Jordan Vasquez isn’t your average 13-year-old kid.
Sure, he does everything a normal kid his age does, but he also trains in MMA, and not just a little bit. Vasquez trains at every opportunity, and in every aspect of the sport.
You can find Jordan on Instagram (@jordanvasquezmma) where has posts videos and pictures of him training and has a massive fanbase of over 25k.
“I feel that the reason people follow me and support me is because they can see how bad I want it,” Vasquez says of his popularity. “I work very hard to be successful every day, I think they see that”.
Jordan puts so much time into his work purely for enjoyment purposes and to achieve his dream; there’s no money in this, “I believe older folks watch and support me because they just see a kid working so hard to achieve his dreams”.
“It’s pretty simple” said Jordan, “Hard work and dedication! You have to stay focused and you always have to keep success on your mind.” When talking about how he manages to squeeze in so much training, Jordan insisted you don’t have to be surrounded by other fighters, cages and treadmills; “You have to bust your butt at the gym, but even when you’re at the mall you can do it. I shadow box at the mall, I shadow box in grocery stores.”
“Even when I think I have built up a lot of skill, I say to myself, ‘I can always do better'” The 13-year-old credits this mindset as a reason for his constant growth. Although he’s only young, he knows what he wants, and won’t stop until he gets it.
“One of my dreams is to train alongside legends such as Fedor Emelianenko, GSP, Anderson Silva and more. I would like to be the youngest fighter to fight in the UFC, I would even do it at 17 if my parents allow it.”
Experience comes with age, but the Texan does already have some competition experience even at his young age, “I took part in a jiu jitsu competition,” he said. “It went quite well, it was a great experience for me and I would love to do more.” MMA will have to wait, though, “I am still a minor, and in Texas it’s illegal to do this. I have done sparring tournaments with different gyms and I found them to be really fun.”
A video posted by Jordan Vasquez (@jordanvasquezmma) on
As you can see in the video above, the teenager has serious speed in his hands, but don’t let his frame fool you, as he can pack a punch: “I actually knocked somebody out the first time I sparred,” he said. “I was just glad they were okay.”
“If I could make my MMA debut tomorrow, I would!” Vasquez said jokingly. “In all seriousness, I don’t want to rush things. I want to keep training until I feel comfortable where I know I will feel strong in every area of MMA.”
