The Animal devours another

Tyler Lowey

Times Reporter

 

Justin “the Animal” Schmit is settling nicely into his new home in the middleweight class.
After losing five straight fights at 175-pounds, Schmit, owner of APEX MMA, has gone 2-1 at 185-pounds, including a second round technical knockout of Brent Keryluke Dec. 4 during Havoc 11 at the Prairie Pavilion Westerner Exhibition Centre in Red Deer.
“Everything went perfectly to plan. I basically did everything the coaches and I planned to do. When you are that prepared for a fight and you execute the game plan, you aren’t too surprised by the result. It just feels like another fight,” said Schmit.
A ground-and-pound fighter, Schmit was feeding elbows to Keryluke (3-3), forcing the referee to call the fight at the 2:41 mark of the second round.
“We planned to keep the fight standing up, but that wasn’t working. Luckily, we had a Plan B, which was to punish him up against the fence or on the ground,” said Filip Cecic, who has been Schmit’s coach for six months now. “What separates Justin from other fighters is his toughness. He might not be the best technical fighter in the cage, but he has more (guts) than 95 per cent of the fighters I’ve seen in my life.”
Walking around at 215, Schmit believes his trouble at the 175-class was due to the toll his body took trying to cut weight.
“It was taking a lot out of me. That, and the guys at 175 were pretty quick. Maybe it was a combination of the two that slowed me down,” said Schmit.
Schmit preferably likes eight weeks of preparation to diet, game plan and train for a fight. He accepted this fight with only three weeks notice.
The 32-year-old is trying to make the most of his post-30s career. Following a 2015 season in which his injury rap sheet would have made an orthopedist squirm, he is healthy again and taking on all suitors.
One of which appears to be Keryluke. The two are rumoured for a rematch in the New Year.