UFC flyweight Jeff Molina was born in New Jersey, but he grew up in Kansas and attended Olathe South High School, 25 miles southwest of Kansas City. He started his journey toward mixed martial arts and a career in the UFC when he was 14 years old. Molina was part of the wrestling team at his high school before starting MMA training.
Jeff Molina has made headlines in the MMA world after coming out as bisexual following the release of a NSFW video of him performing a an act with another man.
The 25-year-old has bigger problems than his orientation – he’s a part of the huge investigation into betting improprieties in the UFC. He’s trained under James Krause – who is targeted by a Federal investigation after wild line movement tied to a bout with one of his trainees.
But he’s using his time away from MMA competition for a good cause.
Molina has been suspended until the investigation is resolved. In his down time, he’s joined the board of a Jiu-Jitsu charity called ‘One community BJJ’ and it’s dedicated to teaching Jiu Jitsu for free to kids, teenagers, and adults in the Wyandotte County, in Kansas.
Molina was promoted to rank of BJJ purple belt back in 2019 by Jason High.
One community BJJ was founded by Ray Freeman. Freeman is a Brazilian Jiujitsu Purple Belt under Shane King and the Renato Tavares Lineage.
He began training Summer of 2015. He was born and raised most of his life in Wyandotte County, Ks. Ray was a foster kid and knows the struggles of living in KCK with minimal guidance all too well. He is highly motivated to introduce Brazilian Jiujitsu to underserved children and families.
Giving back to the community during the UFC suspension
Molina told Ariel Helwani:
” I joined the board of members of this charity it’s called one Community BJJ. And this is something I’m super passionate about. And the non-profit is, they teach Jiu Jitsu for free to to kids, teenagers, adults in Wyandotte County. It’s a county here in Kansas that’s very poverty ridden.”
“I think like the per capita income is $18,000 per household which is nuts. This is something I would I would teach once a month this last year.”
“…basically they teach Jiu Jitsu for free to to kids that maybe have a troubled home life or or you know to keep some of these guys off the streets and and just give them an outlet and it’s awesome man. The cause, the message like… I know how much the sports impacted My Life. I know the life lessons has taught me”
“It teaches you so much, that if you’ve ever trained you know that you know it teaches you how to be humble, that there’s always somebody bigger and better than you and teaches you not to have an ego it, teaches you discipline.”
“You get what you put in uh you work hard most of the time the results reflect that you know the more time you do something the better you get at it that’s just science you know like you don’t get worse from doing something over and over again every day”
“So I know how much the sports impacted me what what it’s taught me and you know the self-defense aspect is also great for some of these kids and teenagers and even adults. You know it’s free for everybody um it’s something that right now it’s being taught out of a like in an abandoned elementary school that’s being used for like Catholic classes and we have like 700 square feet of mat space right now but we know we make it work”
” I just became uh a member of the board last month and now I teach weekly, every every Wednesday night. So tonight I’ll be teaching you guys are in Wyandotte County or nearby in the KC metro area swing by do some free Jiu-jitsu. ”
” I’m already thinking big picture we’re trying to get a bigger gym space. We want to make an after school program to where these kids don’t have to go home and face whatever’s going on at home they can come do Jiu Jitsu and you know it’s deeper than just triangles and arm bars.”
“This is a great Outlet. I love this sport. Again, changed my life and if I can impact kids, teenagers, adults their lives even just a little bit even a quarter of what impacted me then I’m golden”
Molina might be BI, but Heel hooks are gay
Earlier in that same conversation Molina had a funny quip. Apparently despite everything he’s faced he still thinks heel hooks are gay:
” I enjoy the Broey banter, I like hanging out with my friends and talking about girls. I like cracking jokes, you know. Like if someone goes for a heel hook in Jiu Jitsu – you can go ‘Gay!’, like that’s my sense of humor you know.”
