Jimmy Allis gets his hand raised in victory at his third career Mixed Martial Arts match recently.

As a young boy, Jimmy Allis shares he and his older brother Charlie used to watch MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) on television.

“I just always enjoyed it and thought it would be neat if I could do that some day,” he says. “It looked very challenging.”

Now, as a young man who turns 20 on Aug. 21, Allis has stepped into the ring as an MMA fighter and experienced some early success in the sport.

“After I graduated from Blue Earth Area in 2021, I moved to Mankato,” Allis explains. “I had wrestled and played football and baseball in high school and decided I wanted to get back in shape.”

Allis, whose parents are Darin, of Easton, and Julie, of Wells, admits he was never in the kind of shape he is now when he was an athlete at BEA.

“I wrestled at 220 pounds my sophomore year,” he recalls. “And, I had to cut weight to get there.”

Now, Allis competes at a lean and mean 172 pounds.

“I used the Internet to look for a gym in Mankato,” he comments. “I found one called Mark44 MMA. It is owned by Clay Uddley. Clay grew up in Mankato and was a MMA fighter and he wanted to bring the sport to Mankato.”

Allis notes his training is all cardio work.

“I do pad work where I hit pads being held by someone,” Allis says. “I also do work with the heavy bag which helps me increase my power.”

The fighting Allis does is called Muay Thai (Thai boxing).

“It is like kickboxing. I punch and kick and also use my elbows and knees,” he explains. “But, there is no wrestling or jiu-jitsu.”

Allis trains with 18 ounce gloves but fights with 10 ounce gloves.

His matches are fought in an octagon cage and last three rounds, unless one of the fighters is knocked out earlier.

Allis has fought three matches so far in his young career.

“My first match was an exhibition match and I knocked that guy out,” he shares. “My last two matches were both held in Minneapolis and I won both of those by unanimous decisions.”

In fact, Allis has yet to lose a round in his young career.

“I won each of the last two matches 30-27, winning each round by a 10-9 score,” he explains.

He did, however, suffer a small setback in his last match.

“It was the final round and there was something like 15 seconds left in the match,” Allis comments. “I hit the guy in the nose and broke his nose but I broke my hand at the same time.”

His right hand is currently in a cast which is set to come off on Aug. 21.

“That match was on July 8. The referee went to raise my hand at the end of the contest and I told him I really didn’t want him to do that,” Allis says with a chuckle. “He looked at me kind of weird, but my hand was hurting.”

Allis may have broken his hand, but he also earned the honor of being named the top fighter of the night.

“That helped ease the pain a little,” he admitted.

He is looking forward to his next match which is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 11, in Minneapolis.

“We only fight three times a year,” Allis notes. “The idea is to limit the number of hits to the head.”

MMA fighters do not wear shoes when they fight. Allis explains they wear what amounts to a thin shin guard.

“Six weeks before a fight I go to fight camp,” Allis says. “During those six weeks I am training both my body and my mind. There is a lot of mental conditioning to be done before a fight. I will do my regular cardio workout six times a week and I will also run four miles four times a week.”

Allis cannot weigh in at one more ounce than 172 pounds to be eligible to fight in his weight class.

“I will lose close to 15 pounds right before a fight,” he comments. “You have to do it correctly and keep sipping water because you need to keep your brain hydrated. And, you can’t completely cut out food.”

He will weigh in and then have 24 hours before the fight. During that time he will put on most of the 15 pounds he has lost.

“By the time I fight I feel really good and am ready to go,” Allis says.

As he keeps fighting, Allis will move up in classes and have tougher fights.

“The class system is based on the number of fights you have had – your level of experience,” he mentions. “My goal is to reach the professional level, but that is a few years away.”

When he isn’t busy working out or training for his next match, Allis stays busy as an employee at a restaurant in Mankato.

“I work at MC’s Garage in Mankato,” Allis says. “It’s a bar and grill located on Adams Street.”

As much as he enjoys his MMA matches, Allis says the real benefit has been the improvement in his health.

“I love working out. They call me the “neighbor kid” because they can’t get me to leave the gym,” he says, smiling. “But, it has been great working hard to get in shape. I feel the best I have ever felt.”