IB TO MMA FIGHTER?
I’ve been thinking a lot about this
i feel like getting trapped in this rat race forever climbing the corporate ladder is a waste of life
I’m doing my analyst stint right now, after the associate level, I’m planning of putting all my cash into a diverse portfolio in different asset classes ensuring $30,000 free cash flow provided I buy a condo
I’ll quit my job and become a professional wrestler/MMA fighter
I’ve grown up around people with a lot of money and they’re all fat sloppy behave like their wives live shit lives with their expensive watches and million dollar homes.
every man is in a marriage where they’re negotiating the sex they have with their wives, the relationship dynamic is controlled by their wives, their children are extensions of the mother and the family unit is essentially a matriarchy with the provider being disposable and his ultimate purpose to serve the relationship
i don’t want this life or this money if this is the result
I want to become a full package of a man and I refuse to go on this hamster wheel beyond Associate/VP level
i want to know what some of you think about your career path and whether this is want you want to stick to or do something else?
What is the purpose of this post ?
i wanted to know what others think and whether they feel the same way about the rat race they’re in
You didn’t describe a rat race, you described some crappy life and also some weird comments about how women run the lives of all the people you know. Which I’m guessing as a relatively early career person, you know few people (actually know them, not your parents friends). Sure if you think all this leads to a crap life it’s not worth it.
I’m saying that i grew up in a typical town of wealthy husbands and their plastic wives whom don’t even come from professional backgrounds, who have really old money, their kids are in rehab and their daughters are all coke whores wasting their soul away
And the professionals that exist have worked all their lives on the hamster wheel with a few million to show for it but they’re lives are so average that it hurts
I mean all the watches, the houses, the cars but at that level, their relationships are ALL FAKE, no one cares about anyone everyone has grudges against each other, everyone is obsessed with out doing everyone in materialism , it’s one giant envy circle jerk that goes round and round, they’re all obsessed with sticking to the status quo it’s crazy not to get pulled into it or to pull yourself out of it and do what you want to do and live the way you want to live
these people have all the money but personally they are just so dissatisfied with their lives and that scares the shit out of me
what’s the point of working and earning your entire life and not taking advantage of the opportunities of starting your own company, being free from marriage especially when it is effectively shackles at that level, your kids are vegetables because they grew up with everything
this shit is not glamorous, it makes everyday peoples lives who don’t have enough money look easy going
You know you can do whatever you want with your money, and have whatever type of life you want. You have such strong opinions about topics (I.e., “free from marriage”) when you’ve barely even experienced life. If you want to do something else that’s great, but you can also be successful (in this industry or any other) and have the life you want. The job doesn’t determine who you are, so I’m not sure what you are asking.
I’ve been in this industry for many years, so has my wife. I very much enjoy my marriage and my life, but others would choose a different path, that’s totally fine. I don’t feel like I’m on some hamster wheel, I’m mid 30’s and could retire tomorrow.
But again, everyone has their own preferences. You want more freedom over your time? Then yes, having your own company or taking a different path probably makes sense. Although the time needed to start a successful business is a lot. You don’t want to get married? Great, then don’t.
You do seem to have some issues with women though. I’d work on that if I were you.
If you were a college wrestler or something, is there a reason you didn't try to go pro out of school?
Better question, did you do a combat sport at a D1 level? Because your competition did. Fighters by in large don't get paid much. Canelo is 0.000001% of the fighter population. You fine teaching intro classes to white belts or general self defense classes to pay the bills? Because in all reality that's what you're going to do.
I don’t want to compete professionally on the entertainment ring
I want to compete Amateurly 100+ fights
It’s really a personal challenge, everyone can make more money but not everyone has cauliflower ears and is a Pro Fighter
a lot of the best fighters in the world don’t compete in UFC or Bellator
There are guys in Kazakhstan who has 200 wins but no one wants to fight them because they would be a terrible match up for $$$
there needs to be some level of losing from either side when being matched up professionally
Hey - I train in martial arts and do this job. If you think you might be interested, you can start training at your local gym / camp (maybe on Sat, assuming Sat is semi-protected). I’m not joking here … take a couple blows to the head and see if it’s really better than banking.
