Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), one of the nation\u2019s fastest-growing sports, is gaining traction locally thanks to the dedication of one Albert Lea fighter and coach, Faustino Moreno III.<\/p>\n
Moreno, who has competed in both amateur and professional bouts, spent years driving across southern Minnesota for training. Eventually, he recognized a need for something closer to home \u2014 a place where local athletes could learn, train, and experience real fight pressure without extensive travel.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted a gym that was more than just getting in shape,\u201d Moreno said. \u201cI envisioned a true training center \u2014 a place where you learn to fight, get rounds in, and handle live fight pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n
That vision became The Forge, a gym that now serves as a hub for aspiring fighters from around the region.<\/p>\n
Fighters drawn to the opportunity<\/p>\n
One of those athletes is Kaden Moon, who travels 60 miles one way to train at The Forge.<\/p>\n
\u201cI liked the sport growing up but never knew it was possible to actually compete,\u201d Moon said. \u201cI found coach Moreno when I joined the Albert Lea Grizzlies, and he offered me a session. I\u2019ve been hooked ever since. I\u2019m currently 3\u20130 and looking to remain undefeated for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another local fighter, Santana Acosta, a former Albert Lea High School wrestler, found MMA to be a natural next step after graduation. Before The Forge opened, he trained in garages or drove across the region seeking mat time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love having The Forge in town,\u201d Acosta said. \u201cIt makes it easier to train more consistently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Six fighters headed to Mason City<\/p>\n
On Dec. 6, The Forge will send six fighters to a competition in Mason City.<\/p>\n
Those competing include:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), one of the nation\u2019s fastest-growing sports, is gaining traction locally thanks to the dedication…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":308682,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[570],"tags":[64,63,786,785,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-309019","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mma","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-fighting","11":"tag-mma","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309019\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/308682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=309019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=309019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}