Portrait. Olivier Poisson, an athlete from Saint-Rémi who has been practicing mixed martial arts for six years, is beginning his career on the professional circuit. He is also looking for a sponsor to help him pursue his dream of reaching the Ultimate Fighting Championship, better known by the acronym UFC, the largest mixed martial arts organization in the world.
The goal of mixed martial arts is to win a fight against your opponent by submission, knockout or judges’ decision.
Almost any blow is allowed in this sport, apart from pulling hair, biting, inserting fingers into any orifice or even striking a blow to the genitals.
At the professional level, fighters compete for three rounds of five minutes each.
Athlete
Olivier Poisson has always been an athlete, but before practicing a combat sport, he first excelled… in badminton. “I played badminton all my youth,” he says. I finished my junior career at the age of 17. I was among the best players in Canada. I participated in high-level competitions, but I didn’t see an opportunity to take my career further. »
It wasn’t until he was 18 that he began training in mixed martial arts, practicing kickboxing, then wrestling and jiu-jitsu.
“The cardio and reflexes that badminton gave me allowed me to develop as an athlete in general, but I always told myself that I would like to practice a more physical sport,” he explains.
Training
Olivier Poisson trains at the H2O MMA gym, located in Lasalle. There he sometimes meets the former international star of this sport, Quebecer Georges Saint-Pierre, who is a native of Saint-Isidore. “The one who motivates me the most at the gym is my trainer, Olivier Aubin-Mercier,” confides the athlete. Today, he has retired, but he has already won two tournaments which offered a purse of $1 million each. »
Combats
The 24-year-old athlete trained for a full year before fighting his first fight. He has been participating in fights for four years now. He played 12 at the amateur level during this period.
“I am in the 135 lb weight category, Olivier Poisson. In everyday life, I am at 160 lbs, but we diet for a few weeks before a fight to reach our weight. Afterwards, I do a water load, to have as much water as possible in the body, so that it is easy to lose just before the fight. I can lose 10 lbs in 24 hours, with hot baths and sauna. There it is suffering, sweating for three or four hours. After the official weigh-in, the goal is to be as heavy as possible. The next day, I’m at 150 lbs for the fight. »
Sponsors
This spring, Olivier Poisson begins his career on the professional circuit. He is looking for a sponsor to support him in his journey.
“When you start at the professional level, the pay is very small,” he said. You get maybe $500 for a fight and another $500 for a win. It pays more when you start to have a good winning record. My goal is to do three or four fights per year to have the best possible record. That would allow me to get seen by the UFC, Bellator or PFL [trois organisations professionnelles d’arts martiaux mixtes, NDLR], who could recruit me. »
A financial contribution from a sponsor would help cover the cost of his training camps. “I will promote my sponsors on my sweater, my social networks and on a banner that accompanies me,” explains Olivier Poisson.
Individuals or businesses wishing to sponsor it can contact him by email at: [email protected].
2024-05-16 11:58:26
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