Chatham-Kent MMA Profile: Justin Steele

Editors Note: See Justin Steele’s ICAD fights by from mid-September and read results by clicking here.

Armstrong Submissions / Gracie Barra Chatham fighter Justin Steele has his feet firmly planted but his sights set high and that is no easy feat for a young fighter these days. I met and caught up with the Gracie Barra jiu-jitsu fighter a few weekends ago in Brampton. Here is what he had to say.

“First I started boxing, and I took a few fights but I figured that wasn’t my thing.”

Steele said when I asked him how he got started in jiu-jitsu. His response was a clear sign of a kid with brains as you can’t get hit in the head in jiu-jitsu and there is no striking allowed at all.

“Then I started watching MMA, so I started to get MMA training in 2009 and then like a year after that I kinda just decided to stick with jiu-jitsu and just do that.”

Trying those different types of fighting makes Steele a well-rounded fighter and he is certainly not a one- dimensional jiu-jitsu fighter either. At the Bravado open last weekend I saw Steele win three fights, one by armbar, one by a nice kimura and the finals with a beautiful triangle submission.

When I asked him who he looks up to in the world of jiu-jitsu he easily came back with fellow Gracie Barra fighter and Strikeforce competitor Roger Gracie. Steele also gave an easy answer when I asked him how far he wants to take it with competitive jiu-jitsu.

“Next summer I want to try and take a run at the world championships in the 16 to 17-year old division in California.”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avrHSCJd6MI

Next up for Steele is a tournament in Ottawa on October 15th.

Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist at CKSN.ca  (Also a Featured Columnist for Bleacher
Report MMA and a correspondent for MMACanada.net).

Catch him on Twitter @wakafightermma