Fight Quest

By Nick Wagner
Contributing Writer

For the last few weeks I’ve been training at Portland Oregon’s Team Quest. Several Big names have passed through Oregon’s top Mixed Martial Arts gym, including Chris Leben, Nate Quarry and Ed Herman. It is home to fighters Dave Jansen, Tyson Jeffries, Chael Sonnen and many other talented athletes.

I didn’t have the opportunity to get beat up by Chael, due to his recent match against UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. However, I was able to work with many others who were happy to beat me up. I also received world class instruction from Robert Follis and Quest’s founder Matt Lindland.

At Team Quest I noticed many similarities as well as differences from the training I receive at Fargo’s ACA. Quest reeked of ring experience. The ACA is still in its infancy, with the best MMA instruction this area has to offer; but Team Quest has been around for ten years, and has pumped out a lot of talented fighters.

Not only did I want to get the most out of my time training there, but I thought it would be a good idea to get some sage advice from one of MMA’s legends, so I interviewed Matt Lindland.

Matt, who has a professional record of 22 – 7, has stepped into the ring with some of the best of them, such as Fedor Emelianenko and Vito Belfort. On the topic of his career he says, “I typically have fought some of the top guys…” I never ask him about Fedor holding the ropes, I want to, but instead we talk about the Midwest.

“There’s definitely some talented guys out of the Midwest, no question. I’ve seen guys out of Omaha, Des Moines, kind of all over, but not consistently. Every once in awhile you see a guy come out of the Midwest that’s a standout, but there’s not a ton of super talented guys out there.”

He mentions that it could have to do with the population size and I have to agree. After all, over two million people live around the Portland area, compared to Fargo’s two hundred thousand. However, Fargo still has a talent pool, albeit shallower. Another obvious would have to be the quality of training.

Matt explains that his success with Team Quest is built on many factors, like “the fact that I’ve been doing it for ten years.”

He continues by explaining that “A lot of the guys I’ve brought up from having zero fights, they have never stepped on an MMA canvas before. The difference is I work with a lot of guys who aren’t already established fighters. They are either just getting started or have never fought before.” Rarely does he pick up someone who is already an established fighter.

There are now six team quest locations throughout the U.S. And as for Quest’s future, “I think we are going to continue to branch out, take guys that have trained with us, been a part of our program and get them out there to open up their own. Within that you can develop some talent.

Each one of those gyms should develop one or two top guys and they are going to come over to the Gresham, Oregon location and get the sparring and the coaching to take it to the next level.”

Although the talent pool is deeper at a place like Team Quest, Matt explains that when it comes to finding new talent, “It’s certainly a feeling out process. You want to see the level of commitment, toughness, durability. It’s great to have a guy that’s got super good skills, super athleticism, but I think the thing I look for more is the guy who’s willing to stay focused, dedicated and committed to his craft. I think guys like that can really go a long way. You can build skills, you can teach skills, you can even increase athleticism, but it’s harder to train somebody to be dedicated, focused—that’s something guys either have or they don’t. Even toughness you can develop over years of training, but the level of commitment has to be something that the individual is passionate about.”

When it comes to an MMA fighter bettering him/herself who doesn’t have the resources, Matt offers this advice, “Go outside of your little world, travel, there are good gyms all over. There are great gyms. You’ve got to look at teams that have consistently produced athletes and put them in bigger shows. Broaden your horizons, go out and train. Spend a week or two at a gym and pick up some stuff, bring it back to your team and share it.”

Matt is definitely a cool guy, you can trust that what he’s teaching you is going to work, because a lot of the time he’s used it in one of his own fights.

I would like to thank Team Quest for letting the Amateur and the Pro Team beat up on me. Thank you for giving me so many different looks, and introducing me to many talented fighters and trainers that I look forward to training with in the future. And thank you for helping me get ready for my upcoming fight on September 11.

Come watch me take on Isaac Appel and other exciting fights at the UP Center, in Chris Tuchscherer’s Fall Brawl. Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva will be there signing autographs.

By showing up you are not only letting yourself in for an entertaining night of fights, but you will be showing your support for fire fighters, police officers, and the armed forces in tribute to 9/11.

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If You Go

What: Fall Brawl
Where: UP Center
When: Sat, Sept 11, 7pm
Info: 701.356.7656