Most gyms are run by ex-champs, so you’ll get good training. In NY you might need to head to Long Island or New Jersey for MMA. If you’re in California, Khabib sometimes teaches at AKA.
Don’t underestimate how tough these competitors are, even at the amateur level. They’ll put you in your place pretty quickly if you do.
It’s one thing to be a hobbyist, but I wouldn’t recommend competing in MMA at any level if you’re already in your 20’s and starting from scratch in combat sports, unless you’re OK with a promoter using you as a bait dog. Remember, it’s *Mixed* Martial Arts. You should have several years of serious training in one (some genre of grappling, striking, or take-downs), and know your way around a couple of others. Whoever you compete against absolutely will.
Also … the guys I know with cauliflower ears are some of the sketchiest people I’ve ever met. I don’t understand why you’d aspire to that.
Fighting isn’t about the money. It’s about manly pride. Honestly, feels just as good
Check out the book The Cage by Rollie Peterkin. He's posted on this forum a few times before. Was a former SS bond trader who quit to go fight MMA in Peru.
Also, no need to assume and project so much about what makes other people fulfilled... I'm sure there are some sad sacks out there living what you have described but at the same time there are also many people are who are very happy with their families and careers. There's always more to people than you realize.
yeah true, everyone has different drives and needs to seek fulfillment unique to them
Gone are the days when you can start mma in your 20s and become a competitive fighter. Most of the competition now has practiced some sort of martial art their entire lives. How do you plan on competing against the former D1 wrestler that has been practicing muay thai for 4 years? Or the muay thai fighter that has practiced for 10 years and has a brown belt in jiu jitsu? Even amateur fighters these days are really good and probably on par with top fighters in the early and late 2000's. Watch the interview between Aljamain Sterling and Joe Rogan. Aljo talks about seeing pay-per-view worthy fights even amongst amateur fighters...
You can't challenge yourself when your level of fighting is far below your competitors, so far below that you get crushed in an instant.
The safest martial art to practice where you won't take head blows is jiu jitsu. I would do that for fun and after some time start competing in tournaments. This way you won't need help wiping your own ass in your 40's from all the head-blows you've taken in regular mma.
This kid has never been in a physical fight with a trained opponent in his weight class. He’s never gotten taken down, and he has never taken anyone else down. He’s never received, nor has he landed a punch on someone who knows what they’re doing.
He doesn’t get that even amateur fighters have been training since middle school (at the very oldest). He doesn’t know how ridiculously fast they are, that their brains and bodies just work differently.
I mean, if he were to start violin lessons today, he might get sorta good in a decade of hard work. He’d never be able to “compete” at any level with a concert violinist who’s been at it since they could walk.
Honestly, if he thinks it’s that easy, he should go to whatever MMA gym is closest, tell the instructor and the other folks training in there that he has zero experience but wants 100+ fights, and see what happens. Oh - and that he’s given up a good paying job with health insurance (because, of course, he won’t need insurance in combat fighting).
See how that one goes, kiddo. Godspeed.
Oh Yeah and you can beat up khamzat and Ngannou since you know it all , i bet the only thing you beat is your meat and the keys on your keyboard
100% this. I've trained striking my whole life and have taken up some grappling in the last couple of years. Even at some random town, the level of talent in the low ranks is crazy. I've competed in Muay Thai at the amateur level but wouldn't dare take a fight in MMA without a solid foundation in grappling. Not only do you have to be prepared for a range of backgrounds and know how to mix it up, the people that dedicate themselves to MMA/fighting are simply different mentally. The amateur guys at my gym train 2-3 times a day along with conditioning. As other's have said, if you've never been punched in the face before or wrestled for longer than 30 seconds, you should seriously ask yourself if you have what it takes. It's cliche but fighting is not just a sport, it's a real fight where your opponent's sole goal is to hurt you. Look at most of the champs or top 50 for each weight class in the UFC. Most of them come from poverty or rough backgrounds. Even at the regional level, these guys are just different. Not to discourage you at all, there are a ton of people from white collar backgrounds who turn out to have that dog in them (look at Rich Franklin). It's just rare.
However, if you just want to train, I can't recommend it enough. Not only is it a great workout physically, it's also mentally stimulating (especially with BJJ and high-level sparring). Just don't get arrogant and get into fights outside of the gym because you think you're all that.
