Last Chance: Carlos Villarreal

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Carlos Villarreal

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Bantamweight Division

Oakland, CA

 

By Chad Stevens, Reporter at MMA-LA

Carlos Villarreal knew the realities of the streets of Oakland before most people learn to crawl. Carlos is the son of gang leader and current coach at Yellow Lotus, Marty Villarreal. From a young age, Carlos would help his father in his gang activities, particularly with drug deals as the young Villarreal would go unnoticed by the authorities. His boxing skills were noticed by his father after fighting off a cop to avoid arrest. His father decided to send him to Yellow Lotus, to decide his ultimate fate- will he be a successful cage fighter, or just another struggling gangbanger?

I got a chance to meet with Carlos at his home in Oakland. As I rolled up, it was very clear that I was not welcome in this neighborhood. Carlos was on his porch.

“what the hell are you doing?!” he yelled, pointing at my shirt. I noticed I was wearing a blue collared shirt. “Fucking idiot! Get inside before you get shot, ese.”

His house was cluttered, and smelled like stale marijuana. I sat on a worn down, brown couch and started the interview.

“What’s it like being Marty’s son?”

“There’s a lot of expectations on me. Everyone at Yellow Lotus reveres him. He owns part of this city. That being said, he never gave me shit. That’s why I live in a house like this, he told me I gotta work for my own things, start my own empire. That’s what a man’s supposed to do. People look at him, this tall, muscular guy, then look at me, 5’4 139 lbs, and think I ain’t nothin’ to be afraid of. They’re wrong! I’ll fuck ‘em up! I ain’t scared of nobody! I got tattoos on my motherfucking teeth ese!”

Carlos gets up from his chair with a clenched fist. I scream like a little girl. I’m a journalist, not a fighter. Carlos laughs and calms down. Now that I Know he has such a Napoleon’s complex, I phrase my questions with more caution.

“So you’ve been brought in to MMA by your dad- tell me about that.”

“He wanted to give me a chance to not go down the same dangerous path he did. He saw I had some natural talent and told me to train at the gym he coaches at. It’s the most we’ve ever been together without a drug deal being involved.”

“If you don’t make it in MMA, what then? Do you have a plan afterwards?”

“No, not at all. I’m either going to be a star or i’m going to go into gangbanging just like my father. But i’m no bitch. I’m a proud mexican and I fight like one too. I don’t care how much more skilled someone is, they’re going to be tested when they’re put up against me.”

“Well, everyone at MMA-LA, including myself, is rooting for you. Keep in touch?”

“For sure homes. Here, take this. Don’t want you getting shot on your way out.”

Carlos tosses me a dusty old Groove Gear tshirt on the way out. Though I take it off as soon as I leave his neighborhood, the smell of stale marijuana and sweat still lingers in my car. Still, better than the alternative.

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PRESS RELEASE: DEFIANT MMA

 

Berend De Jong, Dutch Combat Magazine

 

Defiant MMA recently announced the departure of Bantamweight prospect Carlos Villarreal. The fighter went 11-8 under the Defiant banner, and was a former title challenger at the now defunct Checkmate Championship. A lifer at Checkmate, Villarreal then joined Sucker Punch, where he went 1-3 before being dropped by his management. His decline in performance aligns with the team's move from Los Angeles, where his father, Marty Villarreal, was one of the head Jiu Jitsu coaches. However, after his father passed in a mysterious fire that took the lives of several of Yellow Lotus’ fighters and coaches, Villarreal reportedly has had mixed feelings about continuing his fighting career and instead had begun conducting a conspiracy against the Los Angeles gang, ‘Los Aztecas,’ whom he believes to be personally responsible for the fire and his father’s subsequent death. The following statement was released by the Manager of Defiant MMA:

 

“We here at Defiant certainly hope Carlos lands on his feet. Villarreal came to us as an 18 year old who seemed to be destined for either MMA Stardom or a life of crime. We certainly believe that Carlos has the talent to continue in this sport. We hope he feels inspired by another camp to continue his career and regain his place as a title challenger.”

 

The jury will remain in limbo on the success of Carlos’ career- seemingly so close to escaping the life of a gangbanger for MMA stardom, will he be able to find new management and continue his run? Only time will tell.