When Marco ‘Cali Wave’ Berreondo first walked into a mixed martial arts event years ago, he wasn’t a fighter yet. He was a fan, albeit one with a strong combat sports background, caught up in the spectacle.
“I went to an event and saw the amateurs come out, and I thought, alright, this is cool,” Berreondo recalled. “Then I saw the pros come out with the lights and the cameras, getting the finishes and everybody screaming. I was like, ‘Oh, hell yeah, I’ve got to do this.’ I’m not going to lie. I was under the influence. I was drinking tequila. I went over to my coaches and said, ‘I’ve got to do this shit, man.’ They both looked at me and were like, ‘OK, just shut the fuck up and do the work when you get home.’”
Years of commitment yielded two title belts, including the New England Fights bantamweight strap, during Berreondo’s 10-fight amateur career. And now he’s one of those pros.
The 26-year-old is a familiar face and friendly foe, of sorts, heading into a mutual pro debut against the similarly battle-shaped Danny Buteau at “NEF 64: Call to Arms.” The card is scheduled for Saturday, November 8 at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. Doors open at 6 p.m., with a bell time of 7 p.m.
Berreondo answered the challenge that was issued that long-ago night in the cage-side seats with authority.
“I would get to the gym about 6 a.m. and do sessions until about 8, 9 p.m., and do the same thing every single day,” Berreondo said. “We would eat there, sleep there, chill there. I got my first fight after that, and the rest is just history with all the ups and downs. It’s a very unforgiving game. It keeps you very honest.”
That grit defined Berreondo’s rise. Based out of Warriors Nation MMA in Brooklyn. New York, he captured the NEF bantamweight title by defeating Teddy Politis, then defending it against Nate Dorr, both times in Portland. Previously, he captured a second amateur belt in Queens, closer to his home, with a submission of Vincent Pagnotta.
Yet along the way, there were hard lessons. His career started with three losses in his first five fights, one via by near naked choke and two that went to the scorecards.
“I learned not everybody is invincible, and just because you think you’re good doesn’t mean you are. You’ve just got to train harder,” he said. “My second fight, I learned that the same way you can hurt somebody, you can get hurt as well. He cut my eye open and stuff. It was a fun fight, but just very humbling.”
The first submission loss to Jonathan Carrion stung, but it lit a fire.
“It taught me that I really love this sport,” Berreondo explained. “Because if I didn’t really care about it, that time I got submitted in 45 seconds, all that training and multiple jobs that I turned down … this isn’t a rich man’s sport. Anybody can quit and be OK with it. We’re nobody as amateurs. But I knew I loved it.”
Finding his footing and his winning ways included a budding relationship with the Pine Tree State.
Politis was 6-1 before falling victim to Berreondo’s third-round rear naked choke at “NEF 54: Fight at the Opera” in September 2023.
“I love it. The people up there are amazing. The fans are amazing. The workers at the hotels are amazing. The whole NEF staff is amazing,” Berreondo said. “I love the brand. It’s just full of good people with good energy, just doing what they love. It feels like I’m just coming back home. I’d say NEF is like a second home for me.”
Berreondo reserves special praise for NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson.
“Matt’s just an amazing promoter. He’s a great guy. He cares about his fighters. Even when it’s not about fighting, he’ll check up on you,” Berreondo said. “That’s something you should be grateful for when you’re in the fight world, because there’s a lot of sharks in this game. I feel like he’s given me an equal opportunity as if I were from Maine myself. It means a lot to me.”
His bond with the Maine crowd has only grown stronger, which is no accident given Berreondo’s personality.
In an old-school pro wrestling context, imagine a smiling, quick-witted heel from a rival territory that the spectators can’t help but love.
“Even the first time I went there, I said, ‘I know you guys are booing me now, but you’ll be cheering for me after I win,’” Berreondo said with a laugh. “Even before I came out, there were people telling me, ‘Ah, you’re not from here.’ I just said, ‘Look, if you’re cheering for me, I promise you’re going to be on the right side. I’ll come back around and take pictures and talk to you guys.’”
He makes a point to connect with fans out of respect to his common bond with them — their passion for the sport.
