MADISON TOWNSHIP — Phoenix Hunter is shy. It’s why he missed being on America’s Got Talent and Little Big Shots. But with a record of 100 mixed martial art wins and 16 loses this year, the 6-year old lets his work on the mat do most of the talking.
The Mixed Martial Arts prodigy, affectionately known as Bean, has won so many tournaments and trophies in his first two years of MMA fighting he and his father have lost count. On Phoenix’s bedroom wall, he sports his favorite trophies — four trophy swords, a belt for jiu jitsu and a belt for wrestling.
Phoenix’s father, Joe Hunter, said the two happened into the world of MMA after speaking to a friend.
Hunter knew Phoenix was tough, fearless and perhaps a little crazy.
“He did donuts on a 125 four-wheeler at (age) three. You know, just fearless,” Hunter said as Phoenix sat in a chair next to him, nearly silent.
The conversation between friends shifted to jiu jitsu. By the end of the conversation, Hunter was convinced to bring his son to the All Out Assault Fight Club in Mansfield to train with Jeremy Beidelschies and Ronnie Webb.
“I’m not a fighter,” Hunter said. “And I never was a wrestler or a grappler, so I’m learning right along with him. It’s kind of fun for me too; it’s a fun experience for the whole family. We sit together; we drive together. We root together. It just helped the whole family I think.”
Phoenix began taking jiu jitsu classes at age 4. Just before he turned 5, the kindergarten student began wrestling at his school, Madison’s Eastview Elementary.
Phoenix is between jiu jitsu instructors and developing as a wrestler at Mansfield SWAT. His coach at SWAT is Anthony Brooks.
“Better training partners, better style of how they coach too,” Hunter said of Mansfield SWAT. “Madison was a good place to learn the basics.
“In jiu jitsu, he shines a lot more, just because there aren’t as many at his age. Jeremy Beidelschies was his first trainer, and Jeremy told me that (Phoenix’s) jiu jitsu — he’s going to be good at it. ‘He’s going to be really good at this,’ is exactly what he said.”
From there, the father-son duo and their trainers worked on holds, takedowns and throws.
“Pretty much everything you can do in an MMA fight, he can do,” Hunter said of his son.
Hunter said he is excited to see how well his son will perform as he gets older and his muscles catch up to his technique.
“He’s pretty talented. His balance is crazy; for his age, his strength is crazy,” Hunter said. “He hits moves that 7th and 8th graders are hitting. I don’t even have to coach him. I just let him go and do his thing.”
Hunter said because he is the only child training, there are times when the real practice comes in competition with other athletes.
“I think it hurts him because you don’t get the full effect of how to do it,” Hunter said. “Like, when he has a kid his size he can actually do a hip toss or a rear naked choke. He could do one on us, but it’s not the same effect as getting away, getting hooks in.”
After a short period of training, Hunter took his son to North American Grappling Association tournaments across the nation.
“He cleaned house,” Hunter said. “Last year, same thing.”
For many parents, having their child’s attention span be long enough to endure the training would seem daunting. But Phoenix is a special young athlete.
“He loves it. You know, like Tiger Woods, he started golfing at four, and look at him now. I think if they like it — there have been times where we could go to Chuck E. Cheese or to Cincinnati for a NAGA tournament,” Hunter said. “He chooses NAGA every time. I don’t think he understands it (how good he is at the sport). He knows what he’s doing, and what it can lead to. He knows it could be UFC or even WWE.
“I always ask him ‘Do you want to quit and do something else?’ He says ‘No.’
“When you go to some of the events at NAGA’s the refs will ask the other kids what they know (to make sure it is a fair fight for the athletes.) If they don’t know enough, they won’t let them go with him. (The refs) know Phoenix.
“He’s like Ronda Rousey walking into a local UFC fight. ‘Oh Phoenix, there’s Phoenix,’” Hunter said mimicking crowds.
“Winning,” Phoenix chirped about his favorite part of competition.
Hunter said his son finished sixth at the state competition, in which he competed against 7- and 8-year-olds.
“It was pretty impressive he made the podium with older kids,” Hunter said smiling.
In the tournament, Pheonix started the competition as a No. 1 seed, and finished 3-0 the first day. The next day, his father said Phoenix was mentally out of the competition.
“That is the trouble you get with younger kids,” Hunter admitted. “When they get older, they wrestle the same every time. Some days he’s in it; some days he isn’t.”
The next event Phoenix will compete in is a national tournament in Battle Creek, Michigan on April 2.
“I see him hitting the podium,” Hunters said. “Even though he’s younger, he’s not a slouch. Those kids have to take him seriously, or he’ll catch them.”
