Randy Thorsvig (left, shown here with famous MMA cut man "Stitch" Duran) has overcome many obstacles to pursue his dream of being a professional fighter. (Photo courtesy of Randy Thorsvig)
The North Dakota-based Impact Fighting Championship holds its inaugural event, IFC: Inception on October 23 in Bismarck. Headlining the card is a bout between hometown heavyweight newcomer Jason Cook (0-0) and a man who was a recent guest on MMA Gospel Radio, Randy Thorsvig (0-0).
Okay, so what? Many would ask why a bout between two rookie fighters on the first card of a local show is garnering so much attention. That reason would be Randy Thorsvig. Randy battled an alcohol addiction that consequently led to massive weight-gain, being restricted to a wheel chair, and ended in a gastric bypass surgery in January. The fact that he then put in the time, blood, and sweat necessary to step in the cage that same year is inspirational in and of itself. Oh yeah, and the fact that Randy turned forty last month.
Naysayers claim it’s insane for any forty-year-old to seek a career in combat sports, especially a man who has never fought a full contact match in his life. Others point to the fact that this man literally sat on death’s door less than one year ago. Thorsvig says, “I got a second chance at a dream, I’m gonna take advantage of it. I don’t see myself as a fighter. I see myself as a guy who is lucky enough to get a chance to experience what these guys feel when they step in the ring.”
The story begins in the midst of Thorsvig’s college years. Then a Valley City State wrestling team standout, Thorsvig developed alcoholism, which later snowballed into a variety of health problems, multiple surgeries, and a weight of approximately 410lbs. Thorsvig’s life took a turn for the better when he became immersed in Mixed Martial Arts. A life-long boxing fan and wrestler as well as an MMA fan since the mid-nineties, Thorsvig got more involved with the sport acting as a co-promoter with the North Dakota-based Max Fights promotion.
Forty-year-old Randy Thorsvig makes his MMA debut at North Dakota-based promotion Impact Fighting Championship's inaugural event, IFC:Inception, on October 23. (Photo courtesy of Randy Thorsvig)
He finally confronted his demons head-on after his weight resulted in a severely damaged back and landed him in a wheelchair and, in January 2010, he took the steps necessary to fix his life and step into the ring he had always dreamed of fighting in.
Thorsvig has trained diligently at Red River TKD and Fargo-Moorhead Academy of Combat Arts (ACA) since mid-July in preparation for his upcoming debut. In that time, he has dropped from 305lbs to around 270lbs, all the while documenting his training on projectpugilism.blogspot.com.
His opponent, Jason Cook, is a complete unknown. Though he claims he is 6-4, no tape or internet records can be found to document that he has ever fought even on an amateur level. Sources close to the IFC promotion have said Cook is a submission wrestler with a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but again there is no hard evidence of this. Going on these assumptions, Thorsvig has implemented a game plan of using his wrestling to keep the fight standing, and his strength and stand-up to finish the fight. On October 23, we will all see just how much hard work and drive can do against a man who claims to have been training in the sport for years.
Thorsvig holds no illusions that he will be the next UFC superstar nor that he will have a long and storied career. As he told MMA Gospel Radio host Gary Friedman, he always dreamed of fighting professionally and now he has the opportunity to do it. Starting with Cook, Thorsvig plans to fight as often as possible, win, lose, or draw, for one year then hang up his gloves while able to say that he accomplished his goal. Some claim it is inspirational because of all he has overcome to have the opportunity to step into the cage, but this reporter says it is inspirational because of his reasons for fighting in the first place. Thorsvig is fighting not for fame, not for ego, not for money, not even for success – he is fighting for a pure, simple love of the sport – something that so many fighters of all levels, pro and amateur, have lost. That is the inspiration in this story. One man, one chance, one dream, and the will to do what it takes to seize the opportunity in front of him.
Randy Thorsvig can be found on Twitter at www.twitter.com/40andturningpro, and would like to thank everyone who has supported his endeavors, including his sponsors: Step-In Gear, 46 and 2 tattoo, Rokurface, American MMA, and Max Fights.
As Randy’s aunt, of course I’m very proud of what Randy is doing, and am inspired by his motivations for it. But I would be anyways, even if we weren’t related. This isn’t just about family, it’s about seeing someone do something about his life. Sure he made mistakes, many of us do, but he did something about it. That takes guts, and takes a strength of character, and THAT is why I’m proud to know him…
Randy’s story would make for a inspiring book or film for young and older persons. He shows determination to lose so much weight let alone to stay with such a regiment of fitness. What he has already accomplished is amazing and I am impressed by the self-discipline and the strength of personality. This seems to be a rare case where a person overcomes very significant health problems to achieve unbelievable results. I think that there must be relatively few persons that can achieve such a transformation in a relatively short period of time. Whatever the outcome, this is a case study that should be inspiring to others. I guess you could also add courage to the formula here as well!
I thank MMA Gospel for a great interview and all my sponsors for supporting me and for my great family and friends! Thank you everyone for the kind words I really appreciate it!