Kahnawake’s own David Beauvais improved to 2-0 this past weekend with an impressive decision victory over Attosh Rasooli as the two headlined Saturday night’s Montreal Fight League (MFL) 30 event.
The three-round fight in the 135-pound class was the mixed martial arts (MMA) debut for Rasooli and only the second MMA fight of Beauvais’s budding career after defeating Tyler Sole in his debut in September.
The victory did not come easily, according to Beauvais.
“It was a surprisingly tough fight, actually. I like going in and knocking opponents out, but he just wasn’t going down,” said Beauvais, 30.
Beauvais credits several key adjustments he and his corner made with giving him the edge needed to win the fight.
“I wanted to cut the ring off and use my right hand, but when it came to round two, my coach advised me to circle to my right and not my left, and that was a huge adjustment,” said Beauvais.
Beauvais’ journey began almost a decade ago, when he began training in Kahnawake with primarily a grappling background. Several years later, he had developed enough skills and confidence to expand his skills to striking, and soon he set his sights on fighting at an amateur level.
“Eventually, after feeling comfortable levelling up my striking skills, I figured maybe I could give this MMA thing a try,” said Beauvais.
For Beauvais, the leap to the amateur level was one he was able to make thanks in part to his coach Richard Ho, who owns the H20 Gym in Montreal.
“I met Richard two years ago after his gym reopened… It took a while to get Richard to focus on me, but as soon as he found out I wanted to actually fight, he put his attention towards me and helped me make the adjustments I needed to make,” said Beauvais.
In September of last year, Beauvais made his amateur debut at MFL 24, defeating Tyler Sole via technical knockout (TKO) in the first round – though Beauvais did not leave the ring unscathed.
“My first fight lasted only one minute, and I still had a busted eye with a huge cut,” said Beauvais.
Beauvais was then scheduled to fight again in February but had to withdraw due to a respiratory illness and was then scheduled for MFL 30 against Rasooli.
Beauvais has his sights set on returning to the ring in Kahnawake some time soon.
“I eventually want to be a champion, not only in the amateurs but in the pros. There’s FightQuest in Kahnawake, and I have my eyes set on it…it would mean everything to me. That’s the dream, to fight at home in front of everyone,” said Beauvais.
Still early in his career, Beauvais says fighting has already had a massive influence on his life.
“I can’t imagine myself without this lifestyle. It showed me discipline, it improved my work ethic, and it’s been a very positive influence on my life,” said Beauvais.
Asked about what advice he would impart to aspiring martial artists, Beauvais had some impassioned words of encouragement.
“I would encourage people to give it a try. I know many people are anxious when they think about going to a gym, but in my experience the gym is one of the most friendly and encouraging environments,” said Beauvais.
“If you’re thinking about pursuing it, it’s either ‘day one’ or ‘one day,’ so give it a try and see how you feel,” said Beauvais.
This article was originally published in print on Friday, July 14, in issue 32.28 of The Eastern Door.
