Austin Hedges
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| Austin Hedges | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Nickname | Arsenal |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 162 lb (73 kg) |
| Nationality |  American |
| Born | July 16, 1989 |
| Fighting out of | Central Coast, CA |
| Town of birth | Santa Maria, CA |
| Team/Association | Team Terror |
| Fighting style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Taekwondo, Kickboxing |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Wins | 7 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Draws | 0 |
Austin Hedges (born July 16, 1989) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler, and Collegiate wrestler. Hedges is the second highest ranked lightweight fighter in, the now defunct, Mesa League MMA; and the number-one contender for the championship position. He is well known for his technical counter-striking on the stand up with brutal attacks on the ground. His dominant style has earned him the nicknames "Arsenal" and, jokingly among his team, "Daddy Long Legs". He is considered by many to be the most entertaining fighter in Mesa League history.[citation needed]
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[edit] MMA
[edit] Wrestling
Hedges wrestled for the Ernest Righetti High School team. He trained with the collegiate team during the summer, and starred in the Pete Duca Summer Camp hosted at Rightetti . Weeks before the beginning of his varsity season, his hand was broken, which caused him to be dropped from the team. He continued to train with wrestlers from the Collegiate wrestling team, and Freestyle wrestling team. He is currently still involved in wrestling, training part-time with freestyle wrestlers from the Central Coast of California.
[edit] Taekwondo
After training in the martial art of Taekwondo for 5 years through the American Taekwondo Association, Hedges received his 1st degree black belt. Throughout the 5 years of training, Hedges competed in many full-contact and semi-contact tournaments. With only 30 tournaments officially recorded, it is rumored that Hedges has competed in over 100.[citation needed] In his 30 recorded competitions, he holds 17 gold medals, 7 silver, and 1 bronze; only not-placing in 5 competitions. Hedges no longer trains through the American Taekwondo Association, but still maintains a strong Taekwondo influenced style of stand-up fighting. [1]
[edit] MMA
At Mesa League Summerfest '07, Hedges competed in his first MMA competition. His victory here caused him to train more extensively and become a full MMA fighter. He then began training in Judo with Keith Cutrone, a present member of Team Terror. He also started kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Tommy Becker (a former member of Team Terror) and Becker's father, Thomas Becker, a K-1 broze metal kickboxer. Since the end of Mesa League MMA, Hedges has been training full time and looking for open tournaments to enter in with Team Terror. Hedges has been sponsored by two fight companies in the past: Full Contact Fighter and Throwdown Industries. He currently wears Full Contact Fighter gear. Hedges trains at, and work together with Gold's Gym in promoting this fights and his team.[2]
[edit] Mesa League
Austin Hedges is one of the few fighters to make it from the amateur level at Mesa League, to the Pro-Am, while having less than 10 fights within the league. According to the official rulebook of Mesa League MMA:
"In order for a fighter to advance from Level: Amateur to Level: Pro-Am, the said fighter must complete a minimum of 10 fights within the league... Acceptions to be made at the disgression of Mesa League officials."
Only 3 fighters have ever been advanced to the Pro-Am level with less than 10 fights, Austin being the second. Upon advancement, Hedges was to be scheduled for an August 2007 fight, his tenth in the league. Since Hedges is the number-one contender in the lightweight division, and this fight would have been for the highest ranked position in the weight class. In late July, the president and owners of Mesa League faced legal issues that caused the league to go on temporary hiatus. If the league will ever come back is unknown. If it does, the league has guaranteed Hedges a title shot in the return tournament. [3]
[edit] Training and Fighting Style
Austin has a unique style of training, which he calls the "Arsenal Workout". The Arsenal Workout is done by all members of Team Terror, and by all those that Hedges trains. It consists of 5 minute bag drills (to mimic round times in MMA}, sparring, various MMA-based drills done with a partner. These drills focus mainly on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and wrestling. According to an interview, Austin considers his fighting style to be, "What true MMA is"[4]. Standing 6 foot 3 inches, he has a distinct height and reach advantage over most of his opponents in the lightweight division. This advantage is put to use with his black belt Taekwondo style, and professionally trained kickboxing. In the clinch, his Muay Thai and wrestling are strong weapons. On the ground, Hedges' Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, (his main fighting style) is most useful. With wins by submission, knockout, and decision, Hedges has proved his well-rounded style.[5]
[edit] Return in 2008
After the end of Mesa League, Hedges temporarily stopped training in order to focus more on his personal life and business position. In January 2008, Austin announced his return to MMA and a fight in his home town of Santa Maria, CA. The fight was originally scheduled for February 2nd, 2008. It was postponed 3 weeks due to training and injury issues on the behalf of both Hedges and his opponent. The fight is due to take place February 16th, 2008, and will once again be in the lightweight class. A representative for Hedges made a statement presenting the fact that Austin had been training as a welterweight, but was still to compete as a lightweight. [6]
[edit] Mixed Martial Arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 9 matches | 7 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 2 |
| By submission | 3 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 0 |
| Result | Method | Event | Round |
| Win | TKO (Strikes) | Mesa League: Combat 8 | 1 |
| Win | Decision (Unanimous) | Mesa League: Supercharged | 3 |
| Win | TKO (Elbow strikes) | Mesa League: Finale | 2 |
| Win | Submission (Armbar) | Mesa League: New-Years Combat | 1 |
| Win | Decision (Unanimous) | Mesa League: Combat 7 | 3 |
| Loss | TKO (Strikes) | Mesa League: Combat 6 | 3 |
| Loss | TKO (Strikes) | Mesa League: Combat 5 | 2 |
| Win | Submission (Guillotine Choke) | Mesa League: Winterfest '06 | 2 |
| Win | Submission (Armbar) | Mesa League Summerfest '06 | 1 |
[edit] Fight music
| List of Austin Hedges' previous fight music: | |||||||
| Event | Song Title | Artist | Album | ||||
| Mesa League: Combat 8 | What You Know | T.I. | King | ||||
| Mesa League: Supercharged | Slip | Throwdown | Beyond Repair | ||||
| Mesa League: Finale | Walk Away | Throwdown | Haymaker | ||||
| Mesa League: New-Years Combat | I Saved Latin | Give Up the Ghost | American Nightmare | ||||
| Mesa League: Combat 7 | Sandstorm | Darude | Before the Storm | ||||
| Mesa League: Combat 6 | Masters of the Universe | Binary Star | Masters of the Universe | ||||
| Mesa League: Combat 5 | X Gon' Give It to Ya | DMX | Grand Champ | ||||
| Mesa League: Winterfest '06 | X Gon' Give It to Ya | DMX | Grand Champ | ||||
| Mesa League: Summerfest '06 | Party Up | DMX | ...And Then There Was X | ||||
[edit] References
- Sung Chul, Master Whang (1999). Taekwondo: The State of the Art. Broadway. ISBN 0767902149.
- Clyde III, Gentry (2005). No Holds Barred: Ultimate Fighting and the Martial Arts Revolution. Milo Books. ISBN 190385430X.
- Mesa League MMA (Rev. 1/2007). ""The Official Mesa League MMA Rulebook"". Press release.
- Interview with Mixed Martial Artist Austin Hedges by Ben Tatar
- Chris Ladeson, representative of Austin Hedges "Austin Hedges: 2008". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-1-31.
