Last Updated on March 15, 2013.
by Dax Alexander
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Missael Sanchez of TSMMA Manhattan won his debut kickboxing fight against tough opponent Alan Stoffel (Dogen Gym) at the March 1st Friday Night Fights. He won via 3-round unanimous decision after a fast-paced, action-packed match. Getting into the ring for the first time is tough, and Missael was kind enough to share some of his experiences by answering a few our pesky questions.
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When did you start training at Tiger Schulmann’s?
Not very long ago actually. Started in August of 2011, so been training for one and a half years.
Did you have any prior experience?
Not exactly, I did about two months of Muay Thai at another school.
When did you know you wanted to become a fighter?
When I got punched in the face and said, “Hey, it’s not that bad!”
How long did you train for this fight?
For a looooonnnnnggggg time. I was originally going to fight at Combat at the Capitale and trained for months for that fight, but my opponent failed to make weight that night, so the fight was scrapped. I just kept training hard until I got a new date.
What was a typical training day like?
Simple: It was long…
Wake up at 6:30am. Eat.
Take the bus to TSMMA headquarters in NJ. Get there by 10am.
Train for 3 hours.
Shower, eat and head to work. Get there by 2pm and work ‘til closing (10pm).
Put in another hour or two of training.
Go home. Shower. Eat. Sleep.
Wake up and repeat.
What was the hardest part of your training camp?
Oh man, the DIET!. Brown rice, chicken, brown rice, turkey, brown rice, chicken, brown rice, turkey, repeated about 700 times.
What was your biggest fear going into the fight?
That I’d let my nerves get the better of me and not perform at my best.
What was your favorite round?
The second round. Definitely.
Why?
He went down, and I was a lot more relaxed.
When’s your next fight?
Friday, May 10th at Friday Night Fights
What will be the focus of your training camp?
The same as always: Train hard. Get better.
What do your parents think about your fight aspirations?
My mom didn’t like it at first, but she sees how hard I work so she supports me.
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Dax Alexander is a mixed martial arts practitioner, personal trainer and writer for NewYorkNYMMA.com. Follow Dax on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DaxMMA
