MATT “THE RIOTMAKER” BAKER

CLUB: Revolution
AGE: 25
HOMETOWN: Kamloops, BC
TRAINS AT: Langley, BC Canada
HEIGHT: 6’0
WEIGHT: 205 lbs
MMA RECORD: (w-L-D)  3-1-0
STYLE: Brawler
STRENGTHS: Very Aggresive & explosive hard hitter

Matt the  “Riotmaker”  Baker is the definition of a born fighter. After surviving a childhood rough enough to make Dr. Phil quit his job, he’s turned his life around and is setting world records in MMA fighting.  At a young age Matt escaped a badly abusive home, he was in and out of foster homes, the court system and at one point even living on the streets. It’s a miracle he is with us here today. “I went through a lot of rough shit as a kid,  I hate to say it but I hear stories about when other people were kids and I think… that’s it?!”

When Matt was 12 he came into the  hands of two amazing foster parents, Ed and Antoinette Smeeton, “I remember the first day I met the Smeetons, Ed picked me up from another foster home that couldn’t handle me and they brought me into their home. At that time their was 8 boys living in the house – it was nuts!  We were always fighting and causing trouble.”   Matt’s new parents noticed quickly under all his trouble-making and mischief his natural talent for sports. Matt’s size and aggression made him a great athlete and he excelled at playing rep lacrosse, national rugby and junior football. “The Semeetons are my real family, they were the only ones that could put up with all my shit. I think I’d be in jail today if it wasn’t for them.”

“For years I was a scrapper until one day I just had enough and decided it was time to change. I wanted to be a good role model to my brothers…”

Matt started kickboxing under World Champion Tom Laroche as a teen but gave it up for the love of football. He hadn’t stepped into a gym again until he was 25. Matt started training again at a kickboxing club in Grande Prairie, Alberta after his anger management councilor, of all people, gently encouraged him to check it out.  “It’s kind of a funny story, one day I decided to change my trouble-making ways so I decided to see a councilor who happened to also be a pastor.  He told me that his friend owned a boxing club and he thought it would be good therapy, so I joined.”   Sonney Galea the owner of the G.P Boxing Club was quick to take Matt under his wing immediately noticing his potential. “MMA saved my life. Before I started training, I was on a destructive path, I didn’t care about anything or even myself. I was always an athlete but having the badboy reputation got me the girls. For years I was a scrapper until one day I just had enough and decided it was time to change. I wanted to be a good role model to my brothers. Sonney gave me the keys to the club and sometimes if I was mad or just instead of going to the bar I would just hit the bags. Sometimes even at two in the morning.”

Matt soon upped his training and joined Champions Choice Fight Team out of Kamloops, BC under Coach Chad Belwood. Matt made his MMA debute a memorable one with a controversial WORLD RECORD SETTING SIX SECOND KNOCKOUT. Over Brandon Sauve. “ It’s 40% loved and 60% hated out but 100% talked about.” said Baker, “I ran across the cage and he just took a step with his hand out and stood there with his eyes closed. I paused a second before I hit him.  It will definitely make him remember the rule – protect yourself at all times.”

Matt is now a member of the Revolution Fight Team out of Surrey, BC. joining the team after suffering his first loss to Clay Davidson. After dominating the fight for the first two minutes and inflicting heavy damage to Davidson with a flurry of blows that left his face busted and bleeding, Baker took the loss by rolling into a guillotine choke. Oddly enough,  Baker didn’t even take a punch to the face from Davidson but the fight was called.  “The fight was sort of short notice, I was on vacation relaxing at my cabin at over 220 pounds and I only had 5 days to train and to get down to 205. So…… I may have been a little unprepared, but I think the loss was good for me. Back then I had no ground game, now I train with the BEST guys and I train harder than ever before because of it.”

Matt now works with UFC vet Bill Mahood, Jiu-jitsu phenom and DREAM11 Featherweight Champ of the World Bibiano Fernandez, Canadian Olympic Wrestler Colin Davies, Muai Thai K1 fighter Paul Lalonde, MMA legend Jose-pele Landi jhons and three time UFC fighter Jason Day. “I love where I am right now, these guys are molding me not just to be a great fighter but a better person. I’ve changed my whole attitude and look on life since coming here. Guys like Bibby and Kajan Jhonson are such positive influences, it’s hard to not become a better person.“

Everyone Matt trains with says he can make it big, after Matt makes his impact on the MMA world, he would like to be a foster parent, and coach kids sports and MMA. “I would really like to help kids that might be going through some of the hardships I did. Martial arts taught me discipline, commitment and how to work hard with a competitive spirit.”

Matt donates some of his purse money from every fight to the youth homeless shelter – check it out online at www.gpyes.com also check the Riotmaker on his Facebook fan page or www.epic.com and obviously read about his upcoming fights in HOT MAGAZINE.

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