Worland, WY - There's a town where they call themselves the warriors back by the hot springs called Worland Wyoming. This is home to three separate fight clubs, all on good terms with each other. Sparring, training and learning.
Its not just a sport in this neck of the woods, it’s a lifestyle for these mean muggers and heavy handed athletes.
In the middle is a Father/Son duo, Jeff and Jordan Hernandez, who are hell bent on being known for their quick, powerful hands and lighting quick takedowns. These two Mixed Martial Artist's call the living room home, just as they do the cage. There is no shortage of compassion and pride running in the Hernandez family of Worland.
"Jordan started off wrestling since he was about 8 years old. He started by winning one, losing two and being put out right away but he always came off the mat smiling. He had a great time. Jordan's wasn’t sure that he was going to get back in to wrestling the second year but he was asking about it long before it started.
"The second year Jordan started doing better and won against wrestlers who had won against him the previous year. The third year he already had a name for himself. Wrestlers would see that they had him for their next opponent and would say, in a distraught voice, 'oh I have Jordan Hernandez'.
"Many times I would hear the parents say 'you have Jordan Hernandez next and you will have to work really hard if you want to beat him'. I would always smile with pride."
Jeff Hernandez, Jordan's Dad, opened his interview with this statement showing the moral support and pride for his son.
"One day Jordan approached me at the age of 16 and asked if he could do MMA and I was skeptical. I told him it was a tough sport. I asked him why he wanted to do it. He responded why not? I said, 'well ok then' and he was happy. His first fight was in Worland and I was nervous but he did well and won, stopping his opponent in the second round.
"After the fight, I told Jordan he should learn some boxing skills so he could do a little better with his stand up. He paid attention and when I taught him some basic but important techniques and used them in his second fight which was in Riverton.
"He left his opponent with a swollen face in this fight but ultimately won with his wrestling skills by taking it to the ground. I could see that Jordan had the heart for this sport as well and that watching him was like watching a tiger stalk and attack his prey."
Jordan has always been one to try to be the best he could be in any sport he participated in. He had the talent to pick up any sport quickly. He participated in soccer for two years, football for all of middle school and one year of high school.
He even participated in golf and did well in that. He tried basketball and even gymnastics but he always enjoyed wrestling the most. That is until MMA came around. He hopes to go professional with MMA and continues to do well in it.
Jordan also got Dad to fight in MMA by saying that all he wanted for his birthday was to see Dad fight in the cage. Even though Jeff believed he was losing his mind he tried several times to get a fight set but for some reason or another it would always get canceled. Persistence paid off as Jeff finally got a fight in Casper for 'Kickdown MMA' promoter Steve Alley. Jeff won this fight in the 2nd round 1:36 in.
"This kid was tough and I say kid because he was 27 and I was 47 years old at the time of the fight."
Jeff got the bug and took a another fight in his hometown Worland Wyoming. I had the privilege of watching Jeff fight and he is one hell of a warrior. Jeff and his 20 something year old opponent won 'fight of the night' honors and deservedly so.
Jeff was a bloody mess by the end of round one but continued to put on a show of heart and pride in front of his hometown friends, family, and teammates. Jeff lost by decision to his much younger opponent but made his hometown and family proud.
Unsatisfied with his hard fought loss, Jeff found himself back in Casper battling yet another much younger opponent. Jeff's 1-1 record fell to 1-2 with his once again fight of the night award performance. Although Jeff lost his last 2 fights, he has shown the 307 MMA world what heart, determination, and pride for your family is truly all about.
Jeff called and told his son Jordan about his fights and received the ultimate "rush" of all when his son said "See, I told you you could do it" Jeff spoke with deep heart felt words through these statements and I could almost feel the love and pride he has in his bond with his son who was unable to make it to any of his fights due to relocating in Kansas.
"Jordan recently had his first child, Dayton William Cy. He mean mugs everyone and will be the next UFC champion. Of course, I'm not biased either. He has one heck of a grip and looks just like Jordan…even the mean mug. Jordan says he gets that from me.
"Jordan has made me an extremely proud father and now grandpa."
If you cross this father/son duo make sure it is on good terms and get to know the "Hernandez Father/Son Bond" from the 307.
By John "The Gun" Muller Rocky Mtn Region MMA news analyst for UppercutsNews.com
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