Abstract
This is a feature profile on a mixed martial artist from the Philippines trying to make ends meet in Qatar. JoeVincent So has lived an ordinary life in extraordinary circumstances with a desire to one day build a legacy in combat sports. This profile captures his journey with all its tribulations and future aspirations. He is at a crossroads in life where Christian pedagogy, information technology, cage fighting, his father’s illness, and mother’s fears all direct the traffic of his decisions. I personally reached out to the Oryx MMA Gym management in Doha, where JoeVincent is working, and got to meet him for an interview. The project rationale was to tell a story that would otherwise go untold in a country where there is little to no infrastructure for mixed martial arts. This profile would also spread awareness on the struggles of expats in Qatar (who make up the large majority of the population) and celebrate their perseverance through JoeVincent’s story. So far, the piece has won Northwestern Qatar’s Media and Research Award 2022 under the “Journalistic Writing” category and has been selected for Northwestern’s Undergraduate Research and Arts Exposition in Chicago.
JoeVincent So: Blue-Collar Fighter, White-Collar Preacher
Disclaimer: This profile has a picture that viewers may find disturbing, TW: Blood, Injury
Pastors and Prodigies. Who thought learning the Bible would precede learning a left hook to the body? For a young and upcoming fighter in Manilla, Philippines, his life constituted sermons, fighting and IT training- not necessarily in that order.Going into his 6th professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight in Manilla’s Domination Fight League with a flawless record of 5 straight wins and no losses, JoeVincent So seldom lacked confidence. What he might have lacked was luck as he had an accident, a day before the fight. A motorbike rammed into him as he was crossing the street while grocery shopping at the local marketplace. This landed him with a bleeding head and a swollen shoulder with the weigh-ins and media day just twenty-four hours away. Knowing the consequences of pulling out and the cut throat competition in the Manilla fighting scene, JoeVincent showed up to the bout and lasted all the rounds but he lost by split decision. 
Second round of JoeVincent So’s 6th MMA fight in Domination Fight League, Manilla, Philippines. Photograph: JoeVincent So
“It was a very bloody fight. He shattered a wound in my eye and shattered my nose....For two months, every night I thought that if the motorbike accident didn't happen, I could have won that fight,” he said. JoeVincent’s journey to Qatar was motivated by the desire to gain international fighting experience, train in IT and find a well paying job. “I fought a lot in the Philippines and wanted a new challenge outside my country. I have a lot of Filipino friends here who told me I could work as a coach and practice in IT while training”. Working as a coach at Oryx MMA Gym in Doha, JoeVincent teaches MMA to aspiring fighters. He, himself, trains with international fighting experts like Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor and 4th degree black belt, Marcelo Bernardo. Tough Guys International, a Christian based organization, taught boxing without cost to Manilla residents with the condition of listening to the pastor's sermon. A younger JoeVincent, now 27, had a knack for getting kicked out of Christian high schools for fighting. With little money in his pocket but a passion for combat sports, he took the opportunity without second thought. The word of God had entered his consciousness. “They introduced me to the Bible, it meant spiritual growth and learning respect.” With a new religious awakening but the same fighting spirit, he landed his first wrestling takedown in a street fight not long thereafter. While in university, JoeVincent was pressured by other students to join their fraternity. On denying all attempts at recruitment, he had developed bad blood with many of them leading to physical altercation. “They said, ‘let’s have a fist fight, let’s settle the score’. That’s when I landed my very first wrestling takedown against an engineering student. I knew I had a talent, I was able to take down a bigger guy on the street.” Majoring in Information Technology (IT) in Far Eastern University in Manilla, JoeVincent built notoriety around his brawl as word of his fighting ability spread quickly. It got him 48 hours in community service and a disciplinary warning. As fate would have it, he would go on to win the Domination Fight League’s Featherweight Championship and land the cover page of his university’s magazine- a feat no cum laude graduate ever achieved. Francis Romero is another Manilla-born fighter and coach at the Oryx MMA Gym. With a muay thai record of 35 wins and 5 losses, Francis has had a star-studded career but now finds himself working alongside JoeVincent to train the next generation of fighters. 
JoeVincent training a client at the Oryx MMA Gym in Doha, Qatar. Photograph: M. Wasay Mir
Francis has high hopes for JoeVincent’s future: “The way he is eager, he’s going to be an international champion soon. If ever, I wouldn't mind being part of his journey,” he said. Cage fighting is currently prohibited in Qatar but many citizens wish to train in MMA for their fitness. It is a fast growing sport in the Middle East with different MMA training centers springing up in the region. Having a teacher as a mother, one can imagine the difficulty in choosing a sport like MMA as a career. JoeVincent finds himself in a precarious situation where he is building a career in IT for his mother’s contentment, while following his passion for fighting. His father had suffered a broken foot from an accident before JoeVincent was born and worked in Taiwan to make ends meet for the family. The wound never healed and left a permanent scar on JoeVincent and his two elder siblings. 
JoeVincent embracing his father after winning Domination Fight League’s Featherweight Championship, Manilla, Philippines. Photograph: Domination Fight League
“I didn't get the belt for me, I got it for my dad. Once it was awarded to me, I awarded it to my dad right there and then in the centre of the octagon. For me, he is the real champion.” For the future, JoeVincent wants to cement his name internationally by winning a belt overseas in Thailand or the Middle East. He looks to start a family of his own post retirement with a hope that his children will continue his legacy in fighting. JoeVincent believes in the importance of mental toughness and overcoming adversity: “Whenever you go in the cage, your mentality should be kill or be killed. You need to be a fighter in life and accept that setbacks happen.”
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