Debut fighter looks to make a splash at Belts of Honorius 3
SAN MARCOS, TX, November 5, 2013 – Leroy “Texas Made” Montoya is a flyweight prospect who will be making his amateur debut at Nael Chavez’s Enlightened Warriors promotion. The 24-year-old San Marcos native will be fighting against Ben Painter at Belts of Honorious 3 against Ben Painter, another hungry fighter who is looking to carve out a name for himself in Austin’s burgeoning MMA scene. We caught up with ‘Texas Made’ while his training camp to fight Painter was winding down and discussed fighter nerves, fatherhood, comfort foods and much more. Here is what Leroy had to say.
BOH 3: Leroy Montoya (Armor House Training Center/Ronny Lis BJJ/Metroflex San Marcos)
TXMMA: Thanks for talking to us, Leroy. First off, are you a full time fighter or do you do something else in addition to training?
LM:I have a Full Time Job at the H.E.B. Warehouse in San Marcos.
TXMMA: How long have you been training and what are your specialties?
LM: I have been training off and on for 2 years. I started training just BJJ in the beginning then grew to love MMA and haven’t stopped since.
TXMMA: What team do you train under, who are your coaches and who has been helping you get ready for this fight?
LM: I train under Armor House Training Center/Ronny Lis BJJ/Metroflex San Marcos. Bobby Hernandez is my MMA and Strength and Conditions coach So Is Daniel Hagerty and Joe Saldana is my Boxing Coach and Ronny Lis is my BJJ Coach. All my Teammates and coaches are Helping me and pushing me to get prepared for this fight.
TXMMA: This being your first MMA fight, what are you feeling in preparation for your debut?
LM: Yes this fight will be my MMA Debut. When I first got the message from Nael that he got me a fight for Belts Of Honorious 3 I was so nervous, but now that we’ve been working so hard the nerves have settled down.
TXMMA: What can you tell us about the Enlightened Warriors promotion?
LM: Enlightened Warriors is a Non Profit Organization that gives back and also the last 2 events went smoothly and have some of the best matchmakers to get exciting fights.
TXMMA: What can you tell us about your opponent?
LM: My opponent is Ben Painter he fought on the last BOH Card. From what I’ve heard he’s really aggressive and takes the fight to you . He likes to take you down and ground and pound and make you work for everything. I didn’t see his last fight but heard alot about it. Excited to to war with this guy!
TXMMA: Do you have a game plan going into the fight and how do you see this one ending?
LM: [The] game plan is to keep it standing and see what his stand up looks like. I know he’s preparing himself for a war and so am I. Where ever I see I can do the most damage, either standing up or on the ground, I will take it there.
[Regarding] predictions, (laughs) I really don’t know how it’s going to end, but I’ve been training my hardest and wont stop until the day of weigh ins. Then all my hard work will pay off. I wont take anything less then a Win and take that Belt home with me.
TXMMA: What is your weight class, what do you weigh right now and what food do you miss the most?
LM: I’m fighting at 125 (Flyweight). My weight right now is 135 and I walk around at 145. Taste of China is what I miss the Most. I love their food so much.
TXMMA: Can you share with our readers a little about you outside of fighting that we wouldn’t get to know otherwise?
LM: Outside of fighting I’m with my family. [My children] Daliyah, Isaiah, Aubriana and My Wife Mayra. They are my biggest support and always have my back and making sure I train my butt off. I was a teenage parent and those were the hardest years of my life, but me and my wife pulled through it and now are happily married. We just had our wedding November 2nd. One of the best days of my life!
TXMMA: Is there anything else you want to tell our readers or do you have a sponsor you’d like to thank?
LM: I want to give a Shout out to My Sponsors Honor Fight Gear. They are making my Walk Out Shirts and i love the design they came up with. Also Soap-a-licious they have always kept me clean and germ free since day one of using their product. I’m a Spokesman for their Bare Knuckle Soap Line.