The Diamond Shines in the Cage
The Autobiography of a mixed martial artist
Story by Jose Palacios // Video by Edward // Photos by G. Melesaine

I was born in Managua, Nicaragua in 1982. As a child my parents came to the States with my older brothers to avoid being drafted in the war that was taking place at the time. I remember seeing military vehicles with guns and tanks all over our neighborhood. By the age of nine years old, I can recall being in at least 30 fights already.

We used to get in rock fights, and well, it was a brawl everyday after school. In Nicaragua, we had to wear nice uniforms to school. Nicely dressed by the morning, then looking like the swamp thing when I got home. When I would come home my aunt Coni would be like, “You gotta be kidding me...Again?” Then I would get disciplined. Ha, ha I love her.

When we came to the States, everything was so different. It was so cold my bones hurt, and of course, the first thought that came to mind when I saw our new neighborhood was, “Who is the kid I have to take out?”   When we first got here we moved schools a lot because there were no ESL classes around. I was shocked the way kids talked back to the teachers. Back home we used to get disciplined. It was all different. Then we found one in Fremont. There were a lot of Hispanic kids so it was like being back home. Lots of fights again.

 We moved again due to an incident my little brother and I created with these two other brothers across the way. Let's just say it was bad enough we had to move. In junior high when all the kids from the different elementary schools came together and hormones kicked in, you know what that created: more fights. Things lost their fun when these kids would bring weapons, and kids were dying or getting really injured. I saw it as fighting with no honor and I didn't like that. I always liked to fight for the competition aspect of it. After that, I started talking my way out of situations. I can say that ever since I started doing martial arts, I haven't got into any situations like that again. Parents, that's something to think about.

Things slowed down once I got into high school.   People already knew I wasn't afraid to fight and I decided to join the wrestling team. I made varsity as a freshman, but to be honest, I hardly went to practice. The lifestyle I was in made it difficult for me to really focus. There were a lot issues at home, and sometimes instead of going to practice, I would go out with the older kids. I wrestled for only a couple of years. Boxing is what I always saw myself doing, not wrestling.

It wasn't until I graduated that I found martial arts. I started in a Wushu school down the street from my house doing San Shou, a style of stand up martial arts, but got kicked out. They pointed my way to Cung Le in San Jose. Cung Le is a world renowned fighter and martial arts trainer. It was either that or the military, and I was really considering going to the military. Luckily, everyone   was telling me not to go, so I decided to stay and train. Within the first six months I won Nationals, then a bunch of titles after that, including Fighter of the Year.

I fought in Vietnam in the World Games in 2005 and I came back with a bronze. My weight class was stacked with over 35 fighters in my weight class alone. I faced and defeated fighters from Brazil, China, and France. In my battle against France is when I got kicked in the eye and pretty much fought blind.   My next opponent was the guy that won the whole thing. He was one of the top fighters on the Chinese side. My corner didn't want to risk my eye getting permanently damaged and neither did the doctors. So I got pulled out of the tournament.   

When I came home, I got into college and later graduated with a Bachelors degree in visual and graphic design and met a wonderful woman that helped me get my small business up and running called ADP Graphics or Arte de Palacios. I am also fighting professionally in Mixed Martial Arts in the cage in San Jose. My first two MMA fights, I won with in the first round. One was a submission and the other a TKO (Technical Knock Out). My third fight, aww man. I broke my hand in the first round and had to keep fighting. I almost knocked the guy out with my same broken hand. I beat him by decision, and it was a mentally challenging fight. I haven't fought since, and that was over a year ago. Life is weird, when I all of a sudden couldn't do what I knew how to do.   It felt like I wasfalling apart.

I got my nickname “The Diamond” about this time through a friend of mine who came around at just at the right time. She was a friend I hadn't seen since high school, and she saw how bent out of shape I was. I had a break-up that hurt me bad with that special woman I mentioned earlier, which I brought upon myself. Anyway, my friend pretty much checked me and told me to get up and be who I was and who I am, a diamond in the rough. It stuck to me.

It's a rush being in the cage, yet at the same time, it's peaceful because it's where I feel comfortable. I still got a lot fight left in me and just can't wait to show the world, with the help of God of course. Even if it's not through fighting, one of my ultimate goals besides having a family of my own is to help guide kids who don't know where to go or where to turn to. I've been there, and still feel like that to this day. I currently volunteer at the Alum Rock Counseling Center. The struggle never ends, but if you have faith and see yourself doing something, do it. Don't be afraid to dream big.

Jose “The Diamond” Palacios's Championship Run:

•            2007 Young Guns MMA Champion (San Jose, CA)    

•            2006 Warrior's Cup Fighting winner (Stockton, CA)    

•            2006 Valor Fighting winner (Cache Creek)    

•            2006 Strikeforce Muay Thai Champion (San Jose, CA)    

•            2005 World Wushu Games San Shou Bronze Medalist (60 kg)    

•            2005 USAWKF USA San Shou Team Member    

•            2005 USH! Team Captain    

•            2005 USKBA World San Shou Champion (Welterweight)    

•            2005 IKF West Coast Muay Thai Champion (Welterweight)    

•            2005 ISKA California K-1 rules Champion (Super Welterweight)     

•            2004 USH! Team Captain    

•            2004 USH Fighter of the Year    

•            2004 IKF USA San Shou Champion (Welterweight)    

•            2004 ISKA California Muay Thai Champion (Welterweight)    

•            2003 USH! Team Captain    

•            2003 USH! Most Outstanding Fighter    

•            2003 USAWKF USA San Shou Team Alternate Member    

•            2003 Chinese Festival San Shou Gold Medalist    

•            2002 USH! Fighter of the Year     

•            2002 Art of War National San Shou Gold Medalist    

•            2002 Art of War International San Shou Gold Medalist    

•            2002 Arnold Classic San Shou Gold Medalist    

•            2002 USAWKF National San Shou Gold Medalist    

•            2002 BORN TO FIGHT II Superfight Champion    

•            2002 USH Team Captain Jose

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