Published: January 02, 2009 11:32 pm         

Mark Munoz goes from Cowboy to MMA sensation

A former Oklahoma State wrestler is taking the core values he was taught as a Cowboy to the top of the mixed martial arts world.

Mark Munoz is slated to soon join the ranks of the elite fighters under the banner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He's undefeated in his young, five-bout career with three knockouts and two victories by unanimous decision.

However, his success can be traced back to a single institution and a single coach. Cowboy boss John Smith molded Munoz into the competitor he is, and Munoz still remembers his O-State lessons because he uses them in his mixed martial arts competition.

"What he taught me was a lot of … not so much technical lessons, but lessons that applied directly to life," Munoz said. "With John it was the theme of wrestling but also living the lifestyle of an elite wrestler. He pretty much showed me — not told me, but showed me — how to be a champion, really, with not only technical skills, but also the mental skills, a mind-body-spirit combination."

Having coached Munoz only eight years ago, Smith clearly — and fondly — remembers the former Cowboy.

"Mark was a great, great kid, just as far as listening and learning," Smith said. "He developed through his years and capped off his senior season with an NCAA Championship.

"He wasn't the most talented wrestler I ever coached, but he was very determined from the time he started. He listened, he worked very hard, he was committed to trying to be the best in the country — and anything less than what he gave, he would have had a hard time ever winning it because he wasn't an overly talented athlete. He was an athlete that really earned everything and all the respect that he got on the mat."

That respect carries a lot of weight in the NCAA wrestling circle, but only takes an athlete so far when they make the jump to mixed martial arts.

"This route is definitely a different world," Smith said. "It's a world that you have to win, and you have to not get knocked out. We wish him the best there, but it's a whole different world when it comes to UFC. There's not much forgiving. There's not much development. They want you winning, and they want you winning now."

Despite that, Munoz said the transfer from collegiate wrestler to UFC fighter is fairly natural, which helps explain the trend of NCAA wrestlers succeding in mixed martial arts.

"I believe that wrestling is the most important discipline in mixed martial arts," he said. "Without wrestling, I think it would be really hard because a lot of the fights end up on the ground, and if you can't defend a guy who's going to take you down, then it's hard. As a wrestler, you can dictate the fight. You can have them standing by stuffing their shots, or you can take them down, so it's definitely worth your while to know both."

Smith has previously expressed his faint disapproval when former Cowboys such as Johnny Hendricks, Shane Roller and Jake Rosholt have left the profession he taught them for another, but he has always made clear his support for them, whatever they do.

"I think they need to make good decisions if that's what they're going to do," he said.

According to Munoz, he never had much of a choice. He deeply needs to compete.

"For me, I can't work a normal job," he said. "I can't just sit behind a desk in front of a computer and work. That's just not me. I have to talk to people, I have to do something. … Now I don't have to answer to a boss, which I didn't like to do too often. And I can pretty much have a flexible schedule and be with my family, and if I can do that and do what I love, it's a no-brainer for me."

Munoz wore the orange singlet from 1997 to 2001, when he graduated from OSU. He stuck around Stillwater for a couple of years, helping coach the Cowboy squad. In 2003, he began coaching at University of California-Davis and continued to do so until this summer.

He jumped into the mixed martial arts pool, starting with smaller programs, like the Palace Fighting Championship. After three fights, he drew World Extreme Cagefighting's attention. He signed on with WEC on June 1 and had two fights before the league dropped his weight class. The UFC has been picking up the fighters abandoned by the dropped classes, including Munoz.

Munoz and his wife, Kristi, have four children — daughter Alexa, 9, son Trent, 7, daughter Erynn, 3, and daughter Elyse, 17 months.

     

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