Dundalk Hawks Coach-Turned MMA Fighter Wins Second Bout

Mike Young has an impressive wrestling pedigree, winning two state titles while competing for Sparrows Point. His accomplishments earned him a scholarship to the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, where he started his freshman year and qualified for the NCAA tournament.

Eventually, a leg injury ended his collegiate career, but Young returned to coach the Dundalk Hawks, a position he holds to this day.

He began wrestling for the Dundalk Hawks in 1986 when he was 6 years old.

“My older brother Kevin Young starred for the Pointers and I wanted to be just like him,” said Young. “He had the career wins record before I broke it.”

Saturday night the Edgemere resident and Sparrows Point High School alum took his second crack at a new sport: mixed martial arts.

Fighting in his second amateur MMA bout against Jason Maccari as part of a Stellar Fights card on Saturday night at Delaware State Fairgrounds, Young moved to his record to 2-0.

Young earned his first win with a third round-submission of Joey Coleman (1-3). Young took the taller fighter down several times in the first and second rounds. He won by reversing a Coleman leg triangle choke into an Ezekiel choke, forcing Coleman tap out.

The Saturday card was billed as “Collision at the Casino” and featured six title fights and 15 fights in total.

"I threw some good punches in the first round," said Young. "I also was able to body slam him several times."

As a Hawk youth wrestler, Young wrestled under coach Bob Crandell, who spent 18 seasons in the Dundalk Hawks' junior league program before taking over at Sparrows Point. Young joined with a talented group of junior league wrestlers that would write their names all over the Maryland state wrestling record books.

Teammates included Tommy Free, who also won a pair of 1A/2A state titles at Sparrows Point; J.R. Plienis, who won three MIAA private school state titles at the McDonogh School; Sean Mryncza, who won a private school state title at Archbishop Curley as a freshman before running into personal troubles after transferring home to Sparrows Point; and Gary Maynor, who twice placed in the 1A/2A Maryland state tourney.

Free, who now is the assistant coach for the Sparrows Point varsity team, faced off against Young every day in practice from the time they were 6 until they were winning their second state crowns together as Pointer seniors.

“We became mirror images of each other,” said Free. “He has excellent defense and I had great offense. I think it will be hard for his MMA opponents to take him down.”            

Free credits the popularity of MMA as helping build high school programs.

“We are getting more kids trying out for high school wrestling,” said Free. “I think that is attributable to kids seeing high caliber wrestlers who are succeeding in the UFC. I think it is a shame though that many collegiate wrestling teams are folding.”

Young took over the Dundalk Hawks junior league wrestling program in 1999 and has been the head coach since then, despite some trying times. In 2000, Young was arrested and convicted for dealing marijuana.

“That was a real wake-up call for me,” said Young. “When Baltimore County police kicked in my door with riot shields and guns drawn, I knew I had to change my life.”

He clung to wrestling and the love of his newborn daughter to get him through his ordeal. He has not been charged with a crime since.

Young, who has found it hard to find work with a felony conviction on his record, began to think about fighting when Stellar Fights contacted him about eight months ago.

“At first I took it as a joke, but then the more and more I trained, the more I thought that I could have success at it,” said Young.

After winning his fight Saturday he will have a chance to fight for the Stellar Fights 147-pound amateur championship. From there, he’s begun considering turning pro and fighting in the next Shogun Fights production.

“If it wasn’t for my daughter and wrestling I would still be in jail,” said Young. “I’m just happy that the parents stuck by me and I can still coach the Hawks.”