He has been in the sport less than a year, but John Ortolani has already made a name for himself in mixed martial arts.
Ortolani won his first two fights before losing to the much-more experienced Mike Littlefield last November. Still, he is being hyped as one of the best fighters to come out of New England since Mike Brown.
His trainer, John Fain of Gracie Barra in Nashua, said he is confident Ortolani can give any 155-pounder in the country a good fight.
“He‘s the most gifted fighter I‘ve ever seen,” Fain said. “He’s ready now. He’s one of the best right now.”
The native of Billerica, Mass., juggles a busy schedule. Not only is Ortolani a pro in MMA, but he is also a professional lacrosse player with the Boston Blazers of the National Lacrosse League.
Ortolani got his first taste of MMA when he helped train his friend, Steve Butler, for a fight in January of 2009. Ortolani decided to train himself, and got his first pro fight four months later.
A four-sport standout in high school, Ortolani said there is one thing he loves about MMA that sets it apart.
“I like the one-on-one stuff,” Ortolani said. “If I lose, it’s all on me. But if I win it’s because of something I’ve done.”
Ortolani describes himself as an aggressive fighter, which becomes obvious with one look at his professional record. None of his fights have made it out of the first round and his longest fight was three minutes, the loss to Littlefield. He also has a no decision in his pro career. Ortolani’s next fight is on June 5 in Milford.
“I don’t like to sit back,” Ortolani said. “I like to push the pace.”
He said his style is to “ground and pound,” but he will go for a submission if the opportunity arises. His two wins were by referee stoppage from strikes, one 2:16 into the first round and the other 1:58 in.
Fain said Ortolani is a natural to the sport. His competitive fire fuels Ortolani and he has an uncanny acumen for any sports he tries out.
“(A strength is) His ability to learn,” Fain said. “Anything you teach him, he becomes an expert at it.”
It doesn’t hurt that he has a great training partner in Dennis Olson, another up-and-coming young fighter in New England. He said Olson, who is 9-2 as a pro, pushes him every day and has taught him a lot about avoiding submission moves, one of Olson’s fortes.
“It’s awesome,” Ortolani said of training with Olson. “I think he’s the best fighter in New England. I think he would beat anyone right now.”
It may seem tough to carry on a professional career in two sports, but Ortolani said he isn’t having a problem with it. He trains for MMA during the week and his work for lacrosse is limited to the weekends. He said the team typically practices the night before a game and plays on Saturdays.
He knows at some point he’s going to have to choose between lacrosse and MMA, but for now he’s just enjoying both, which is something he hopes will go on for a while.
“Right now they’re both just starting out,” Ortolani said. “I’m going to do both of them as long as possible.”
Ortolani won his first two fights before losing to the much-more experienced Mike Littlefield last November. Still, he is being hyped as one of the best fighters to come out of New England since Mike Brown.
His trainer, John Fain of Gracie Barra in Nashua, said he is confident Ortolani can give any 155-pounder in the country a good fight.
“He‘s the most gifted fighter I‘ve ever seen,” Fain said. “He’s ready now. He’s one of the best right now.”
The native of Billerica, Mass., juggles a busy schedule. Not only is Ortolani a pro in MMA, but he is also a professional lacrosse player with the Boston Blazers of the National Lacrosse League.
Ortolani got his first taste of MMA when he helped train his friend, Steve Butler, for a fight in January of 2009. Ortolani decided to train himself, and got his first pro fight four months later.
A four-sport standout in high school, Ortolani said there is one thing he loves about MMA that sets it apart.
“I like the one-on-one stuff,” Ortolani said. “If I lose, it’s all on me. But if I win it’s because of something I’ve done.”
Ortolani describes himself as an aggressive fighter, which becomes obvious with one look at his professional record. None of his fights have made it out of the first round and his longest fight was three minutes, the loss to Littlefield. He also has a no decision in his pro career. Ortolani’s next fight is on June 5 in Milford.
“I don’t like to sit back,” Ortolani said. “I like to push the pace.”
He said his style is to “ground and pound,” but he will go for a submission if the opportunity arises. His two wins were by referee stoppage from strikes, one 2:16 into the first round and the other 1:58 in.
Fain said Ortolani is a natural to the sport. His competitive fire fuels Ortolani and he has an uncanny acumen for any sports he tries out.
“(A strength is) His ability to learn,” Fain said. “Anything you teach him, he becomes an expert at it.”
It doesn’t hurt that he has a great training partner in Dennis Olson, another up-and-coming young fighter in New England. He said Olson, who is 9-2 as a pro, pushes him every day and has taught him a lot about avoiding submission moves, one of Olson’s fortes.
“It’s awesome,” Ortolani said of training with Olson. “I think he’s the best fighter in New England. I think he would beat anyone right now.”
It may seem tough to carry on a professional career in two sports, but Ortolani said he isn’t having a problem with it. He trains for MMA during the week and his work for lacrosse is limited to the weekends. He said the team typically practices the night before a game and plays on Saturdays.
He knows at some point he’s going to have to choose between lacrosse and MMA, but for now he’s just enjoying both, which is something he hopes will go on for a while.
“Right now they’re both just starting out,” Ortolani said. “I’m going to do both of them as long as possible.”
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