cent ▁years , ▁was ▁also ▁trouble d ▁growing ▁up , ▁and ▁was ▁often ▁involved ▁in ▁fighting ▁and ▁violence ▁at ▁West os ha ▁Central ▁High ▁School . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁junior ▁in ▁high ▁school , ▁Roth well ▁knew ▁that ▁he ▁enjoyed ▁fighting ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 7 , ▁he ▁began ▁learning ▁self - def ense . ▁In ▁July ▁of ▁that ▁same ▁year , ▁after ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁three ▁professional ▁f ights , ▁he ▁and ▁a ▁friend ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁car ▁accident ▁with ▁a ▁dr unk ▁driver . ▁Roth well ' s ▁friend , ▁who ▁was ▁ 1 9 ▁years ▁old , ▁died ▁two ▁weeks ▁later , ▁and ▁Roth well ▁suffered ▁a ▁significant ▁head ▁injury , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁broken ▁rib s . ▁The ▁event ▁changed ▁Roth well ' s ▁life , ▁causing ▁him ▁to ▁feel ▁as ▁though ▁he ▁has ▁a ▁purpose ▁to ▁complete . ▁ ▁M ixed ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁career ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁Roth well ▁began ▁his ▁training ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁before ▁joining ▁M ile t ich ▁Fight ing ▁Systems ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁Roth well ▁made ▁his ▁professional ▁debut ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁in ▁his ▁home - state ▁of ▁Wisconsin ▁and ▁domin ated ▁his ▁oppon ent , ▁winning ▁by ▁T K O ▁only ▁ 2 1 ▁seconds ▁into ▁the ▁fight . ▁He ▁then ▁won ▁his ▁next ▁three ▁f ights , ▁all ▁under ▁two ▁minutes ▁into