Combat sports fans cheer as the stadium roars to life while the fighters prepare for the fight. Fans start cheering louder as soon as they hear the walkout music. The bell rings; it is fighting time.
Zach Russ is a professional MMA fighter who graduated from Highlands High School in 2025. Russ has been doing combat sports for 5 years, starting with wrestling at Highlands in 2024. He ended his senior year of wrestling 40-10. With this record, Russ was able to go second at regionals. He also qualified for the KHSAA state tournament in 2025.
With these accomplishments, there must be a lot of challenges for most fighters. Russ is different because he showed his dedication by never skipping a single practice.
“Zach always wanted to go to practice. He was really excited for every single practice,” his father Jeff Russ said.
With all of these accomplishments so early in his career it is critical to be a good student in school. If an athlete does not have good grades then they will not be able to compete at meets. This can put a wrestler at a disadvantage, as if they can’t compete then they lose the match automatically.
“He was incredibly motivated to be successful at wrestling and fighting but in the classroom he had a great sense of humor and he kept me on my toes and everyday was an adventure,” English teacher Katie Stewart said.
With this incredible motivation he had to be just as motivated in the classroom. He was able to keep up with his grades and able to go to regionals and qualify for the Kentucky state tournament.
This type of commitment requires a lot of mental strength. It takes a lot of mental toughness to go through so much conditioning, and there is a special strength required to allow people to punch someone.
“I was first scared about him getting punched at first but once he got better and his coaches worked with him I was less afraid,” Jeff said.
With all the dedication it takes to compete in the world of fighting, it can bring the fighter towards brand deals and endorsements from even bigger companies with even bigger paychecks. “It was a one fight contract with the expectation that I sign the contract,” Russ said.
The fight happened on Oct. 18 and this event ended in 38 second K/O after the fight Russ signed a full contract with Ohio Combat League, a company notorious for signing amateur fighters looking for a chance to go pro.
“Ohio Combat League signs fighters like myself trying to make it big in this sport,” Russ said.
With all these major accomplishments, Russ’s career looks strong. It will be interesting to see what Russ will accomplish later in his career.
