Torance LaCour has competed extensively in multiple combat sports over the years, be it wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, or MMA.
- Torance LaCour: The Person
- Torance Ehijie LaCour’s Nuanced Take On Influencer Fighting
- South Jersey BJJ’s Torance ‘Hercules’ LaCour Reveals Training Details
- Torance LaCour On Balancing Fighting And Business
- Business Acumen In Amateur MMA Career And Beyond
- Torance LaCour’s Long-term Goals In Combat Sports
- Torance LaCour’s Message To The Fans
- Coming Next In This Series: Lessons from Hercules
The talented fighter, fondly referred to by fight fans by his moniker “Hercules,” balances entrepreneurial obligations with his sports career.
LaCour amassed an amateur MMA record of six victories, one defeat, and one draw from 2017 to 2021. He captured the Dead Serious MMA featherweight title and the Dead Serious MMA lightweight title.
The New Jersey-based combatant became the first simultaneous DSMMA double-champion, holding the 145-pound and 155-pound titles.
LaCour also won the Ring of Combat lightweight title. The ROC lightweight titleholder later transitioned to pro MMA in 2023, where he’s 2-1 thus far and has focused on continuing his MMA and combat evolution.
In an interview for NY Fights, I spoke with the All-American wrestler and martial artist known to fight fans as Torance Ehijie LaCour, aka “Hercules.”
We discussed various topics at length, with LaCour notably offering insightful takes on fighting, mindset, and beyond.
Torance LaCour: The Person
Who is the person behind the fighter we see onscreen? Torance LaCour spoke with me about his favorite cuisines, travel destinations, and hobbies.
“Outside of fighting, I am an entrepreneur, a thinker, a student of life, and someone who genuinely enjoys learning about different subjects and cultures,” said LaCour.
LaCour spoke about his love for anime. “I have been passionate about anime since I was five years old. It has had a significant influence on my perspective on discipline, personal development, perseverance, and the pursuit of excellence,” he said.
He listed a few of his favorite series: “Some of my favorite series include Kingdom, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Baki, Vinland Saga, Solo Leveling, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Demon Slayer.”
Providing fans with additional insight into his hobbies and likes, LaCour said, “I also enjoy gaming, exploring different ideas, spending time with family, and developing the businesses and projects I envision.”
LaCour has often alluded to the fact that he shares a close bond with Nigeria and stays connected with his Nigerian heritage. As such, he loves Nigerian cuisine, whilst also liking seafood and Italian delicacies. He listed Türkiye among his most-loved travel destinations.
“As far as food goes, I enjoy Nigerian cuisine, seafood, and Italian food. I also enjoy experiencing different cultures through travel. Turkey is one of my favorite travel destinations because of its history, architecture, culture, and unique history,” he explained.
Moreover, LaCour, a multidisciplinary martial artist and professional, added, “Ultimately, fighting is a major part of my identity, but it is not the entirety of who I am.” He continued, “I appreciate the intellectual, creative, entrepreneurial, and personal sides of my life just as much as I appreciate competition.”
Torance Ehijie LaCour’s Nuanced Take On Influencer Fighting
Torance LaCour also put forth his views on the rise of influencer fighting, as social media influencers such as Jake Paul compete against some of the biggest combat sports names in crossover boxing matches and miscellaneous combat sports contests.
“I think it is important to separate the commercial evolution of combat sports from the competitive integrity of the sport itself,” LaCour said in a nuanced assessment.
Citing the benefits the fight game has reaped with influencer fighting, he said, “From a business perspective, influencer boxing has introduced combat sports to audiences who might never have purchased a traditional boxing or MMA event.”
LaCour underscored that it has boosted visibility, created new commercial opportunities, as well as displayed how powerful entertainment, social media, and personalities could be in regard to driving audience engagement.
“However, there’s a distinction between being an entertainer who competes and being a legitimate combat sports professional,” he added.
He noted that becoming an accomplished fighter requires years of technical development, sacrifice, experience, and discipline. That, he says, mustn’t be diminished.
LaCour opined that he doesn’t “necessarily view the two as mutually exclusive.” Entertainment can draw people to combat sports events, but the actual sport ought to maintain its standards.
He believes traditional combat sports organizations could take lessons in the promotional strategies and marketing used by influencer fighting. LaCour believes the industry should learn and evolve in how to develop personalities, present their athletes, and resonate with the audience.
“Ultimately, attention is valuable, but credibility is earned. You can generate attention through entertainment. But respect within a sport comes from what you can actually demonstrate when you compete,” LaCour said.
South Jersey BJJ’s Torance ‘Hercules’ LaCour Reveals Training Details
We spoke about Torance LaCour’s training — how many hours in a day and how many days in a week he trains, and where he currently does the bulk of his training.
“Training is a significant part of my daily life. I dedicate approximately six hours per day to training, five days per week, depending on the structure and objectives of my preparation,” LaCour stated.
Having earned the honor of being named South Jersey Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s Competitor of the Year in 2019, LaCour has extensively trained, and continues to, at the facility in Jersey. He said, “My primary training environment is South Jersey Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”
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LaCour has long trained at the gym, even working out alongside South Jersey Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s Dante Bongiorno, as seen in the video above. The Bongiorno family operates the gym.
The 33-year-old LaCours said his foundation comes from the martial art of wrestling. He’s a Team USA freestyle wrestling national champion, a former collegiate All-American, and has accrued over 200 victories in his competitive career.
