Lake Ariel's own Matt Leslie continues building his MMA resume

BETHLEHEM — It’s a well-known axiom that we learn much more in life from our failures than from our successes.

That’s especially true in the realm of athletics, where one heartbreaking defeat can provide motivation which catapults us to electrifying victories.

This past weekend, Matt Leslie experienced the truth of that axiom firsthand. A former All-Star wrestler at Western Wayne, Leslie embarked on a career in mixed martial arts shortly after graduation.

On Saturday night, Leslie traveled to Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem to compete on the amateur card at Maverick MMA 23. Unfortunately for the dedicated group of local fans who made the trip, Leslie suffered a disappointing loss at the hands of highly-regarded Matt Hammerstone.

However, rather than dwelling on the details of his defeat, the 20-year-old fighter chose to focus on the bigger picture, along with the bright future he envisions for himself.

“It was absolutely a learning experience for me,” Matt said. “I definitely feel the loss wasn’t due to a lack of skill, but more a lack of composure and discipline in the hectic exchanges. I will only get better from this.”

With Saturday’s setback, Leslie’s overall amateur record fell to 3-2-0. Pending the results of a medical examination, he is tentatively slated to be back in the cage later this summer.

If all goes according to plan, Leslie will take on Tayvonne Thomas in a much-anticipated bantamweight battle at Cage Wars 59.

“I am very optimistic and excited for the future,” Matt said. “The sky is the limit! As long as I keep working hard and stay the course, there’s no way I can’t accomplish everything I want.”

Varsity mat dominance

Matt is the son of David and Tara Leslie. He grew up in Lake Ariel and attended Western Wayne, graduating in 2021.

Leslie was an outstanding wrestler during his high school career. Over the course of four years on the varsity mat, he piled up more than 100 wins and captured a pair of individual district championships. In addition, he earned three trips to the Northeast Regional tournament.

The highlight of Leslie’s Wildcat career came during his junior year when he posted an eye-popping 42-6 record, finished second at regionals, and advanced to states.

While the pandemic wiped out nearly all of his senior season, Leslie still managed to compile an 11-3 mark and punch his ticket to the 100-Win Club.

After graduation, Leslie’s plan had been to attend Lackawanna College to study and continue wrestling. However, COVID once continued to disrupt normal life and he was forced to pivot.

Leslie returned to Lake Ariel, got a job and began training in earnest for a career in mixed martial arts. He’d been involved in Jiu Jitsu since the age of five, so combining those skills with grappling seemed natural.

At this point, Leslie embraced a challenging training regimen which he maintains to this day. He journeys to Apex Combat Sports in Binghamton four days a week and also spends two days at Gracie NEPA in Olyphant where he's both a student and instructor.

Leslie devotes countless hours to the study of Jiu Jitsu, boxing, kick-boxing, grappling and wrestling. He takes just one day a week off, remaining laser-focused on his ambitious goals at all times.

“I really fell in love with the emotional and physical roller-coaster MMA takes you on,” Matt said. “I just love the whole process of the fight and everything that leads up to it.”

Scintillating slugfest

That quote provides a perfect segue into the main thrust of our story, which is Leslie’s latest battle in the cage.

This past Saturday, he traveled Bethlehem to compete at Maverick MMA 23. There, he went toe-to-toe with undefeated Matt Hammerstone.

A former standout wrestler at Bloomsburg University, Hammerstone fights out of White Haven. He’s 28-years-old and the winner of his first four amateur bouts.

“I wanted to go out and be patient,” Matt said of his pre-fight strategy. “I was looking to pick my moments to attack wisely and mix in the grappling with the striking to give him more to think about.”

Unfortunately for Leslie, that’s not exactly how the bout unfolded. Both fighters came out with guns blazing … a fact which the crowd loved, but ultimately ended up costing the Lake Ariel lad dearly.

Leslie struck first, unloading a flurry of punches that hurt Hammerstone and had him back pedaling. Sensing the possibility of an early knockout, Leslie pressed the assault. All his opponent could do was cover up and hold on in an effort to survive.

Much to the chagrin of Leslie’s fans, Hammerstone did indeed survive and eventually launched a counterattack. For a few moments it looked like Leslie had an answer for everything thrown at him, but then the tide turned quickly and decisively.

Hammerstone connected on a pair of devastating liver shots which caused Leslie to lose his wind. His opponent rode him down to the canvas, unleashing a series of punches that caused the referee to stop the action and award Hammerstone a first round TKO.

“It definitely didn’t go as expected from a strategy standpoint,” Matt said. “I ended up rushing, trying to finish him off when I had him hurt. That led to me leaving myself open to the body strikes.

“What surprised me was we expected him to shoot for a takedown knowing he was a former D1 wrestler. Instead, he just kept moving on his feet, staying composed and throwing strikes back.”

Battle for a belt

Leslie won’t have long to dwell on this disappointing loss, since his next scheduled fight is less than a month away.

If he receives a green light from the MMA medical team, he’ll be right back in the cage Friday, July 7. Leslie is slated to battle Tayvonne Thomas at the Rivers Casino in Cage Wars 59.

On the line will be the vacant bantamweight amateur crown.

“I am definitely looking to capture this title and keep the momentum going facing tough fighters,” Matt said emphatically.

Thomas is 23-years-old and hails from Albany (NY). He fights out of Atlas Jiu Jitsu and boasts an unblemished 5-0-0 record. His most recent fight came a little less than a year ago and resulted in a first round TKO of Anthony Alvarado (2-1-0).

While Thomas boasts some impressive stats, he stands just 5-6 and weights 145 pounds. At 5-10, Leslie should enjoy a distinct advantage in size and reach.

“He is a short and stocky guy, so I would like to pick him apart from the outside,” Matt said. “When he tries to close the distance, I want to mix in my grappling and keep him guessing with a variety of attacks.

“I am at my best when I mix all of my skill sets together and not get tunnel visioned on just using one.”

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Former Wildcat wrestling standout Matt Leslie preps for MMA title shot