Northeast MMA October Fighter of the Month – Paul Gorman

By: Matt Peterson

Paul Gorman is well positioned to be the Northeast’s next contribution to the WEC. A dynamic Jay Jack Brown Belt, Gorman is riding a three-fight winning streak that he recently topped off in October with a second round submission over Jason Bennett at AFO’s Halloween Havoc.

Although Gorman—who has a winning record—sports more than a few losses in his career, don’t let that fool you. Many of Gorman’s losses came at the hands of world-class talent in fights that he took at featherweight—outside of his natural weight class of 135. Further, he has since avenged losses to competition such as the WCF Bantamweight Champion Dan Ferrer and former Untamed Champion Leandro “Tatu” Escobar.

Paul has fought around the country, as far away as Hawaii where he’s competed more than once in the reputable Icon Sport promotion. A devoted jiu-jitsu student, Paul has embraced Baba Hari Dass’ philosophy of “Teach in order to learn” and has become a sought after instructor for his patient approach and meticulous attention to detail and development. Paul is also the current Full Force Productions’ Untamed Bantamweight Champion.

Congratulations to Paul Gorman—the Northeast MMA October 2009 Fighter of the Month.

NEMMA: To begin with, please share a bit about your athletic history–what sports did you play in high school and what competitive background helped to shape your desire to pursue opportunities in BJJ and MMA? What was the beginning of BJJ for you? How did you first learn about jiu-jitsu, MMA, and what set you on the course that has taken you on this journey?

PG: As a kid I wrestled and played football. I was always competitive and into sports but by high school I was heading in the wrong direction. As a result I didn’t do much of anything athletic for most of my high school years. During my junior year a friend convinced me to play football and that sort of got me back in to it. I also met a kid who was a good amateur boxer, and I joined the Portland boxing club. This was my first taste of combat sports and probably the jump off point for my interest in MMA. After Graduation I didn’t have much of anything to do, I wanted to get into something new and found the academy. I started training and the rest is history.

NEMMA: You’ve been at The Academy of Mixed Martial Arts under Jay Jack and Amanda Buckner since the beginning of the school. What was it about them as instructors and coaches that resonated with you early on?

PG: I’m so lucky to have been able to train with them. Right away I felt like they wanted to help me learn and become a good fighter, and also improve myself as a person through fighting. Mandy has always been a great training partner for me being very talented and in the same weight class. Also a great coach having a knack for saying the right thing to give you that boost when you need it. Jay is undoubtedly one of the best kept secrets in MMA. He is not only a great fighter, but he is an amazing coach and teacher. He is an excellent training partner, and strategist. I can’t imagine training with anyone else.

NEMMA: February will mark the five-year anniversary of your first fight. Take us back to that initial bout—what motivated you to step into the ring in the first place? Did you ever imagine then that this sport would eventually consume your life and become a viable way for you to make a living?

PG: The motivation for that fight was purely from my coaches. Training was turning my life in the right direction but I would never have taken the leap without that little push from Jay and Mandy. At fight time I was terrified as I believe everyone is, admit it or not. I remember looking across the ring and thinking what the hell am I doing. I never imagined it would turn into as big a part of my life as it has. So far it has consumed my life, but hasn’t become a viable way for me to make a living. Hopefully that happens soon, lol.

NEMMA: We’ve talked about this before in-depth on the New England Fights podcast (http://newenglandfights.blogspot.com/2009/10/nef-32-jorge-rivera.html). You took very tough fights very early on and have never backed down from a challenge in your fighting career. For instance, in just your fifth fight you fought Rafael Rebello, who now fights in the WEC. Right after that you fought Mark Oshiro, who’s 11-2. You’ve fought Josh Grispi at 145-pounds–ten pounds over your natural weight class… The list goes on. I think many would agree that if you had a better record, we probably would have seen you compete in the WEC by now. The paradox is in the fact that your record reflects a level of world-class competition–which isn’t seen at first blush by reading a 7-6 record that shows up in the Fight Finder. Do you have any regrets about taking certain fights at various points in your career? We all know that regret is futile, but do you have any misgivings about past choices you made in opponents?

