Strathmore local wins first MMA fight

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A local mixed martial artist has started his professional fighting career with the banging success of a landed head kick.

Gabriel Durocher, a 19-year-old mixed martial arts (MMA) athlete from Strathmore, won his first professional MMA fight during the Ascendancy Fighting Championship 22 in Ottumwa, Iowa, on Nov. 14. In a flyweight (125 pound) division bout, the 5’5’’ Durocher achieved a knockout victory against opponent Trevor Pryor two-and-a-half minutes into the first round.

The fight was a lasting experience, said Durocher. 

“Leading up, I felt almost every emotion at the same time – I was scared, I was happy and I was excited,” he said. “But remarkably, once I got into the cage, I felt all my nerves go away.

“Then, when the bell rings, you just do what you’ve trained to do.”

Durocher’s road to “the cage” has featured many teachers but started in Strathmore. He was first introduced to martial arts by starting Taekwondo at age five under Master McKenzie at Victory Martial Arts, where he practiced and competed until he was 12.

Competing in that discipline helped Durocher confront his first fight. 

“I did a ton of Taekwondo competitions as a kid,” he said. “When you make the jump to competing in your first fight, you’re used to it because you’ve done it your whole life – it’s just another day.”

But there’s differences between a Taekwondo competition, where there’s lighter contact, and an MMA fight with full contact, he explained. “In a fight, the guy is trying to take your head off.”

To avoid that outcome, Durocher has trained with a line of coaches to develop the fighting skills necessary to compete in MMA. Compared to Taekwondo, which focuses on kicking, MMA incorporates multiple disciplines, including wrestling, jujitsu (submission grappling) and boxing. 

“It’s got basically everything,” he said.

Durocher made the switch to MMA with the opening in Strathmore of Apex MMA, first training under Justin Schmidt. 

“The jump was fairly easy, because I already knew the kicks, so I only had to learn how to use my hands and grappling,” he said.

Still, developing these new skills took time and dedication. “But if it’s something you love, it’s worth it,” he said.

He later moved his training to MMA University in Calgary, learning wrestling, Muay Thai and Jiu jitsu. Durocher is now training under three coaches, including learning wrestling from Dragos Robertson and Christoff Coles, and kickboxing from Jake Peacock of Dunamis Martial Arts.

Preparing for the fight took immense work, with Durocher training three times a day, six or seven days a week, including strength and conditioning work, explained Peacock. 

“It’s a consistent grind, week to week, of learning each of the individual disciplines and putting it all together,” said Peacock. “Getting someone ready for a fight is more complicated than just a series of one-on-one training.”

While Durocher’s fight was a “great performance,” he still has room to grow as a fighter, said Peacock. 

“You can’t ask for a better finish for his first fight, but you also can’t get your head in the crown,” he said. “Gabe has got to get back to the drawing board to see his strengths and weaknesses, and I can help identify those, alongside his other coaches.”

Durocher is excited for his next fight but is uncertain when or where it might be due to the changing conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I’m just going to stay in shape and wait for the next one,” he said. “Always stay ready.”