First off...

Happy New Year’s to everyone who is reading this and all the best in 2011 (and beyond).

Over the years, I have been incredibly blessed and would consider myself to be a very lucky person for having had the opportunity to spend the majority of my adult career working as a team member in the Health & Fitness Industry.

As a father, teacher, martial arts instructor, writer, and youth football coach (role model)—my ability to help and serve others to live a healthy and active lifestyle has become a very important part of who I am today as a man.

With health-related resolutions topping the to-do list this time of year, January 1st offers the opportunity for many people to become rejuvenated, and in some cases—reborn.

At least, that’s usually the objective.

And yet, good intentions aside, many people struggle to maintain those resolutions and eventually seem to recycle the same goals, year after year.

Hmmm...I wonder why that is?

"It's human tendency to look for an easy way of doing things. Nothing can replace hard work."—Dan Gable

For the most part, it all boils down to self-discipline (which many of us lack) and priorities (which can change almost daily, depending on how you are feeling from day to day).

In order to make your resolutions stick this year, I strongly suggest that you first concentrate on making your new goals HABIT FORMING, which is a process that usually takes no less than three months.

In fact, if you are completely new to fitness, it is often said with regards to exercise, that if you miss so much as ONE DAY in your first three months of a new program, then you are at serious risk of dropping out all together.

But don’t worry—the fitness clubs will graciously keep cashing your monthly payments.

It is their ultimate pleasure.

So please remember to set short term goals for yourself, and to reward yourself after achieving each of those short term goals. But above all else—continuously find new ways to make exercise fun.

And if you haven’t already...please quit smoking.

Okay, anyway...that’s enough from me.

Now let’s hear what some of my other friends in the MMA Community have to say about New Year’s Resolutions.

Please enjoy.


Rob Maysey (MMAFA)
My New Year’s Resolution is to continue assisting fighters and agents, and developing the growth of the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association (MMAFA) throughout the upcoming year.


Will Ribeiro (Former WEC Fighter)
My New Year’s Resolution is that I want to show other people, to people who are disabled, that life goes on. Even if you have no one to support you, you have to go on anyhow. Even if life is cruel and unfair, you have to be strong and have faith in God. This is how I think. This is who I am.

Read: Will Ribeiro Cries for Help through Social Media


Paul Bradley (Mixed Martial Arts Fighter)
My New Year’s Resolution is to have a breakout year, while going undefeated. Whatever organization I am fighting for—be it the UFC, Shark Fights, etc., I want to test myself against the best fighters in the world and showcase myself as someone to definitely watch out for.

Read: Paul Bradley Released by Strikeforce after...a WIN?


Daniel Roberts (UFC Fighter)
My New Year’s Resolution is to win all my fights in 2011, starting with Greg Soto at UFC 125.

Read: COFG Exclusive Interview: Daniel “Ninja” Roberts (UFC)


Coach DJ Jones (Coach at Greg Jackson’s Gym)
Thanks for asking me to be a part of your article James, but I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. When I decide to make a change, I just do it—no matter the day or time of year. Right now, we are putting the final touches on Clay and I’ll be in Las Vegas for UFC 125. Woooohoooo!!! Guida!!!! Guida!!!!! Guida!!!!!! Thank you again James and God bless!!

Read: Coach DJ Jones from Jackson-Winklejohn’s MMA: One Tough Family


Clay Guida (UFC Fighter)
My New Year’s Resolution is for everyone to enjoy the classic “Wrestler vs Striker” in Clay Guida vs Takanori Gomi at UFC 125. Enjoy everyone and Happy New Year!!!

Read: Clay Guida: The Greatest Experience of his Life Leading into UFC 117


Camilo Ortiz and Randall Villafane (El Octagono)
El Octagono's New Year’s Resolution for 2011 is to attend more live events and to bring our fans and friends all the latest news and interviews on a bigger platform. We want to keep bringing fans and fighters closer together even if it’s via free giveaways, thanks to our great sponsors. But above all in 2011, we will work harder than ever to keep helping this amazing sport grow, by educating and introducing more fans to MMA no matter the language differences, distance or lack of knowledge. After all, we here at El Octagono are fans first. And most importantly, we do this for the love of MMA!!! Happy New Year’s!!!!!!!!

Read: El Octagono: MMA Education is the Key to Success in Hispanic Communities


Jerry Sargeant (Jerry Sargeant Fitness – New Zealand)
My New Year's Resolution for 2011 is to not let anything negative derail me from my set goals! Have a great New Years everyone!!!

Exclusive Interview Coming Soon!


Pat Miletich (Founder of Miletich Fighting Systems)
My New Year’s Resolution is to focus more on family and loved ones.


