Convergence
Capstone Blog

Mixed Martial Arts is one of the fastest growing sports in America. Adam Zahradnik, a local Morgantown fighter, began his training in 2008 at Morgantown Martial Arts. Zahradnik’s graduated from West Virginia University where he spent time on the wrestling team before beginning his MMA training. He won his first fight on December 5, 2009 and split the second a few months ago. Zahradnik maintains a job and a relationship with his girlfriend Danielle all while training and fighting.

The 25 year old Bridgeport, West Virginia native says the sport is growing because spectators want to see fighters in the rawest form. He says cage fighting satisfies the need humans crave from their primal nature. The sport features a more violent approach than wrestling because fighters can strike opponents. Zahradnik believes his wrestling background has helped him in his training because of the technique he uses during his fights and the conditioning his body goes through.

Zahradnik also says having support from his friends and family is one of his biggest motivations to continue fighting. He says he’s not sure how long he will fight or if there is a future, but he believes he can do well because of the support he carries. As an already accomplished amateur, Zahradnik says fighting and training are his passions and wants to reach higher places in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.

This story was a lot of fun to cover as a journalist. Visually it was great because there were so many opportunities for great video and photos. It was easy to get shots of him training because of the movement involved and the natural sound that took place in the gym. I got a lot of shots of him sparring with his trainer and practicing boxing and wrestling techniques. Zahradnik was great to work with and enjoyed being covered. He gave two exception interviews where he was very honest and open about the sport and what he does. Coming up with interesting questions for him about his schedule was important because he had a lot to say. He was a fun character to be around and anyone could see his passion for the sport and his enthusiasm to be the best at what he is doing.

This project was a lot of fun to put together was well because it was a topic that is constantly at the forefront of the sports world. The video seemed to flow together well because Adam was so easy going. His personality really stuck out during the interviews and shows in the final project. I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the growing sport. Being able to capture a local fighter’s dream was just an incentive.

Check out ESPN’s Mixed Marital Arts page!