Coach Peter Straub of ETC Denver had his second professional MMA fight on Saturday June 27th at the Grizzly Rose. Peter has recently received his brown belt in Jiu Jitsu. He says that though he knows the belt itself didn’t increase his technical skills, it was a great confidence boost going into this fight against Brandon Heredia, a black belt who likes to brawl.
During the fight, Peter was surprised at how unphased Heredia was by his attacks, both standing and on the ground. The fight went for three action-packed rounds, and Peter remarked that, “This fight went beyond the technical aspects of MMA, and boiled down to a battle of wills.” By the third round, both fighters’ exhaustion was apparent, but Peter says, “I’m very proud that I was able to stay on the attack all the way to the final bell. I dug deeper for this fight than I ever have for anything in my life. When you get tested you get the chance to prove to yourself exactly what you’re made of. I’m thankful that my hard work has been paying off.”
Peter won the fight, and it was the first one he’s won by split decision. He’s had two other fights this year, both of which he won in the first round. He is excited to study his fight footage, and look at what he needs to improve for his next one. He’d like to extend a huge thank you to all his coaches, especially Eliot Marshall, Vinnie Lopez, Jarred Mercado, and Brandon Thatch for their passionate coaching during the fight. He says, “Their energy and encouragement helped me dig deep and come away with a close but well-earned victory.”
If you’re loving the Straub t-shirts and tank tops, they’re available for sale at ETC Denver for $25. Proceeds go to funding Peter’s training camps.
Check out the video of the fight!