HOUSTON – Training for a big fight is a test of body for sure, but for Mayura Dissanyake, a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, proving that your mind packs as much of a punch requires strength not even brawn can bring.
"I like the rush," Dissanyake said. "I know that I can put myself in danger and I've proved it."
Proving his weight requires a lot of blood, sweat and countless hours of training. He has done so since he was 11 years old, learning various martial arts techniques in his native country of Sri Lanka.
"I think every fighter has to overcome themselves, you know?” he said.
While Dissanyake has made a name for himself within the MMA community, his skills were front and center in a match that brought him off the mat and to the gas pump.
KPRC Channel 2 News first profiled Dissanyake in July 2014. At the time, he worked as a clerk at a gas station at South Wayside and Interstate 45. One day, two alleged robbers approached a co-worker of Dissanyake’s, who had returned from a bank.
The pair could be seen on surveillance video beating the man. The video also recorded Dissanyake’s run to the rescue, kicking one of the men in the face.
"One day when I was at work, these two guys tried to rob my co-worker,” he said, describing the incident, of which he didn’t think much, at first. However, after the video aired, it quickly went viral. To date, one clip has been seen more than 6.5 million times.
"I just went out there and stopped them. It was my MMA skills,” Dissanyake said.
Since then, Dissanyake has received a lot of attention from passersby who recognize him. Both the video, and the attention it generated, encouraged Dissanyake to explore training for a different fight -- fighting fires.
Dissanyake injured his ankle a year ago, keeping him out of the ring. Instead, Dissanyake enrolled in Houston Community College’s Fire Academy and trained to become a firefighter.
"It wasn't the easiest thing I would say I did, (but) it was a great experience,” he said about training for the job.
Fighting fires is a challenge of its own, but Dissanyake credits his years of training in Mixed Martial Arts as preparation for building the mental muscle needed for the job.
“You always reach a certain level, then you stop there," he said. "You need to pass that, and passing that takes a mental challenge you need to fight yourself."
Dissanyake has not fought in a match since he hurt his ankle a year ago, but he hopes to change that soon. In the meantime, he said he is applying to various fire departments around the area and hopes to get to work.
