"Tyson Steele defends his Evolution FC Lightweight Championship Belt". That was the headline plastered across MMA news this past week. Tyson, originally from Carlyle, is now living and training in Saskatoon at Alliance Martial Arts Systems (AMAS).
Dubbed "The Man of" Steele, Tyson beat out Layne McTaggart in Grande Prairie, AB on May 14 to maintain his perfect record and retain his title.
Almost before the match started, the match was over. With an arm bar move, which creates pressure on the opponents elbow joint and forces a tap out, Steele won his match in 56 seconds. These 56 seconds were a mere fraction of the time allotted for the title fight. Title fights consist of five rounds at five minutes each, meaning a total of 25 minutes for each match.
Steele first won the Championship belt in 2009. Since then, he has gone on to defend the title not once, but twice. Tyson's pro record is 7-1-0.
Steele has been with AMAS since he moved to Saskatoon. "It was pretty much immediately after I moved to Saskatoon that I got involved with the club. So, I have been with the team here, for about three or four years. And it was about six to eight months after I started training that I had my first fight," said Steele.
The team Steele talks about is comprised of about 10 individuals that fight professionally, along with a number that do not. His success he says is a result of his team. "My coach and teammates are a big reason for my success. We are all really supportive of each other and we work hard together. That combination allows us to do really well. We all have really strong records, so we do really well, and are able to challenge each other and get better as a result."
To prepare for professional fights, the team members train extensively. "When I am getting ready for a fight, I train every night, six nights a week. Training sessions are a few hours each. So yeah, it is very time consuming."
Steele's involvement in the sport stems from when he was growing up in Carlyle. In 2006, he got involved in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. When he moved to Saskatoon, he wanted to continue his training and his involvement in the sport. It was at that time that he became involved with AMAS.
"The team in Saskatoon was more MMA [mixed martial arts] oriented, so I got involved with that and transferred over a bit" said Steele.
Since defending his title for the second time, Steele has received his purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, an achievement that requires extensive training.
Steele plans to continue training for as long as possible. He said "As long as my body allows it, I will continue to train. It is a pretty fun hobby of mine. When it is no longer enjoyable for me, then I'll stop. But, I don't see that happening any time soon. And until then, I will continue training."
