'I started when I was 4 years old': Milwaukee-area teen becomes MMA champion in Greece

 

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58)--A local teenager knew early on exactly what he wanted to be, begging his parents to let him play a sport that would eventually crown him as a world champion.

"It keeps me motivated just knowing that I have the potential to be the best in the world," said DiMaggio Rodriguez-Rios.

The boy recently turned 13 years old.

"I always wanted to fight, I knew I was going to be great at this sport, I knew training at such an amazing gym, like, this is one of the best in the world," he explained.

Rodriguez-Rios has been living his dream since the age of 7.

"I begged my parents to let me start fighting...originally, I was going to play baseball but I watched 'The Ultimate Fighter' growing up like I remember watching Tony Ferguson on it and then I really got hooked after that and really wanted to start fighting," he said.

Mixed Martial Arts incorporates techniques from boxing, wrestling, judo, jujitsu, karate and Muay Thai

The hybrid combat sport has gained popularity over recent years and it's caused fear among some parents who know athletes could suffer traumatic brain injuries as a result of playing the sport.

"I started when I was 4 years old, so next year will be 50 years (that) I've been in martial arts," said Duke Roufus. "I started competing when I was six and I turned professional 18 to 38 and I've been coaching, teaching martial arts for kids since I was 13."

Roufus is Rodriguez-Rios' coach--a former four-time kickboxing world champion and the owner of Roufusport MMA Academy in Milwaukee's West Side.

"The MMA training starts at 8 years old and that's when they can start competing," he said. "And mind you, it's not the MMA you see in the UFC on TV... there's no head strikes and it's a limited ruleset, it's very safe."

Mixed Martial Arts however, is known to involve high exposure to head trauma. That is why some states have allowed youth MMA to be regulated. Wisconsin began doing so in 2010, sanctioning both amateur and professional divisions.

"I was a big proponent, I helped design the rules, I'm part of the USA MMA Amateur Committee," Roufus added.

He's been lucky, never experiencing head or brain injury. Roufus said techniques have evolved over time.

"It's an amazing adrenaline rush, it's like, it's so much fun learning all the combinations from angles to what punch to throw," Rodriguez-Rios said. "From the striking side it's really just a mind game."

Training at Roufusport MMA Academy has turned into a full-blown discipline for the past four years.

Roughly two to three hours a day, three to four times a week.

Earlier this year, he flew to Arkansas to compete at Nationals.

"When I won Nationals. I won all my fights in the first round, all finishes, one was like 20 seconds," he said. "I was really confident that I was going to win internationals."

Rodriguez-Rios was one of roughly 50 representing 'Team USA' and one of six kids from Roufusport gym fighting in Greece for the MMA World Championship.

He won gold in his 130-pound division among 13- and 14-year-olds. Three other kids from Roufusport medaled but he was the only one crowned world champion.

"This whole summer, past summer, I was training with the pros pretty much every day, it was extremely motivating," he added.

His coach is proud of him, admiring his students' hard work and dedication to be the best he can be.

"He's got that star power, you know? He's got very good technique and he's got a lot of enthusiasm when he's competing," Roufus said.

The sky's the limit for the one whose career has just taken off.

"I'm going to keep on training, do local tournaments here in Milwaukee, you know, Waukesha and I'm going to go back to Nationals--qualify, win, and then win Worlds again," Rodriguez-Rios concluded.