Business owner from Billings wins grappling world title fight

BILLINGS – William Grundhauser has many titles: business owner, husband, father and world champion.

Grundhauser has traveled coast to coast winning MMA and Jiu-Jitsu fights, with his most recent success coming last weekend at the prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Championships in Las Vegas.

“I've probably won 120 MMA titles with my team, as well as national and world titles,” Grundhauser said. “We literally have one of the best teams in the world that does that.”

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He won his weight and age class and added another gold medal to his collection of victories.

“I just wanted to prove that I was good at it. And the bigger and stronger the person is, the more excited I am about that opportunity. If you're a mountain climber and you climb the Beartooths, it's pretty cool. If it's Everest, you think, wow, for me this (fight) is Everest,” Grundhauser said. “It's just the most coveted prize.”

Grundhauser dedicated this victory to his wife and two children.

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Now he's back from Vegas and doing what he's been doing for the past decade: giving back to his community through The Grindhouse martial arts school. He operates gyms in Billings, Red Lodge, Sheridan, Miles City and Glasgow. About six months ago, he and his wife also opened DaKava House in downtown Billings.

“I'm a fifth-generation Montanan, my kids are six, and I refused. I joined the military, I left for several years and then came back. I promised I would never leave because anyone who brings or has great talent leaves,” he said.

Brian Borst, the kids' trainer at The Grindhouse, is grateful to Grundhauser and the community at the gym.

“Grindhouse is one of the best things in my life,” Borst said. “(Grundhauser) has always helped me in every way to achieve my goals. I consider him a mentor. Watching him compete really lights a fire in me.”

Grundhauser was a shining example for the hundreds of his students.

“The talent combined with his ability to connect with his students is, like I said, rare not only in Billings but across the country,” 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 say we want to train in Billings. Because we want to feel that, we want to experience that. It's very, very cool and Billings is so lucky to have that here locally.”

Despite all his accomplishments, Grundhauser remains humble and wants to always focus on the great things others are doing in his community.

“I really don't like being the center of attention. I always try not to, but look at what they did, that's really how I operate,” he said. “Our community is what I'm most proud of overall. We have all walks of life here.”