25-year-old Michael Roe has been practicing martial arts in the Central Alberta area since he was seven-years-old. Now, he is hoping to fulfill a lifelong dream and compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Roe was a very active kid and his parents decided to put him into martial arts and then later, karate. Fighting would become a lifelong love for Roe who has competed in the World Martial Art Games in Las Vegas and the World Karate Championships in Spain.

He and his brother share the same love of martial arts.

“My brother had actually brought these videos over of some of the very first original UFCs and we watched them. At that time, I thought who would want to do that? That seems crazy. The more I watched it, the more I became polarized by it. It was very intriguing with the different styles of martial arts and the way you can put them together and use them and compete against other people that are doing the same things,” said Roe.

Roe believes there is no time like the present to meet his goal and has begun the appropriate training.

“For starters, I have about 18 years of karate and kickboxing background. That is a great start, but then now rounding in and I am learning jujitsu and wrestling to help kind of complete that overall game. In the sport of mixed martial arts, if you have one style, and you come up against somebody who is very well versed and based in another style. Sometimes, that can become a hindrance. Being well rounded and well versed in all different styles is very important,” explained Roe.

Photo courtesy of Michael Roe. Roe is pictured in red.

Trying to train during a global pandemic is also another challenge the fighter faces. Luckily, Roe is an instructor at Lacombe Karate and Kickboxing and uses those facilities to aid in his training.

  “It's very tough without having training partners. It's very tough. I can push cardio a lot with a heavy bag in my basement as well so that helps with staying in shape. Another thing that's really helped me is my day job. I'm a heavy duty mechanic so we're right in the middle of our inspection season so it's a lot of tires off, tires on, drums off, and drums on so it keeps me in shape as well throughout the day,” explained Roe.

As he gears up for competition and continues to train hard, he is looking for a bit of support from the community to help him cover the costs of training, a nutritionist, equipment, and travel.

Additionally, he hopes to inspire others to push themselves to pursue their dreams.

“It doesn't matter whether you’re young or a little bit older. If you have a dream, the dedication, and the will to put the work in—even if you are from a small community—it can be achieved and that's kind of one of the things as well,” said Roe.

If you are looking to help out Michael Roe on his journey, you can email him at michael-roe@hotmail.com. You can also checkout his Facebook account or his Instagram account to follow his achievements.