PG: I don’t really have any regrets because at the time there was no WEC or any real light at the end of the tunnel in that respect. I fought to fight and so we didn’t turn down anyone. If I could see the future I may have been a little pickier about fights but that was not the case. I’m glad I fought the guys I fought, I feel like I learned a lot from those losses. The only thing it has hurt is me making it to the WEC sooner. I can live with that, I’ll keep working and hopefully get there soon.

NEMMA: You’ve competed against a virtual who’s-who of the top bantamweight and featherweight fighters in New England. Who has been your toughest test to date and why?

PG: This is always a tough question. I feel like they are all tough in their own respect. The first fight with Ferrer was the toughest for me emotionally. I fought poorly and pretty much quit. I felt like I did just enough to not get beat up and even though it ended a draw it was hard to swallow. This last fight with Jason Bennett was also very challenging. After a year layoff I defiantly learned the meaning of ring rust. Jason is one of those guys that never quits, never seems to go away no matter what you do to him and that is always a tough guy to fight.

NEMMA: As we mentioned, you fought Josh Grispi, who has gone on to wreck everyone he’s faced in the WEC, including a legend in Jens Pulver. What was it like fighting Grispi and, as someone who’s felt his power first-hand, what do you think we can expect to see him do in the WEC’s 145-pound division?

PG: It was just like any other fight that you come out on the losing side of. Josh hit me real hard and submitted me with a triangle. I made some mistakes in that fight and he is someone you can’t do that against. Grispi is an awesome guy; He’ll fight anyone they put in front of him. The thing I like most about him is he maintains respect for everyone he fights, and he seems to be in it for the right reasons. I think in the coming years we will see him in title contention.

NEMMA: In October 2007 you dropped a very controversial decision to the then Untamed 135-pound Champion, Leandro “Tatu” Escobar. I was at that show and many in attendance thought you won that fight. You gained redemption almost one-year-to-the-day later in a rematch with “Tatu” by submitting him via triangle choke early in the second round. “Dedeco” Almeida, who awarded “Tatu” his black belt, told me that “Tatu” was one of the most natural black belts he’d ever seen–and you submitted him. Right after that win your instructor, Jay Jack, awarded you your brown belt in the ring. How significant was that moment for you–winning the Untamed title and being awarded your brown belt–and what was the feeling like?

PG: That was a great moment for me. I accomplished a couple goals in one night so it was awesome. I wanted to get that fight back more than anything at that time. It was a heart breaking loss for me the first time we fought, so getting that win was very redeeming for me. Being awarded my brown belt was by far the best part. I’ve worked a long time at BJJ and it was an honor to be Jay’s first brown belt.

NEMMA: Jay Jack is notoriously stingy with his belts–he really makes his students work and put in the time to move up the system–which speaks volumes about the commitment you’ve had to make to achieve the rank of brown belt. I’m assuming that becoming a Jay Jack BJJ Black Belt is a goal of yours and, if so, how far away do you feel you are from that achievement? What does the rank of BJJ Black Belt mean to you?

PG: Becoming a Black Belt is definitely a goal of mine. You’d have to ask jay how far I am from black belt. I try not to worry about those things; they always seem to work themselves out.

NEMMA: I’m not sure how fans peg your style–I don’t know if they see you as more of a traditional wrestler/grappler or more of a technical jiu-jitsu guy. Either way, you’ve shown your BJJ chops in tournament competition. On multiple occasions, I’ve witnessed you successfully execute flying armbars and other dynamic moves in grappling competition. How do you see yourself at this point? Do you consider yourself a wrestler, a jiu-jitsu artist, or an amalgamation of both? Explain your style, strengths, and areas where you feel you need to improve the most.

