Bright and early every morning, Laredo, Texas native Sonny "Loco" Luque clears the sleep from his head, splashes water on his face, puts on his running shoes (which also happen to be his everything-else shoes), leashes his European Doberman, Crixus, and heads out for a six mile run. There is no entourage with him. No run coach to speak of. The miles simply fly by in humidity, just like every other morning, six days a week. After the dawn gallop, Luque proceeds with his day: dieting, strength and conditioning, sparring and running his personal businesses; he is the owner and head trainer at the Laredo MMA Academy and provides personal training on the side. For Luque, 32, this is life: a daily routine geared towards his dream of reaching the highest levels of the sport.
"Loco," like the vast majority of people in the hurt business, comes from meager beginnings that involved many struggles, mistakes and pain along the way. The main difference is that the lightweight striker, specializing in Dutch-style kickboxing, does not consider this to be worth mentioning. Luque said, "Everyone has a sad story these days. You always hear people talking about how they had it so hard and how life has been so difficult. I've had a hard life, too, but it is what it is. I'm just trying to make it [as a professional MMA fighter] and hard work and dedication will get me there - not my past."
The current hurdle for Luque is vastly more relevant, as the Mexican-American has been at the cusp of reaching the next level, only to be frozen out of the picture. Things were looking prosperous when, after building himself into a legitimate draw in his hometown, Luque received a call from Bellator with an offer to fight. After toiling for five years in obscurity, "Loco" felt that this would be his opportunity to appear in bigger arenas with an honest shot at competing at the world level. In his first Bellator contest, Luque did not disappoint, as the fans were treated to an epic battle. He followed up his Bellator debut with another stint in the promotional outfit's cage, and again, "Loco" thrilled the Bellator contingent on his way to victory.
After his success, Luque received a contract offer from Bellator, but it was not what he expected. Luque explained, "I was basically given a three fight deal, but the fighting weights were off; it really was not in my best interest. I told [Bellator] that I'm willing to fight anyone but it had to be a situation that was fair to me, too. The weight difference they were offering was well above my weight class. After that, I never heard from Bellator again. It was unfortunate, but that's life."
Soon after, Luque began to get offers to fight abroad, so, in an effort to stay active and continue to build his record, Luque took to the road. Just like every audience that has witnessed Luque apply his craft, Loco quickly established himself as a must-see road warrior. After a couple of fights in Monterrey, Mexico, Luque gained the respect and admiration of a throng of fans and is now scheduled to headline a show on June 14, 2014. Loco is slated to face veteran Mexican MMA standout Ricardo "El Loco" Arreola. Arreola is known as a tough-as-nails pressure fighter that has a ton of professional experience; although Arreola is skilled and determined, Luque feels confident about this fight. Luque said, "I don't really see how Arreola can beat me. He's a good fighter and has a lot of experience, but I'm more skilled. My training and cardio will be top-notch, so I foresee a clear victory for me."
Every camp and every fight is important to any career, but what lies ahead for "Loco" within the next 90 days has more meaning. The Laredo native cracked a smile and the excitement in his eyes was evident when Luque stated, "Everyone just wants a chance to prove themselves. An opportunity. After this fight, I'm looking to get mine. I'm looking to go train at the All-Star gym in Stockholm, Sweden with renowned MMA trainer, Andreas Michael." Luque added, "I mean, [Michael] is a top trainer and his stable of UFC fighters is unquestionable. Among the amazing talent under Michael's training is Alexander Gustafsson. It doesn't get much better than that and I going to get a chance to go over there and show what I'm made of. I'm going to be ready and I'm going to do my best. I've decided to be somebody in life and I'm going to take advantage of this great opportunity."
Luque closed with saying, "I want to thank all of Laredo for the love and support. I also want to thank my sponsors as, without them, I would not be able to keep doing what I do. My career is not done and I'm just getting started. I will conquer Arreola in June and then I'll head to Sweden to earn my place in MMA. I've been living a dream and I'm ready for that dream to become my reality."
Sergio L. Martinez
www.convictedartist.com
