Pete "The Secret Weapon" Spratt is a long-time Mix Martial Artist based in San Antonio, Texas. At the age of 43, Spratt has been involved in 48 professional MMA contests, fighting elites like George St. Pierre, Josh Koscheck, Marcus Davis, Carlos Newton, Robbie Lawler, Chris Lytle, Matt Serra and Carlos Condit, along with a whole host of excellent MMA combatants throughout his illustrious career. Although not always on the winning end of the big fights, "The Secret Weapon" was never an easy night for anyone.
Born and reared in Texas, Spratt was a gifted athlete throughout his academic career. The Sherman, Texas product was an All-American track and field standout as well as a football and basketball star. His success carried into his collegiate career, allowing "The Secret Weapon" to tally a multitude of athletic accolades. After a few tryouts with National Football League teams that led nowhere, Spratt decided to forgo further attempts and focus on moving forward with his life. Speaking to Convicted Artist Magazine, the San Antonio resident said, "I didn't want to be one of those guys that, every time someone saw me, I would be telling them about the next [football] tryout I was going to have and I didn't want to play in Canada, so I decided to call it quits and move on."
By that time, Spratt had already been involved with martial arts. Having taken some Taekwondo as a child, the Texan had a foundation but clarified that he "was not really involved with [Martial Arts] consistently until about 1993." Spratt explained that at that time, he became interested in the art of Kempo after seeing the movie "The Perfect Weapon" and decided to learn that style. "There was a [Kempo] school right down the street from my house, so I stopped in and started learning." He named American Kempo, kickboxing and boxing as his primary learned disciplines which he used to stay in shape during the college football offseason. Spratt also specialized in the ancient art of Muay Thai, studying under world-renowned instructors.
Always believing that education is important, Spratt completed his undergraduate work and continued onto a graduate program in athletics. During this time, he continued to learn and excel in martial arts. The Texan's initial instinct was to become a coach, but that decision changed after he became a graduate assistant at South Eastern Oklahoma State [football program].
During this juncture in his life, Spratt asked himself, "What can I do that I enjoy, can still be considered a professional athlete, and get paid?" Here, the prospect of professional fighting became a reality and soon after, "The Secret Weapon" turned professional.
Spratt is a true blood sports warrior having competed in professional MMA and kickboxing bouts. He is of the mindset that fighters fight their way to the top and hard work will always payoff. Still, being an intelligent individual, "The Secret Weapon" makes no secret about which format he prefers to compete in and why. He explained, "I would rather fight MMA because it hurts less. When you get dropped in kickboxing, they give you a count, get up back up and then you still have to go back out and throw kicks, check kicks and get hit. In MMA, if you don't like getting hit, you can just take the guy down [to the cage floor], clinch up and keep him down there."
Spratt clarified that the modern day MMA fighter is a different breed as now, training to specifically become a professional cage battler, starts early and the advancements in sports science, technique and fidelity to practice certainly making today's competitors more "advanced." Still, "The Secret Weapon" expressed that getting to the premier MMA promotional companies is easier than ever: "The UFC is now full of a bunch of guys with padded records. They are getting guys that are 10-0 but the combined winning records of their opponents are, like, only five wins. We had to fight our way to the top back in my day." Spratt continued, "Also, all guys have to do now is making into the Ultimate Fighter Show and you get a contract. If you don't win, you might get cut, but it's just really easy to make it to the top now."
With his career winding down, Spratt continues to reinvent himself and thrives in life. He is the proprietor of the Pete Spratt Muay Thai School in San Antonio, TX and has multiple locations. Spratt shares the business venture with recognized Brazilin Jiu-Jitsu specialist Rodrigo Pinheiro. And despite all of the success and financial security that Spratt has amassed during his long career, fighting is still what he likes to do best. At 43 years old, Spratt continues to challenge himself in cages and rings around the country. Deep down inside, a fighter is who he is and fighting is what he does.
Sergio L. Martinez
www.convictedartist.com
photo by TXMMA
