Plymouth MMA Fighter Wins Professional Debut with Rear Naked Choke at 50 Years Old
On Saturday night, in front of a sold-out crowd at Plymouth Memorial Hall in Plymouth, a hometown fighter made his professional debut at the age of 50 years old.
After tasting victory, Greg Jones is ready to prove that age is just a number and to make a serious run in the professional ranks of MMA.
Who Is Greg Jones?
Born and raised in Plymouth, martial arts seemingly fell into Greg Jones’s lap. He was friends with well-known figures in the MMA community, and when he had a son, he wanted to enroll him in a martial arts school right away.
His son started when he was five, but when he got to high school, he became more interested in girls than in training.
“He kind of fell out of it, so I figured I might put the fire back under him if I did it myself,” said Jones. He started training and quickly fell in love with it himself. Ten years later, he can now call himself a professional fighter.
Being a 50-Year-Old In a Young Man’s Sport
Jones is not your typical 50-year-old. His idea of fun is riding his skateboard, jet ski, or dirt bike, and keeping up with his 12-year-old.
“I’m not an average human,” he said, and he credits his discipline and ironclad mindset to being so young at heart.
“Most humans aren’t fulfilled with their day-to-day,” he said. “You have to put yourself first and get yourself good with whatever that means. The foundation of your life has to be solid (to succeed.)”
For him, a solid foundation is smart food choices, a loving family, and the beautiful violence of training MMA. On Saturday night, he showed Plymouth what ten years of hard work can do.
Greg Jones Earns First-Round Victory at Cage Titans 60
Kicking off the main card, Jones went up against another seasoned opponent. 46-year-old Daniel Bardellini. Bardellini certainly had a size advantage over the lanky Jones, but Jones trusted his coaches and his jiu-jitsu skills to secure a Rear Naked Choke in the very first round.
And the crowd absolutely erupted.
“It was very important for me to turn professional,” he said. “I look for the highest degree and I get a fever for everything I do. Life is a battle, and that is what fighting taught me. I take the battle in and out of the cage every day.”
At 50 years old, Jones is just getting started. He is ready to ride this wave into another fight in the near future and even has his eyes on the UFC’s iconic “BMF” belt.
“I wouldn’t be scared to do something crazy like that,” he said.
We have no doubt, Greg.
Plymouth officially has its own athlete to route for. Watch the moment he became 1-0 in the professional ranks.
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