How Alton Cunningham grew to become ‘The Bo-Man’ — lengthy earlier than the Contender Sequence
Marc RaimondiESPN
Alton Cunningham was a sophomore at his highschool on the outskirts of Madison, Wisconsin, when a substitute trainer, Miss Miller, arrived to class. Cunningham, the category clown, wished to drag a prank on her.
Miss Miller requested Cunningham his title. He replied, “Marvin ‘The Bo-Man’ Beetster.”
“Not Alton,” Cunningham stated he informed her. “Don’t name me Alton.”
On the time, Cunningham did not actually know what “The Bo-Man” even meant. It simply sprung into his thoughts, influenced by his time at dwelling watching professional wrestling and combined martial arts. Possibly it was partially impressed by watching Bo Jackson, too.
And from there, Cunningham’s self-given, considerably absurd nickname is who he grew to become.
“The entire time she referred to as me ‘The Bo-Man,'” Cunningham stated. “Ever since, persons are like, ‘The Bo-Man.’ Actually, I caught with it as a result of it is bought a mystique to it. It is bought that aura. That is who I’m after I get inside that cage — I am ‘The Bo-Man.'”
The UFC Struggle Night time fundamental occasion on Saturday options two of the heaviest hitters on the UFC roster in Francis Ngannou and Junior Dos Santos. Extra importantly, a title shot may very well be at stake on this battle between extremely ranked heavyweights.
UFC Struggle Night time: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos
• Saturday, Minneapolis
• Prelims: ESPN 6 p.m. ET
• Predominant card: ESPN 9 p.m. ET
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On Tuesday night time, “The Bo-Man” would be the nickname learn for Cunningham on the newest episode of Dana White’s Contender Sequence. He’ll face Tony Johnson on the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and a powerful victory may earn him a UFC contract.
That is the trail that Cunningham knew he’d be on even earlier than “The Bo-Man” was spawned. Cunningham was (and is) an enormous professional wrestling fan. When he noticed Brock Lesnar transfer over to the UFC and win the heavyweight title, he was turned on to MMA and determined that is what he wished to do along with his life.
In eighth grade, Cunningham stated he and his associates have been attempting on a pair of “American karate” gloves and he basically fell in love.
“I by no means felt so alive doing something,” the sunshine heavyweight stated. “I performed basketball eight years and I used to be good at basketball, simply being an athlete. I simply by no means felt extra alive than after I put these gloves on. I knew from that day. All my associates stated, ‘We’re gonna do it, we’re gonna do it.’ I am like, ‘I am doing this. I am gonna do that. That is what I am gonna do. I will probably be a world champion. You will note me within the UFC.'”
Rising up between Marion, Arkansas, and Wisconsin, he wished to be a professional wrestler, however there weren’t many faculties round. Plus, MMA was a distinct sort of car, one that might let him take out his aggression. Cunningham grew up an solely youngster — his sister died at two months outdated on account of a delivery defect — and he was bullied typically.
“I simply all the time had a frickin’ boatload of simply anger and simply being pissed off,” Cunningham stated. “MMA was like an outlet the place I felt like I may clarify myself to individuals with out saying a phrase.”
Alton Cunningham, proper, didn’t get the nod in final summer time’s Contender Sequence struggle with Bevon Lewis, who received by TKO. However Cunningham is again for an additional shot at a UFC contract. Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Getty Pictures
Cunningham, 25, sees professional wrestling a lot in the identical method he does MMA — as expression. Everybody has to have a persona, he stated, and he sees his as eager to uplift everybody, being humble and humorous. However when he competes, it is “absolute violence,” he stated.
“It is leisure — they’re each leisure,” Cunningham stated. “You’ll be able to categorical your self. When individuals ask me, what is the distinction, actually, there’s actually no distinction. Skilled wrestling is simply scripted. You go on the market, they inform you who’s gonna win and you have gotta go on the market and you have gotta create a narrative and paint an image with the strikes that you just do contained in the ring. It is the identical within the cage, besides they are not telling you. There’s nothing scripted in there. You go on the market, you paint an image, you inform a narrative with the way you struggle in there.”
Cunningham (7-1) is a high prospect out of Pura Vida MMA/BJJ in Milwaukee. He is received all seven of his fights by knockout. Cunningham’s lone loss got here in opposition to Bevon Lewis, now a UFC middleweight, on the Contender Sequence final July.
We cannot be seeing Cunningham within the cage Tuesday night time, although. When the door closes, that is time for “The Bo-Man” to carry out. The a part of himself he present in that 10th-grade classroom.
“That is who I’m now.”
Dana White’s Contender Sequence, Week 2
2 Associated
Males’s bantamweight: Richie Santiago (7-1, Massachusetts, 26 years outdated) vs. Miles Johns (6-Zero, Texas, 25)
Middleweight: Michael Lombardo (Eight-1, Florida, 29) vs. Kyle Daukus (6-Zero, Pennsylvania, 26)
Males’s featherweight: Zach Zane (12-7, Hawaii, 25) vs. Justin Gonzales (9-Zero, Colorado, 26)
Mild heavyweight: Alton Cunningham (7-1, Wisconsin, 25) vs. Tony Johnson (7-2, California, 36)
Welterweight: Miguel Baeza (6-Zero, Florida, 26) vs. Victor Reyna (10-Three, Texas, 32)