Clayton Grawberger was part of a fight card down in the States and he went the distance but because of the fight style, he didn't get a decision, but he feels he did very well in front of family and friends watching back home.
"I went down there with my wife and kids, it was an absolutely great experience to have them there with me," Grawberger explains proudly. "Getting to share that special moment of fighting in a cage for the first time. My brother and sister-in-law came down and numerous people watching on Pay Per View, I got a lot of feed back from people, it was great. My sensei John Sawatsky in my corner, couldn't be happier with the best corner guy I could ask for. While I didn't get the highlight reel finish, it went the distance, which is three five-minute rounds."
The fact he went the distance was pretty special, according to Grawberger. "That was kind of a cool thing because to experience that, It was new for me. Because of the uniqueness of the fight on the card, they didn't go to the judges decision, because there was no submission, they called it a draw. So, here we are. We've never ended the war between myself and my competitor, we've had quite a few matches and this one ended up in a draw. Overall, pretty good."
Even though he didn't get the result, after reflecting, Grawberger feels he did enough to earn a victory. "I found myself in some really good positions where normally I would be going for submissions. I had the back take, side control, attacking from my guard. Normally, I would prevail getting the finish in those positions but we were fighting with no shirts on and we were like greased pigs I would say inside that ring with how slippery it was. Neither of us could finish, but I felt I did fairly well considering it was the first time in a cage, first time fighting without shirts on, usually we wear rash guards that gives us a little grip, but I think I did well. I got a lot of feed back from my sensei and people who watched, they said I put on a good performance."
Fighting in a cage was an adjustment and Grawberger says the lead up and atmosphere also took some getting used to. "I think I soaked it all up," he says with a smile. "Our match was unique to this event, all the other matches were three three-minute rounds, ours was three five-minute rounds. We were the old guys on the card. I got to spend some time backstage and back in the corners with some peopel I actually know, talking about it, I don't think anyone expected us to go three five-minute rounds. Being old guys, we showed them we still have some fight in us. I think being underestimated helped push us to go farther. I used the crowd and the energy to bring the performance to the mat. I wanted to make it as exciting as possible. The build up was a lot but when it came down to the moment, we did what we had to do. It was live on Pay Per View, really good, professional footage, fans were fantastic, my competitor was outstanding sportsmanship. We had some chuckles and after we caught up and had a beer."
With his family in attendance, Grawberger says it was their support that made the whole experience even better. "It means a lot, we even had family members at the lake that set up a big screen and were watching it. People were cheering me on, they were messaging me. My friends and family that were cheering me and for Canada, it was pretty neat and special. Having that support, even from the people in the event, I was an out-of-towner, but I had lots of support after the event. People were coming up and taking pictures with me and I actually had a lineup of kids getting my autograph and pictures, that was special. I by no means feel like I'm anything special, I'm just an old guy trying to have fun, build some memories with my kids in a sport that I can work with them, so to be treated like a celebrity was pretty wild."
Of course after such a great fight and a long-standing rivalry that has yet to end, Grawberger says a rematch could possibly be in the cards. "He does want another rematch," he says laughing. "The card itself has asked me back already, they've talked to me about wanting me back. So, we'll see what that next one looks like. If rules change, there's been a lot of conversation, we'll probably meet again. If not, I'll maybe be back in the cage again sometime, I guess we'll see."
No matter where he fights or who he fights in whatever style, Clayton Grawberger has the support of family and an entire community in his corner.