LIVINGSTON PARISH, La. (BRPROUD) — A Livingston Parish teenager nicknamed “The Prodigy” has become the youngest fighter ever to compete in amateur mixed martial arts in the state of Louisiana. He won his first MMA bout earlier this year, but this is just the beginning of his long-term plans.
Aidan McDaniel, 16, a junior at Doyle High School in Livingston, defeated Gage Stinson, 23, by technical knockout (TKO) in the first round in an amateur mixed martial arts bout at the Titan Combat Championships on March 30 at the Texas Club.
A lot of hard work went into that quick win, as Aidan has been training at core UFC Gym Sherwood since January 2022 in preparation for his MMA fight.
“Aidan's father, Clifford McDaniel, has been training with Thomas Webb on and off since before Aidan was born,” says Aidan's mother, Shannon McDaniel. “Cliff started training again about six to nine months before Aidan said he was interested. The next day, his dad took him to a striking class and he was hooked.”
“I love mixed martial arts because I enjoy seeing myself get better every day I train and I get to set goals and work hard to achieve them,” Aidan said.
Aidan said the coaching staff and other team members have told him he has the potential and skill and is ready for his first game.
Aidan's coach, Thomas Webb, believes he has star quality.
“Of course I call him a genius,” Webb said, “that's why I gave him the nickname. I only saw one guy like that. Aidan has that 'it' factor when it comes to mixed martial arts. His name is Dustin Poirier. He's a quick learner and he works harder than any 16-year-old I know. Harder than most adults, actually. Trust me when I say this kid is going to be a champion.”
Aidan respects Poirier: “He has one of the best résumés in the UFC and is one of the best fighters in the lightweight division. He's from Louisiana, like me, and we've trained together before.”
Webb explained that Aidan works on all aspects of martial arts and conditioning.
“He does long runs and sprints in the morning and either striking, wrestling, jiu-jitsu or mixed martial arts in the evening. He's in the gym consistently training three to four hours every day,” Webb said.
Aidan is well versed in all aspects of mixed martial arts, and Webb said his striking ability stands out.
“This kid's going to work hard,” Webb said.
Shannon said she had to sign a permission slip to get her son permission to compete.
“In the state of Louisiana, fighters must be 18 or 17 years old and have parental consent to compete in amateur MMA matches,” Shannon said. “We as parents had to get the permission notarized, and Aidan's coach, Thomas Webb, had to submit a statement to the Louisiana Boxing and Wrestling Commission outlining the amount of training he has completed and a description of his skill set in order for Aidan to receive special approval.”
Webb described Aidan's first fight as “perfectly executed.”
“He kept his cool, he moved forward waiting for his opportunity, when it came he took advantage and finished the game without much damage,” Webb said.
This was a step towards Aidan's long-term career goal in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
“My dream is to go pro and make it to the top and fight other top fighters in the UFC,” Aidan said. “You can go pro at 18 and I plan to go pro at 18 or 19 if everything goes well.”
