B-port student steps out of classroom, into Octagon

Walking around campus, you may recognize the faces of the soccer, football, volleyball or 18 other teams that make up Brockport Athletics. Yet, you may not even know that right here on campus is a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who competed in the Octagon just last weekend, Sept. 29.

Corey Lauth is a 2010 graduate of Brockport Highschool and now a student at the College at Brockport. Like many students, Lauth spends his days in classes studying for his degree in education.  He said he would one day like to become an elementary school teacher.

This makes it much more unsuspecting that Lauth is an MMA fighter.

Lauth said when people find out he is a fighter, the reactions are mixed. He said this is because he’s not a big macho meat head like most fighters.

He said he doesn’t tell girlfriends’ parents  that he fights MMA right away, but when guys hear he’s a fighter, they think it’s awesome.

Growing up, Lauth spent his athletic career on the mat. From the ages of 4 to 12, he participated in karate. Lauth excelled in the sport so much that he received his black belt, became a karate teacher and discovered his passion for working with kids.

He is currently a teacher’s aide at Brockport Central School and said he would ideally like to work with first or second graders.

From karate, Lauth then moved to competing in wrestling. He wrestled throughout high school and was recruited by SUNY Oswego. However, unnamed family issues forced him to come back to Brockport and Lauth chose not to pursue the sport any longer.

Athletics for Lauth did not end there. Lauth said while watching MMA fighting on television one night, he realized it was the next route he wanted to take. He said he told his father of his ambition. His father then lined up training partners and a gym.

To train for an MMA fight, Lauth said he goes to fight camp anywhere in between one and a half, and two months ahead of time. There, he works on lowering his weight and getting into shape.

Lauth trains out of Combat Sports in Albion, NY, and began preparing for MMA fights right after he graduated high school in 2010.

Lauth said the most unusual aspect of his training is taking large tractor tires and flipping them down the road. He said as people drive by, all they do is stare.

All of Lauth’s hard work in training has paid off big time.

Earlier this year, Lauth won the first  major fight he ever competed in.

In a non-sanctioned fight May 19 Lauth beat opponent Scott McGregor in 2:24 by knocking him out in the third round.

“It was the best feeling in the world,” Lauth said.

He said it was indescribable and after two and a half months of training, “all that mattered was getting my hand raised.”

Just last weekend, Lauth competed in the second major fight of his career.

Saturday, Sept. 29 he faced Brandon Mueckl at the Rainbow Roller Rink in North Tonawanda, New York.

Prior to the fight Lauth said he was nervous to face Mueckl. In Mueckl’s former fight he defeated opponent Kahlil Sommerville in 31 seconds. That win came after Mueckl gave Sommerville a submission armbar.

Mueckl also defeated Lauth Saturday, but Lauth said it was a split decision.

I beat him up pretty bad and he took me down twice and put a choke on me, but I got out.”

“Split decisions always go to the hometown boy, so it sucked, but oh well,” he said.

“All in all it was a really cool fight,” Lauth said. “It kept the crowd going crazy the entire time and it was cool to get fight of the night at the end.”

Saturday’s close loss is most likely not the last match of the year Lauth will participate in, as Lauth said he would probably get back in the ring for another fight sometime in December. Until then, plenty of textbooks and the training rinks await him.

*ORIGINALLY Published Oct. 3