By Stephen Lawhorn
Dear Texas MMA,
I only moved to Houston/Galveston area in 2008 after Hurricane Ike brought me there. I had just gotten married a few months before to the “what I believed to be love of my life “” and as history would have it she is no longer around.
I had a successful construction business and a home I built on several acres along with my precious mom and dad in another home I built in East Texas. Life was a dream until Hurricane Ike hit and made a huge splash on my life and business. I want bore you with the details but let it be known it cost me my home and business and my so called life.
Before then I was a youth baseball and football coach and loved doing that, once I was relocated to Galveston I had a huge debt to pay. I sold everything I had and paid everyone I could. I took a job working for Comcast going door to door so I could pay rest of my debt. I ended up working there almost 5 years and eventually became management.
All I was trying to accomplish was to pay off my debt and return to East Texas and live my old life. HAHA that wasn’t what happened and how I ended up as SCC MMA Promoter is the key. I tried to find a position coaching youth as I loved it, unfortunately without a kid in the game that proved improbable.
I ended up over weight and out of shape, wasn’t hard since most of my time was spent in sales due to my circumstances. I decided on MMA Classes to lose the weight, this resulted in me meeting many young guys that thought I was the answer to them finding fights. I actually got a manger license to begin with, not for the money but because I wanted to help my training partners.
That proved to be very difficult and so one day while talking to TDLR about my options they informed me that becoming a promoter would be the best option. Some of ya’ll will remember him but it was Hector Barragan that helped me obtain my license. I soon met Big Greg and was made a promoter. The year during my application process I decided to go to every event possible, and corner or represent every fighter I could to learn the business. I met Mick, Collin, Eric, many other fighters and players in the game. I never really knew what I was doing so I did whatever I had too, and just followed their business model. I met many of you along the way and you all are the reason I stayed with it. “Again want bore you with details on individuals that made an impact along the way.
On my 40th Birthday my wife and “love of my life supposedly” left me after I decided to dedicate my life to MMA and the fighters. I paid all my old debt bought a fifth wheel and gave my life to help guys make it that weren’t being seen. I never really made enough money to survive but I couldn’t let my guys down. In 2014 I decided I couldn’t respect myself in this sport unless I actually experienced the stepping into the cage myself so I actually fought in November 2014 after a training camp under the tutelage of Jorge Patino and others from his gym. HEEEEYYYYYY! Life Changing BTW!
In short you all know of the early years and the Galveston shows, but trouble soon arrived as my partners couldn’t move forward with me and I made some bad partner and investor decisions that caused me my name and almost 18,000 dollars. I had already committed to 2 shows and as a man of my word I did those shows and the overall cost left me in over 10,000 debt to many awesome people I love and respect, I have committed to another show in 2017 in BCS and I will obligate that promise as well as paying off the debt I have to a few people that supported me.
I always dedicated myself to this sport and I never claimed to be anything I wasn’t. Unfortunately after this last event I will be stepping away and hopefully passing down the business and promotion to my highly respected brother Bubba Bush.
I will always cherish my time in this world with yall, and you changed my life. I have since met a woman and her 4 kids. They have bestowed upon me an opportunity to be a father figure in absence of their real father and allows me the chance to build them a restored old farmhouse and go back to coaching for at least 8 years God Willing. I am Back in East Texas. Life isn’t easy but who cares…
I’ve always been straight in this business and life and anything you hear other than that is twist and cover-up and I don’t care. Thank You all and you will see me come back for one more event and after that it will be as a consultant or back stage. Thank You Everyone who supported me and thank you Jesus for my time you allowed me to honor you in MMA.
In conclusion I am 10,000 upside down because of my commitment to being honest and fair, and we were denied the loan on the property we invested everything we had into. I will work out my days and honor everything I promised until death. Thank you everyone who has been a supporter, fan, friend, and family during my stint in this great family.
Sincerely Yours,
Stephen LAWDOG Lawhorn
Happy Birthday Me!!
09-13-2016