Aaron Garrett retired from mixed martial arts competition last June but his desire to compete is still present.
Garrett, 32, has shifted his MMA fighting skills to the boxing ring and he will be in the featured fight when he battles fan favorite Steven Plaugher at the NWO boxing event at the Lima Memorial Civic and Convention Center Saturday.
Garrett, began his MMA career at 19-years old and enjoyed the competition of the sport and soon embarked around the United States participating in numerous events.. In addition to competing Garrett would promote his own MMA events throughout the area In addition to MMA, Garrett also participated in kick boxing.
“Standing up and brawling with someone in MMA is probably my favorite,” Garrett said.
After saying good-bye to MMA competition this past summer, Garrett, with the encouragement his friend Gary Young of Findlay, decided to enter the boxing world so last November he decided to take on the sport.
Being his own trainer, Garrett began the arduous task of learning the nuances of boxing as opposed to MMA fighting.
“I tell people it is like riding a bicycle,” Garrett said. “I have been boxing pretty much my whole life through MMA so I keep on doing the same thing but I have to remember to just not kick them.”
Training in Bellefontaine with Scott Sheeley who runs Ohio Fitness and Martial Arts gym and has trained UFC fighters in the past has assisted Garrett in his transition to boxing and will be in his corner Saturday night.
“He teaches more the MMA stuff but it all transitions together,” Garrett said.
Since November, Garrett said he has boxed three matches and gone undefeated.
Garrett added that it felt natural to get into the ring.
“My biggest thing was not trying to do my MMA stuff in the ring and I did pretty good,” Garrett said. “I went all three rounds and got a major decision and it was fun.”
A month later Garrett garnered his second win in the ring and in his third fight Garrett said he knocked out his opponent in 15 seconds.
With three bouts under his belt, Garrett, who has been friends with NWO promoter and Southside Spartan gym operator and owner Lonnie Rettig, worked out the details with him to be in this upcoming event. Garrett, who is a professional DJ, wanted to fight in the last NWO event, but he happened to be on DJ duty for that so he had to wait for this event to compete.
“We got together and he (Rettig) asked me and I said `let’s do it,’” Garrett said.
Garrett describes his style as unorthodox in the sense that he tends to keep his hands down. Another aspect that Garrett had to learn was trash talking was frowned upon in the boxing ring.
“In MMA I used to taunt people all the time,” Garrett said. “I like to showboat.”
Garrett added that he thinks his MMA background is an advantage to the more rigorous training an MMA fighter endures.
“I’ve been hit with a 4-ounce glove and these are 14-ounce gloves,” Garrett said. “I think it will b a little advantage on my side.”
Like most area fight fans, Garrett is familiar with Plaugher, his opponent, and saw him fight in the last NWO event.
Garrett said he has no real expectations for the fight and said it will be tough to knock Plaugher out.
“He is a little bit bigger than me and stronger than me so I will have to use my jab to score points but a lot of people are telling me he is going to knock me out and I have never been knocked out in MMA or kick boxing,” Garrett said. “Me and Steve have talked before and we are friends on facebook but it is like any other competition,” Garrett said. “Afterwards we will shake hands and have a drink together.”
Garrett said he will probably continue to box although he is not looking to make a career out of it.
“As long as my body let’s me do it, I’ll do it,” Garrett said.
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