Colorado MMA Fighters To Watch For In 2011 - Andrew Alirez

Mixed Martial Arts is no different than any other sport or aspect of life.

There are people you interact with that are personable and professional and there are those that simply aren't.

Surging Colorado MMA fighter Andrew Alirez (1-1 as a professional, 7-0 as an amateur) out of Top Notch MMA is good example of the former. And a fighter to watch for in 2011 on the Colorado MMA fight scene. This in addition to being a dedicated husband, father, and full-time student while pursuing the bright lights of Mixed Martial Arts at the sport's highest levels.

Colorado MMA Fighters To Watch For In 2011 - Andrew Alirez

Andrew is a former Colorado state wrestling champion for Greeley Central in 1995, a multiple time winner of the freestyle and Greco-Roman Colorado state championships, and a winner of the prestigious Tuff-N-Uff MMA tournament in Las Vegas in 2010. The Tuff-N-Uff win definitely got the attention of the powers that be in the world of Mixed Martial Arts and has given his rise a good amount of momentum.

I first met Andrew in July of 2010 as I covered some of the fighters that were fighting on the Rocky Mountain Bad Boyz - MMA Madness 2 card at the Island Grove events center. His brother Mike Alirez is one of his primary trainers and was more than accommodating in granting me access to the gym.

Coming into the fight Andrew was 0-1 as a professional after losing a controversial decision at Ring Of Fire 33. A decision that had some wanting an investigation/dispute with the state commission. After going 7-0 as an amateur, he was facing some adversity for one of the few times since starting his journey towards the pinnacles of MMA. In the subsequent fight, Andrew stayed with the game plan and beat a dangerous Frank Morris in front of his home town fans, even breaking his hand on Frank's head via superman punch in the process.

Having just turned 34 at the time of this writing, Andrew knows he is peaking physically and needs to make the best of his next 2-3 years in the cage. Something he made clear in speaking with him. Andrew is one of those competitive spirits that remind us of the work ethic shown from the likes of GSP, Tim Tebow, Kobe Bryant, and Jerry Rice to name a few.

Love them or hate them, they all live by a mantra of simply putting in more work than your competition. Day after day. Week after week. Year after year. It recently became official that Andrew will be fighting Nick Buschman in Greeley on March 11th. Buschman is a tough standup fighter with much professional cage experience. This fight will signify the start of a big fight year ahead for Andrew.

Could it be a year that gets that big call? Stay tuned.

See you at the fights!

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