Former ASU wrestler John Moraga poses in front of US Airways Center where he will fight in December. (Photo Courtesy of Moraga)UFC fighter and former ASU wrestler John Moraga's Twitter handle is @chicanojohn.
Moraga was born and raised in Maryvale, Arizona, which, was 81 percent Hispanic in 2013.
It is fitting that Moraga participated in UFC's Hispanic Heritage Month.
The celebration began on Sept. 13 in Houston and will end Oct. 13 in Miami.
One of the events featured a two-day event in Phoenix, which was highlighted by a fight between native Moraga and Efrain Escudero.
"This is pretty much a dream come true," Moraga said. "Being able to fight in my own hometown and the pride I have in my heritage, it's just one of those things that I find in life that I take a lot of pride in."
Moraga said he is proud of "being chicano" and hopes the UFC's efforts will bring people of his culture into the sport.
"I'm real thankful and glad that (the UFC is) actually putting in the effort to grow," he said. "There's a lot of Hispanics in martial arts and being successful and now people are getting exposure to the sport. It's a good thing all around."
Moraga is a fighter in the flyweight division which, in UFC has an upper limit of 125 pounds. He is ranked as the fifth best flyweight fighter in the UFC, and Sherdog.com, the self-titled global authority on mixed martial arts, ranks him as the eighth best flyweight fighter in the world.
He wrestled at ASU, where he pursued a degree in interdisciplinary studies.
Although he was unable to complete his degree, Moraga is grateful for his time as a Sun Devil.
"When I came out of high school, I felt like I was from a different world," he said. "It was a big culture shock. I had to learn to deal with the rest of the world."
Moraga said the lessons he learned at ASU helped prepare him for life as a professional athlete.
"It helped me get ready for mixed martial arts because ever since getting into the UFC, wherever I go I have eyes on me and I don't like attention," he said. "I'd rather just sit in the shadows and chill out but there's a lot more attention on me now."
Moraga's ASU teammates inspired him to make the jump to the UFC.
"Wrestling took me a lot of places in life and got me into college," he said. "A few of my college wrestling teammates found success in MMA pretty soon after college. My firstborn son was scheduled to be born, and it made me say, 'You know what? I'm going to go all in and see if I can make it happen.'"
No single moment jumps to mind when Moraga considers his career's highlights because it's full of them.
(Graphic by Sam Presley)He has 15 wins in 18 fights, including two knockouts and five first round finishes.
Moraga is also the champion of the Trilogy Championship Fighting Bantamweight and Rage in the Cage Bantamweight fights.
"I'm most proud of actually setting a goal, going through the hard times and sticking with it," he said. "Coming up as a local fighter, it's hard to get the training. There's a lot of obstacles. I had to stay really focused."
In December, the UFC will host its first official fight in Phoenix at U.S. Airways Center, and Moraga is excited to fight on that card.
He said he is proud of the presence of ASU alumni in the UFC and the success they've brought to the sport.
"Collectively, we're showing people our warrior spirit and the fight and determination that we have," Moraga said. "When opportunities are presented to us we can make something of it. Hopefully we can show younger generations the same thing and give them an example."
Reach the sports editor at icbeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @ICBeck21
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