The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
SPARRING PARTNERS ARE A GUTSY CREW
UFC champion Miocic prepares for fights with a fresh opponent for each round of a workout
Three years ago, Aleksa Camur was a senior at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School playing lacrosse.
Now, he’s a 21-year-old mixed martial arts amateur fighter who doubles as a sparring partner for Stipe Miocic.
“If I come out awake, I’ll consider it a successful day,” said Camur.
That comment was a few moments before Camur stepped into the octagon for a five-minute sparring session vs. the UFC heavyweight champion.
It’s been that way for weeks as Miocic prepares for his second title defense of his championship belt on May 13 vs. Junior dos Santos at UFC 211 in Dallas.
“It’s a great opportunity to spar against an elite guy.”
— Stipe Miocic sparring partner Leroy Johnson
On April 15, five fighters strolled into Marcus Marinelli’s Strong Style MMA gym with two goals in mind:
• Give Miocic all he can handle in an all-out fiveminute period.
• Improve themselves as MMA fighters against the top UFC heavyweight in the world.
For Miocic, the goal of multiple, fresh sparring partners is to have him prepared for an all-out UFC heavyweight battle. He said the work is paying off with the dos Santos fight less than a month away.
“It’s tough work,” Miocic said recently of his five-round sparring sessions.
Miocic’s strength and conditioning coach Bobby Kaleal said Miocic put on a show April 10 at Strong Style against another set of sparring partners.
“He went right through those guys. I thought it was absolutely amazing,” said Kaleal.
Sparring partners walk a fine line preparing fighters such as Miocic any type of bout. When it’s for a title, it’s an even finer line.
They want to hold their own, but also be mindful to why they’re in the octagon in the first place. In the case of Miocic’s sparring partners on April 15, at times it means taking the brunt of the abuse.
“He hits hard as (expletive),” said Camur.
Camur and the four other sparring partners for Miocic have different tales and routes to Strong Style in Valley View, but all would not have arrived without one thing: Guts. These guys have it. Pay rates vary depending on experience and other factors. A source said a day’s work as a Miocic sparring partner is about a few hundred bucks, give or take a few.
• There’s Leroy Johnson, the oldest of the group at 37. Johnson is a former two-time high school state champion from the state of Michigan who wrestled at Eastern Michigan. He was 121-22 at Monroe High School, and a standout defensive lineman.
“The way I look at it, I’ve got nothing to lose,” said Johnson before his round with Miocic. “It’s a great opportunity to spar against an elite guy. I’ll go back home, and use this to my advantage.”
He will fight on the undercard at the April 29 King of the Cage at Wyandotte, Mich.
• There’s Gian Villante, a good friend of Miocic from New York City. Villante is a light heavyweight who trains with Chris Weidman, the current No. 5-ranked middleweight by UFC.com. Villante isn’t too shabby either. He has a 15-7 MMA record and is the No. 12-ranked UFC light heavyweight.
“Do I like (sparring with Miocic)?” said Villante. “Not really. But it makes me a better fighter.”
• There’s light heavyweight Jesse Murray, a former high school wrestler at Toledo Whitmer and black belt fighter, who together with Jackson, drove to Strong Style the morning of April 15. He will also fight on the undercard at the April 29 King of the Cage.
• There’s Dan Spohn, another light heavyweight who’s 15-5, and probably best known for his spot on season 19 of Fox Sports 1’s “The Ultimate Fighter,” which debuted in 2005.
Miocic worked mostly on going toe-to-toe with his sparring partners, as Marinelli and the rest of his coaches stressed stance, movement and footwork.
It’s when Miocic gained an advantage on the mat using his wrestling tactics that the group appeared really overmatched.
All left the octagon with their head held high.
They held their own, and took some abuse from the UFC heavyweight champion for a few bucks and a chance to get better.
MMA fighters are indeed a rare breed.
The biggest prerequisite, some might argue, to be one is guts.
“He went right through those guys. I thought it was absolutely amazing.”
— Bobby Kaleal, strength coach for Stipe Miocic