ARLINGTON, TX, March 21, 2012 – One of the greatest joys (and stresses) of a person’s life are those brief moments in time where they are left waiting. Like those nights as a kid where you knew you were leaving for vacation the next morning, it’s hard to sleep when you know something awesome is coming your way. For our next fighter in focus, Douglas Frey, that type of anxious feeling must be coming at him from all fronts right about now.
Set to make good on his engagement to marry longtime fiancée and fellow fighter Jinh Yu in two months time (and in Scotland, no less), Doug has been busy preparing for the moment he ties the knot with the love of his life while simultaneously focusing on a professional fight career that he’s held near and dear to his heart for a long time as well.
As far as his fight career goes, the Amarillo native has traveled miles and miles already with 17 pro fights since he debuted at the very first Shark Fights event back in 2008. Like the path to marriage, Doug’s fight career has been filled with ups and downs along the way. Throughout it all he’s persisted, winning more than he’s lost while keeping in mind that fighting, like a marriage, takes a lot of work and sacrifice in order to succeed – no matter how much love is involved. Sometimes you just have to savor all the hard work, wins, losses, and everything along the way. It’s all part of the overall picture.
Case in point, this Friday Doug will hit another career milestone moment when he takes on the ever-inspirational Rad Martinez at Bellator 62 down in Laredo (South Texas).
“It feels great and fighting for Bellator is always a great honor,” Frey says about the upcoming fight. Having fought and won in Bellator once before (a submission over Aaron Wise in 2010), fighting on the big sage won’t be new to him but this opportunity is and it’s one he hopes to make the most out of.
“I have been steady training,” he says about what he’s been up to leading up to this fight. “I haven’t had any time off since the first of October, when I had to pull from my fight with Masenori Kanehara because of an injury. There is so much to learn that I feel taking time off inhibits my own personal growth in the sport. Other than that I have been getting my training partners ready for their fights with UFC, Bellator, and the local shows. Also, I started training with a new strength and conditioning coach, Steve Senay, over at RepsUSA in Mansfield. His training regimen is unlike anything that I have ever experienced before, and I believe it will show in this fight.”
Speaking of this fight, all eyes will be on it as much for his opponent as it is Doug’s own reputation as an exciting fighter. Martinez has been featured on ESPN’s ‘Outside the Lines’ because of his own sacrifices to make it in MMA while taking care of brain-damaged father. For all his exceptional qualities as a human being, Rad is every bid a formidable adversary for anyone he steps in the cage with. In short, he may be one of the toughest opponents Doug has ever faced.
“I think Rad is a classy guy,” Frey says about the challenge he has in front of him. “His takedown are solid and it’s an honor to face a fighter like him on such a big stage. There are no extra nerves though. I have fought and won in Bellator before so I have broken through that mental block already and I know my hand will be raised in the end.”
“To all my fans: Thank you for your continued support for me through the thick and thin. Thank you to my coaches for believing in me. To all my training partners: Without you guys I wouldn’t be in the position that I am in today. To my manager, Matt Rossini, thank you for getting this opportunity setup for me and for all the hard work that you do day in and day out. Special shout out to my sponsors: LS Hunting, Dr. Felipe Garcia Jr., Dr. Glenn Vo, DOM fight gear, and Draft Picks Sports Bar. Above all to my beautiful fiancee, Jinh Hei Yu, for being so very supportive of me in chasing down this dream of mine.”
