To a general audience, there can be a multitude of misconceptions surrounding the sport of MMA, in particular around those who partake in the sometimes bloody fights the sport has become famous for. Marcus Galloway stands steadfast and proud to dispel any and all of those misconceptions with a smile. Watching Marcus fight is nothing short of spectacular. At just 25, Marcus carries himself with a maturity and wisdom far beyond his years, both in and out of the ring.
Marcus stands undefeated in the local circuit, garnering him the attention of an overseas audience, with Galloway set to take on the UFC in the coming months.
We were able have a chat with Marcus on all things MMA and of course, personal care.

MISTR: How long have you been fighting for and what was your motivation to begin?

Marcus: For me, I’ve been training in martial arts for almost 6 years now, starting with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in March of 2013. I did my first Jiu Jitsu competition after about 3 months of training. I started doing MMA sometime around November of the same year and had my first fight in September of 2014.
I got taken to a BJJ class by my now brother in law which I enjoyed. Natural progression and curiosity led me to try MMA which I fell in love with!

MISTR: What has been your proudest moment in the ring?

Marcus: The proudest moment so far for me has been after winning a fight, walking to the back room and seeing my dad standing at the barrier waving me to come and hug him! There’s a few moments like that I remember where I’ve heard a friends voice in the crowd cheer me on or catch a glimpse of a friend there supporting me which all make me feel very proud!

MISTR: How many months of the year are you training?

Marcus: Ultimately 12 months, I get time off when I’m injured or a few days or so here and there if I go on a holiday but there is no time off. Martial arts is one sport where athleticism can only get you so far, the rest comes from experience and that only comes from time spent on the mats. If I train 6 days a week and twice a day on some of those days, In a year, I’ve trained the equivalent of 4 years for someone who only trains 2-3 times a week. Time is precious in this sport!

MISTR: In addition to being a great fighter, you also do a bit of modelling on the side. How did you get into modelling?

Marcus: Modelling kind of found its way to me! I had a friend of a friend contact me about a photographer he knew who was shooting various sports for a magazine and he wanted to come to a training session and shoot some pics for it. From there he shot me for another magazine about a year later and when the pics went online I started getting messages from lots of different people and different agencies about representation. Once I had spoken with IMG I knew I was in the right hands and that’s where it all began!

MISTR: How do you define masculinity?

Marcus: Masculinity to me is defined by confidence in who I am and what I do. My favourite colour of all time is purple which some people might not define as being a ‘masculine’ colour, but I’m confident in myself and I’ll rock a purple sweater in a masculine way any day of the week.

MISTR: We talk alot about personal care here at MISTR, but it means different things to everyone. What’s your personal care routine?

Marcus: I keep a fairly simple routine when it comes to personal care. I have a natural cleanser with tea tree which I use in the shower every day after training to help wash off the sweat and the bacteria from the gym. Other than that, a healthy diet keeps my skin quite clear.

MISTR: What do you believe sets you apart from your competition?

Marcus: I think that my physical attributes, the long legs and arms, give me a good advantage because I can stay at a longer range and still be dangerous. The other thing I do well is think quickly and adapt in real time, which some people call fight IQ. I watch and analyse my opponent for certain reactions and habits from the get go to see what I can do and how to be one step ahead of them. If I’m the one calling the shots it means that I have a higher percentage chance of winning the fight!

MISTR: Moving to a new country to pursue your career is a massive step. Where do you see yourself taking this?

Marcus: I can’t tell the future but I know that I’ve got the potential to take it to the very top, and that’s where I want to be. I won’t be able to live happily years from now if I don’t push myself as far as possible with the sport. The talent pool in The USA is much larger, and the wrestling pedigree is second to none which gives fighters a massive advantage. Over there, you can get much more skill and knowledge than over here, where sometimes you’re the only person in the gym who is there to train! When you’re hungry, you’ve gotta go and find that food.