UFC lightweight Jared Gordon returns to New York City to retrace his incredible journey from homelessness and addiction – to performing on MMA’s biggest stage under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
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In the midst of UFC 295 at the iconic Madison Square Garden lightweight Contender Jared Gordon realized a dream achieving victory in the very same building where he had faced some of his most formidable challenges proving to be a fighter beyond the Octagon the New York City native shares his
Inspirational Journey from the streets to the Garden in fighter Focus New York City a City without a comp in the world we’re in the Big Apple for what has become an annual November showcase this is the place to see MMA this is the most iconic arena in all of Combat Sports history and tonight is a
Special night I have deep roots in New York City the city can make you or break you for me it did both I would walk by the garden and look up at it and think to myself one day I would fight there and win just like my grandfather did
Jared G told inspiration and what he’s dealt with on route to this UFC appearance tonight is nothing short of extraordinary if I having the opportunity to fight here in New York City means something to Jared Gordon I was going to have my Madison Square Garden moment oh m is down that’ll do it
He got it New York New York you made me my grandfather fought in the stadium four times I used to shoot heroin in Penn Station underneath this building now I’m fighting in it and knocking guys out you can do anything you want my whole family were New Yorkers
Through and through fighting in drugs running my family and we have a deep history with it both my grandfather is salvator forell he grew up here in Harlem he was a pro boxer he fought mostly in and around New York City he had some pretty big fights aggressive spidery looking near the end
Of the first round now and he almost FLW him then the Challenger has been forcing all the way Not only was my grandfather a pro boxer but he was also a bit of a gangster my grandfather was involved with organized crime and he was dealing heroin at the
Time he died young he died drinking smoking all the way to the Grave he didn’t have the tools to get the help that he needed to have a fruitful life I was born in Manhattan and I spent the first half of my life in Rosen Heights Rosen Heights is very affluent
Neighborhood on the North Shore of Long Islands my father did very well he was a blue collared guy he owned a Wholesale Hardware company he started as a mom and pop and they grew it into a corporation I lived in a big lofty house
With a pool and we had three cars I had everything that a kid could ask for my parents gave us everything that we wanted 8 years old I went to a Sleepaway Camp in Pennsylvania I was sexually assaulted there by a male counselor I can remember the the pain sounds smells The
Taste and those are like Those feelings will never go away and will forever be etched in my memory it was a really really dark time for Me I remember coming home from Camp that summer I would get like a flashback of when it happened to me I always remember thinking like I don’t want to think about this like I don’t want to feel this so drugs became an easy way for me to to numb the
Pain when I started doing different drugs I was 9 years old I was really young first was Weed and Alcohol everything I did was to bury my feelings I just wanted it to go away we ended up moving to aoria Queens I’m in a urban area complete
Culture shock I had to start over in a new high school I was off most of the kids that I was friends with and that I was hanging out with were all you know kind of like Knuckleheads and my buddy was like yo let’s go box let’s go to the boxing
Gym The Ultimate Fighter had just premiered Stephan boner farest Griffin it’s got to been the craziest War I think I’ve ever seen and I just fell in love with the sport man what a finish I started training MMA and I hurt my neck I wanted the pain to go away I took
Some biking in and that quickly led me to like full-blown opiate addiction I was 22 when I went to my first Treatment Center I met two guys in there they showed me how to use needles and I had my first lnd of heroin when I started using IV drugs my my life quickly
Deteriorated there’s no functionality in shooting drugs your life quickly gets out of control eventually I came back home to Queens there came a point in time where my parents weren’t going to enable me anymore it’s either you get help or you get out of our house and I would be like
All right then I’ll get out and I would be on the street trying to figure it out at first it was like selling drugs but then my addiction got so bad I became my best customer I would take the subway from Queens and I would always get off at Pen
Station I would find areas to get high in I would find a bathroom and I would use the stall to get high I would go in there with my needles and I would shoot up in there there came a point in time where I was pan handling that was obviously on my lowest
I would do anything to get money stealing from stores robbing drug dealers I did get arrested once for home invasion robbery felony battery and I was facing 25 to Life having MMA in my life was like an anchor for me and it gave me a purpose like I knew I
Wanted to be in youc I was using when I was an amateur but when I made my Pro debut I was sober for about a month I got it done out I won my Pro debut I was training and fighting and winning fights Jared unloading might be
