In contrast, Faircloth was a puncher. Toughness and ravenous fists were the traits he preferred to subdue opponents. “The reality is,” O’Malley explains, “Ronnie and I in 1998 would get destroyed by Ronnie and I in 2008. Because now we know the whole.”

The duality of O’Malley and Faircloth’s relationship extends beyond previously contrasting fighting styles. Faircloth’s career as an MMA fighter began when he approached O’Malley after a fight in Indiana and asked O’Malley if he could teach him to fight. O’Malley obliged and shared his dream of MMA dominance.

“He said, ‘Oh yeah, I could make you the best!’” laughs Faircloth. As the two continued to pursue their passion for MMA, Faircloth began to gain notoriety. Fighting primarily in the heavyweight and light-heavyweight division, Faircloth accumulated wins in local, national and international fights, all the while with O’Malley in his corner.

“Me and Ronnie are like brothers, we’ve been together forever,” O’Malley says. Faircloth and O’Malley attempt to pass this mentality on to their fighters.

“We try to make it as personal as possible. This is our extended family. It truly is. I care about everyone out there,” O’Malley says. “Everybody feeds off of everybody else, and it’s not because of any one strength. It’s because we have this open mind of, ‘Man, we really want to get better.’”

Before the fighters arrive, this kinship is not easy to see. The empty gym displays all the symptoms of a typical MMA facility. Blue and red wrestling mats, worn from countless recitals of takedowns and submissions, line half of the converted warehouse’s floor. The rest of the main room is a scene straight from a Hollywood boxing montage, with free weights and punching bags strewn throughout the space.

Once the competitors file in, it doesn’t take long for the sense of family to appear. While the athletes ready themselves for the night’s activities, their spouses engage in small talk about the daily grind and upcoming fights. Children sit impatiently, ready to lunge on the wrestling mats at their parents’ first sign of distraction. It is truly a community bonded by a mutual admiration for mixed martial arts. Even newcomers, appearing confused at the water-cooler talk occurring around a weight bench, are greeted as family. “We try and bring in everyone. You come from a different gym, come in on Sundays, we don’t care, it’s free. We don’t even charge people to come down here,” O’Malley says.

Lauer has become one of the most intimate members of this MMA family. Over the past five years, his 315 pounds have slowly melted away, revealing the 215-pound frame he carries today. “I didn’t even know that this could exist, the way I feel,” he says. “It has changed my life.”

This newfound identity has translated into success in the ring. He attributes his victories to having Faircloth and O’Malley in his corner. During the first match of Lauer’s career, Faircloth left a hospital 12 hours after reconstructive shoulder surgery in order to support him.

MMA has also helped his personal life by providing a productive medium to interact with his wife, son and parents. “Now, I’ve achieved confidence. I’ve achieved a sense of inner success that I’ve never felt before in my life,” Lauer says. “It’s done a whole 180 for my entire family, and [they] can’t be thanked enough.”

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