Former Royal High wrestler rises in MMA ranks

Moses Lake resident and former Royal High School champion wrestler, Omar Avelar, has done quite well for himself during the early stages of his career as a Mixed Martial Artist (MMA). Avelar hopes to teach the sport in Moses Lake.

by Alan Dale & Contributing Writer
| June 18, 2011 6:15 AM

MOSES LAKE - Othello's Omar Avelar has made quite a name for himself in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world in a short period of time.

The former state champion 130-pound wrestler for the Royal Knights back in 2008 Avelar, now 21, has been involved in MMA since he was 18 and had an amateur record of 12-2 before turning pro in June of 2010 and has held three different amateur titles.

He won two 135-pound and one 145-pound titles before his first professional fight in Bellingham for Fight Night Entertainment (FNE) which Avelar won by knockout in 30 seconds.

The young man won his first two professional fights by knockout and that opened some doors immediately.

"Because of my great performance in my first two fights, FNE offered me a title fight against Freddy Ortega fighting out of former UFC champion Jens Pulver's gym," Avelar said.

In the end, Avelar went the distance and won fight by major decision as he won all the five rounds to take the 135-pound Champion Belt.

Since that monumental evening, Avelar won his first title defense by submission due to strikes to the face in the fourth round. He would eventually fall to 145-pound champion Jeff Hoglan in Snoqualmie just two weeks after his win, falling in the first round by submission due to a rear naked choke.

Avelar then moved up to 155-pounds to fight Julian Erosa and lost that fight due to submission (arm bar) in the second round.