STAWELL-raised Jeremy ‘The Answer’ Joiner has opened his MMA (mixed martial arts) career with a first-up win at a Valor event in Tasmania.
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Joiner had a tough road to his first fight after taking up the sport just six months ago.
Having dropped 38kg under the guidance of Stuart Grant, the 27-year-old looks set to have a successful career in the full-contact combat sport.
The sport caught the eye of Joiner when he lost interest in football after many years of niggling injuries.
“MMA is pure competition and that is why I love the sport,” Joiner said.
“The discipline, dedication and challenge is what attracted me. I just wanted to challenge myself.”
Joiner’s first fight was against Jake Hutchins, who is a specialist in judo .
His reach was a little less than Joiner’s and although both fight in the heavyweight division, Joiner had several kilograms on his opponent.
Neither fighter gave an inch, lasting the three rounds of three minutes, but it was Joiner who was awarded the victory by unanimous decision.
There were times throughout the match that Joiner thought he had done enough, but Hutchins showed courage to get back up again and again.
“I landed a solid kick to his face during the third round,” Joiner said.
“It affected him, but then I slipped over. That couple of seconds cost me.”
While the result went to the judges, Joiner was pleased with his efforts and happy with the eventual result.
“It was good feeling to win,” Joiner said.
“It was a fair bit of relief. There was a big build up and it was exciting to win. I was asking questions of myself but now I know I am heading in the right direction.”
Joiner now lives in Sunbury where he works out of the Westside MMA gym at Caroline Springs.
His sole focus is his fighting.
Joiner said his stand up and strength and conditioning coach Grant, who is also from Stawell, and Rodolfo Marques, the number one pound-for-pound fighter in Australia, are the reason he is able to fight.
“Without their support and everyone else back home I would never have made it,” Joiner said.
Joiner is now back in training ready for his next fight on November 8 in Ballarat.
While Joiner is content fighting in Australia for the moment he has future plans of competing on the global stage.
