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Don Gronning
Grizzly coach fought around the world
NEWPORT – For years Daniel Swain, the Newport Grizzlies new head wrestling coach, was a professional mixed martial arts competitor, fighting for money in Japan, China, Russia, Bahrain and Canada, as well as numerous contests in the U.S.
That comes after the Newport High School graduate won a state high school wrestling title, medaling at state each of the four years he wrestled for Newport, culminating with a state championship at 135 pounds in his senior year in 2009.
He then went on to win a national collegiate title, wrestling first for Simon Frasier University in Vancouver, British Columbia on a scholarship. He finished runner up for a Canadian national championship his freshman year.
He transferred to another Canadian college, Douglas College, also in British Columbia. He won a National Collegiate Wrestling Association title in 2011, winning the 145-pound championship.
He was eager to fight professionally.
“I took a pro fight two weeks after I won my college national championship,” Swain says. It was actually his second pro fight, although he didn’t get paid for the first one to maintain his amateur status for wrestling.
In the first paid contest, he won in the first round with an arm bar submission. For the next decade he was a professional MMA fighter.
Swain was born and raised in Newport, attending Newport schools from kindergarten through high school. He liked the international fights and traveling the world.
“That’s really been the best part,” he says. “The fighting was fun but coming from Newport and getting the opportunity to travel and experience all those different things, that was the most fun part of it.”
He fought in China on three different occasions.
“China was really amazing. I love China,” he says. “It was a completely different culture.”
Swain says he got to see two different regions of China, a tropical-like region in south China and one in the north, where he attended the biggest ice festival in the world.
He says in Russia, he was treated well by promoters the three times he fought there, but Americans weren’t popular with the Russian people.
“We had to walk into three different banks to be able to exchange money because we were just getting shooed out of there,” he says. “They just didn’t want to deal with Americans or something.”
His favorite international venue was Japan, where he also fought three different times.
“The crowd was very intelligent when we were fighting,” he says. The Japanese appreciated and understood the sport. They applauded at not only the exciting moments but also for technical prowess, as well.
Swain had another reason for fighting abroad.
“They paid better,” he says. Pro MMA fighters at that level are paid on a 50-50 basis, he says. They get paid half the money for showing up and the winner gets the other half. Swain’s biggest paycheck was $20,000, including a bonus for winning by submission in the first round.
Swain was known for getting submissions, putting an opponent in a hold in which the man had to submit.
“The arm bar was one of my favorite moves,” he says. In a submission, the fighter taps out, ending the fight.
Swain has been injured. In addition to having his shoulder completely reconstructed from fighting and wrestling injuries, he’s been knocked out more than once.
“Twice in actual fights,” he says. “I’ve been dropped a handful of times in training.”
Concussions are one of the reasons he ended his career in MMA.
“The last fight I was in, in the middle of the fight I got hit and got rocked and fell into the cage,” he says. His first thought wasn’t that he should go back and win. “It was, I hope my kids aren’t watching this, because it was kind of brutal.”
Another reason was the money, or lack of it. That last fight was in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he was fighting in the main event for $1,250 in 2021. He lost so he didn’t get the additional $1,250. Swain had to pay 30% to his manager and 10% to the gym where he trained.
“I made $500 to get beat up,” he says.
He retired soon after, ending his professional career with a 20-11-1 record.
Swain, 33, and his wife Amber have six youngsters living with them, ranging in age from 4 years old to high school age. In addition to their two biological children, they’ve adopted several youngsters. Before adopting children, the Swains were foster parents.
Swain started wrestling at age 4 in Priest River’s Little Guy wrestling program, mostly because he had a lot of energy, and his mother wanted a way for him to burn it off. He wasn’t successful at first.
“I didn’t win any medals my first three years of wrestling,” he says, competing in Little Guy Wrestling in both Priest River and Newport.
When he was in high school, he medaled at state each of his four years, culminating in a state championship his senior year.
Fast forward to today, where he coaches the biggest Newport wrestling team ever, with 35 boys and seven girls.
Wrestling is the most physically demanding high school sport. The practices are grueling.
“We had several people throwing up yesterday,” he says of a practice last week. That isn’t unusual.
Swain also runs a martial arts school in Newport called CANUSA Jui Jitsu.
“I teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tuesday and Thursday,” he says, teaching both adults and youngsters.
His advice for young people who want to wrestle and maybe compete professionally?
“Start,” he says. “Don’t wait.”
