In the outskirts of Amarillo, Randall graduate Dylan Mercado and Luke Byrd train daily in their home gym, Shredders MMA. On Oct. 18, they participated in Peak Fighting Championships 49th fight card at the Amarillo Civic Center. Mercado, who fought at a catchweight of 150 pounds, quickly finished the fight in the second round via rear naked choke. Byrd, who fights at heavyweight, swept all three rounds, winning by unanimous decision.
Q: How was your recent fight?
Mercado: I just fought this last weekend for PFC 49 here in Amarillo, Texas. I fought and won in the second round with a rear naked choke. Definitely had a scrap out with the man the first round to get him tired. Then in the second, I found my opportunity to take it to the ground and get him out of there!
Byrd: Me and my team got the job done last Saturday. I won all three rounds in good fashion. It felt good to be back in the cage but I have a lot to work on! I trained Jiu Jitsu for a year and I really fell in love with martial arts, so I wanted to test myself in a fight and I don’t regret it.
Q: Why did you start fighting?
Mercado: At first it was because my older brother was doing it, and if he was using his training to go perform I wanted to try and do that. But now it’s more so to test my skill set and my abilities, to see what I do right, and what I do wrong so I can always keep developing as a martial artist.
Byrd: I trained Jiu Jitsu for a year and I really fell in love with martial arts, so I wanted to test myself in a fight and I don’t regret it.
Q: How long have you been training?
Mercado: I’ve been training since 2016 so almost 10 years. I started with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for about a year and a half then started doing Muay Thai once I got my blue belt.
Byrd: I started training at nineteen years old so 4 years ago
Q: How much longer do you plan to fight?
Mercado: I’m going to try my best to get as much experience as I can in the amateur circuit, and then do my best to try and make it to those big stages on the pro level. Hopefully be done with my fight career by my mid-thirties.
Byrd: Probably three more amateur fights and 2 pro fights. I really see myself coaching in the future over fighting.
Q: What’s the hardest part about preparing for a fight?
Mercado: Definitely managing your schedule the right way. How much effort you’re putting into your training, lifting, rest, and recovery. While also making sure you’re having to make weight if it’s in a weight class. Sometimes you’re lucky and you don’t have to cut weight but in the fight game most of the time people are cutting 15 to 20lb to make it to the weight class they want to fight at.
Byrd: I would say drilling bad positions in MMA fights.
Q: What is your favorite martial art?
Mercado: I’m biased because I’ve done it for so long but Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for sure. It doesn’t matter how big they are, as long as you can create those spaces and those pockets for yourself, you can put yourself in some great positions to help control and finish situations.
Byrd: Kickboxing. That’s the one art I could see myself training into my 50’s and on.
Q: How do you deal with prefight anxiety?
Mercado: Definitely to me, anxiety is just a lot of built up energy that just needs to be expended, so just trying my best to not get too into my emotions or overthink that energy to where it burns me out, but instead using that as fuel for the fight. It’s definitely a crazy feeling walking out there and agreeing to a fist fight in front of hundreds of people, but at the same time it’s one of the most liberating feelings.
Byrd: Mike and Ike’s then some DOTS. I need sugar before a fight. I would say staying calm or just living in the moment.
Q: What do you do besides train?
Mercado: Usually just on my computer studying Jiu-Jitsu, fight film, playing video games. Also hanging out with my cat or if I actually do go outside, I love to hike and explore.
Byrd: I’m always hiking or walking if I’m not training. I’m getting back into college,so 2026 I’m just going to be studying and training.
Q: What’s your favorite part of training and fighting?
Mercado: Other than going out there and fighting, getting to see what works in a live roll or in a live fight scenario because drilling and sparring are very helpful and beneficial, but you don’t always get that full resistance and that full look of someone fighting your technique. Getting to compete live really helps figure out what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong and what you can improve on.
Byrd: Fighting has really taught me to live in the moment. Before I learned martial arts I would always stress out about the future.
Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring martial artists?
Mercado: Don’t rush the process. Have fun and enjoy training and learning! It’s very stressful once you really get down into all the little things that build up for an MMA bout/fight but learning to love the process of training and failing and trying again will build a toughness that few ever really develop. It’s a long and load-some road sometimes but it makes the journey so much more worth it in the end!
Byrd: Always ask questions. Even if you feel like it’s a dumb question. Still ask it! Also trust in the process and let everything play out.
