Amateur training to join UFC
By Adam Michael
Collegian Staff Writer
Claustrophobia — the walls are closing in and there is no way out. For some, it makes them panic, grow fearful, scratch at their surroundings and look for any escape.
But for Penn State senior Mike Fusco, his senses are heightened, and he remains unflustered. As he steps into the cage for his mixed martial arts match, popularized by its more dramatic names — Ultimate or No-Holds Barred fighting — his mind is pulsating with that feeling.
The amateur fighter forces his demeanor to change, and like the Incredible Hulk, he turns into someone that he absolutely isn’t in his normal everyday life.
“Before I fight I don’t like people patting me on the back. Some people like guys massaging their back but I don’t like that kind of thing,” Fusco said. “I’m not nervous, but about half an hour before I fight, putting my gloves on, getting my shorts on that’s when it starts.
“You’re not really being yourself. You have to put yourself in a mindset where you’re going to go out and hit somebody. You kind of have to make peace with the fact that you may have to hurt him or he’ll hurt you. That makes it doable.”
Fusco didn’t waste any time a month ago during his last bout in the ring. Battling back from two knee injuries, it was his first appearance in almost a year.
After having both anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs) surgically repaired after training accidents, Fusco never thought about quitting.
“It happens,” Fusco said, shrugging off the potential career-ending injury. “I don’t think any guy goes into a fight 100 percent.”
As the bell sounded, Fusco engaged his opponent, throwing a few crisp punches. His overanxious nemesis tried to grab at Fusco’s upper body, but quickly found himself parallel with the mat as Fusco shot low and pulled his opponent’s feet out from under him.
Less than 30 seconds later, the lanky challenger found himself buried with Fusco’s crotch smashed into his chest. An arm bar would force the foe into a world of pain that ultimately ended in a submission.
A typical passerby would never imagine the rubber band flexibility and maneuverability that Fusco could unleash if they passed him on the street. Engaging in conversation or even shaking hands, he seems like any other 20-something student. Fusco is well built, but at 5-foot-7 and a weight fluctuating between 155-175 pounds, he doesn’t appear overly threatening.
“He can humble you,” martial arts teacher and friend Sudoshi Bruce said. “He’s only 150 pounds but he could be going up against 200-220, but it doesn’t matter when it comes to the ground.”
Luckily for the public, he is as mild-mannered as they come. The several forms of hand-to-hand combat that he continues to learn as a member of State College Martial Arts Academy did not come without lessons in discipline.
“Mike is one of the most sincere guys I’ve ever met,” friend and cornerman Tom Gates said. “He’s been one of my best friends since I first met him and he’s pretty much my instructor in the gym. He’s a real genuine guy. He’s always happy-go-lucky. He’s a fun guy to be around.”
The gym was built on the foundations of its creator, Bill Gephart. Gephart lost a personal battle with esophagus cancer three years ago, but his legacy at the gym has never been forgotten.
“I say his name every single day in this class,” Lombard said. “Martial arts is about appreciating the arts to a certain degree, staying in shape and feeling comfortable about yourself. He held that very serious, knowing what martial arts was all about and showing appreciation to the people that were teaching it.”
Entering the gym is like entering a scene from Million Dollar Baby. The scent of sweat, leather boxing gloves and wrestling mats fill the air. Body-sized punching bags hang from an overhead bar. To the right is a full-sized boxing ring and multiple aerobic machines. On the far side of the gym, a series of strength training machines and speed bags are scattered around. Above the first level in the far side of the gym, there is a loft, covered with a floor mat where students learn several different forms of combat.
This is Fusco’s playground.
At the age of 14, Fusco first became interested in martial arts through watching movies with his friends. Because the gym did not accept students under the age of 15, Fusco had to find other ways to gain experience in fighting. Lombard said that Fusco would go to the Penn State wrestling practices and help out just to get more opportunities to fight.
Lombard said Fusco would call the gym anxiously every month or two to make sure that the rules hadn’t changed. When he finally turned 15, Fusco had one more battle to win before he could begin to train.
As the son of two non-athlete medical workers, his parents were very skeptical.
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