Photo Credit: Luis Vega, Personal Archives

BROWNSVILLE, TX, March 21, 2012 – When it comes to talking about the Texas MMA Scene, much of the buzz has always been centered around fighters plying their trade in metropolitan centers like Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, or even Lubbock – where guys like Paul Buentello and Evan Tanner (RIP) built their reputations before moving on to fight in organizations like the UFC or Strikeforce. That’s just the way things go and it’s easy to see why fighters in big cities get more play – it’s more readily available to them. Yet for every fighter looking to make their way in cities like Houston or Dallas, there are others with the same MMA dreams quietly going about forging their path in quieter towns and smaller venues all over the state of Texas.

Take the case of Luis Vega for example. A member of Team Pound in the RGV, this Brownsville native has been fighting professionally for 4 years now while amassing a 7-2 record. If nothing else, he’s certainly one to watch because of his background and what he’s done through in order to make it to this point. Aside from being a pro fighter, he’s a BJJ brown belt with 4 (soon to be 5) kids and at least 2 other businesses so far, all while having a past that includes dealing drugs and a stint in prison as well. Now he’s mentoring troubled teens while trying to make his own way. “I had a rough upbringing,” he says. “I try to show kids that look up to me that anything in life is possible as long as we have the desire and drive to get where we want to be. It’s never too late. I’m living proof that success doesn’t come from having riches, but simply having a goal and a plan to get there.”

With an opportunity this Friday to fight in Bellator 62 against Sonny Luque Trad on the horizon, we wanted to speak more with Luis Vega and learn more about him as he looks to use this fight as a means to shine the light on what’s going with his career personally along with all the other great things he looks to bring to the Texas MMA world from his quiet city of Brownsville.

Bellator 62 Pre-Fight Interview – Luis Vega

Hey Luis, thanks for taking the time to talk to TXMMA during fight week. Tell us a little bit about your MMA career and what it’s been like fighting down there in the Rio Grande Valley.

I started my Pro career in the RGV, and I have seen MMA grow so much thanks to the exposure it got after the first season of the Ultimate fighter. I had my first pro fight in STFC (back then it was the STFL) and thanks to the outstanding way they have promoted the sport and fighters down here, the fan support has grown immensely. I fought since their first ever show in 2008, and it amazes me how much new fans go out and support what we do.

How would you describe yourself as a fighter to fans that haven’t maybe haven’t been to a show or haven’t seen you fight yet?

As a fighter, I think I’m interesting to watch. You see, I’ve been steamrolling thru people recently, and I’m on a 6 fight win streak. My opponents usually go in with a gamelan not to go to the ground. But it’s usually me who ends up with the advantage on the standup. I guess by now people know I can keep it standing but still people tend to overlook me as a fighter. I feel I’m not being respected as a threat to anyone I cross paths with. It’s like I’m a stepping stone for many, but no one has stepped on me for sure. My good friend and training partner (Danny Salinas) holds the STFC lightweight belt so I do most of the gate keeping for anyone who wants to move up. Me and my coach have finally decided to make a move to featherweight, and try to bring some more belts to Team Pound. After this bout, I will hopefully debut as a featherweight and we will see what the future holds for me at that weight. I will be 31 in June so I need to make something happen now before I run out of time. This Friday, fans will get to see a true mixed martial artist in action. Anywhere the fight takes place, I think a can hang with anyone in the Texas circuit. Anyone!

An impressive performance at Bellator should certainly shine more eyes on what you can do. How does it feel to be fighting for them and how long have you had to prepare?

It’s an honor to be able to display my set of skills in a stage such as Bellator. Bellator is a top promotion in the MMA industry and I think more people around the world will witness my bout, thus I hope I can expand my fan base to people outside the RGV.

You will laugh at how long I’ve been getting ready for this opportunity, which isn’t actually very long at all. I got the fight as a late replacement 9 days before fight night, just like a week ago. It was like destiny. I was supposed to fight in the first place but a misunderstanding between my manager/coach and a representative from Bellator prevented that from happening. I fought in the last STFC event on March 2 and I trained 9 weeks for that. I KO’d another fellow Brownsville Native (I’m from Brownsville) with a roundhouse kick to the Jaw. The whole fight lasted 1:40 so I had no injuries going out of that fight. I took a week off and got the call the week after. I’ve been ready physically so I just had to re-peak again. It’s good not to have to worry too much about cutting weight.

Tell us a little bit about your camp for this one. What’s it like at Team Pound?

