This Saturday night SteelFist promotions will have an MMA fight card at Riverbend Sport Complex. The co-main matches John Valentine, 47, versus Rowdy Akers, 42. It's the final MMA bout for both. We interviewed John last week and today we follow with a chat with Rowdy, who trains at One Hit MMA in Layton. (Above, he's seen (on top) fighting in a SteelFist bout against Jeff Carson. Credit for the photo goes to SteelFist Fight Night's Amanda Lynn, sports photographer.)
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UFG: What's on your mind as you decide to step into the cage for the final time? What's your motivation?
AKERS: My motivation is my son and my new son; I just found out recently that I have a 23-year-old son. I (also) have custody of my ten-year-old son. It's time for me to move on and to create a career for myself and my family. My motivation to step into the cage is to prove to everybody that all my hard work was worth something in our lives. Fighting has taught me the lessons that are supposed to be learned. I have a lot on my mind satisfying the fans, making my coaches proud, my children proud and (finally) walking away from something that I've been doing for a decade.
UFG: What are the best things about being an MMA fighter? What were some of the lows or challenges? What advice would you give to youngsters starting out?
AKERS: It has been a journey, a hell of a learning experience. I have learned a lot and made a lot of great friends. One of the the best things about being an MMA fighter is keeping my body in tip-top shape. Another is making lifelong memories with friends. A key challenge is always pushing yourself. I have been injured quite a bit in training. That's got to be one of the lows in the sport. To youngsters starting out, first, find a gym; make it a home, put in the work, get involved in the classes and market yourself. Your amateur career is important. You have to get everybody to look at you and to notice you so when you're ready for sponsorship, you are marketable. One more piece of advice for all youngsters that are starting out: work hard, forget about the image. People honor hard work a lot more than they honor image.
UFC: Who in the gym, trainers, gym-mates, sponsors, have had a big impact on your career? Who is helping you for this bout?
AKERS: I train out of One Hit MMA in Layton. Aldo, Bruno, LJ, Crystal and Jordan Smith, Gustavo Rodriguez and so many more. All my teammates are so important. They have been there for me; they have sacrificed their time, their bodies, everything to push each other.
UFG: What do you know about John Valentine? How are you training for him? What are your strengths and weaknesses against him?
AKERS: I know John as part of the promotion for SteelFist. He conducted interviews and he did interviews with me for previous fights. I know that he has a very good ground game and he is very fit. I am training like I would train for any fight, definitely working more on defense because I don't really want to go to the ground with him. My strengths are probably my cardio and pressure. A weakness is probably going to be getting away from him on the ground.
UFG: What are your plans after MMA? Will you stay active in gyms, training, help with promotions, work with fighters?
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AKERS: I plan to go to work full time and to be a father. I will stay active in the gym and help my teammates when they need it. I plan to pursue Jiu-Jitsu and not stop training. I will help with the promotion of SteelFist fight night and continue to be the production foreman. I am in charge of the cage, the lights, the sound, the fighters' entrance. I build and fight for the promotion and I tear it down when I'm done. I've had a lot of sponsorships throughout my career. My current sponsors include Vapor Mania, Breaking Bad Bail Bonds, the Spider Web tattoo, Rockwell watches, Trammell Construction, Black Label MMA apparel, Those are the people that are walking with me into the fight. I thank every sponsor that has ever sponsored me and every teammate that has ever been there for me. It has been an ongoing learning experience for a decade and I have came a long ways from a guy that had two left feet when he started.
Thanks for chatting with us, Rowdy, and good luck on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
(Below, in a photo from SteelFist Fight Night's Amanda Lynn, sports photographer, Akers fights MMA pro Kyle Herrera (in green trunks).
A few more things: A couple of weeks ago we interviewed MMA amateur Destiny McCubbin, who was scheduled to fight in Mesquite on Sept. 16. Unfortunately, Destiny's opponent pulled out of the bout. Destiny is training daily in Las Vegas and we're sure she'll be ion the cage soon.
Also, Ogden's Steven Siler, who most most recently fought on an MMA card with the World Series of Fighting, announced he's fighting on Nov. 2 with the Professional Fighters League, which is the name of the revamped WSOF.
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