Fighters of New York: Codie Payne
MMA is a vicious sport. Your sole intent is to hurt your opponent so badly that they are unable to continue fighting, either through a submission or a knockout. If that plan doesn’t go through, then you would want to have hurt them effectively more times, and thus gained more favor in the eyes of the judges. It’s no wonder Codie Payne’s parents tried to keep him away from combat sports. But with his sixth fight coming up, it seems like nothing can hold him back.
Growing up in Far Rockaway, Queens, the “Kayo Kid” initially wanted to start boxing. His father, nervous about the brain damage associated with boxers, did not let him. As a young kid in the 2000’s, there were not as many opportunities to train martial arts as there are today. However, Codie was enamored with the idea of training. He was interested in Karate, but it took until he was 21 to get a real chance to try MMA. After four years of training, he says he can’t see himself doing anything else.
“I’ve seen this sport change so much over the last few years. Now, it’s legalized in New York, and with the big UFC card that just passed it’s something that you can really make your career off of. For me, going pro is right around the corner. I work very hard on my technique, and I perform well. Not to mention, my corner is great, my coaches and team are great, and I feel stronger than I ever have been in my life.”
Before he began his MMA career, Payne held a Muay Thai record of 7-1, and was Friday Night Fights Super Middleweight Full-Rules Champion. He originally began training MMA, then took some time to focus on Muay Thai, and has decided that MMA is what he wants to do for now.
“I feel really balanced,” Payne says, “And I work with some of the best guys, like “Dre the Bull” [Andre Harrison]. I’m in a good place. My wrestling is through the roof, and I think I’m the best wrestler in my weight class in amatuer MMA. I’m a great striker and I know how to put it all together. I focused on one thing at a time to make myself really sharp, but I’m ready to pull all my tools out of the shed now.”
Fighting this weekend for a Lightweight Title at New York Fight Exchange 12: Severe TrauMMA, Codie Payne feels like his dreams are coming true as he continues his progression in the sport. After years of dedicating himself and watching his skills improve, he feels that after this bout he will be ready for the next step.
“Honestly, I am just preparing to go pro. I’m trying to live my dreams now. MMA has given me a lot of focus and has helped me mature. It helped me to gain discipline and what I need to do to really be an adult. We all spend so much time looking for that one thing, what will make us happy and what helps us to live our life, and this is mine. It is a sport and a job, but I’m happy to be in the gym day in and day out, and a lot of people can’t say that about their life.”
Writer: Pari Aryafar (@pariunderthesea)
Editor: Kyle Antonelli
Photo: Matt Culley (@matthew.culley)
