Ahead of next weeks vote for an athlete member to the UMMAF Board of Directors, we are proud to introduce you to one of our nominees and former UMMAF National Team member, Orlando Jimenez! Read Orlando’s bio below!

 

“I am proud to be a native Arizonan, having been born and raised in the “Grand Canyon State.” My formidable years were spent in Central Arizona, as I was born in Florence, AZ. I began wrestling at the age of twelve, and recently just took a silver medal in freestyle at the 2018 US National Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas.”

​  “I always thought I’d go directly to college after graduating high school, but after the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City, I knew I needed to do my part to fight for our country and make some sort of change in the world, regardless of how small it might be.”

 “I enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of eighteen, and proudly served overseas during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. And, although I didn’t go directly to college after high school to wrestle, I was fortunate enough to compete for the All-Navy Wrestling Team, where I was a National Champion in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman.”

“As my Navy service concluded in 2006, I enrolled at Arizona State University, and continued my career as a student and wrestler. In 2010, I graduated from ASU with a bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies, and continued my duty of public service as a Law Enforcement Officer in the city of Casa Grande, where I received three letters of commendation: one as a Community Police Officer, one as a Bicycle Officer, and one as a Student Resource Officer.”

“Although I enjoyed my time working as a police officer, I was offered a great position with Uber as an investigator which I, ultimately, decided to take. Although I was no longer a public servant, my time in the military and as a police officer showed me how much I love my country and communities and I realized I wanted to continue my life working for those around me. I was accepted into Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, and I have been attending law school between my full time job at Uber, and as a certified fitness instructor. I graduate May 5, 2018.”

​”Now, as a husband and father, myself, I want to ensure my children have more than I grew up with. I want to ensure my children can go to the schools in our neighborhood and receive a safe, quality education, and find well-paying jobs in the same neighborhood if they choose. For those reasons, and so many more, I have decided to continue my public service as a State Representative for legislative district 27.”

“I believe I would be a great fit as a UMMAF board member, as I am still a committed athlete, believer in UMMAF’s push for International and Olympic recognition, and most importantly, I desire to help build a solid UMMAF team comprised of the best fighters the nation has to offer. I would not be where I am as a politician, an athlete or a recent law school graduate, if it were not for the hard work that comes from combative sports and organizations such as UMMAF.”