conquer.

We all know how that part of the story ends. Just four years after vowing to compete in the UFC, Carlos Newton got his first taste of the big show, fighting and winning his first UFC fight at UFC 17. And, only three years after first stepping into the UFC Octagon, a still-green Newton did what many did not believe possible, unseating the reigning UFC welterweight title holder, Pat Miletich, to become the new champ.

Climbing to the top of the MMA ladder, Newton became one of the most widely known and recognized faces in the sport – and was certainly the most successful mixed martial artist that Canada had produced up until that time – fighting throughout the world, in such promotions as PRIDE FC and the UFC. Newton seemed unstoppable. He was blessed with a seemingly bottomless pit of raw talent. He was on top of the MMA world, and it looked as though he could head nowhere but up.

But Newton’s performance became inconsistent. It was never a question of ability – Newton had that in abundance. But, after winning UFC gold, many began to question his drive and motivation for the sport. After a few lacklustre performances Newton essentially disappeared from the MMA scene. Did Carlos simply lose his passion for the sport that he excelled in almost effortlessly? Well, not exactly. “I just needed a break,” explains Newton of his two-year absence from MMA. “I needed to give my body and my mind a rest and bring more balance to my life.”

Newton was looking for another challenge, and something that he could possibly build on for the future. “There are so many other things that I enjoy other than fighting. I needed to try something new… and one day I will retire from fighting, so I need other things I can do beyond fighting.”

So what did the former UFC welterweight champion set his mind on? Why, opening his own retirement home, of course. And, while it may seem like quite a peculiar career change, Newton – who has been affectionately named the “Ministry of Long-Term Planning” by his friends – had his eyes fixed on the future. “I will need to take care of a wife and kids some day,” he states. And if that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, Newton also runs his own construction company and is about to begin work on a six-storey apartment building.

While all of this doesn’t seem like much of a ‘break’ for anyone, Newton is quite happy with what he is accomplishing. He’s found another level of fulfilment and satisfaction in what he has decided to do. Although two years is a long time to be sitting on the sidelines in any sport, for Newton, this was an important and necessary decision he had to make for himself. “It’s important to not let others’ priorities interfere with your own… There’s more to life than winning.”

While many people talked about how Newton’s educational endeavours were interfering with his training, Newton himself tells a different story. “It was actually the opposite – training was interfering with school!”

After taking some much-needed time off, Carlos felt both mentally and physically prepared to make his return. Dedicating more time towards training his stand-up game with his long-time boxing coach Everton McEwen seemed to pay off for Newton. In his first fight back after his absence Newton easily stopped his opponent, Tokimitsu Ishizawa, in only 22 seconds at K-1 HERO’s 7. Coach McEwen points to this win as a sign that Newton’s striking has improved during his time off. Newton outlines, “I needed that break to get some new ideas, and let the experience I already had settle in.”

Now that he’s back on the MMA scene, Newton’s plate already seems to be full. But he’s always up for a challenge. Newton has recently accepted the role of team coach with the newly formed International Fight League (IFL).

As coach of the IFL’s Toronto Dragons, Newton has taken on a lot of responsibility, but he’s enjoying the experience thus far. The team structure of the IFL has also worked very well for Newton. “As a fighter, it’s been great for me to be able to train with these guys as a team.”

The somewhat inexperienced Dragons got off to a bumpy start in the IFL, winning their first event 3-2 versus Frank Shamrock’s Razorclaws, then losing their subsequent event 4-1 against Pat Miletich’s Silverbacks. Newton sees this as an opportunity to learn and grow as a team. His plans for the Dragons: “Training more, of course, but also spreading the knowledge and experience around in order to lift each other up.”

It’s important to Newton that the Dragons members continue to bond together as a fight team – and he wants them to begin to develop more of a team mentality, helping one another to elevate each of their fight game to the next level. The IFL structure is dependent on a team excelling as a whole. A fighter will only advance in the IFL if his team succeeds. “It’s not just a win for yourself, you’re out there fighting and trying to get a win for your team.”

In coaching his Toronto Dragons team members, Newton has begun to learn a few more things. “I began to realize how much I actually know about the sport, and how much I have accomplished.” As a matter of fact, it wasn’t until he took a break from fighting that he was even able to begin to process what he had achieved. Things were moving so fast for him at the time, that he didn’t have time to, as he puts it, “stop and smell the roses.”

“It didn’t actually sink in that I had won the UFC title until long after. Now I see guys fighting for the title, and I think ‘Wow, I’ve accomplished that’.”

This newfound self-actualisation has given Newton a fresh burst of confidence in his knowledge and abilities. Newton will definitely need to step into the ring with nothing less than full confidence in himself on December 29th, when he is scheduled to face Renzo Gracie at the IFL’s World Team Championships Finale.

These two previously traded leather for two solid rounds three years ago at the very first PRIDE Bushido. Newton admits that the Renzo Gracie he fought back then is a very different fighter than the man he will face off against soon enough. “Renzo has relaxed a lot as a fighter, which makes him a lot more dangerous.” Gracie is coming off an impressive win over Pat Miletich, and although he had a string of losses prior to his last victory, he is always a dangerous competitor. “Another thing that makes [Renzo] so dangerous,” Newton continues, “is that he’s accomplished so much already, that he’s really got nothing to lose when he fights.”

Newton’s logic behind this statement: Gracie has already achieved so much and created such a respectable reputation for himself that, win or lose, no one can deny the fact that he has achieved such a high level of excellence overall. It may be argued, however, that the same could be said for Newton who, at only 30 years old, has already reached such levels of achievement in the MMA world that most will never see.

For now, fighting will remain near the top of Newton’s priority list. “I just want to keep the momentum going and hopefully fight again very soon in the New Year.” But there are so many other things on Newton’s ‘to-do’ list. Who knows what direction Newton will decide to take in the future? Letting his own heart guide him through his path in life, wandering without a master, Carlos Newton truly lives up to his moniker, The Ronin.