Gilbert Yvel (Mixed Martial Arts Fighter)
My New Year’s Resolution is to lose 20-lbs, win every fight and come back in the UFC to show everyone what I'm really about.


Aaron Tru (MMA Journalist, MMAPrime.tv)
Simple. Every time that I want to quit or give up, my Resolution is to work harder than I already was.

Read: Aaron Tru: The “Ultimate Risk Taker” of MMA Sports Journalism


Dr. John Williams (70-Year Old MMA Fighter, Guinness World Record Holder)
My New Year’s Resolution is to fight again after my March 7th birthday. This time, I will be 71-years old. I want to fight a 21-year old , making a 50 year age difference. This time I will fight at 185 and be in great shape. This time, I will not disappoint the fans. It looks like it will happen on March 12th, 2011.

Read: Dr. John Williams: 70-Year Old MMA Fighter Setting Guinness World Records


Aaron Brooks (10-Year Old Guinness World Record Holder)
My New Year’s Resolution is to win as many National Championships as possible. I don’t really care which ones. Just as many as I can. So far, I am attending “The War at the Shore” and “Brute North East Nationals” in Pensylvania. I will be competing in more National duals than individual events. The duals offer better competition.

Read: Aaron Brooks: 10-Year Old Guinness World Record Holder Training for MMA


Scott Hirano (Scott Hirano Fight Photography)
I don't think I've ever really made a "New Year's Resolution," but I have one that I could use here that was made and developed over the last several months and will, no doubt, still be in the maturing process through the New Year. So here it is: I'm going to push my photography harder. I want to reflect the fighter in a way that touches those who don't fight and I want to show the parallels between the struggles that happen in the ring with those that happen outside of it. I believe people should be able to identify with the fighting that I photograph because they themselves have fought for something in their own lives.


Mark Pavelich (Owner/President of Maximum Fighting Championship)
My New Year’s Resolution is to be a better person outside of business, and inside of business. My Resolution is to be more aggressive and to not run on fear in order to take the Maximum Fighting Championship to the next level. I will not bow down to anyone. Yeah...I said it!


Adam Clark (Access MMA)
My personal goals for New Year’s are to improve on my writing skills. My professional goals are to broaden the fan base of Access MMA and develop more professional relationships in the MMA world. Also, I would like to begin developing an Access MMA website. Happy New Year’s to everyone!


Todd Jackson (HurtsBad)
My New Year’s Resolution if to stop thinking that GSP is somehow an actual human being, and to start believing that he may actually possess undetectable super human powers. Unfortunately, I had to jump in a cold pool as the losing end of a bet a couple weeks back.


Tom Lawlor (UFC Fighter)
My New Year’s Resolution is to train a lot—preferably clothed.


Gerald Chopik (President, MMA Expo)
Sorry, but I never make "New Year’s Resolutions". But I did start a 90-Day Fitness Program mid-December.


Pat Cummins (Strikeforce Fighter)
A New Year’s Resolution is just another opportunity for an unmotivated person to fail.

Read: Pat Cummins Discusses Strikeforce Debut and Fighter Exchange Program


Jim Arvanitis (Kirios Grandmaster, Founder of Modern Pankration/MMA Pioneer)
My New Year’s Resolution is to continue training, to maintain my skills, while continuing to teach and help others develop their own. I hope to bring modern Pankration to the next phase of it’s evolution as a combat sport, that preserves both the legacy and the Olympic ideal.


Angel Rafael Cordero Candelaria (MMA Truth)
This is the end for a very, very emotional year for me. 2010 proved to be a turning point in my life—a true milestone. Starting out with huge monetary and emotional losses, the year of 2010 sent me on a very dramatic whirlwind of events. Sadness and anger were prevailing but somehow, I turned it all around. In the course of this year I have quit smoking, started drawing, writing a book, and writing about MMA. I have met such amazing friends in this MMA world, friends that have stuck up for me, supported my work, and just been incredible friends to me.
My New Year’s Resolutions for 2011 are simple. First, I hope to continue to mould and shape these ties of friendship with many amazing new people on my path. Second, I would like to finish my book and my current MMA projects. Third, I will continue to support, help, and contribute every time my help is needed by whoever needs it, regardless if they deserve it or not. But never again throw my pearls to the pigs. Last and most important, I need to get back in shape so that I can last a lot longer and enjoy the loves of my life...my family and friends!


Nikki (MMA Candy)
Professionally, my New Year’s Resolutions are to film two amazing documentaries about MMA in 2011, find two more sponsors for our calendar for 2012, find distributors and websites that would carry our 2012 MMA Candy calendar, and to get a new RED Film camera.
Personally, my New Year’s Resolutions are to lose weight, train BJJ more, eat much healthier, spend way more time with family and friends, attend more live fights, and read more James Ryan articles.

