On Wednesdays at 9 p.m., there's a good bet that the members of the Augustana wrestling team are watching “The Ultimate Fighter” on Spike TV. Not because it's one of the most popular shows on television, but to follow the progress of someone who's been training with them for the past 3 years.
In the fall of 2006,
Jon Madsen contacted Augustana head wrestling coach
Jason Reitmeier and asked if he could practice and train with the Vikings. Madsen, a native of Carpenter, S.D., and a former 2-time state wrestling champion at Doland High School, had dreams of beginning a career in mixed martial arts. Reitmeier agreed to the relationship and it didn't take long for Madsen's dreams to become reality.
After training with the Vikings, Madsen began working with Matt Hughes, one of the top names in MMA. In February of 2007, he moved to St. Louis, Mo., to train full-time at the Hughes Intense Training facility called the H.I.T. Squad.
From there, Madsen was one of 600 individuals who tried out for the 10th season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” After a tryout process that included a 1-minute grappling session, a 1-minute boxing session and a 1-minute interview, Madsen was 1 of 16 fighters selected for the show. Among the other fighters are 4 former NFL players and the popular street fighter Kimbo Slice.
The partnership between Madsen and the Vikings seems odd on the surface. Madsen was a 3-time All-American and a national champion at South Dakota State, Augustana's rival in the now-defunct North Central Conference.
After graduating from SDSU in 2004, Madsen got into some trouble with the law. After spending time in jail, Madsen began the journey of turning his life around. With the competitive fire still burning inside him, someone suggested he give MMA a try and the rest is history.
Madsen began training with the Vikings to work on improving his cardio. He also began sparring with assistant coach
Tom Meester as he pursued his own dream of making the U.S. national team.
“It's neat seeing how he's doing now, because I remember how he was,” Reitmeier said. “He's a lot more mature now, but he still has that same level of confidence.”
The trust and commitment shown by Reitmeier, Meester and the rest of the team hasn't gone unnoticed by Madsen. In several interviews with MMA web sites previewing the show, Madsen acknowledges the Vikings and thanks them for taking him in.
“It means a lot to hear him say how we've been a part of his success and growth as a person and fighter,” Reitmeier said.
So far, Madsen has done well on the show. In the first episode, Madsen won his quarterfinal match, handily defeating Abe Wagner. Reitmeier said the show is finished with production through the semifinals. The December 15 season finale, which will be live from Las Vegas, will feature the championship fight, and some undercard matches. The champion receives a $100,000 contract.
Madsen is not allowed to disclose how far he advanced in the show, but Reitmeier said he is trying to get tickets to go to Las Vegas for the finale. He said there is a good chance Madsen could be featured in one of the undercard bouts if he's not in the finals.
Until then, Reitmeier and the Vikings will continue to tune in each week to see how far their training partner advances.
