Anthony Morrison- An MMA Rising Star from Philadelphia

1. Anthony Cheesesteak Morrison- MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography

2. Philadelphia may be best known for its boxing, along with the Liberty Bell, the Declaration, and Philly cream cheese and cheesesteaks. In the world of Mixed Martial Arts, Philadelphia is best known as home to another cheesesteak, Anthony Morrison, one of the MMA’s top featherweights. In light of Anthony Morrison’s triumph against Jay Wood at NEF Fight Night 16, with a guillotine choke submission in the fifth round, let’s take a look back at the Philly native’s origins. Anthony Morrison got involved with competitive fighting at the age of 13, starting off with boxing. Initially inspired by his streetwise uncles, who were kind but tough, in true Philadelphia fashion, Morrison quickly moved along to his real love,. professional wrestling. This mixture of wrestling and boxing would continue to influence Morrison’s fighting style, into his MMA career, favoring an upper body approach, with a killer right hook, over fancy martial arts theatrics. Coming from slightly impoverished roots, Anthony Morrison did whatever it took to get the training he desired, “dojo crashing” gyms for trial memberships, as he told Philadelphia’s City Paper. “Funds were low. I used to go to a gym and see the free week pass [promotional trial offer]. I knew if I beat people up straight of the gate, they would be like "sign the contact" and I knew I didn’t have anything to pay them with. After a while, people seen my passion and some gyms would let me train and say, "pay us when you can." Anthony Morrison was a small kid, making him a permanent target for bullies. It’s a classic superhero origin story, with Morrison using his passion and discipline to learn to use his small stature to his advantage, learning to focus on speed and dexterity. Morrison wasn’t shy about using his newfound abilities, proclaiming himself the “bully of beliers”, not turning down any fights.

3. It was not until 14 or 15 that Morrison began competing in earnest, with boxing. “I was 14, 15 ... I saw boxing and thought I could do it. I wrestled in high school and that was a good passion for me. I had three older brothers and, not thinking we were training by roughing each other up, [but] it was being bred into me.” Morrison began assimilating all of his various interests in 2002, after seeing UFC fighting on TV. That was when the training really began in earnest, after noticing that it seemed to be a combination of both wrestling and boxing. Anthony Morrison started off with an impressive record, winning five matches in a row despite lack of training. He was unstoppable as a boxer and wrestler, and remained undefeated as a Mixed Martial Artist until running up against an opponent who was better versed in jiu-jitsu. Morrison realized he had a long way to go. Anthony Morrison’s early career wasn’t all charmed, however, as he was taken out by a back injury. Despite being injured, Morrison let himself be talked into a fight, which he ended up losing, due to the back injury. He grew dispirited with the world of competitive fighting. “I messed up my back real bad and got pressured into a fight where I ended up losing because of the injury. I said, I’m sick of this. If I had a job with benefits, they would’ve fixed me up with time off and I would have went back to work. It sucked. I stopped fighting for a while and worked two full-time jobs in Plymouth Meeting, 16 hours a day. I would go to Target and work 8 hours, and cross the street and work overnight at Lowe's. I wasn’t training at all, but every lunch break I would go over to the Barnes and Nobles and look at fight magazines and see friends I used to train with, and it was motivation. One day, I got tired of it. I ran 6 miles and my lungs were burning. There was a burning desire telling me it was time to compete again to put all my chips in, And that's what I did.” This landed Anthony Morrison on the WEC’s radar. And the rest, as they say, is history. Referral Link: http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Anthony-Morrison-16722