MMA Fighter Has 3–0 Amateur Record, Looks to Make It Big

Matthew Arriola, 18, has a lot of accomplishments under his belt for someone his age. Among his most recent: a high school diploma and three amateur MMA (mixed martial arts) wins under his belt—accomplishments he didn’t know he’d reach if you’d have asked him just a couple years ago. It might also be why he’s nicknamed “The Miracle.” The MMA fighter, who fights in the welterweight (170 pounds) and lightweight (155 pounds) weight classes, graduated in May 2013 from Slover Mountain High School (SMHS) in Colton, said that for him, MMA is more than a hobby. “It’s a way of life for me. I wake up at 5 a.m. and I run three hours before I go to the gym,” he said. Arriola trains his body six days a week—he only takes Sundays off because that’s when the gym is closed. MMA is a full-contact combat sport that blends together martial arts traditions and non-traditions, using both striking and grappling techniques while standing on the ground. Coming from a background of hardships, Arriola said he used to have a lot of pent-up aggression. He began wanting to express that emotion physically, and MMA offers him the chance to do that, he shared. “MMA is great for discipline. It’s really mellowed me out. I really love it.” Currently, he has three amateur wins in his record. Next month, he will be fighting for the title belt, he noted. According to his coach Moses Murrietta, who has been working with him for four years after meeting him at San Bernardino’s Adrenaline gym, it’s Arriola’s drive that sets him apart from his competitors. “One of the most important parts of fighting is your will. You can have all the skill in the world, but if you don’t have the will, then you’re never going to get anywhere,” said Murrietta. “Matt has an unstoppable will. It doesn’t matter if he’s fighting the biggest, strongest guy in the ring, he will keep coming forward and he will keep fighting.” His coach Brady Fink, who’s been teaching Arriola for about 3 and a half years, said Arriola is fearless. “He is a really young talent. He’s very strong and very athletic. He trains all day and his skill level is very creative and daring. We take him to fight with some of the toughest men in the world and he’s the only one who stops them,” said Fink. In MMA, Arriola has found a family with coaches Murrietta and Fink, who have become father figures to him, he said. “My coaches are like my father figures. Moses and Brady have watched me grow up and they’ve helped me out a lot.” “I try to be as good an example as I can be to him,” said Murrietta. “We are very good friends and we hang out almost on a daily basis.” Arriola also credits his high school teacher, Ray Ariamal at SMHS, as a big reason he got his diploma. “I’m so happy I met Ray. He really pushed me to graduate, and he wants to help me apply to college.” “He has a lot of potential,” said Ariamal, who got to know Arriola when he came into his class just about two years ago. “He’s very well disciplined in everything. He has a good heart and he’s very dedicated.” Arriola looks forward to a career as a professional MMA fighter, but what he also enjoys about the sport is the opportunity to teach and work with local youth. “I like coaching those kids. MMA really shows discipline and how to fight to defend yourself. But I also want to let them know that anything is possible. It was my dream to fight in the ring in front of thousands of people and I’m doing it.” Murrietta thinks he can do it. “Definitely, if he sticks with this, he is going to be something big in the future.”