Modern mixed martial arts has been around for a short period of time. While the roots of the sport can be traced back to the Gracie challenge or further yet back to the earliest Olympic Games, modern MMA is truly in its infancy stages.

 

The modern practice and understanding of MMA, as a fighter, promoter, or contributor in any way, they are all professions on a steep learning curve. Many of the theories found within the sport are decades if not centuries old, but in application to today’s sport most are still adjusting to the savage science.

 

One area that has not had to adapt quiet as much is one role that has been knee deep in combat sports since the beginning. The role of the cutman, the individual who wraps hands for warriors, and tends to their wounds. His job has remained relatively unchanged, but it still as vital today as it has ever been.

 

While the objective and approach has remained intact, the science and role of a cutman has been revolutionized as recently as the dawn of modern MMA. With men like Jacob Duran, known simply as “Stitch”, leading the way the job of the cutman will never be the same.

 

One of his esteemed colleagues recently sat down with Hurtsbad MMA and shed some light on this position of unsung heroes within MMA.

 

 They call him “Big Rob” and his reputation precedes him within combat arts circles. This is a guy who fighters have trusted to wrap their hands and nurse their war wounds for decades. He is a humble and exceptionally approachable individual but is every bit the legend his reputation says he is.

 

Rob Monroe has forgotten more about combat arts than many of us will ever know, and his wealth of knowledge has been procured over a prestigious career serving the purpose he takes so much pride in.

 

It was the distinct honor of Hurtsbad MMA’s Todd Jackson to earn a moment of Monroe’s time recently and talk about a vast number of topics. First of which was listening to “Big Rob” talk about how it all began.

 

He told Hurtsbad MMA, “It's kind of a mix. I did a little bit of kickboxing, really a lot of different martial arts. Muay Thai, Escrima, and Kanji Kendo which is a Hawaiian martial art that mixes a bunch of different stuff together.”

 

Monroe added, “I have just stayed in it my whole life. I started as a teenager. Through all those years I have met all the right people to have this happen. I never pulled out and it has taken me to where I'm at now. I think I have the best job in the world.”

 

To have the best job in the world you have to be one of the best at what you do. His expertise has earned him some once in a lifetime experiences to reflect on. He spoke about one that might ring a bell with many fight fans.

 

A certain duo of MMA legends recently put on one of the greatest bouts this sport has ever seen. “Hendo” vs. “Shogun” was a fight that featured what two war hardened vets laying all their pride on the line.

 

And yes fight fans, that pun was intended.

 

Anyway, Monroe was in an extremely unique position that evening when Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua touched gloves and went to war at UFC 139. The staff at Hurtsbad listened in awe as he looked back on the experience.

 

Monroe explained, “That fight was cool. I didn't work the fight but I wrapped “Shogun's” hands. I'm sitting in front of this guy, and I'm a fan like anybody else, and I'm just thinking 'Oh my god'. I mean this guy is big to me, he came over from Pride and I was a huge fan of Pride. I just hold the guy at legendary status. Even though he is still basically young, and was really young back then, I was just in awe of the way the guy fought.”

 

He went on to say, “So he came over, and those guys had mixed results when they came over it was kind of weird. But I still held him as one of the highest guys up there. So wrapping his hands really blew me away. He was real happy with it. It's too bad he didn't get the win, but that doesn't really matter to me. That was a highlight as far as hand wrapping.”

 

Wrapping hands is only one aspect of “Big Rob’s” career. The other is obviously working the cuts and wounds a fighter sustains when they go to work. Monroe explained it’s not only working marquee match ups that he looks back on fondly.

 

Monroe told Todd Jackson, “As far as working cuts, the highlights for me aren't necessarily the top fights. I mean I was in Cain Velasquez's corner when he fought Brock Lesnar but I didn't do any work, you know what I mean? That's the biggest fight that I have done but the top for me was when I worked with Dennis Siver two different times.”

 

“Big Rob” talked further about his experiences with the UFC lightweight Siver. “He won two really close decisions where he was cut both times. Spencer Fisher and Matt Wiman were the two fights. I believe had I not stopped the cuts in those fights he could have lost a decision. You look like you're getting beat up if you're covered in blood. He got those cuts early on in both fights and I stopped them. He never bled again and he went on to win.”

 

He added, “He speaks German so we didn't really talk much back and forth but I think he really appreciated it. So it doesn't necessarily have to be this huge marquee fighter. But when you make a difference like that, and I fully believe I played a part in both of those, that is what is most gratifying to me.”

 

Speaking of talking to a fighter Hurtsbad asked Monroe is he is responsible for calming a fighter in light of a deep cut where a fighter may need to be reassured all is well regardless of the cut.

 

He explained, “We don't really talk to the guy. There are occasions where you do but you're trying to get him in a position where you can work the cut. Some guys will get cut and freak out because they have never been cut before and it becomes a huge concern. Other guys can get cut bad and they may not even realize it. They know they are bleeding but it's not a concern at all.”

 

The job of the cutman is simply to address the cut. “Typically we are going to talk to the cornermen. We get on the right side to work it efficiently. We just tell the guy to settle down and lean back against the cage.”

 

Monroe added, “The majority of the guys know we have spent enough time in it and they kind of rest in that a little bit.”

 

The fighters trust these guys. They know them and work with them in a professional environment on a regular basis. This familiarity can develop memorable relationships. “Big Rob” talked about one relationship in particular which has become the platform for a legend within a legend.

 

The man’s legend speaks for itself, but he is known among fighters as a guy who has an element of Voodoo in his style when wrapping hands. Many top fighters seek the Voodoo wraps of “Big Rob” Monroe.

 

He told Hurtsbad the story behind the legendary hand wrapping style. “That's just something I adopted. It came from Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard. I wrapped his hands for five fights in a row in Bellator where he just completely stretched guys out, every single time. I mean knocking guys out. So he always asked for me to wrap his hands for his fights. I don't always do Bellator anymore but while I was there he always asked for me.”

 

Rob laughed and wrapped it up saying, “He told me one time 'You must have Voodoo in these hand wraps or something” and it just kind of stuck. It was a funny thing so I just adopted it and ran with it.”

 

These are but a few of the stories this pillar of the MMA community had to share with Hurtsbad and it is truly a shame we could not touch on them all but it gives fight fans a rare glimpse into an angle of MMA which is rarely seen outside the prep rooms or a fighter’s corner.

 

It was a tremendous honor for the staff of Hurtsbad to not only chat with Monroe but go on to share these amazing stories with our readers. “Big Rob” thank you for your time, it was unreal for a group of fight fans who hope to play a fraction of the role in MMA that you have.

 

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