Jonny Parsons: The Last Action Hero
Everybody can remember a time as a kid where you dreamt of having your moment in the spotlight. Getting the chance to catapult yourself to stardom. Whether you were dreaming of hitting the buzzer-beater to win, singing your heart out in front of a packed house, or revealing a jaw-dropping piece of art, all of us had (and still do) dream of those moments. But few competitions provide that very platform like Dana White’s Contender Series. The DWCS serves as a jumping-off point for many martial artists to finally get their shot at the big leagues, with one fight to impress the UFC heads and earn that coveted contract. Fighters like Sean O’Malley, Ode Osbourne, and Julian Marquez got their start in these proving grounds, launching themselves into contention for their respective belts. From these humble beginnings, stars are born. With the current season of DWCS nearing the end, let’s meet one fighter looking to bring his one-of-a-kind style to the UFC Rankings.
Jonny Parsons looks to join the list of fighters who have impressed the UFC top brass enough to earn that contract. From an in-ring perspective, he has all the tools needed. The 5’9” welterweight is riding a 4-fight win streak that includes 3 KOs and has been training right down the road from UFC headquarters at Syndicate MMA. Parsons focuses on a Muay Thai style that will be sure to draw fans, with great footwork, fast strikes, and some of the strongest kicks in the game. While his pro-fighting history speaks volumes, you realize his star power after just one conversation with him.
Parsons was introduced to martial arts the way many of us were, by watching TV and action movies as a kid. “As a little kid, I’d be shadowboxing invisible bad guys while watching Power Rangers”, Jonny said after a training session, really speaking for all of us martial arts nerds. And after taking one look at his honestly impressive mullet, you can see the influence of those action stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme. As Parsons’ interest in martial arts grew, he turned to watching Pride and UFC to see more of this action. Being “a bored kid after school, [I] was getting into trouble a little bit” by looking to get into fights and engaging in the schoolyard proving grounds of backyard boxing. But this troublemaking led to a huge realization, that “I can get respect. My fighting ability could earn people’s respect.” This newfound respect was not earned in mindless bullying or violence on those who could not protect themselves, but instead in proving that he was ready and willing to face any challenger. After experiencing this feeling of respect, Parsons turned to honing those skills and soon found himself in a gym training Muay Thai, on the road to becoming a fighter.
Once Parsons turned from street fighting to training, he began with a foundation in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, bouncing from one class to the next 5 days a week. While he wants to be a complete and total artist, he “is in the MMA world to represent Muay Thai.” And Parsons certainly does that, going to Thailand to both train and compete. The mindset of always being ready for a fight and facing anyone at any time thrives in the Thai world and influences Parsons’ view on combat every day. Through all this world-class training, Parsons attributes his best teacher as one of his biggest challenges as well. When he first arrived at Syndicate MMA he was faced with striking coach AJ Matthews, another fighter cutting his teeth with promotions like Bellator and Rizin. However, Parsons did not want to give him a chance as a coach, as he felt that he was better suited for the position. As a result, he started skipping Matthews’ classes and “drinking a little bit of Haterade.” But as time went on, Parsons took the opportunity to check his ego and learn from Matthews instead of fighting him. He even began teaching the striking classes with Matthews. Now, Parsons feels that Matthews turned from a rival to an incredibly influential figure in his fighting life and sparking huge growth in his striking.
At the end of the day, Jonny Parsons lives and breathes knowing that he is a martial artist. Every session in the gym is fueled knowing that “this is the life I live and that I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He truly loves what he does and has been doing for 14 years. When hearing himself described as a martial artist, Parsons jumps again to the idea of respect. “[It’s] Respect. Respect for the art. Because anyone can fight, but it’s a true martial artist that lives by the sword.”
Tune into ESPN+ on October 19th at 8et/5pt to see Jonny Parsons in action as he looks to secure that UFC Contract. And we hope to be seeing that glorious mullet grace the octagon soon.
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