The DLJ’s Andrew Benjamin will be putting down the laptop and putting on some MMA mitts on Oct. 19 at the Alerus Center. Andrew will be making his amateur MMA debut for Throne MMA in a bantamweight (135 lbs.) match. He will take on Minnesota’s Jimmy Hilgedick, also making his debut. The fight will follow amateur rules which means it will be three minutes and three rounds. No elbows or knees are allowed to strike the head.
Andrew initially got into martial arts just out of college as a way to lose weight. “I visited the doctor one day for a check-up and the doctor reprimanded me for my weight. I was 5’7” and 210 lbs.,” Andrew said. “I’m not a big fan of running on treadmills for hours. I was a UFC fan at the time and I looked up martial arts gyms in the New York area I could join. 14 years later and 60 lbs. less I am somehow making my MMA debut.”
While Andrew said he loves grappling the most, joining Progressive Martial Arts in Grand Forks helped him to love striking just as much. “You really look at the sport differently once you start doing hard sparring,” he said. “Punching someone and getting punched in the face hard is a very humbling experience. It’s incredibly rare to submit someone accidentally. But one punch from either person can end the fight.”
It has not been easy training for this fight, Andrew said. “It’s been hours of literal blood, sweat, and tears.”
He added, “Regardless of the incredibly tough and grueling sessions we’ve had, I cannot thank my coaches and team enough for giving me their time, energy, and having faith in me to do this. Thank you to Ken and Josh Greer, Jeremy Such (who is also fighting on the card), Derek Henke, and so many other people you probably don’t have space to print.”
Andrew admits he doesn’t know much about his opponent. He says regardless of how much experience Hilgedick has, he has the utmost respect for him. “It’s hard to prepare for someone I don’t know about,” he said. “But getting in there takes a lot of guts and fortitude. I respect him immensely for taking the time to prepare for this and giving me his time in the cage.”
Andrew added, “Hopefully after we’re done, we can be friends and train together sometime.”
You can buy tickets for the show by going to Ticketmaster and searching for Throne MMA at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. Click “UNLOCK” and type in “BENJAMIN” as the promo code as Andrew will get credit for selling a ticket under his name.
If you would like to sponsor Andrew, please reach out to him via email at abenjamin@devilslakejournal.com