Fall Seven Times, Stand up Eight

Miguel Rios

By Randy Thomas

On April 2, 1986, long before he became “El Rey,” Miguel Rios Jr. was born in New York City. Proud of his strong Puerto Rican heritage, he lived in his home land briefly before his family made the journey across the United States and settled in Ankeny, Iowa. An athletic kid, Rios competed in baseball, basketball, and track. But in 2006 his dream became a reality when Rios received a phone call from fellow MCC veteran Billy “The Kid” Armstrong, and he was presented an opportunity to compete in the first ever MCC Trials.

Rios remembers that night. “I had just got out of class at DMACC when I got the call. Billy told me about a four man tournament in MCC. The show was September, 1 and he called me August 28! I went over to his house that night and went over some basic moves. Between Monday and Friday, I had to cut about 25lbs to make the 170 lb weight limit.” He continued, “Fight night came quick! Going into the venue I wasn’t nervous one bit. I was actually very excited for my first fight. I won my first fight pretty quick, but I had one more to go. And by the final fight, I was way nervous. I didn’t think I had a chance against my opponent who had been actively training at Des Moines Mixed Martial Arts Academy (DMMMA). Somehow though, I won! I remember getting off of him after he tapped out and thinking…did that just happen?”

From that very moment Miguel “El Rey” Rios Jr. was hooked. He wanted to compete with the best, so he knew he had to train with the best. Rios dove in head first and sought out Anthony Porcelli who owns and coaches at DMMMA. He was learning to become a mixed martial artist. Although it was hard juggling college, a job, and training, Rios pushed through as best as he could. He was spending most of his time doing one of those three things. But, before he knew it, he was only getting three hours of sleep every night, sometimes less- hardly enough for a student, let alone a fighter. Soon, the pressure to excel was too much, and Rios was forced to make a decision.

“I was out of my element for the first couple months at DMMMA. It was so hard with everything I had going on and trying to learn the ins and out of mixed martial arts. I had a hard time doing it and eventually I had to drop training and fighting all together. I ended up having a nervous breakdown and turned to some bad alternatives to try and make it all better. It was the most terrifying time in my life. I had to drop out of MCC. I cut mixed martial arts out of my life for almost two years. I had to walk away in order to get better. It was so hard but I always knew I would get back into it.”

It wasn’t until August 2008 that Rios returned to the gym and the sport he loved. There was one problem; he came back weighing close to 220 lbs- 50 lbs too heavy for the welterweight class he competed in. Shortly after his return to the sport he was contacted by MCC and offered a second chance. Rios stated, “I quickly lost 30 lbs. by training six days a week, lifting weighs, wrestling, boxing and re-dedication myself to MMA.” By November, he was in top shape when he faced Mike Miller. His come back fight was a sucess. Rios submitted Miller with a triangle in the very first round. El Rey was back!

What does the future hold for the versatile competitor?

“Right now I’m just focused on my next fight in November. I’m making my professional debut against Thomas Naumann and I’ll be looking to finish the fight. I don’t care whether it’s ten seconds or three rounds, I will be looking to finish the fight. That’s what I do- fight to finish.”

Despite his rigorous six day fight training schedule, Rios manages to hold down a full time job as an Automotive Technician at a major dealership. On the weekends he is a counselor for at-risk youths. He’s still as busy as ever, but he’s found the key to balance his life. Rios stays grounded with the help from his fiance, Tiffany, who he credits for being there for everything from preparing his meals to helping him promote his fights.

Rios has a lot to be thankful for and the humble mixed martial artist is quick to give credit where credit is due. “I would like to thank all my training partners and Anthony Porcelli at DMMMA. It’s amazing how much talent the guys have there and they have showed me everything I know. I would like to thank my best friend Chris Fitch for giving me the drive to fight since we were little kids and always believing in me. Finally I’d like to thank my fiance, Tiffany she is the main reason I can work and fight. She is my life and makes it go very smooth.”

Miguel Rios Jr. will face Thomas Naumann at MCC 23 “Thanksgiving Throwdown”, Wednesday, November 25 at Vets Auditorium. Tickets are available on-line at MidwestCageChampionship.com. For more information call 515-229-8566 or log on the the Midwest Cage Championship web site.

FIGHTER STATS

Name: Miguel “El Rey” Rios Jr.
Born: New York City, NY
Resides: Ankeny, IA
Age: 23
Style: Jiu Jitsu, Striker
Gym: Des Moines Mixed Martial Arts Academy
Amateur Record: 8-0-0
Professional Record: 0-0-0
Accomplishments: 2009 NAGA Midwest no-gi champion, MCC Trials Welterweight Champion