Able to finish here the only way that I was winning fights was if I was sober had a big fight in Atlantic City and I broke my orbital oh I said that and that could be it with that overhand right from L doctor stopped it due to
The swelling I had emergency surgery and spent the next 5 days in the hospital they’re giving me morphine for a week and I’m a recovering Heron addict I came out and I Relapsed on Christmas Eve of 2015 I had my third and final overdose I went to a motel and went on like the Bender of my life what I gather is that I crash into a death with a lamp and I made a bunch of noise and the neighbors had called
The front desk or the cops and the cops came up to the room they brought me to the hospital right here I fell asleep at the hospital for about 12 hours I woke up the next day I went to detox that night and I’ve been sober ever
Since that was my last run I used so hard I just came to the point where I was done I couldn’t do it anymore I Was Defeated MMA definitely was a reason for me to stay sober I love competing I love the sport of MMA it gave me a reason to stay
Disciplined and to not use or relapse I just want to be happy man with great honor to be able to bestow this black belt on him today and Jared Gordon if you could please come forward [Applause] I carry the suffering and the torture that I put myself through into my
Training and into my fights a year into my sobriety I fought bill alio on the Dana White looking for a fight show Dana White was in the crowd scouting me this is the one Dana the pressure was definitely on this be my big moment holy I love the way he
Pressed the action I was impressed with him I did a great job I won the fight it’s all good what do you think you want to do this I’m born for this you want to do this I need to do this have to do this yeah you’re in your Prime right now
Got a good record I’ll call you thank you sir we got a deal brother thanks much all right Jared Flash Gordon making the walk for his UFC day he tweeted last week 18 months ago I was shooting Kraken heroin in a motel by Queens bridge projects now
I’m signed to the UFC # anything is possible I’ve been through a lot of situations I’ve been in places that are far worse than any other feeling that I’ve ever felt you come to a point in a fight where you’re like should I throw the towel in and I’ve never even
Contemplated that in my life and I think I get that from all the suffering that I went through Jared Gordon trying to finish this fight and there is it Jared Flash Gordon a winner in his UFC debut being able to persevere and get through all that definitely
Correlates into fighting you can be the Hammer of the now you can be humiliated or you can be celebrated good shots to the body excellent work there’s no high like it there’s no drug like it Jared Gordon spoke about how this fills the void oh nice shot by Jared
Gordon oh heard him mson is down yeah that’ll do it the New York moment for Jared Flash Gordon wow New York City it’s a huge part of who I am now that I fought in Madison Square Garden and one fashionable style the next step is getting ranked and then becoming
Champion life is amazing now every day I wake up and I’m so happy to be alive no matter how far down the hole you think you are or what you’re struggling with there’s always light at the end of the tunnel the main thing that you can do is find your higher
Power because at one point or another you can’t rely on anything else you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it and have a little faith in [Applause] God
20 Comments
This is why I never sent my son to camp. Too many damn horror stories of gross perverted men doing stuff to kids. Glad to see Jared was able to make it out of his dark times.
knew i liked this guy, but never knew his story.. even more respect for him now
Childhood trauma is the root cause of so many problems in society. Behind every addict, prostitute, murderer or gangster is a tale of childhood abuse, trauma or neglect. Untreated emotional, physical and psychological pain more often than not leads to addiction. Often that trauma is passed down through families and the cycle of trauma and addiction continues.
Jared was lucky that wheh he hit rock bottom he was able to get into detox, could pay for it or have someone pay it for him and had MMA to focus on. Many people in his situation have none of that and unfortunately end up dead.
Great sorry
Amazing
meg got cake
Rom 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 6:23
For the wages of sin is death;
Psalms 9:17
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Acts 8:37
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Rom 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Corinthians 15:3-4
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
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Thankyou.
I can relate to Jared so much. Ive been there many times. Countless times. But through hard work, ive been 5 years sober. Thank god
Super inspiring 😊
Bro swept paddy 3-0. One of the biggest robberies in recent history.
This is beautiful and something to admire, thank you for sharing your story Gordon
Jared is such a warrior.
Sharing his abuse is so brave and takes such strength.
God bless you brother.
Fair play to the guy, inspiring story.
From robbing houses to being robbed from the judges
Can I share mine? Oh yeah no one cares…😅
What an inspiration dude this literally touched my heart
I have a different appreciation for this man now. Beautiful story
The fact that he beat not only drug addiction, but sexual assault as a child is incredible…💯😢
He came from a good home but all it takes is one bad day/event to send you on downward spiral. Jared is a strong person for sharing his journey and overcoming his demons.