From 8 Count News.
There is a phrase that is coined ‘Never judge a book by its cover’ and that adage doesn’t ring any more true than when standing face to face with MMA veteran Jeff ‘The Snowman’ Monson. Weighing in at roughly 247 pounds on a 5”9 frame, Monson presents a very physical appearance and it takes some time to fully appreciate just how much intellect the Olympia, Washington native has within him.
While compiling a 27-8 MMA record, Monson has stood out for his compact stature, brute strength, and his widely respected grappling skills. Without question he is a man who has used his physical tools to his best ability but what can easily be overlooked with Munson is the fact that he has a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in psychology as well as his previous experience as a child and family counselor.
As he stood in his locker room on the night of Saturday, December 12th, Monson was at peace with the world despite being nearly hours away from facing Ricco Rodriguez in the main event of Mixed Fighting Alliance’s There Will Be Blood at the American Airlines Arena in Miami , Florida . Fully knowing that he was going to be going to physical warfare in the near future, Monson was both calm and even eloquent at times as he spoke to 8 Count News about his life as a fighter and his thoughts on the world today.
When the fight approached Munson switched gears fully and took the initiative against the favored Rodriguez. In each of the scheduled three rounds, Monson started off by tackling Rodriguez and controlling the action on the ground. While Rodriguez did find a way to survive and even rally in return, Monson survived a furious final round assault and captured a unanimous decision victory by scores of 29-28 on all judge’s card.
While the fight itself was intense, grueling, and at times viscous, it was a striking contrast to Monson’s demeanor just hours beforehand. While a true beast inside of the cage, Munson showed another side of himself while in his locker room. The victory over Rodriguez was an accomplishment in itself but one has to go back before the bout to get a full understanding of Jeff Monson.
In his own words, this is what Monson told 8 Count News about his history in the sport, his trust in his team, and his passions towards the world today…
Following The Competitive Urges…
“I was born in Minnesota but I grew up in Olympia , Washington . I grew up just playing sports like baseball, football, soccer, wrestling, and kind of sports in general. I went to College and I wrestled and that really sparked a competitive urge inside of me. I ended up getting into Jiu-Jitsu when I was in Seattle , Washington at AMC.”
The Most Difficult Sport…
“I think I was drawn to fighting because it was the most difficult sport. They close the cage behind you and it’s just you and another guy and you can’t get any more difficult than that. It’s very simplistic and you can’t really depend on anyone else when you are in that cage.”
Staying Calm…
“It seems like the more calm you are, the better you will do. If you can just relax and concentrate on your breathing and focus on what you have to do you will be more successful as opposed to just running out there and going crazy.”
Willingness To Learn…
“I like to work hard and I don’t like to lose and I’ve always been willing to learn new things and incorporate other people’s techniques into my own training and skill set. The willingness that I have to just keep learning has been very beneficial to me.”
Finding The Right Atmosphere…
“I’ve had some injuries and I have had to relocate a lot to find the right atmosphere to train in. I went to Florida to train because that’s where my school, ATT, is at. Just training, putting in my full effort while being away from my wife and kids has been very difficult for me.”
Having Trust…
“You have to trust the people you have around you. That’s why America Top Team is such a great team because we are all hear for each other. Sometimes you have to trust the guys who are teaching you new things too because if someone is teaching you something and you don’t have any faith in what they are saying it isn’t going to work. But being around Black belts and a former Olympian Boxing coach like Howard Davis is really going to make you trust them because they have been through what you are going through now.”
Making The World a Better Place…
“I am obviously interested in my kids growing up. I also have a very open mind towards politics as well. I just want to make the world a better place and get rid of the capitalistic system that we have today. We need to change our economic system from an exploitative system where we are all fighting each other for the basic resources into a more cooperative system where we are really helping each other.”
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