Asher Peyton is a Senior at Cashmere High School who is gunning for the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). The UFC is the biggest mixed martial arts organization in the world, with around 100 million fans. However, there are only roughly 600 active fighters, while roughly 1 million people aspire to make it. The road is brutal, complex, and both mentally and physically grueling; however, 17-year-old Asher Peyton believes all the hard work will be worth it in the end.
Peyton realized he wanted to pursue the UFC in his freshman year of high school after he started going to Axiom boxing gym and loved it; he also noted that he was very good at it almost immediately. However, his path has not been so straightforward. He had this to say when asked about his biggest setback: “The biggest thing stopping me is I have like 0 following, so I’m probably not gonna get a sponsor. To try and change this, I’ll probably start posting content and getting my name out there”.
With social media becoming more and more prominent each day, getting your name out there can be a game-changer. Asher Peyton follows a lot of UFC fighters; however, Matt Hamill is whom he looks up to the most. “I look up to Matt Hamill because I actually met him, and he’s a deaf fighter. I trained with him for a little bit, and he was really cool.”
Asher also talked about how Hamill motivated him to train ever harder and take it as seriously as possible. Peyton’s work ethic is a big reason he has gotten so far in boxing. He walked through his training day, which starts before school. “ I wake up at 5 am every morning to do cardio. This includes running, jump roping, and hitting the bag. I then go to school, and then I normally go to practice at 5.30 and then lift after.”
This regime has taken Asher’s boxing skills to a whole new level as of late, as he said he has improved in every facet of the sport. However, undoubtedly his biggest strength is…… “My overhand right, which is deadly”.
Asher Peyton isn’t your typical amateur boxer, as he doesn’t fight kids his height, weight, or age. He fights grown men. “ I spar about 4 times a month. I spar mostly with adults. This makes going up against people his size much easier. I normally fight guys that are like 6’4’’, so then when I fight somebody that’s like five, four, 120 like me, [it is a much easier fight].
Asher talked about losing his last fight, but how he learned a lot from the defeat, and that he has gotten a lot better since then. “I lost my last boxing match; however, [I felt like I fought really well.]”
Asher will continue his journey for the foreseeable future, and with his talent and discipline, great things are ahead.
