The voices around him slurred as sophomore Alden Smith had only one thing on his mind: winning. Though it was his first tournament, he stood there, unbothered by what others around him were doing, as he put all his focus into defeating his opponent.
After “destroying” the competition, Smith embraced the thrill of the moment.
“When I stood up on the podium, it just felt like all the hard work paid off…,” Smith said. “My coach says, ‘You earn the medals during training, but you go to collect them when you compete.’”
Smith aspires to be unmatched in his craft, so he is putting in countless, unseen hours to take the next step. His eyes are set on not only being remembered, but making his mark.
These unseen hours have been taking place throughout his entire life. But last year, he chose to take his passion to the next level and make the switch to train professionally. He has been working nonstop, in and out of his gym.
“I’ll go every day…from five to 8:30 (p.m.),” Smith said. “But normally, I’ll stay longer. I’ll be the first one there and then the last one to leave.”
Smith practices three types of fighting: boxing, jiujitsu and muay thai, but he mainly focuses on jiujitsu. His motivation for pursuing excellence in multiple kinds of fighting is to leave a legacy and inspire people.
“I just want to be someone like that, a household name. I want to inspire young kids.”
When he was younger, Smith was bullied and constantly picked on. The hurtful words motivated him to fight back and gain the confidence he has today.
Despite his recent start to professional training, he carries a strong mindset. He is confident that whatever he sets his mind on, he can and will achieve.
“I’m just confident in myself,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t have this dream for no reason.”
“He’s really just like my second dad,” Smith said. “The first day, he invited me with open arms.”
Along with his coach, Smith’s father, Jerry Smith has been with him through his ups and downs.
Smith knows he has a long future ahead of him, and has a strong support system behind him.
“He’s determined, he’s a good kid,” Jerry said. “He wants to be a winner and he does a good job at it.”
As the years pass on and he grows not only in age but in skill, Smith hopes of one day holding a UFC belt as his name goes down in history.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m not going to be in the Octagon holding that belt,” Smith said. “There’s genuinely no doubt. Nobody wants it as much as I do.”
