No Matter The Outcome, Mark Munoz Can’t Quit After UFC 184

Mark Munoz is not just a fighter, but much more. He is a husband, a father, a gym owner, a head coach, a mentor, and a role model. However, looking from the outside in at “ The Filipino Wrecking Machine,” fans wouldn’t know how big of a role he plays in the lives of some of the members of his California based Reign Training Center.

Inside of the gym, however, it’s crystal clear how influential Munoz is to his athletes, helping many of them improve their lives tremendously:

“He’s like an older brother to me,” said featherweight Raja Shippen speaking with MMAJunkie. “He helped me get clean, get off drugs. He’s done so much for me, and not because he thinks it’ll look good for him. Most people don’t even know what he’s done for me.”

Ricardo Sanati was another member of the team who had his life changed due to the help of Munoz. Sanati and “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” originally connected because of their wrestling backgrounds. Munoz then helped Sanati get a job coaching wrestling in Thailand:

“And it’s because of his name, because of him that I got that job,” Sanati said. “Not because of my wrestling in college or anything like that. Meeting Mark changed my life.”

Inside of Reign Training Center, Munoz is like a renaissance man, he does it all, but no one is quite sure how he pulls it off. He has a family, the gym, and not to mention his own fighting career to handle. It’s a tough work load, and Munoz may even have his breaking points.

Once considered a contender in the 185-pound division, racking up four impressive wins in a row during 2010 and 2011, the Filipino-American has hit some rough times recently regarding his fighting career. He has lost three out of his last four, including loses to current champ Chris Weidman, and top contenders Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi.

This Saturday (February 28, 2015) at UFC 184, Munoz returns to action, taking on Roan Carneiro. With his recent struggles, injuries over the years, and the fact that he’s closing in on 40 years old, the talk of retirement has begun to stir for Munoz. However, he can’t go out yet, not in this way:

“If I were to quit now because of the year I had, I’d be a hypocrite,” Munoz said. “It’s that simple. I’d be a hypocrite, because I’m the guy always talking about accomplishing your goals as best you can. I can’t go on saying that as a coach if I don’t do it myself now.”

Like any other fighter on the planet, Munoz wants to be the champion, the best in the world. However, being ranked No. 13 and getting older, the chances of that are becoming slimmer. But that’s not everything for Munoz, as he knows wins and loses don’t always define a fighter.

For the Filipino, it’s not just about the belt, but about the process and the journey. To go out of the fight game on a high note and with pride, Munoz doesn’t need to become the champion, but improve on the process in which he prepares and fights:

“For me, it’s about the process,” Munoz said. “And I haven’t been doing this the best way I can. That’s what I’m trying to focus on now. I need to get that part down so I can feel comfortable telling people, ‘This is what I did with my career.’ If I were to quit now, I just wouldn’t feel comfortable telling people about it. I don’t want to be that guy that just says, ‘Hey, I was in the UFC.’ I don’t want that to be the only thing I can say.”

However, Munoz understands that his time is limited. Soon enough he will be forced to become a full-time coach and hang up his gloves. To do that he needs to start living by his words, and leading by example:

“I always tell my fighters, ‘You don’t want to think about the negatives in a fight,’” Munoz said. “It’s like when you’re coaching someone and you just tell them, ‘Don’t do that!’ If you don’t tell them what they should do, all you’ve given them is this negative thing, this thing they shouldn’t do, to focus on. That doesn’t really help you. I have to practice what I preach now. If I’m going to be a leader, I want to lead by example.”

Will “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” get back to his winning ways this weekend?