Mixed martial arts may about a couple of guys throwing down inside a cold steel cage trying to knock each other out but it’s also about two guys fighting to make a living in a tough world. When fans witness action inside the cage, cheering their favorite fighters on, they quite often forget that the two men inside the cage are actually working-class citizens just like them.
At the lowest end of the sport, fighters make very little money. Guys like Conor McGregor are rare gems and the truth is, the average MMA fighter makes considerably less.
John Castaneda is a Great Fighter, and an Even Greater Human Being
That’s why it’s not uncommon for working-class fighters to have part-time jobs apart from their usual cage routines. You have fighters working as waiters, busboys, delivery guys, etc. during the day while they spend their nights training.
This is why MMA fighter John Castaneda’s heartwarming gesture towards opponent Angel Cruz a story worth reading about.
Castaneda (11-2-0) took on Cruz (5-3-0) last August, winning via technical knockout in the second round of a bantamweight bout on the Combate Americas — Combate Ocho card in Los Angeles, California.
Castaneda Had No Reason to Fight Angel Cruz, Except For The Face That He Wanted to Help Him
Cruz’s original opponent pulled out of the fight and Combate was trying desperately to find a suitable replacement for him. That’s when Castaneda stepped into the picture.
To make things clear, Castaneda had no reason to step in on short notice to fight Cruz. He had already earned a shot at the Combate Americas bantamweight belt with a victory over Gabriel Solorio last April.
By taking the Cruz fight, which he definitely could have lost (this is MMA, and anything can happen in that cage), Castaneda put his title shot at risk. But he took the fight anyway.
