Angel Cruz was in dire need of a fight so he could make some money for his family – but even though he lost, he still received the $2,000 bonus.
That’s because his opponent, John Castaneda, understood the financial struggles that come from working in mixed martial arts.
Castaneda delivered a punishing victory to Cruz in the second round of their Combate Americas bantamweight fight. However, his triumph didn’t taste as sweet as it should have knowing that Cruz was desperate for the money that came from winning the match.
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Castaneda had met his opponent’s two daughters at their weigh-in several days earlier. Since he had taken the fight with only five days notice due to the previous competitor dropping out at the last minute, Cruz thanked him for rising to the occasion, saying he needed the finishing bonus to feed his family.
Unlike the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Combate Americas only awards money for winning, rather than for good performance or putting on the best fight.
Following his victory in the ring, Castaneda whispered in the ear of Campbell McLaren, the head of Combate Americas, to give his winning bonus to Cruz.
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“It really choked me up,” McLaren told Yahoo News. “I’d never encountered anything like that. MMA is a very charitable sport and you see fighters starting GoFund Me pages to help each other a lot. But this was a little different situation and it was so impressive. This came in the heat of the battle after a very tough fight.”
Castaneda isn’t exactly rich either – the fighter works as a trainer at Lifetime Fitness in order to supplement his own income.
Though he’s been remarkably modest about his good deed, his kindness has become a clear indicator about his strength in spirit – as well as body.
Fight Negativity: Click To Share – Photo by Combate Americas