Jared Downing finds his way in MMA

By Dennis Fratella

CEDAR RAPIDS - Jared Downing knows things happen for a reason.

After some rather aimless time as youngster youth, Downing, 22, is making a name for himself in Mixed Martial Arts circles in the 145-pound featherweight division. The Cedar Rapids Washington graduate will be in the cage Friday night in Kearney, Neb., fighting Eric “The Machine” Marriott in the featured match.

“I originally was a wrestler by nature in high school, but it's something that I never really pushed myself with,” Downing said. “I went through the motions and didn't really put the hard work in it that was needed. I was decent, and for whatever my mindset was then, that was OK.”

A tough sport like MMA requires constant dedication, and the soft-spoken Downing acknowledged he did not always have the discipline it took to make this a career.

“I was reckless teenager,” he said. “I'm not saying that I'm a great person now, but looking back to where I was and where I am now, I couldn't believe some of the stupid stuff I did. I could've went to a good place or went to a bad place in my life.”

Lacking a sense of direction, Downing decided to pop in at Hard Drive Mixed Martial Arts in Cedar Rapids. There, he said, he almost instantly found his true calling.

“These guys were men,” he said. “When I was training with these guys, I immediately looked up to them, and luckily it was then I realized right away that this is what I wanted to do.”

Hard Drive owner and head coach Keoni Koch believes MMA was just a natural fit for Downing.

“What really made Jared stand out from the other people he was fighting was not just his incredible speed, but how composed he was in the cage,” Koch said. “Jared had that ‘it,' as they say. Him turning pro was pretty much a no-brainer.”

Downing compiled a 7-0 amateur record before turning pro, where he competed at the lower levels for about 18 months.

“The problem isn't getting fights. The problem is getting attention when you fight,” Koch said. “Luckily, his first pro fight (won by split decision) was a great fight, and it even won Fight of the Night, which will definitely turn heads.”

Working his way up through the ranks was tough. Most fighters don't get much money until they get to the big leagues.

“Sometimes you're definitely broke and poor,” Downing said. “There is a lot of hard times, and it's difficult when you can't take a job or have to quit a job because you never know when another big fight is right around the corner,” Downing said. “I wouldn't have it any other way right now though.”

Downing was 7-0 professionally going into an Oct. 15 fight in Las Vegas. Downing was handed his first professional setback by Roberto Vargas in a split decision. He remains upbeat, however.

“I think the good thing about that fight is that even though I lost, I know how to get over it quickly and move on. If you want to win, you have to teach yourself how to accept a loss,” Downing said. “I started here expecting the absolute worst, and fearing that I wasn't going to be good enough to do this, but now that I know that I can what do I have to be afraid of anymore?”

So where does he want to be a year from now?

“In the UFC, hopefully,” he said. “But if it doesn't come by then, it's not a big deal. Things like that take time. The only thing I can control is the way I fight. It's not going to be for a lack of trying or working hard.”