A 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldier proved his mettle and climbed to glory when he earned second place last month at the 2012 U.S. Army Combatives Championship at Fort Hood, Texas.
The competition, which was held July 25-28, brought the best wrestlers, grapplers and fighters from across the Army.
Spc. Carlie A. Williams II, who is assigned to 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, placed second in the light heavyweight division. Williams has been training in mixed martial arts for about three years.
"I like the challenges this sport offers," Williams said. "There are many fighting styles, and you must understand your opponent's style to be successful."
Williams won first place in a postwide combatives tournament June 28, securing his chance to compete among the best fighters in the Army.
"I kind of thought I would be on the team, but once I found out, training became my main priority," he said. "I didn't even take block leave; I wanted to stay focused on the task at hand."
Staff Sgt. Jesse A. Confer, who also is assigned to 2-14 Infantry, trained with Williams and competed in the tournament.
"Many people don't know how hard it is to go six minutes in the ring, rest for five and then do it all over for up to five rounds," Confer explained.
He added that because they pushed each other hard during training, both competitors became better fighters and Soldiers.
Williams said he used what he learned during training and battled his way through four opponents before standing toe to toe with Sgt. 1st Class James Stelly for a chance to earn the light heavyweight title.
Early in the title match, Stelly found himself in hot water, falling to the ground after a heavy right hand from Williams.
"I had a moment of hesitation when Stelly fell; I was like 'I think I knocked this dude out,'" Williams said. "It was that moment of hesitation that lost me the fight. Yeah, I think that's what it was."
Williams said the loss to Stelly would not slow him down.
"I look forward to training … and competing in the next Army combatives tournament, especially if Stelly is there," he said.
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