MMA Fighting From Woodbury

Kyle Todd has never been in a street fight.

“I was always the one to say, ‘It’s not worth it,’” he said.

These days, however, Todd willingly walks into the ring (or cage, as it were) as a mixed-martial arts fighter.

The 22-year-old graduate is part of the Saturday, Feb. 4, card at the Myth nightclub in Maplewood.

It all started in March 2011 after Todd—who wrestled at Woodbury (“I was all right,” he said)—ran into a former teammate who was fighting, and he decided to check out the Ambition MMA gym.

“I fell in love with it right then and there,” he said.

Always a competitive person, Todd said he took to the sport partially because it forced him to work hard and not rely on his athleticism. He said his wrestling background—he has coached at Woodbury, and with local youth programs—helped him somewhat.

Still, taking that first punch wasn’t easy.

“It kind of wakes me up—oh, it’s game time,” said Todd, "The Spartan," who fights at 165 pounds.

He said the rising popularity of mixed-martial arts (MAA) is due to the varied styles of the fighters and the fact that a fight can take so many different turns, especially compared to boxing, which is on the wane in the U.S.

“Submissions, choke-out, knockout, three-round battle,” Todd said. “I think it’s become so popular because there are so many different ways to win.”

He trains four or five days a week at Eagan-based Ambition MMA, and spends another two or three days each week working on his conditioning, lately with kettle bells.

All that training, though, didn’t make him overly comfortable in his first fight.

“What the hell am I doing here?” Todd recalled. “There’s nerves, my mind went blank. … I lost that one, actually.”

He has since upped his record to 2-2, and is tapering down his training as Saturday’s fight draws near. “Keeping the dog on the leash, my coach says.”

Todd said his parents are supportive: “My dad loves it.”

“But my mom, she’s a typical mother, she doesn’t want to see me get hurt—she had a hard time watching me wrestle,” he said.

While Todd said he still feels the nerves before a fight, “Now, it’s just easier.”

Plus, his wrestling past has helped him adapt to the grappling aspect of the sport.

“The stand-up, I’m still learning,” Todd said. “It’s very different from wrestling. … People don’t realize that you use your whole body to throw a punch.”

Despite the punching, MMA fighters usually shake hands or hug after a fight, he said. “We have a mutual respect for each other.”

Todd, who also works as a bartender at , isn’t sure if he’ll make a career out of MMA fighting.

“Right now, I’m just going to see where it takes me,” he said. “Everyone’s dream is to be in the UFC, but sometimes that’s not realistic. I’m just going to keep working hard.”