“They’re great people, you know? They’re coming to watch fighting. I think that as an entertainer you have to be personable, as well,” Berreondo said. “I enjoy meeting these people, talking to them, listening to their names, asking them what was their favorite part of the fight, or even what they think about you. It’s a beautiful thing to go do what you love to do and have people enjoy it as well.”
That love of the game has carried Berreondo through setbacks, including injuries that forced him to sit out longer than he wanted.
It will have been 19 months since his final amateur fight, a unanimous decision loss to David Galli in Schenectady, New York.
“My last fight I broke my foot, and unfortunately, I had to take some time off,” Berreondo said. “But I feel like that little tea break that I had away from MMA is going to show, and it’s going to be great. I had a knee injury as well, but I’m way better now.”
And now he’ll make his farthest venture north and east to battle Buteau, a past state and national wrestling champion who was 6-1 as an amateur.
“I’m excited. It’s nothing new. I’ve been to Maine. I love Maine. I love the crowd,” Berreondo said. “Definitely super excited to show all the new weapons and things I put in my arsenal already.”
Berreondo has studied Buteau, and he knows what’s coming.
“I know he’s a good fighter. He had a great amateur career, but I definitely feel like it’s going to be a good fight, and there’s going to be a finish,” Berreondo said. “Much respect to him, but it isn’t something I haven’t seen before. Every time I’ve come up to Maine, it’s been to fight the hometown guy that everybody likes. It’s all respect, but I love to fight, and if the contract is signed and we’re both there, one of us has to come out on top, and it’s definitely going to be me.”
He insists this won’t be a cautious debut.
“They’re definitely going to see a lot more aggression, a lot more damage, not a lot of measuring,” Berreondo assured the patrons. “I think the biggest mistake I made in my amateur career was thinking the guy across from me prepared or fights just as good as me.”
And don’t expect Berreondo to coast with easy fights after this one, either.
“I don’t believe in fighting cans or beating these 0-3 guys or 0-6 guys and just building your record,” he said. “For what, you know? Somebody’s going to come knocking on that door and bust out with reality. I just feel like you can’t play MMA. I just like challenging myself.”
That mentality fuels his immediate goals, which are no less than being recognized as the best from here to New Jersey.
“Reaching the top three, top two, or being the No. 1 bantamweight in the northeast region, that’s the goal,” Berreondo said. “This fight, Danny is no can. Everybody knows him. A 6-1 amateur career, I think that’s a good challenge for me. It looks good on my resume. I’ve got a couple other guys on my hit list as well, a couple of other guys that are hanging around NEF being the top bantamweights. I’m going to come knocking on that door very soon.”
For Berreondo, the vision is not just about wins and losses. He wants to be remembered as a character who left the fight game even better than he found it.
“I want (the fans) to think of me as a guy that evolved MMA into becoming the best sport,” he said. “Whether it’s the hype, the social media, fighting, videos, whatever. I just want them to know that I picked up this sport for the next generation.”
Outside the cage, he has learned balance between being a fierce competitor and a fun-loving showman.
“I will be interacting with the crowd, getting hyped up and laughing and stuff, but also sticking to the plan,” he said. “I’m always going to keep my head in the game. I can’t get too distracted, because I do have ADHD, and I’m very hyper. I’ve definitely composed myself, so I can thank MMA for that.”
And when the work is done, he has his rituals.
Berreondo has joked in the past about sinking his teeth into a giant lobster to celebrate those wins in Maine. The feast starts even earlier than that, however, immediately following the weigh-in.
“Pre-fight, we always hit a diner, and I pig out. Always got to get the pancakes, the chocolate shake,” he said. “And then post-fight, I’d say just being with my friends and having a great time. The same way I like to entertain the fans is the same way I like to entertain my friends and family.”
It’s all part of the Marco Berreondo experience: An honest fighter, a born entertainer, and a man who insists that on November 8 in Bangor, he’s ready to prove himself once again.
“I’ve been begging for a fight, and I’m not going in there to lose,” he predicted. “Not to sound cocky or ignorant, but I trust myself, and I trust my experience and my ability to be able to take him out. I know he’s fighting for a lot, so I know he’s going to give it everything he’s got. I’m just ready to dose him with whatever he wants to take.”
“NEF 64: Call to Arms” is scheduled for Saturday, November 8 at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine, with a bell time of 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com.