The wrestling savant highlighted that his training has evolved significantly since transitioning to MMA. It includes wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, overall striking, strength, conditioning, as well as technical work.
One of the key lessons to be learned from LaCour is his meticulous approach to training and life.
“I do not approach training as simply accumulating hours. Every session should have a purpose. The objective is to continually improve specific performance qualities and ensure that the work translates into competition,” he said.
Torance LaCour On Balancing Fighting And Business
Torance LaCour also shed light on how he manages to balance being both a fighter and entrepreneur.
“I think the biggest similarity between entrepreneurship and fighting is that both require discipline, consistency, decision-making, and the ability to operate under pressure,” LaCour stated.
Expounding upon his business ventures, he added, “Through LaCour Capital, I have developed experience in business operations, marketing, communications, partnerships, and commercial strategy.”
He opined that being an athlete has influenced his approach to business. In competition, you realize that preparation, details, and execution matter.
LaCour suggested that, for example, in athletic competition, you could have a great strategy, but it wouldn’t amount to much if it’s bereft of proper execution. He feels that the same principle is applicable to business.
He asserted that entrepreneurship has turned him into a more thoughtful athlete, as he’s able to evaluate situations from different perspectives. LaCour approaches both fighting and business through prioritization and organization, understanding that both require dedicated attention.
“I do not necessarily separate the two identities. I see them as different environments in which I can apply many of the same principles,” LaCour said.
Business Acumen In Amateur MMA Career And Beyond
Also discussed was Torance LaCour’s incredible run as an amateur MMA fighter, which was marked by his success both inside and outside the mixed martial arts cage.
LaCour alluded to the fact that he was the No. 1-ranked lightweight at the national level in the amateur MMA realm from 2019 to 2023, as verified by Tapology.
He was ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and Pennsylvania at both lightweight and featherweight simultaneously from 2019 to 2023.
Former kickboxing champion and ROC owner Lou Neglia (Louis Neglia) presented LaCour with the ROC lightweight championship back in 2021. Neglia’s documentary, “Godfather of MMA,” featured LaCour as well.
A significant element of LaCour’s success in his combat sports career overall is that he delved deep into understanding the business side of the industry as well. He accrued 2,400-plus pay-per-view buys as an amateur, via multiple streaming platforms such as Fite TV (now Triller).
Another example of LaCour’s efforts to ensure optimal sports performance alongside business proficiency came in his ROC lightweight championship showdown against Chris Guariglia in New York in 2021.
“Hercules” outpointed Guariglia to win the ROC 155-pound belt, whilst also securing $8,000 from streaming and $4,000 via partnerships. LaCour explained that he negotiated the contracts for each of his MMA fights after his first MMA fight.
An important point LaCour noted was that athletics and business are synonymous, yet different, and neither must be taken lightly. He emphasized that athletes need to devote adequate focus and respect to both sports and entrepreneurship.
Torance LaCour’s Long-term Goals In Combat Sports
Torance LaCour further opened up about his long-term goals as a combat sports athlete. He said, “My long-term objective is to maximize my potential as a competitor and establish a legacy that extends beyond individual victories.”
LaCour indicated that he’s already accomplished a lot in combat sports, by way of wrestling and MMA, but he doesn’t view that as a conclusion of anything. He refuses to rest on his laurels.
He aims to continue competing at the highest levels available to him, pursue championships, test himself against elite competition, and keep evolving as a martial artist.
Aiming to transcend sports competition, he spoke about working toward the development of other athletes, creating opportunities for younger generations, and demonstrating that athletes can build something meaningful outside the confines of a competitive environment.
LaCour explained, “I am also developing Hercules Era as a broader platform centered on performance, discipline, leadership, resilience, entrepreneurship, and personal development.”
“Ultimately, I want my legacy to represent more than the fights I won. I want it to reflect what I built, the people I influenced, and the standard I established,” he noted.
Torance LaCour’s Message To The Fans
Torance LaCour, when asked for his message to the fans, replied, “First, I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my journey.”
“Whether you have followed me since my wrestling days, supported me throughout my amateur career, attended my professional fights, trained alongside me, or recently discovered my journey, I genuinely appreciate it,” he added.
LaCour suggested that there are many things people see when the cameras are on, but there’s also an entirely different side to becoming a professional athlete. He shed light on the commitment, discipline, sacrifices, setbacks, and preparation as factors that don’t always get enough recognition.
“I want people to understand that the pursuit of excellence does not have to be limited to athletics. Whatever you choose to pursue, approach it with intention.” LaCour said.
I came across some words of wisdom that truly resonate with professionals across various fields. He indicated that one mustn’t be discouraged and relegated by one’s current circumstances.
LaCour stated, “Do not become complacent with your current circumstances, and do not allow your environment to dictate your potential.”
“Keep developing yourself, remain disciplined, and never become comfortable with mediocrity. The Hercules Era is not just about me. It is about the standard we choose to establish for ourselves. Thank you for being part of the journey.”
Coming Next In This Series: Lessons from Hercules
Johny Payne is a writer, martial artist, and multidisciplinary artist.
He has covered martial arts and combat sports for around a decade, crafting compelling content for fight fans with world-renowned media outlets.
He’s been a writer and martial arts practitioner since childhood. Compassion and respect are among his tenets.
