Concordia student and undefeated flyweight Tommy “Rambo” Morrisson hopes to arrive in the UFC sooner rather than later, all while pursuing his education
Born and raised in Montreal, Tommy “Rambo” Morrisson is slowly becoming a household name within Quebec’s MMA world.
He started off his career as a 9-1 amateur fighter before graduating to Samourai MMA, a Quebec-based promotion, and now holds a 3-0 professional record after his decisive win over Edwin Daniel Martinez Correa on March 11. With another notch on his belt, he’s now looking at returning for Samourai MMA 6 at the end of May in Sherbrooke.
The most interesting aspect of the 23-year-old’s life isn’t only the fact that he’s a highly touted prospect, but he’s also a part-time student at Concordia University, pursuing a degree in computer engineering.
Balancing two completely different career paths can be difficult, but not for Morrisson.
“I think the key is to balance everything well and be disciplined,” he said. “You have [to] cut time in other areas. For example, I don’t really go out. I see my friends sometimes, but when I’m in camp I don’t see them all that much. I train two, three times a day, six to seven days a week so I only take three classes per semester which makes it all possible for me.”
Even with the ultimate goal of fighting in the UFC, Morrisson will continue his studies until he gets his degree.
“I don’t want to stop doing both, even if a big opportunity comes up I still want to get my degree,” he said. “I want to finish my bachelor’s degree, but my goal is to be a professional fighter in the UFC or any of the big leagues.”
Juggling the hectic life of a student along with being a professional athlete is difficult, but Morrisson knew this was his path long before his first amateur fight in 2017.
“I started approximately 10 years ago by doing judo, then jiu jitsu, wrestling, boxing and then I put it all together and started doing MMA at Tristar,” he said. “I really like working out of Tristar because the guys have a lot of experience, but I tend to train at other gyms as well to gain even more knowledge all around Montreal. I also train with kickboxing strawweight world champion Jonathan Di Bella.”
Morrisson’s dedication to his craft has led him to be one of the highest-ranked flyweights in all of Canada. His experience with every martial art has turned him into a very well-rounded fighter and “a specialist in everything,” as he put it.
“I always train multiple disciplines, I’m comfortable fighting in any style and I know I can get the fight wherever I want.”
Even though being an undergraduate student has its disadvantages, Morrisson hasn’t let them stop him from remaining undefeated with another dominant win versus Martinez Correa at Samourai MMA 5. Morrisson’s relentless pressure, technical kickboxing, and perfectly executed takedowns led him to his third straight professional victory, but it wasn’t without a bit of adversity.
“I was surprised by how tough he was,” said Morrisson. “He got out of two submissions. I thought he would try to wrestle me a little bit more.”
By getting his hand raised again, Morrisson proved that it’s all credited to his hard work, vigorous training, and commitment. He’s always looking to further the pursuit of his goals.
“I’d love to fight [UFC flyweight champion] Brandon Moreno one day,” Morrisson said boldly. “I look up to him and if he’s still there when I get to the UFC, I’d love to get a chance to fight him. I look up to Khabib Nurmagomedov as well for his hard work, discipline, and humbleness. I think in my everyday life I try my best to recreate everything he’s done.”
Those are definitely some big shoes to fill, but Morrisson only has one goal in mind:
“I want to be remembered as the best.”
