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Rock You Like A Hurricane
John Halverson Enters the Octogon |
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 Faithful readers have followed me throughout the Midwest, covering some of the best (and worst) events the area has to offer. Several times I have returned to Des Moines, Iowa, not only for the top-notch promotions and richness of talent, but sometimes for both. Enter fighter/promoter John "The Hurricane" Halverson.
I first met Halverson many years ago when he was competing at a local MMA event in Omaha, Nebraska. Immediately, I knew this guy was going somewhere. He is one of the types who gets the crowd excited as soon as he enters the cage. He is a tough-looking guy. In this case, looks are not deceiving, as he can back it up with solid technique and heavy leather!
Halverson quickly rose to the top of the MMA food chain. One of the most memorable bouts was when he fought "TUF" star Josh Rafferty on one of my own cards. Rafferty had sunk in a deep heel hook and was looking for the submission. Halverson refused to submit, and Rafferty broke his ankle. With nothing left to apply to the hold, Rafferty was stuck holding onto a dead-end submission, while Halverson dropped bombs on his opponent from the top-resulting in a TKO win for Halverson!
Recently, between bringing his promotion, the Midwest Caged Championship, to the forefront of the Midwest scene, Halverson received the call to the UFC. During the frantic events that take place while running an event, as well as the chaos that ensues during the after party, I was able to sit in with him and ask about ascension to the Major League.
How did you get your start in MMA?
Halverson: Before MMA, I was boxing in amateur events. I had never done traditional martial arts, but unfortunately I have had my fair share of street fights. I was boxing in an event here in Des Moines and then UFC light-heavyweight champ Tito Ortiz was in town for a seminar. After my bout, he congratulated me on the win, told me I had good hands and asked if I had ever done MMA. I told him I loved to watch the UFC, but I had no experience on the ground. He invited me to attend the seminar and told me he would show me a couple things to see if I'd like it. There, I met (UFC/Pride fighter) Josh Neer. We started training together shortly after.
How did you get involved in promoting events?
In Des Moines, we used to have a promoter who ran shows, and man was he a piece of work. After basically screwing the fighters and fans out of shows, he was pretty much run out of town. There were plenty of good fighters here, but nowhere locally to showcase their skills. So, my partner and I, with the help and advice of some reputable promoters, started putting on shows.
How has running the show affected your training regimen and your life?
It hasn't. Basically, my partner, Ryan Hass, and my fiancée, Sarah, have taken the reigns to allow me the time to prepare for my fight in the UFC. They have really helped out a lot! As for life, almost everything in life can somehow be related to fighting. To me, fighting does not mean going out there to hurt someone. Fighting to me is the strength to compete and be competitive, to push yourself everyday ... not just in the actual fight. Many times in life we have to overcome adversity with pressure and stress ... the same way you do in the cage. MMA is all about respect, and I like everyone I have ever competed against.
With so much going on, do you ever get a chance to rest?
I love to play guitar and write music. Also, I am really into saltwater fish. I have a huge reef tank in my house. And I recently started collecting Mercedes. I have a CLK 430 and an ML 430.
What is the best thing to come out of your fighting experience?
The best thing to come out of MMA has been the friendships I have made in the past five years. I have met some people that I will be friends with long after MMA. I take every day as it comes and live it like it's my last. Right now I just want to focus on performing well in the UFC. Lately, I have had some really good opportunities come up, and I feel that it's important to take what I can get. You will never get tomorrow back!
Wanna give a shout-out to anyone?
I would like to thank my sponsors, which includes Sprawl, Xyience, Crush, Twisted Parrot, The Auto Outlet and last but not least, you Jay! You were the first promoter to take notice and put me on a good show. You got the ball rolling for me.
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