“My dream has always been to be a UFC fighter. I always saw the beauty in the sport.”
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Former Buchanan High wrestler Anthony Montalvo, who went on to compete at Arizona State and Oklahoma State, is now continuing his athletic career in a slightly different avenue. With his focus now fixed on mixed-martial arts, Montalvo will be one of several rising stars who will compete at Eagle Mountain Casino on Saturday when 559 Fights hosts its first ever Pro-Am show.
“It’s cool, it’s different, It’s something that you can get up for,” Montalvo said as he talked about his excitement for the upcoming event. “I’m excited and blessed to be able to fight professionally, not a lot of people can say that.”
While some of the technicalities between MMA and wrestling are different, Montalvo said it has always been his dream to continue fighting either way and he’s looking forward to showing off his talent on the big stage, much like he did in high school and college.
“At Oklahoma State, some of our duels had 15,000 people. So as far as the lights and the people and the atmosphere — I can see how some people can almost freeze up during those moments — but I’m used to the pressure. I don’t think there’s any pressure. I think it’s the atmosphere of a competition like that, a 1-on-1 sport with all eyes on you. That’s something I’ve experienced at a high level since a very young age.”
Montalvo has been in love with MMA since his childhood days when he would sit down with dad and watch the sport.
“I’ve seen everything from the beginning to now,” he said. “My dream has always been to be a UFC fighter. Everybody is like ‘why that?’ I’m like ‘I grew up fighting.’ I always saw the beauty in the sport. When you get past the violence and the blood, it really is an art.”
559 Fights Founder Jeremy Luchau, who started the organization in 2012, is proud to build a platform that brings exposure for Montalvo and many other rising stars.
“We started in April 2012 and really it was to develop the younger athletes in the region, to teach them how to do the right things and get them to the next level,” Luchau said.
When he sees the rise of a homegrown athlete such as Montalvo, Luchau says he’s even more motivated to continue the work of 559 Fights.
“I’ve known Anthony Montalvo since he was a little kid, watching him wrestle,” Luchau said. “So yeah it’s extra special to be able to see those types of athletes that have gone on to college and now they’re coming back to the community and looking to still compete in different avenues.”
Luchau didn’t have any martial arts background when he started 559 Fights. But he fell in love with the sport when he was working as a journalist.
“I wrote for the newspaper in Hanford, covered martial arts and that’s what got it kicked off for me,” Luchau said. “Just spent some time around the sport and the people and transitioned into this fulltime. For me, it was really about building relationships with a lot of great people, different coaches, different athletes. It was a journey in itself just getting to know these people.”
As he reflects on the growth of 559 Fights, which is now officially a pro-am MMA organization, Luchau is proud of the consistent work his team has put into the foundation.
“We’ve been able to put on nine, ten, eleven events a year and give guys opportunities to compete,” Luchau said. “There are a lot of shows out there. But there are not a lot of shows that are doing things consistently like we are. So to be able to constantly grow, constantly improve, is probably our greatest achievement.”
Photos by Shannon Newton.