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The “All-American Kid” Prepares for War

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

The “All-American Kid” Prepares for War

Night of Champions 3 at The Cajun Dome

Grinning through his ‘American Flag‘ mouthpiece, Matt Boyd hops from the ring following his last six minutes of the round robin; a training method he and his teammates at LA Boxing Baton Rouge often use in preparation of an upcoming fight. By rotating in a fresh fighter every few minutes as one remains in the ring, their goal is to push the individual to the brink of total exhaustion.

“I felt pretty good that last round,” Boyd reassures me. Sweating profusely from head to toe, a bruised face, and shirt nearly ripped to shreds, those were the last words I expected to hear uttered from his mouth.

In a sport that can take all and give nothing, Matt Boyd is pacing his career as a future, professional mixed martial arts fighter one step at time. His good-natured personality and lighthearted attitude were a far cry from my first impression while watching him trade punches round after round.

“I really don’t try to think too far ahead of myself. It’s about what I’m doing now. I won’t even think about the fight until the moment before I walk out. A lot of guys attempt to plan out their career and push themselves into fights too fast. One mis-step will ruin their whole mindset and sometimes destroy their future. I try to focus on improving myself just a little each day.”

And improving is exactly what the young fighter is doing. Under the guidance of local standouts such as veteran Thomas Webb, UFC’s Tim Credeur and Dustin Porier, world-class kickboxer Dustin Johnson, and Jiu Jitsu specialists Andrew Sall and Josh Mancuso, Boyd seeks to continue his dominance after finishing his last two fights in the first and second round.

“I’m no one special yet. I just work hard.” Humble goes a long way.

A commercial service technician by day and Personal Trainer at LA Boxing Baton Rouge by night, Boyd is no stranger to sacrifice. His days begin well before sun up and end in the late hours after squeezing in time to train with his team.

“I run a few basic classes at LA Boxing. It’s actually a lot of fun. My focus is to push members through challenging workouts and teach them skills they may need to use some day. A lot of members ask me what keeps me motivated and I think it should be about finding something you enjoy doing and learning to push yourself.”

Find your motivation – a phrase that Boyd adopted since childhood and continues to  follow to this very day.

“I was never into the traditional team sports as a kid. [I] never tried out for basketball or football in highschool. It just didn’t motivate me. I was mostly into skateboarding. Rather than having to go to practice and having to follow specific rules from a coach, I would get on my board and motivate myself to get better. It was always more fun that way.”

Although landing a few tricks on a skateboard does not necessary parallel to punching someone in the face, Boyd finds the same passion in mixed martial arts. “I look at training the same way I look at skating. I enjoy doing it so it’s easy to push myself to get better.”

In contrast to being purely self-motivated and sufficient, Matt agrees that fighting takes an entire team to prepare properly. “I strongly believe it takes a full crew of training partners and coaches to make someone in this sport successful. I’m always looking to learn everyone’s strong points and mimic their style.” This form of adaptation often separates mediocre competitors from the elite. “I’ll study guys like BJ Penn, Vitor Belfort, and Thiago Alves and practice their movements during training. Whatever situation I find myself in, I try to adjust to the best style. And it’s really my team that gives me the best chance to be a well-rounded fighter.”

Of course, anyone within the ‘Boyd Circle’ is fully aware that his all-time favorite is the crafty Hawaiian, BJ Penn. Simply ask his girlfriend, Nicole, and she will gladly reply, “If it’s anything Penn, Matt’s read it, watched it, or owns it.” Not a bad idol to have considering Penn is regarded as the most talented fighter in the world.

But question her further about Matt stepping into the cage and it becomes a mixed bag. “Nicole supports me in becoming a successful pro, but it’s also really tough on her. I could go to work, collect a check, and she would be completely happy with that. But she knows this is something that’s important to me now and could lead to greater opportunities in the future.”

Recently jumping into the mix with Matt is his best friend and brother, Brett Boyd. Although not quite interested in being locked in a cage before cheering fans like the days of Roman Gladiators, Brett finally conceded to putting on the kimono and testing his skills in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a sport focused on ground control, chokes, and joint locks. “I’m excited to see him on the mats,” Matt remarked. “I can get pretty hard on myself when it comes to training. Especially with this fight coming up. But it’s guys like my brother and all my teammates, who I consider family, that remind me to just have fun.”

Matt Boyd is set to face Jeff Mercier of Houston, TX on Saturday, March 3rd in Lafayette’s Cajun Dome. The event held by USAMMA sets the stage for Boyd’s largest venue in his amateur career. Contingent on a convincing performance, coaches and promoters alike will be watching to give Boyd a go-ahead to the ranks of professional fighter.

“Like I said, I’m taking this one step at a time. I’m still young and have a long career ahead of me. I just need to be smart and allow everything to come together.”

Tickets to this event can be purchased by going to www.ticketmaster.com (Keyword: USA MMA) or by calling 337-214-2947.

~GS

Tags: Cajundome in Lafayette, LA Boxing Baton Rouge, Matt Boyd, Mixed Martial Arts in Louisiana, MMA events in Louisiana, MMA in Baton Rouge, mma training in baton rouge, Night of Champions 3, USAMMA
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