Yeah I got a lot out of training. I started in 2011 and it changed my life. I got in shape more than ever before and it was an eye opener to real fighting. But, also the connections I have made since then have been exceptional. Lifelong friends as we went through serious training at some point in life. And we endured that shit together.
good luck fam if you trying to make enough money to survive from becoming an MMA fighter when you never fought MMA a day in your life... lol do you realize how delusional you sound... it's like me saying I wanna quit my job to be a pro poker player I never played poker before but I think it sounds like it would be fun, lol... I'm saying this as someone who basically did something similar to this with music like 1.25-1.5 years ago I started this music project where I am the singer, I've been trying to build the project up for the past 1.25-1.5 years and while I am doing some things that are somewhat interesting locally like playing 1 show every week basically this entire year I am still no where near figuring out how to be successful with the project, I've poured a ton of money into it and made almost nothing back in comparison, etc... good luck if you pursue this but you have to realize that right now it is delusional and it will be insanely hard like to a ridiculous degree and you might never be successful enough to be professional aka making enough money to survive from it...
I look forward to your lucha libre debut
So word of warning - don't do this. You have no idea what you're getting into. I trained competitively in MMA in college + several years after (15+ hours per week). One dude in our gym was an absolute brickhouse of a man. Built as heavy as a linebacker with six pack abs - think of a more ripped and muscle-bound version of Michael Jai White. Scary guy if he wasn't so damn nice and friendly. And a very skilled black belt. He went into the octogon once thinking just like you. Thinking it would be fun to compete. He said the guy he was squared off against absoutely tried to kill him. Cocaine Bear ^10. He kicked his opponent in the face, clubbing his face shin-to-cheek, then down to the mat to dismember him. They do not F around in pro MMA. My buddy had to literally crush his opponent's cheek in, bone fragments and all, to silence his opponent's ferral assault. So now ask yourself, are you ready to kill someone? As in, REALLY KILL SOMEONE? And do you have 10+ years of real fighting experience? If the answer is 'no' then please sit down and get back to that model.
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Join an MMA gym as soon as you can, even if you can only go on weekends. See if you like it. Muay Thai and BJJ are more challenging than they look. Just have fun. You’ll meet a lot of great people.
I was thinking of focusing on Sambo and Muay Thai - If i can get these right and get into a few match ups i think i’ll do well. I’ve already arranged a pro fighter to train me at a dojo so let’s see where it goes. i can use these years as a ramp for when i leave IB
Also, I know numerous pro MMA and Muay Thai fighters who have a job to make money on the side as most don’t earn that much.
As others have said, think this through. Your post doesn’t strike me as coming from someone with experience.
I did some amateur boxing, but my grandfather, who was the army boxing champion in Asia in WW2, started training my cousins and I around 6 years old. There are people out there who grew up with it.
edit: think hard if you’ve never been punched many times in the face.
Getting punched in the face in the grand scheme of MMA isn’t too bad. Try getting a spinning heel kick from a pro fighter to the kidney or liver. Ouch. Also shin kicks or blocking shin kicks are painful. Eventually the shins get stronger, but there is a period of adjustment in the mind and in the bone. I used to temper my shins with a bamboo stick.
I don’t know why you think a fighters life would be much better? Have you ever trained or sparred where you get hit regularly? Many MMA fighters and boxers don’t exactly have the best family lives either and you only make money if you are top 10 in the world. It sounds like your problem is with getting married to a woman who doesn’t actually desire/value you which makes sense, but if that’s the case you can just not get married and have girlfriends
It's cool that you want to train. There's nothing wrong with that. However, you have to understand that most fighters who fight professionally or as an amateur started fighting because they never had a choice and wouldn't want their children to fight. If you had the choice, resources, and intelligence to do anything with your life, why would you choose a fighter's life? Fighters fight to give their children the choice they never had. Mike Tyson even said he didn't like his son fighting because he lived a sheltered life that didn't give them the heart to fight.
