My name is Aaron “Mad Dog” Madison, and 20 short years ago I was the worst wrestler on my team.

My first year ever?

I ONLY WON 1 MATCH

But I didn’t let that stop me. 

I was desperate for success and practically “begging” my coach for the ‘secret sauce’ I needed to start bringing home wins.

So, I did what I knew best: I showed up for every single practice, for months on end.

Grinding and “doing my best”.

With enough pure hard work, I eventually started winning matches.

Mostly bronze, some silver, some gold,

Miles better from the lone win of my first year.

As I gained my competitive edge, I got tired of losing and would do whatever it took to avoid it.

I wanted to be STATE CHAMP

Oh yes, I thought I was a little badass... *ha*

And I thought I was doing everything right in training, but I kept hitting a wall.

Something was missing.

Why were there other Wrestlers in my weight class that were so much better than me?

What were they doing that I wasn’t?

I began to realize how much extra work I needed to put in to achieve the success I desired.

I needed to do more

Every morning before the sun rose, I was out running for miles.

Every night, I stayed up late practicing drills in my living room.

I rewatched every match, looking for anything I could improve.

I put myself in front of world class wrestling coaches.

I went to every extra training session I could.

I always chose the toughest guy in the room to partner with.

Then, one day, something just clicked.

Instead of getting my ass beat by the veterans in the room,

I started BEATING guys who had WAY more experience than me.

Not only guys in the room, but even STATE MEDALISTS who used to embarrass me.

It wasn’t long before I became that guy - the one competitors dreaded seeing on their bracket. 

I was finally on track to reach my goal of becoming a State Champion…

But that’s when I hit my hardest wall yet.

The stress on my body started catching up to me.

Every day, I was pushing my body’s limits.

Each week I made brutal weight cuts and cranked out punishing workouts.

I wasn’t going to let anyone outwork me.

But my body just couldn’t handle it.

I suffered a shoulder injury during Nationals that sidelined me for 9 months.

Once I recovered, I jumped back into my routine with the same intensity.

Then came more setbacks.

Mid-season, my knee flared up and forced me to modify my wrestling-style.

Then, I dislocated the same shoulder.

And my senior year, I suffered a rib injury that took me out for half the season.

Every year was something new.

My coaches and teammates kept saying:

“Oh it’s just part of the sport. It just happens.”

Is it?

I realized something needed to change.

I wanted to transition into fighting, but I needed to take a hard look at my training habits.

I realized that I’d been pushing myself to the limit without any consideration into why the constant injuries might be happening.

I thought I was doing everything right by pushing harder and harder,

But what I didn’t realize was that lack of effort was never my problem. 

My body was breaking down because I was overworking myself without a strategic foundation to support my training.

I knew if I wanted a career in fighting I’d need to work smarter, not harder.

When I joined my first MMA gym, I finally saw what true, functional fight training looked like.

My head coach was a BJJ World Medalist and Certified Olympic Strength & Conditioning Coach who’d been through the grind of wrestling, like me.

He taught me to structure my workouts to amplify my fight performance without leaving myself vulnerable for setbacks.

Over time, I refined my regimen even more, cutting it down to the core essentials - no wasted time, no wasted energy.

Each drill, each exercise, each movement translated directly to performance in the ring.

Everything was purposeful and intentional.

My training transformed from sheer punishment to a strategic, purposeful system that built my strength, speed, and endurance,

All while allowing me to recover between sessions to keep me in the gym.

I TRAINED like an athlete, ATE like an athlete…

And as my training evolved, I discovered a powerful weapon I’d carried with me from wrestling:

This asset sets me apart from any other athlete in the cage.

And that is the mental resilience to dive into deep waters with calm, unshakable clarity and focus.

The “challenges” I faced in wrestling had actually forged one of my most powerful tools.

I was becoming an absolute animal, and after a while, my coach finally cleared me for my first fight. 

With his guidance, I prepared relentlessly and executed the most ambitious weight cut of my life… 

Surprisingly, the easiest I’d ever done.

No stone was left unturned.

And the cherry on top…?

I DOMINATED my first fight.

• My legs didn’t feel like concrete blocks after round 1
• My breathing was under control
• My recovery in-between rounds was UNREAL…

But it didn’t stop there...

I was having success in every discipline I competed in.

I’m a grappler who is undefeated in striking.

I’m consistently bigger and stronger than all my opponents.

There is ZERO fear of me gassing out or slowing down.

I walk out to the cage with a smile on my face,

And from the first bell, I am locked in.

Total clarity and focus.

Ready to FIGHT.

I knew my system was working...