Richie Hightower appears as one of the competing fighters in the Spike TV network’s mixed martial arts contest reality series The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra. He is 25 years old and has an MMA record of 7-1-0. Hightower is a native of Phoeniz, AZ, as well as having done most of his extensive training in his same old hometown. He graduated in the year 2000 from the Mountain Point High School, where he represented the school as a top athlete in a wide number of physical activities. Among these sports was wrestling, and competing as the state discus champion for the school’s track and field group.
Hightower also played as the middle linebacker and fullback for his high school football team. But after finishing high school, he began working as a mortgage broker, as well as exercising less and being less cautious with his health. When he grew to more than 250 pounds, he applied drastic solutions by quitting drinking and smoking, and choosing to undergo plyometric strength training, aided by a professional physical therapist. Hightower began studying Brazilian jiu jitsu, and later on trained with the help of the UFC’s very own Eddie Sanchez, which kicked off his own MMA career.
(Photo courtesy of UFC)