You said the word "want" all over your post. You want to be the full package of a man, and you want to prove yourself, and you want this and that. Most of these people "had" to. Fighting was their only way out of poverty. They have to be ruthless to survive; losing a fight means their opponent is taking food off their table, off their kid's plate, and their whole livelihood is threatened. All they know is fighting. It's just a different mindset. Meanwhile, you're coming in sounding like you watched one too many Andrew Tate videos (even he fought to get out of poverty), trying to prove something to yourself.
It wasn't fun for them. They're modern-day gladiators putting their lives on the line in the most brutal way our modern society allows people to do legally outside of the military. A lot of them never had a choice as a kid, or they figured out real early that this was their only chance to get out of the hood or some 3rd world slum. Not only are their bodies hard af so are their spirits.
Listen to what Mike Tyson said about his son trying to fight...
or
https://youtube.com/shorts/3xWNdUtBZMs?si=4lPik1-1gCCO7ktc
If you love it do it recreationally or put your all into it, but if you want to compete with people that have given their life to the sport and put their life on the line without a backup plan like a cushy banking savings or college education then you better go in there as a man and not just "wanting" to be one.
Just as an aside, when I was training MMA pretty heavily in 2016 - 2018, I became the most in shape person in the gym, including better than pro fighters. But, their technicals were superior to me and I would get crushed in BJJ rolling and Muay Thai sparring. It took years for me to get better technically.
Once you get deep in technique, you start to notice more watching pro MMA fights and what it really takes to be a pro fighter. If you’ve never trained before, it looks a lot easier than it is.
This “wife-fearing” life you’re scared of has nothing to do with the ability to TKO your wife lol
What is your athletic background? Have you played other sports at high levels?
I played different sports; Soccer, Cricket, Rugby, Tennis
I’m 6’2 Broad but in a skinny way
you want to be competitive in a sport as a career, but have the time to make this post and see if others feel the same way. Honestly, I think you should stop looking for validation from a forum for this and just go do it if that's a worthwhile venture for you. We could create the echo chamber and encourage you, but that only goes so far. Just go do it if you're serious
Unless you've been fighting your entire life, you have less than zero chance of becoming a professional fighter.
"I thought i wanted to be a fighter, until I fought someone who really wanted to be a fighter."
I used to compete in MMA for years, in amateur and semi pro matches - records were good but at some point I've realized that I cannot do this anymore (after multiple concussions, dislocating both shoulders and one ACL surgery). Plus as many people mentioned above it doesn't bring you any fortune. I had to pay for all my fights as they were not pro, and even pro fighters would get paid 200-300 bucks per fight and this hasn't changed since when I was fighting ages ago. Now as a full time finance guy and a hobbyist I'm doing only grappling (BJJ / submission grappling). You can still do it at pretty high level - I'm competing in National opens and European opens, or just a small local tournaments for fun or if I want to show off some medals. I'd really advise against completely dropping your job, I've been pretty competitive in combat sports throughout my whole life and I'm always one of the strongest guys in martial arts gym except for the professionals there, but I'd never imagine myself going against professionals in early to mid 20s who are at the peak of their physiques...
Username checks out
Zuck sparring Izzy
Zuck wearing head gear like a geek
Patrick Tateman
Everyone has different aspirations and priorities in life, and it's important to pursue a path that aligns with your own values and goals. If you feel that the corporate ladder and a traditional career path don't fulfill you, it's absolutely valid to explore alternative paths that bring you more satisfaction and fulfillment. However, it's essential to carefully consider the financial implications and risks associated with such a transition. It's advisable to have a solid plan in place, including financial stability through diversified investments and a clear understanding of the challenges and demands of pursuing a career as a professional wrestler or MMA fighter. Ultimately, the most important thing is to find a path that brings you happiness and a sense of purpose.
Don’t do it unless your alternatives are homelessness or starvation. The backstories for these successful UFC guys are intense and they had no other options.
A pretty significant portion of these guys have either fucked their lives up beyond repair or had someone else fuck their lives up before they found fighting (think heroin addicts sleeping in tents/cars, alcoholics working in factories in rural Pennsylvania, been sexually or physically abused as kids, died of overdoses, etc.).
One example that comes to mind is Matt Brown. Dude was a factory worker in rural Ohio that was addicted to meth, overdosed on heroine, an alcoholic, picked fights with people at parties, was homeless, and served time in prison before he turned 21. He started fighting professionally without any training on a coke binge watching his buddy fight and decided to sign up to fight someone.
