UNC Asheville student Benjamin Ellis leads a fighter’s lifestyle in anticipation of his upcoming MMA fight.
“I really wanted to do karate when I was a kid, but my dad said ‘that’s lame’ so he stuck me in wrestling – did that for most of my childhood on and off. After my senior year of high school, I didn’t want to quit,” Ellis said.
Ellis, a 21-year-old junior transfer student at UNCA fights in amateur MMA promotions. Ellis helps lead the new Striking and Grappling club at UNCA.
“I was going to community college – I wasn’t going to a college that had wrestling so I started doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which led into mixed martial arts,” Ellis said.
According to Ellis, he works with safety officers leading the Striking and Grappling Club to ensure and maintain a safe environment for students with all levels of experience in the art of combat sports.
“Everyone should know that it is very welcome to beginners. We have people from every experience level so it’s never ‘Oh, I don’t know anything, and I can’t go in there and get started.’ It’s never too late to get started,” said Madden Traynham, safety officer for the Striking and Grappling Club.
Traynham said the club likes to maintain an environment that teaches humility and fosters a respectful atmosphere. No one is going into the classes with an ego and trying to hurt other students.
“I am training back home to prepare for my mma fight so I can hopefully get that win,” Ellis said.
Ellis said collegiate MMA promotions pay for fighters from martial arts clubs around the country to perform representing their university.
“I’ve got a lot of people who believe in me, and if they believe in me, I should probably believe in myself, too,” Ellis said.
Ellis said he is unsure if he wants to fight professionally in MMA. He wants to see where the cards lie.
“I have a gym back home in Charlotte, Hobbs MMA, and one of them will be coming with me (to Houston, Texas) to tell me what to do and what not to do,” Ellis said.
At Hobbs MMA, Ellis trained with very high-level martial artists including the UFC fighter Bryan “The Butcher” Battle.
“Madden (Traynham) is looking to fight. It all depends on if we can get matchups and if I think they are ready,” Ellis said.
Ellis said Traynham will be fighting toward the end of this year in his first amateur MMA fight.
“As far as preparation I’ve got a pretty simple lifting and resistance training regime that I have got going on three times a week. I have started sparring with Ben Ellis, we meet Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 8 am,” Traynham said.
Traynham said training with Ellis helped him realize what he truly needs to work on in preparation for his fight.
“Where he (Ellis) has clearly got me is my cardio. I am just going to have to incorporate some intense running,” Traynham said.
Heavy cardio as well as continuing sparring with Ellis helps Traynham prepare for his first amateur fight in the coming months.
“I’m hoping the students here at UNC Asheville are going to watch and going to cheer me on and hopefully I am going to put on a good show for you guys,” Ellis said.
According to Ellis, the promotion he was originally fighting for canceled the event and he is fighting for a different promotion called Ultimate Battle Grounds.
“I will be fighting in Eden, North Carolina,” Ellis said.