Massenzio Ready For National Spotlight
New Jersey’s Mike Massenzio grew up wrestling. From the time he was four years old, he says, he was on the mat. It’s a common story among many professional MMA fighters. But there’s a part where Masszenzio’s story diverges from the rest of the pack.
Up until the time he entered junior college – where he was a national champion wrestler – he’d never tried his hand at any of the martial arts.
Then, due to a combination of boredom and curiosity, Massenzio entered a jiu-jitsu tournament despite having never trained in the art. What’s more, he entered in the expert division, which pitted him against several high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts. And then he won the whole thing.
“I hadn’t trained any jiu-jitsu at all,” says Massenzio. “Growing up I always liked the UFC and MMA. I always said that once college was over, I wasn’t thinking about doing Freestyle or Greco wrestling, and those are pretty much the only options. I was just burnt out from wrestling a little bit and so I entered that tournament and really took a liking to it. Things just went from there.”
His victory in the tournament didn’t go unnoticed. Several onlookers saw his potential and encouraged him to diversify his training and get involved in MMA.
Just a few years later, Massenzio (10-1) is a star of the New Jersey fight circuit, wracking up eight straight victories, including wins over fighters like current “Ultimate Fighter” competitor Dante Rivera and Renzo Gracie’s Dan Miller.
But now Massenzio is ready for a new challenge. No longer content with being a big fish in a small pond, he’s moving up to the IFL as a member of the East Coast’s Team Bombsquad and will take on Danillo Villefort in his first IFL bout on May 16 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
“I think it’s a great opportunity and I’m really excited. The IFL’s one of the best organizations in the world, I feel, and has some of the best competition. I feel I’m on that level and I’m glad to be able to get out there and show people what I can do.”
His first test certainly won’t be an easy one. Villefort (6-2) represents Mario Sperry’s World Class Fight Center, and has shown he can finish fights with his striking power just as easily as he can with his formidable submission skills.
But Massenzio, who has been in the ring with his share of black belts, says he isn’t concerned. As for whether the magnitude of the bout, the presence of the TV cameras and the national exposure will test his nerves, Massenzio is relying on a lifetime of experience inside the athletic spotlight.
“The biggest thing, even growing up in wrestling, is just to enjoy what you do. If you’re not having fun, then why are you even doing it? Of course there’s stress from the fight and you get nervous beforehand. Everyone gets nervous. If someone tells you they don’t get nervous, they’re not telling the truth. If you’re not nervous, there’s something wrong with you.
“I just go out there and give it everything I’ve got. I feel like if I do that, no one can beat me. And if they do, more power to them, they’re the better man that day.”
For this New Jersey native, his first fight for the IFL on national TV is the perfect opportunity to show he’s more than just a local sensation, and Massenzio doesn’t have plans to let that opportunity go to waste.
“I train two to three times a day. This is all I do. I don’t work another job. This is a full-time thing for me. This is all I know.”
