BILLINGS — William Grundhauser has many titles: business owner, husband, father and world champion.
Grundhauser has traveled coast to coast fighting, and winning, in MMA and jiu-jitsu fights. His most recent achievement was last weekend in the prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Championship in Las Vegas.
“I probably won 120 MMA titles and national and world titles with my team,” Grundhauser said. "We have literally one of the best teams that does this in the whole world."
He won his weight and age division, adding to his collection of wins with another gold medal.
“I just wanted to prove I'm good at this and really, the bigger, the stronger the person, the more excited I get for the opportunity. You're a mountain climber and you're climbing the Beartooths, it's pretty cool. If it's Everest, you're like, whoa, to me this (fight) is Everest,” Grundhauser said. "This is just the most coveted prize."
Grundhauser dedicated this win to his wife and two kids.
Now, he's back home from Vegas doing the same thing he has been doing for the last decade, giving back to his community at The Grindhouse, a martial arts school. He has gyms in Billings, Red Lodge, Sheridan, Miles City and Glasgow. He and his wife also opened up DaKava House in downtown Billings about six months ago.
"I'm a fifth generation Montanan, my kids are six and I refused, like I went for the military, I left for several years and I came back. I promised I would never leave because everybody that like brings great talent or has great talent, they leave," he said.
Brian Borst, the kid's instructor at The Grindhouse, is grateful for Grundhauser and the community at the gym.
"Grindhouse is one of the best things in my life," Borst said. "(Grundhauser's) always helped me with my goals in any way. I look at him as a mentor. Watching him compete, it really sparks a fire in myself."
Grundhauser has been a positive light for the hundreds of students that he has.
“The talent combined with his ability to connect with his students is just, like I say, not only rare for Billings, but nationwide,” said Lane Pletan, who trains at the Grindhouse. "We've traveled, and competed and trained in New York, in LA, in Vegas, everywhere, and inevitably people are like, we want to come train in Billings. Because we want to feel this, we want to experience this. It's very, very cool and Billings is so fortunate to have that locally and here."
With all of his accomplishments, Grundhauser is still humble, always wanting to focus on the great things others in his community are doing.
“I really don't like attention. I always try and, but look what they did, that's really how I operate," he said. "Our community is what I'm most proud of overall. We have every walk of life in here.”
