In the final seconds before his amateur kickboxing debut at the “Combat at the Space” event in Westbury, South Side High School sophomore Frank DiBenedetto stood calmly inside the ring, carrying years of training and preparation into one defining moment.
He wasn’t pacing or searching for confidence — because he already had it.
The May 16 bout against Alverio Rodriguez marked DiBenedetto’s first amateur kickboxing fight, but the 16-year-old entered with the mindset of someone who believed he belonged in that ring.
Nearly a decade of training at Tiger Schulmann’s Mixed Martial Arts in Rockville Centre, combined with a standout wrestling career at South Side, had prepared him for the opportunity.
When the bell rang, DiBenedetto immediately pressed forward, controlling the pace and forcing exchanges in the clinch. A series of punishing knees overwhelmed Rodriguez and forced multiple standing eight counts before the referee stopped the bout 53 seconds into the second round, awarding DiBenedetto a technical knockout victory in his debut.
That confidence was already visible before the fight even started.
“When I’m staring at him, it’s not like I think I’m going to beat him,” DiBenedetto said. “It’s, I know I’m going to beat this kid. I know 100 percent that he’s not training more than me. He’s not putting in more work than me. He’s not sweating more than me. And I know that there’s no way that he could beat me.”
That mentality was shaped through years of training and personal tragedy. When he was 7 years old, DiBenedetto lost his father, Sergio, to colon cancer in 2017 after a long illness that deeply affected the family.
“They had to watch their dad pass away over 10 months,” his mother, Lauren, said. “He got sick in November and died in July. They watched him lose weight, not be able to eat, not being able to walk or speak.”
For DiBenedetto, the loss disrupted everything. He struggled emotionally and briefly pulled away from training before eventually returning to the gym and finding stability in routine.
“When that happened, I kind of just shut down,” he said of his father’s death. “I didn’t really want to come here. I always complained about coming. But my mom forced me every time.”
Over time, the gym became more than a place to train.
“It was a distraction,” DiBenedetto said. “It was one of the main things that helped me at the time, because it was pretty much the only thing I had outside of my house.”
His mother said maintaining that structure became critical after his father died.
“Sergio was a big football player and football coach,” she said. “(Tiger Schulmann’s owner and coach, Jobin George) was like, ‘Don’t let him quit, because once he quits, we’re going to get out of that routine.’”
That discipline eventually helped DiBenedetto become one of Nassau County’s top high school wrestlers at 175 pounds. Standing 5-foot-8 and competing at both 175 and 190 pounds, he completed a standout sophomore season this winter, his second on South Side’s varsity team.
His season was highlighted by a fourth-place finish at the Nassau County Division I Section 8 tournament at Hofstra, which earned him All-County honors for the second consecutive year after first earning the distinction as a freshman in 2025.
DiBenedetto also captured the Nassau Division I Qualifier title at Jericho High School and won the Frank Giampaolo Cyclone Tournament at South Side, where he blanked Chaminade’s Chris Ferranti in the 175-pound final and earned the Mike Mazzella South Side Outstanding Wrestler Award.
“I’m more of like a forward moving, high pressure wrestler,” DiBenedetto said. “Strong on top more. Frank holds you down and tires you out.”
South Side wrestling coach Mike Robinson said DiBenedetto’s work ethic and passion for combat sports separate him from many athletes his age.
“It’s refreshing to see an athlete who truly enjoys combat sports, which is becoming rare these days,” Robinson said. “I’m excited to see him excel on the mat next season. Frank is an exceptional kid. He’s tough and has a strong work ethic.”
That wrestling background translated naturally into kickboxing, particularly in the clinch, where DiBenedetto controlled Rodriguez.
“His base is solid,” George said. “No one can push him back. Very easily, he can take people down. His strength is at a very high level.”
George has worked with DiBenedetto since he was 7 and said his confidence and discipline have grown over time.
“(He’s the) hardest worker in the room,” George said. “He goes 125 percent. He pours his heart out into the class.”
Despite the dominant victory, DiBenedetto said the result felt more validating than emotional.
“It’s a mix of relief and confirmation that all the work you put in, all the time and things you give up to train, that all made up for it,” he said.
Outside of wrestling and kickboxing, DiBenedetto plans to work this summer as a lifeguard in Atlantic Beach while continuing to train and prepare for another fight. He is also expected to earn his black belt in the coming weeks.
For DiBenedetto, the place that helped him through childhood still feels like home.
“They’ve just become such a monumental part of my life that there’s nothing that could replace it,” he said of Tiger Schulmann’s. “I’ve known them for 11 years out of my 16 years. They’re basically family to me.”