I train with Team Pound and coach Luis Benavides AKA Mr. B. This is my home and has been my team for a long time. I come from a Jiu-Jitsu background, and hold a Brown belt in the art. Before doing MMA, I was doing fairly well in the Jiu-Jitsu scene. Along the way I’ve acquired some decent wresting, Judo, boxing, Karate and Muay Thai. I have been known throughout my career as the grappler, but as of recently, I’ve been surprising my opponents with my standup, a skill acquired over the course of six years. My teammates also contribute a lot of my progress, training with the likes of Danny Salinas, Joe Rodrigues and Raimon Moreno, I can’t help but get better.

What about when you’re not training… What’s life like for you?

Outside the cage, I teach Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing and MMA to the new generation at my academy –  Vega MMA in Brownsville. I can honestly say I’m a well rounded fighter and coach and understand every aspect of MMA very well. I’m a full time fighter so I train throughout the day when I’m not teaching. Outside of the sport I have three beautiful girls and a step daughter. They are ages 7,6,5,4 and I also have one boy on the way. Yes, wow, I can imagine your reaction. It’s like that bro. I also own real estate and am in the works in opening a Taqueria and Wings sports Restaurant, name TKO Taqueria and Wings. I like to think I do it all. I have lots of mouths to feed and a lot of saving up to do for their college. I was raised in a very independent household where we all had to work to get what we wanted so I know if you really want something, you go out and get it. Nothing gets to you by itself. Besides that, I try to mentor troubled teens that I can relate to. I had a rough upbringing, from dealing drugs as a teenager, to prison at age 18. I try to show kids that look up to me that anything in life is possible as long as we have the desire and drive to get where we want to be. I’m living proof that success doesn’t come from having riches, but simply having a goal and a plan to get there.

Looking ahead to Bellator 62, what can you tell us about your opponent, Sonny Luque?

I know a lot about him. He’s a cool guy and I’ve even trained with him once a couple of years back. I really respect him, but I have no problem fighting friends or people I know. The last guy I fought I really liked. Unfortunately for him I knocked him out cold, which I felt very bad about when he didn’t wake up fast enough. Honestly, I don’t like hurting people, but its part of our sport and it’s prone to happen. Again, this is destiny, before Sonny was sidelined, we where schedule to fight in Laredo for the main event in a promotion based out of Laredo. Unfortunately, he got hurt and I ended up giving a guy I beat by 45 sec via TKO his rematch. I beat that fella again to clear the talk of it being a fluke the first time. And again, coincidently, we are going to meet, me and Sonny this time around. He is the local MMA figure in Laredo, and me beating him will only raise my recognition in that area. But the best thing about it I get to do it in front of fans who will stream it online thru spike.com.

As far as what I think of Sonny, he is a tough and hard working fighter, but I have faith in my skill and I believe I have the more dominant ground and have the experience over him. This will be my 7th fight in 16 months, and he is barely fighting after 15 months and after an injury. Let’s not forget the pressure he will have fighting in his home town. To me, it’s just another day at the office. Experience will play the biggest factor in this fight. Stand up wise, I don’t think I will be surprise, but as they say, anything can happen.

So how do you win on Friday? Where do you have the edge?

I feel I will have the edge anywhere it takes place. Although I prefer striking over submissions, my versatility and the way I mix up my punches and kicks will have him guessing. He only has one part where he can beat me, and that’s with his boxing. I can kick, punch, elbow, knee, wrestle, submit and takedown pretty well and know how to mix everything up. He is very anti-Jiu Jitsu and from what I hear, he dogs on practitioners who wear a Gi. Well guess what, I do wear a Gi and still train in it. But I can hang with good standup guys on my feet as well. Overall, we will see what happens on Friday, I like to be modest and say I will try my best but deep inside me I know I will be the best that night. 

Any last words for Sonny if you had to give them?

I guess I’d just say, “Sonny, let’s go out there and show your hometown how we get down. Let’s do the mumble jumble and tear this place down. And may the best man that night win.”

Any last words for the Texas MMA fans and anybody else out there Luis?

To my future opponents, “I have been patiently waiting for my time, and the time is now. Be prepared to go to war every time you step in the cage with me.” 2012 and forward, I hope to make my family, friends and students proud of my success. I hope that everyone can be witness of my transformation as a fighter and as a human being. Also, I think Brownsville, the city on the border by the sea, can finally have a name for the baddest man in the city. And that name is Luis Vega, born and raised in Brownsville, TX in the neighborhood of Southmost where supposedly nobody would amount to anything good. Look at me now!