MIXED MARTIAL ARTS PRO USES SACRAMENT MEETING FOR INSPIRATION

TACOMA, WA—Jeremy “Meat Locker” Lasater, winner of three Ultimate Fighting Championship titles, revealed earlier this week that much of his inspiration comes from LDS Sacrament meetings.  Though Lasater is not himself a Mormon, about six years ago, when he was dating Mormon MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) professional Brenda “Death Match” Simpson, she persuaded Lasater to attend one Sunday.  Lasater reported, “that Sunday changed my life and my career.”  When asked to elaborate, Lasater said, “I saw a 3 year-old girl use moves on her 8 year-old brother that I hadn’t even seen in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  It was amazing.”

Though Lasater’s relationship with Simpson ended in 2007, he has continued to attend LDS Sunday meetings regularly.  Lasater attributes much of his success over those years to the inspiration found there.  “In 2009,” Lasater stated, “at the World Extreme Cagefight, the ‘ground-and-pound’ move that I used was something I had seen the previous Sunday at a ward in Billings, Montana.  [There is] nothing like a Valiant 8 finally losing it on a twin brother—I mean BAM—head-to-pew-to-floor and OVER!  Wow, it gets me excited just thinking about it.” 

Lasater’s attendance at LDS sacrament meetings has obviously caught the attention of many missionaries.  He admits that he felt drawn to many of the pictures in earlier editions of the Book of Mormon, but has not felt a need to formally join.  When asked about being baptized, Lasater stated that “I know how much the church means to its members, and if I could always work in the Nursery, I mean, YES, what a training ground, but from my point of view, the best things that people like Rulon Gardner and Vai Sikahema got from being Mormon are techniques and toughness.  I’m not sure I need to be baptized to get that.”

When asked about professional wrestling, Lasater admits the draw.  He explained, “I have thought long and hard about professional wrestling.  I’m not into the costumes, glitz, and the acting, but I have seen a Sunbeam do things with a hymnbook that I would LOVE to try out on another human being.”