It is often said that your family shapes who you become. As a child, the influence of your parents creeps in (whether you want to admit it or not) and helps to lay a foundation for the world you will live in. For Jason Novelli, the son of a high school wrestling coach, this foundation was laid with head throws and double legs. His foundation would give Jason the tools that would eventually lead him to Washington where he would mature into a successful mixed marital artist and father. Jason is now laying a foundation for his sons and as he puts it, he is a family man fight for his family, man. Come Saturday, September 19th in Ridgefield, Washington, he will be doing just that as he steps into the cage at Titan FC 35.
Last week I spent some time talking to Jason about his journey and his up coming fight with Titan FC. Jason has been on this path for some time now and he currently trains with Rose City FC in Portland. However, getting to where he is now was a journey that actually started on the other side of the Columbia in Vancouver.
“I first started training with Leonard Gabriel at Fisticuffs Gym [in Vancouver, Washington]. I didn’t spend too much time there but that got me back into boxing, got me motivated,” said Novelli. Boxing at Fisticuffs didn’t completely scratch the itch and before long, he was off to find a gym that would give him more of a challenge and be more fun.
“I decided to do some research about who was the best MMA gym at the time and Team Quest came up for me. That’s when I really got started with MMA. This was around 6 or 7 years ago, I came in trying to do it for fun but I was working with all these really talented guys and it was actually going really well for me. I didn’t think I was ready [to fight] until I watched an amateur fight and I realized I was going up against super talented guys and decided to jump into the amateur circuit. It wasn’t long after that I decided to go pro.”
As a professional, Jason’s success has proven that he is incredibly versatile. His list of wins alternates between submissions, KO’s, and TKO’s. The skills he has acquired over the years has come from hard work but to hear Jason tell it, he never really had any choice other than to work as hard as he could, especially after joining Portland MMA powerhouse Rose City FC.
“You don’t have a choice but to elevate your game [at Rose City FC]. If you don’t you’ll become a punching bag or a grappling dummy. In this sport you really have to find ways to get better and improve. Having guys that have the same mindset as you evolves your game just by being around them. And like I said you don’t really have a choice, [in this gym] it’s get better or you’re going to go through some punishment.”
All the time he spends in the gym has led to Jason becoming the fighter he is today, but it is the time outside the cage with his children that makes him understand what he is truly fighting for. While some might think it is hard to find a balance between a fight career and raising a family. For Jason, his family provides the focus that he needs to succeed in the cage.
“These young guys say they don’t know how I do it because [I have] so much other stuff going on. But I kind of think it’s easier for me. [These young kids] are out doing whatever, having fun and they can easily get distracted. My so-called distractions are what keep me reminded that I gotta stay working, stay busy. All I have to do is realize what I am fighting for. [Thinking of my family] makes it easy to stay motivated all the time.”
Fighting for Titan FC for some might be a bit unnerving. Titan FC recently signed a deal with UFC Fight Pass and having all Titan cards air on the UFC online network will undoubtedly put a larger number of eyes on these previously little seen cards. The added pressure doesn’t seem to be something that is of great concern for Novelli. I asked him if he felt any added pressure coming into this fight.
“Actually no, I haven’t. The way things have been going for me and where I am at in my career it just seems like every fight is my biggest fight. It’s kind of felt that way for a little while now. This fight is no different. I don’t feel any added pressure, I just gotta step up.”
As Saturday approaches, it would seem that Jason Novelli has a firm foundation to stand on. Jason credits his team at Rose City FC and 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu PDX for helping his fight game evolve. The tools that he is adding are just giving him more ways to build up the person, the fighter, and the father he has become. With a toolbox full of skills at his disposal, he has undoubtedly been able to lay the foundation for a win in the Titan FC cage this weekend.
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