PG: I consider myself to be fairly well rounded. I don’t think I have very many large holes in my game. BJJ, and the clinch are probably my two strongest areas. I would like to improve my striking and wrestling the most. Stylistically I’m defiantly geared towards getting the fight to the ground so I can use BJJ to win the fight. I like to use good striking and clinch work to do damage on the way. 

NEMMA: In October you submitted a very tough Jason Bennett, who was 3-1 before he fought you. Who do you want to fight next? Dan Ferrer–a guy you’ve fought twice already and split victories with–currently holds the WCF bantamweight title. Would you like to do the rubbermatch with Ferrer for the title? Matt Smith recently won the GFL 135-pound belt–how would you feel about a fight with him? Who do you want locally right now?

PG: I look forward to doing what I’ve always done and fighting who ever my coaches tell me to. I would take fights with either of those guys. I’m sure Ferrer would like to fight me again after losing the last time around. Fighting Matt would be good as well. I’m interested in doing what ever I need to do to be invited to the WEC.

NEMMA: You’ve helped to build The Academy into one of, if not the biggest MMA school in Maine. What kind of community is The Academy, why should people train there, and what kind of atmosphere can they expect?

PG: The community at The Academy is a diverse group of people who are all trying to improve their lives and achieve goals together through BJJ and MMA. We offer classes for everyone not just people interested in fighting. In fact the vast majority of our students will never fight. Our atmosphere is one that accepts anyone who is interested in improving themselves, and shares the same values that we do.

NEMMA: MMA was recently legalized in Maine. What does this development mean to the Maine MMA community and how do you feel about the potential opportunity to compete in your home state?

PG: I think it’s awesome for the Northeast MMA scene as a whole. I feel like there is enough interest here in Maine to have fairly regular shows and it’s obviously very exciting to have the opportunity to fight in front of a true home town crowd.

NEMMA: What’s the latest with your instructors, Jay Jack and Amanda Buckner? With Strikeforce working to build their female division, could we possibly see Mandy competing there in the future? And what about Jay? He hasn’t fought in three years as he’s been focused on building the school, but could we potentially see him in the ring again?

PG: Amanda has had a very tough time finding fights for a very long time. Fortunately it seems she has found something for January, and at this point we are crossing our fingers nothing happens to mess it up. Jay is primarily concentrating on the school and now helping Mandy get ready. I can’t imagine he will never fight again though. At this point we will just have to wait and see.

NEMMA: Where do you envision yourself in 12 months from now, Paul? How many times do you hope to compete in 2010? Do you have any fights upcoming or being talked about?

PG: In twelve months I hope to be competing in the WEC against the best in the world. I’d like to fight 3-4 times in 2010. For fights I have some things in the works, nothing confirmed at this point though. I hope to fight early in 2010 so keep your eyes peeled.

NEMMA: After you’re done competing professionally, what are your intentions? Do you hope to teach in the future, have your own school and students–what are some of your goals?

PG: I’m defiantly interested in teaching. Over the last couple years it has become a huge part of this whole thing for me. Most of my goals at this point are fighting related, I try to keep them small and just add a new one as I complete them. My main goal is to make it to the WEC and see how I stack up with the best guys out there. When I’ve found out about that I’ll start thinking about what comes next. One thing at a time for now.

NEMMA: How can fans learn more about you and The Academy? Website, myspace, etc.?

PG: www.TheAcademyMaine.com is our website. We have a great blog that is constantly updated with new material. Both the Academy and I can also be found on Facebook.

NEMMA: Anyone you’d like to thank–sponsors, etc? 

PG: Id like to thank my coaches Jay Jack and Amanda Buckner for giving me this sport, and helping me along the way. You are both great friends and training partners and I owe you a lot.  Stan Skolfield at The Parisi speed school for all his help and support with my training throughout the years. Check him out at http://www.orthoassociates.com/LP10/parisi_speed_school.php . Hell on earth clothing company for my walkout shirts and other gear. www.hellonearthcult.com