It’s hard work being a fighter.
For San Luis Obispo native Steven Sainsbury, that hard work allows him to hit hard.
“I'm there to entertain people and to either finish somebody or get finished trying,” Sainsbury said.
Eight years ago, Sainsbury was attending junior college in Chico where he ended up taking up mixed martial arts, learning how to fight out of garages. Fast forward to present time and he’s on a four-fight contract with ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman's promotion called Lights Out Xtreme Fighting.
“The world kind of changes the path that you were led on and you end up kind of coming through something that might have been better than what you originally thought," said Elias Dougrammatzis, local fighter and Sainsbury's training partner.
Twenty-five-year Central Coast resident Ryan Comerford had a different path laid out for him as well.
“I had a heart transplant on November 2, 2015,” he said.
To stay in shape, he opened up the Second Chance Boxing gym at the top of Perfumo Canyon, one of many spots that has opened its doors to Sainsbury.
“Everybody's actually got the talents, but it's who's actually willing to do the work. [Sainsbury's] work ethic is outstanding,” Comerford explained.
It took time for Sainsbury to get momentum. After his second-ever fight, he contracted a life-threatening MRSA infection that nearly caused him to lose his hand.
But when you knock a fighter down, it’s ingrained in them to get back up.
“For nine months, my left hand was wide open, getting cleaned out every other day, all the way down to the bone. That whole time I knew I was going to be a professional fighter,” Sainsbury said.
With the support of his large family and local sponsors who know his name well even though he lives in Colorado now, there’s a forever support system on the Central Coast that wants him to succeed.
“A lot of people who don't have that support system and never make it because of that. You're only as good as the people around you. I've been really blessed to have a lot of really supportive people around me,” he said.
“It's an honor to be on the path with him and be seeing what the potential is and how far he can go in this,” Dougrammatzis added.
His first professional fight was May 18. It ended with a walk-off knockout with over 1 million people watching. Come Friday, he hopes to have the same result.
“Crawling into the cage and seeing all your people there, it's a feeling that's undeniable. It's the best.”
Sainsbury fights in Long Beach for the Lights Out Xtreme Fighting promotion on Sept. 6 for his second professional fight. All fights are free to view on the Lights Out Sports TV app or online on their website.