Read: UFC 125 Fight Predictions Featuring MMA Candy Girl Kelly


Richard Duguay (MMeh Fighter)
My New Year’s Resolutions are to focus on my health and take MMeh Fighter to the next level business-wise.
Happy Holidays and all the best in 2011!


Melanie Lemieux (MMeh Fighter)
My New Year’s Resolution is to not have my laptop at the dinner table when my son is present.


Eric Bradley (Mixed Martial Arts Fighter)
For my New Year’s Resolution, I am considering pulling a Christian Bale in “the Machinist” and dropping to 155. I wanna see how skinny I can get.

Read: Eric Bradley: Re-defining the Mould of an MMA Fighter


Tazito G (Toronto MMA Film Maker)
My New Year’s Resolutions are to finish directing, acting, choreographing, and marketing the “Dark Side movie, take a long overdue vacation since late 2001, grow as an actor, polish up all of my acting, stunt work, and fighting skills—and donate a larger sum of money than my previous amount to the Sick Kids Hospital.

Exclusive Interview Coming Soon!


Misfit (MMA Crypt)
For myself, my New Year’s Resolution is to get back in shape. I've had a bad few years of working out or of not working out. I'm going to start training martial arts again. Silat is my focus since I'm living by my instructor now. My goal or "rez" is to lose 1 pound or % of body fat a week. Meaning I need to drop a total of 52 "things." Something like 35 pounds and maybe 17%, or any combo like that.
As far as the site, I don't have any real targets. I need to keep it growing the way I want it and that's pushing the "respect" side of things. I think it would be easier to grow it if we pushed fighter bashing and such, but it's not what I want. I want to talk MMA as if we were chilling and drinking a beer. Luckily, so do a few other guys. I'm having an artist design our first shirt now so I hope to have those available by the end of the first quarter of 2011. But the site side is endless, just so much I need to get down, from fighter bio's and more.


Sam Jones (Mixed Martial Arts Fighter)
Each year at this time, many take the time to go back and assess the past year. Being a fighter doesn’t make me any different. I go though the following process:
First, I consider what negative results I have caused. We need to recognize, no matter your status or profession, that there are no questions about whether or not each of us has done harm. Whether it be from something as simple as leaving behind a large carbon-footprint or something as heinous as preying on the desperate and ignorant to make profit or inflicting serious physical damage on a fellow human. The only question is—how much damage have I done? Though it is sobering to realize and sometimes dejecting, making every effort to understand the results of our actions is the responsibility of every conscientious adult. You must do it.
After determining the hurt inflicted, I think of tactics that will create less harmful results and commit to implementing a few of them. Basically, this is my way of trying to make sure I’m not going to be a douche for the New Year. Be a more active father. Try harder to save the planet. Train like this is the last year I will be able to fight. Communicate more often with my elder relatives. Refrain from letting certain asses in my life, or get under my skin. These are a some of my commitments for the New Year.
And now that the important part is over—the remainder is pretty self-centered.
What makes you deeply happy? What fulfills you? Think about these questions in regards to the past year and commit to organizing yourself enough and allow more time for whatever your answers are. This isn’t about cheap thrills. If drinking or playing Xbox is what your life revolves around, then you probably have deep seeded issues and your only resolution should be to seek professional help. In my case, time with my son Jayden makes me feel good on some fundamental level that I don’t even fully understand. I just moved to South Florida mainly to be close to him, so I got a head start in that department. Keep fighting. I eat, sleep, and breathe MMA, so there is no way that I’m letting that go while it’s not affecting my long term health. Read more. I know I know—it’s pretty much the resolution your parents always wished you would have. What can I say? I love to read and I’m proud of it. For those who have a similar love, if you’re into fiction read “A Game of Thrones ” by George R. R. Martin. If you prefer non-fiction, read “Shock Doctrine” by Naomi Kline. Rant over. Happy New Year. Peace.

Read: Sam Jones Interview: Meet the Prototype for all Future MMA Athletes


Kevin Cabezas (Carried Out Fight Gear)
My New Year’s Resolution is to take Carried Out Fight Gear to the next level, which will hopefully make it one of the biggest and most popular brands in all of MMA. I am absolutely grateful to the thousands of fans that we currently have on our multiple Facebook groups and I am proud to say that our social networking family is growing larger by the day. These fans are just the best and most knowledgeable people in all of MMA!!!! I wish you all and your loved ones a wonderful and safe holiday season. God bless you all!