Val Guevara: “I’ve always liked MMA. I’ve always wanted to make a career out of it”
At Southwest MMA Series XXIX, Val Guevara will step into the cage for the very first time, remembering the excitement he felt watching the fights with his family as a kid.
Tell me about where this Martial Arts journey began?
“I started out at Get Cut over in Artesia, New Mexico. That was my first fight gym I had ever been to. Started there in 2015-2016 and trained there for a few years. Moved up here about 4-5 months ago.”
Why choose MMA?
“This is the next step up from Kickboxing and Jiu Jitsu. That’s what we did at my old gym. I’ve always liked MMA. I’ve always wanted to make a career out of it. Just decided this is in my backyard. JacksonWink’s just 4-hours away, so I decided to move here and get it started.”
When did MMA become your dream?
“Probably when I was 11 or 12. We would have parties all the time, watch the fights and have real big parties; it was just really exciting. I’ve always been kind of a scrapper. I’ve always enjoyed fighting anyways and I was like that would be cool to do.”
Pro Card
- Welterweight: Jalin Fuller 1-0 (Luttrell/Yee MMA, ABQ, NM) vs. Kemoy Anderson 0-0 (10th Planet El Paso, TX)
- Lightweight: Ali “The Silent Assassin” Omar 1-1 (JW, ABQ, NM) vs. Michael Morgan
- Flyweight: Jesse Tafoya 1-2 (JW, ABQ, NM) vs. Josiah Reyes 0-0 (Lutrell/Yee MMA, Santa Fe Fitness and Martial Arts)
Amateur Card:
- Lightweight: Korey Windham 0-0 (Santa Fe Fitness, NM) vs. Baltazar Austin Loza 2-1 (Standfast Wrestling/MMA, Enid, OK)
- Bantamweight: Andre Mitchell 2-5 (Independent, Rio Rancho, NM) vs. Derrick Pringle 2-0 (Jackson’s Four Corners)
- Flyweight: Aaron Taylor 4-1 (Jackson’s Acoma, ABQ, NM) vs. Isiah Torres 7-2 (Steal City Fight Team, Pueblo, CO)
- Featherweight: Rakim Thorpe 6-3 (JW, ABQ, NM) vs. Dakota Munro 5-6 (Gym King Dom BJJ/ Alpha Ape, Carlsbad, NM)
- Featherweight: Val Guevara 0-0 (JW, ABQ NM) vs. Richard Jennings 4-2 (Desert Dynasty, Alamogordo, NM)
- Welterweight: Caleb Gunter 1-0 (JW, ABQ, NM) vs. Daniel Kartushyn 2-1 (Lutrell/Yee MMA, ABQ, NM)
- Heavyweight: Padro Ingram 1-0 (City Wolves, El Paso, TX) vs. Mario Moore 1-1 (Lutrell/Yee MMA)
- Strawweight: 0-0 (Legacy, Las Cruces, NM) vs. David Hudson 1-1 (Desert Dynasty, Alamogordo, NM)