This is probably a troll post but you work in an office making over $100K/year who doesn’t like his job. You’re insane if you think you can compete with someone as batshit crazy and troubled as that with literally nothing to lose. Your competitors alternatives are quite literally death/prison and yours is taking a job in FP&A.
This post has to be satirical. If it’s not, take it from me. I started doing martial arts at age 5 and competed in MMA when I turned 18 and did so throughout college. I had a successful amateur run and had relationships with several pro fighters in the UFC and Bellator. In fact, my younger brother just got signed to the UFC and got his first win.
To keep it brief, it is a tough life being a fighter. I’ve seen it first hand. Getting into the big leagues is like all the other sports - it’s harder to stay. In the UFC, you will MAYBE clear $80k your first year, assuming you fight 4 times and win. Obviously, you can get performance bonuses, but there are not many. Most fighters have a part-time at a minimum to pay the bills even once they made it to the UFC. Usually, the second contract enables full-time training.
Fighters fight for two reasons: 1) they love it and are passionate and/or 2) they’ve never known anything else
Martial arts was my first love, but after weighing risks and rewards, pursuing a career in MMA wasn’t worth it for me. I’d encourage you to evaluate the pros, cons, and opportunity costs. If you love the sport, find a way to fit into you schedule as a hobbyist and save your brain cells.
We had a young guy at my job (different business unit) saying he was thinking of dropping everything and train, take the path to become a fighter. I asked if he had trained before, he said no.
I’m only a purple belt, and I wrestled all four years of high school. Invited him to come roll a bit and I’d show him a few things (I teach the kids class sometimes so some teaching experience). He was appalled at how hard it was to get me off him. We have two UFC fighters at my gym, both black belts. Pointed at those guys - “They do to me, what I just did to you, and they are not known for their grappling.”
He did start doing jits at another gym but has reeled back his ambitions a bit. The levels in this game are incredible.
I've never understood why ostensibly heterosexual men want to wrestle with other men. There are a millions things I want to do, and wrestling around nearly naked with other men is 1,000,001 of things on my list of desires.
It’s a combat sport. Most people who feel the way you’re feeling are either uneducated on the sport, inexperienced in combat sports, or to be frank, insecure. It’s also a great way to learn self-defense which can be helpful if you live in a large city with crime.
Thank you for adding a comment with little-to-no value.
What, specifically, do I need to know about combat sports to actually desire to roll around with other men half-naked? Since you're asserting it's out of ignorance that I don't want to rub up against other men as a hobby, what, specifically (be specific) do I need to know to change my mind? Be specific.
I'll gladly specify. It seems like you're sexualizing the sport hence your feelings towards "rolling around around with half-naked men". I can't argue against someone's individual desire to do a sport or not. I've met others who didn't want to "roll around with half-naked men", and they try jiu-jitsu and quite enjoy it. They learned quickly how helpless and defenseless they truly were before. Some admitted to feeling insecure trying a combat sport because it was difficult to challenge your own ego and self-confidence as it relates to defending one's self. They enjoyed learning new moves, getting in shape, and the mental game - all positives of jiu-jitsu, specifically.
Again, I can't comment on your desire nor will I make assumptions about you other than you're the type of person I'd not want to have my back in any altercation or situation requiring self-defense (attempted mugging, break-in, etc.).
When you’re getting choked out via blood choke or air choke, you’re thinking about survival, not the sexuality of “rolling around with half naked men.”
To be honest I also never understand why people go crazy over ball sports like football or basketball, plus there are many other people's interests in the world that I find weird or boring, so no one needs to be convinced to love combat sports but just letting you know that nobody who trains combat sports seriously or for fun is sexualizing it...
Think you watched to many JRE videos.
What is that?
This must be a troll response.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyBCv9WvjiF/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Realistically, can you? I ask because i am in college and Ive heard horror stories about the hours in IB. I race gokarts at a regional level in the "TAG Senior and KA100 Senior" classes and I want to move up to Formula 4 or USFJuniors once I get the financial backing for it.
How much can you balance your training while in IB?
Thanks
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