Jacob “Stitch” Duran’s career
as a cutman in boxing and the Ultimate Fighting Championship has allowed him to
travel all over the world.
Duran, 61, has worked with
some of the greatest fighters. His career has given him an opportunity to have
a part in movies with Hollywood stars like Sylvester Stallone and Kevin James.
However, the highlight of his
career came when he was asked to be a commencement speaker at Friday’s Le Grand
High graduation.
“It’s the biggest honor
bestowed on me during my entire career,” said Duran, who grew up in Planada and
graduated from Le Grand in 1970. “To come back home and give kids the
encouragement I wish I had. I’m going to try to put them on the same path I
took. I’m going to talk from my heart.”
Each year the Le Grand senior
class is given the opportunity to choose a keynote speaker for graduation. The
administration then reaches out to the person selected to try to make it
happen.
“He was excited to come back,”
Le Grand Principal Javier Martinez said. “We’re delighted to have him on board.
He’s pretty good at working his magic in the corners to keep fighters upright.
We’re hoping he can use some of his magic to uplift the graduates.”
Learning the craft
Duran’s path started in
Planada, where he grew up working on farms. After graduating from Le Grand, he
had a short stint at Merced College, where he tried to play baseball.
“Getting to school in the morning
was easy because I could catch a ride with friends,” Duran said. “I just couldn’t
find a ride home after practice. Eventually I had to quit, and I decided to
join the Air Force.”
After his time in the service,
Duran moved back to California, eventually opening a kickboxing gym. While
training fighters, he began learning the craft of a cutman — the person in the
corner armed with swabs, Vaseline, gauze and other tools used to help control
bleeding and keep the swelling down during fights.
Much of what Duran learned was
picked up on the job.
Duran moved to Las Vegas in
1994 and quickly built his reputation in boxing. One of his biggest nights came
in 1997 when he amazingly was able to keep Raul Marquez in a fight with Keith
Mullings.
“He had two gashes on his
forehead, two big cuts on his cheek and one on his nose,” Duran said. “He was a
bloody mess, but I kept him in the game. There’s not many people who could have
kept him fighting. Marquez needed 75 stitches after that fight.”
Making move to UFC
In 2001 Duran joined the UFC
and has become one of the most recognizable figures in the sport.
“People come up to me all the
time in restaurants or airports,” Duran said. “I love it. When we traveled to
Brazil for a fight, the customs agent said, ‘Stitch, welcome to Brazil.’ “
Duran started out with UFC 32
and since has worked every UFC event (UFC 160 took place last weekend in Las
Vegas) unless there was a boxing conflict.
Since then he’s worked with
the top talent in the UFC, including fighters like Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar,
Anderson Silva, B.J. Penn and Jon Jones.
“I’m very comfortable doing
what I’m doing now,” Duran said. “I’ve seen every cut. I’ve seen every
knockout. I know the importance of what I do with fighters.
“It’s not only about the bleeding.
There’s a psychological aspect to it too. They know I’ll take care of them. I’ll
stop the bleeding so they can go out and do what they have to do.”
His job doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Having Stitch in my corner
means everything,” UFC fighter Victor Belfort said. “He does everything good.
Just looking into his eyes, he just gives you this look that makes you
comfortable and calm. When he’s wrapping my hands before a fight, the words he
uses, it’s very calming. He’s the best.”
Side benefits
There are definitely great
opportunities that come with being the premier cutman in the UFC and when you
work with boxers like Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko. Duran’s relationship with
the Klitschko brothers landed him a part in the movie “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001).
Sylvester Stallone selected
him for a part in “Rocky Balboa” (2006). He was in Kevin James’ recent movie “Here
Comes the Boom” (2012).
On Wednesday, Duran was part
of the filming of the UFC’s reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter” in Las
Vegas. He’s been with the show for all 18 seasons.
Duran’s career has taken him
to places like Canada, Australia, England, Ireland, Japan and Sweden.
“I’ve been all over the world,”
Duran said. “I’ve been to the greatest cities. I’ve been in the greatest venues
and seen the greatest fans. It’s been tremendous.
“I grew up as a farmworker in
Planada. I remember being in Tokyo, Japan. We’re in the middle of the Tokyo
Dome in front of 70,000 people. I remember thinking at that moment, ‘Look at
this. How is a kid from Planada in the center of this action?’ “
Friday night Duran found
himself back home, away from the glitz and glamour of the UFC as he spoke to
the graduates from his alma mater.
The message he had for the
kids was if they were able to work hard enough, if they’re able to fight
through the pain and go one more round, they too will succeed in life. (Source)
