The 23-year-old amateur mixed martial arts fighter has viewed his potential professional career with a ‘devil-may-care’ attitude well beyond his years. But who could blame him? James Funaro has been into single contact sports for a decade now and is also a part owner of a gym, a place where he can hone his skills while training others. Like most teenagers, he took up karate and wrestling and has used those early experiences to be on the cusp of something special.

With a 9-4 record, Funaro has shown the promise to convince himself that he is ready to take that next step. “I need something more beyond amateur MMA,” he said. The Long Islander has mixed it up in cages and rings in New Jersey, Ohio and Virginia, as well as in his own backyard.

Because New York is still not a sanctioned state for MMA, Funaro and others like him have had to go underground to participate in the sport that they love. One promotion that has catered to their skills has been the Underground Combat League, in which Funaro has a 2-1 record.

“The UCL? It’s pretty bad-ass,” Funaro said recently while taking a much-deserved break from his clients at BoxFit in Patchogue, New York (www.boxfitusa.com). “It helps people out to have a place to fight and uses valetudo, which is the roots of the sport. The level of talent ranges from a random dude off the street to guys who are now in the UFC.”

One of the UCL alum is none other than Frank “The Answer” Edgar, 28, who has a 6-1 UFC record (11-1 overall) and will be challenging BJ Penn for the lightweight championship in April at UFC 112 in the United Arab Emirates. Not bad company to emulate if you’re a guy like Funaro.

With a black belt in kempo and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, Funaro has an arsenal at his disposal and can be effective fighting standing up or down on the mat but admitted, “I prefer to be on the ground in my guard.”

Up or down, Funaro has decided that his last amateur fight will come at the February 21 UCL card in a highly-anticipated match that has garnered a plethora of attention on the Internet. His opponent will be Christian Darrow, the target of much of that attention from the negative side.

Although the two have had their differences in the past (including a physical altercation in the parking lot of Funaro’s gym), both combatants are not viewing the battle as a grudge match, but rather just two guys that want to fight and have the proper venue for it now.

“We really don’t have a problem with each other,” Funaro commented. “It’s going to be fun. I definitely want to fight him just because of the whole back story.”

Whatever the outcome, Funaro will be looking at a payday the next time he enters a cage after the Darrow fight. But as he made perfectly clear, money is no object.

it is not till after the show, that I realize the reward; when athletes come to me and say they had fun and can’t wait till next year.  It makes it all worthwhile and fuels my energy to carry on with the sport that I have grown to love over the years.

When I do have the time and energy to train. I actually have a great time doing it!   Oddly enough,  I still surprise myself by what I am able to achieve…. despite the fact that I am undertrained and a bit frayed around the edges!

When I first began strongman in Western Canada, the sport was not well known.   There was one-off events but nothing stable or constant.  Now after five years, our organization has continued to grow as more and more guys discover this “best-kept secret”! Strongman offers a true test of the human spirit along with sportsmanship and camaraderie.

Recently I have observed a trend amongst certain strength athletes who suffer from burnout.   Unfortunately they enter into the sport with the notion that they need to overtrain to achieve their goals.  In addition they end up spending lots of money on travel to compete as much as they can.   This often leads to burnout especially when executed too quickly.  Like most things in life, there are no shortcuts in strongman and pacing yourself is important.

My advice to anyone who participates in this sport or any sport is to maintain balance in their lives.  Train in a manner that is sustainable, eat healthy and do your best during competition while still having FUN.  Prize money for  this sport is normally small and it does require a passion to be strong and competitive.  The upside is the confidence and sheer joy of fulfillment that is shared by those who participate,  not to mention the friendships that evolve over time.

If you find yourself feeling burned out, maybe it is time to stop and ask yourself whether you are still having fun.  Often making a few adjustment to maintain the balance that best suits you  will go a long way and will allow you to ultimately continue to enjoy this sport for years to come.

Robin Wright
Founder and Director, BCEAA.org

Robin Wright, rwright@bceaa.org, Kamloops, BC Canada

Founder and Director of the British Columbia Extreme Athletics Association www.bceaa.org

Special thanks to my webmaster Diane Roberts: www.sbwebstudio.ca

Justin Cuzzetto: Reflex Nutrition, Kamloops, www.reflexnutrition.com

The City of Kamloops, BC, Canada Tournament Capital of Canada, www.kamloops.ca

and many more sponsors who have helped and are helping make the BCEAA strong in its continued success.