Bettendorf's McGivern to defend IFL title
The thermostat on the wall reads 87 degrees, and a thick mist hanging in the air carries the stench of fresh human filth.
Every pore on every inch of Ryan McGivern’s body is bleeding sweat. He is wasted, spent from an hour at the gym that morning, a full day’s work and two hours back at the gym that night.
Just another day in hell. No, hell could freeze over, and, on this day, mixed martial arts trainer Pat Miletich just keeps cranking up the thermostat as he hollers out instructions to some three dozen fighters working out at Miletich Fighting Systems in downtown Bettendorf.
Just another day in heaven.
“It’s tough,” McGivern said post-workout, sitting in a pool of his own sweat. “It’s a long day.”
McGivern, a 28-year-old civilian engineer on Arsenal Island by day, is the International Fight League’s reigning 185-pound champion by night, and he’s set to defend his belt for the first time Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
The Bettendorf native and former University of Iowa wrestler will take a 12-5 record into a matchup with Dan Miller (7-1), one of three championship fights on the ticket. Miletich Fighting Systems’ Brad Imes (11-4) will challenge Roy “Big Country” Nelson (12-2) for the IFL heavyweight championship, while Renzo Gracie’s Deividas Taurosevicius (9-2) will battle Ryan “The Lion” Schultz (19-9-1) for his 155-pound title.
The event, which will feature six other fights, is available on pay-per-view.
McGivern, who made his professional fighting debut in October 2004, claimed his championship in March, winning a unanimous decision over Matt Horwich. But for him, the drill hasn’t changed — he’s at the gym at 5:30 a.m., to work by 7, home at 5 p.m. to change, back to the gym at 6 for an intense workout until 8, home for a late dinner with his new wife, Susan, and then to bed at 9:30 or 10.
It’s the same the next day, and the next day, and the next.
“Nobody that I have ever trained in my life has had the work ethic that Ryan has had,” Miletich said. “He could just fight and make a great living. A lot of fighters who don’t work and just train and just fight, those guys will complain about being tired. You’ll never hear Ryan complain. That’s just not in his character at all.”
McGivern has a pair of tattoos on his shoulder blades. On the right side, a vintage Iowa Hawkeyes logo, on the left, a Japanese symbol that stands for balance.
Hmmm?
“That’s on all kinds of levels,” he said. “The more I learn about life, the more I’m like, ‘Right on.’ I want balance physically, obviously, but it means balance in your life mentally and spiritually, too. Life is about trying to find that balance.”
As Miletich said, there are fighters who do it full-time, who have nothing to distract them from life in the ring. And McGivern has thought about it, but, at this point, he’s got a good, government job with a supportive boss and a flexible schedule.
Besides, his long days don’t seem to be having an adverse effect on his training. He is, Miletich said, the most finely conditioned fighter ever to train in the Quad-Cities.
“He’s a long ways from peaking and being the best that he can be,” Miletich added. “I still consider him a pup in overall knowledge of fighting. But he is so intelligent, and his intelligence makes him a rare combination with the athletic ability, work ethic and intelligence to go with it. That’s just rare.
“Plus, he’s got Lance Armstrong heart and lungs, which is one in a billion.”
McGivern calls himself a grinder, someone who will wear on his opponent and win a decision.
That’s what he did against Horwich. That’s what he’ll try to do Friday against Miller.
Yes, the stakes are getting higher, but it will be back to work on Monday.
“I try as best I can to just think of it as my next competition,” McGivern said. “Regardless of if I’m the title holder or going for the belt, the same rules apply. I’m in there to fight hard. I’m in there to execute my training. I’m just trying to fight my fight.
“If I can go in there and stay relaxed and do what I’m training to do, I’ll be happy.”
Fight night
The International Fight League has moved away from the head-to-head team matchups of the past in favor of having individual champions in each weight class. Three championships will be decided Friday, including two fights involving fighters from Bettendorf-based Miletich Fighting Systems.
Lineup
Championship bouts
Heavyweight
Roy Nelson (12-2) vs. Brad Imes (11-4)
185 pounds
Ryan McGivern (12-5) vs. Dan Miller (7-1)
155 pounds
Ryan Schultz (19-9-1) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (9-2)
Other fights
205 pounds
Lamont Lister (5-3) vs. Aaron Stark (5-4)
170 pounds
Nick Calandrino (4-0) vs. John Howard (8-3)
155 pounds
Josh Souder (6-2-1) vs. Zac George (12-2)
185 pounds
Joey Guel (12-5) vs. Matt Horwich (21-10-1)
155 pounds
Frank Latina (4-1) vs. John Franchi (3-0)
185 pounds
Danillo Villefort (6-2) vs. Mike Massenzio (10-1)