Most everybody has a hobby, and some people like to make a little extra money on the side of their regular jobs.

Few are willing to go through the lengths that Austin resident Joe Mullenbach does to attain those things.

Mullenbach has been an on-and-off Mixed Martial Arts fighter for the last seven years and he’s attained a record of 22 wins, 10 losses and two no contests while fighting in amateur and pro fights alike.

“You have to be a totally rounded fighter and you have to know so many different styles,” Mullenbach said. “It’s a lot to pick up on and every time I go to the gym I learn something new. It’s fun.”

Mullenbach trains in jujitsu and has learned a lot of moves over the years. His fighting has taken him to Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and South Dakota and the purse of his fights have ranged from $300 to fight, $300 to win to $500 to fight, $500 to win.

In one fight in Iowa, Mullenbach was in the ring for about 30 seconds as he won with an eight-second knockout and took home $600.

But Mullenbach has also had some tough battles — especially early on in his career.

“My second fight ever was really close and I lost. Six or eight months later I looked and saw the guy fighting on TV,” said Mullenbach, who mostly fights in the offseason of his construction job, said. “Later on I fought a guy from Iowa and saw him fighting in UFC 63 within a year.”

While MMA fighting wasn’t big in 2003 when Mullenbach got into it, he was always drawn to physical sports.

“Me and my friends had a set of boxing gloves and we’d all hang out and box each other,” he said. “I heard about fights in Owatonna and one night I walked in there and signed up. I had like eight fights in the first eight weeks. I had no ground game at first and I really didn’t know any submissions. I was more about just trying to knock them out.”

In his first fight, Mullenbach wasn’t exactly sure of the rules, as MMA was not as organized in Minnesota back then. He ended up head butting his opponent, which was illegal, and had to take a no contest.

A few years ago, the Minnesota State Commission took over MMA and fights are now sanctioned and promoters are forced to insure the fights. Fighters are also registered and Mullenbach is signed up as a pro.

“There was a lot more risk before the commission took over,” Mullenbach said. “When I first started showing up, everyone made (MMA) out to be a huge bad thing. I heard it called human cock fighting (in 2005). Everyone was completely against it, and now with (Brock) Lesnar and guys like that it’s gotten huge in the last few years.”

Mullenbach is currently recovering from a broken collar bone he suffered in a motorcycle crash, but he plans on being back in action at the Holiday Inn in Austin Oct. 15. He will likely fight in an exhibition match that night against another pro.

As for retirement, Mullenbach is not sure when that day will come.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve said I’m just not going to do it anymore. Then I always say I want to do it again, and I go back into training and set up a fight,” he said.

Mullenbach is sponsored by Stompt Aparell and 507 Fight Gear.