John Salter kicked up his feet after working out with wrestlers at the Corona del Mar High camp on Friday. The professional mixed martial artist fighter sat next to CdM assistant coach Ryan Montgomery, the person most responsible for Salter being in town to help high school and middle school students.
Montgomery is also the reason why Salter pursued the sport of MMA.
If it were not for Montgomery introducing Salter to MMA seven years ago, when the two wrestled at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., Salter said fighting would not be the way he earns a living.
"When we were freshmen in college, he was always talking about Tito Ortiz," said Salter, who because of Montgomery was forced to watch the Huntington Beach Bad Boy's fights. "I was like, 'I don't know who that is.' He's like, 'You got to know who that is!' It made me watch the videos and then I started thinking, 'I can do that.' "