"Fight Night Local"

Bringing you news and headlines on local MMA events, gyms, and fighters. Tonight we bring you a Texas MMA Veteran with more fights than most pro fighters could accumulate in 3 lifetimes. Brandon McDowell resides in Austin TX and is the head MMA instructor for CTC. A local Austin TX gym, that works with pro fighters such as Brandon McDowell, Tim Kennedy, Kamal Shallarous and many more.

On Saturday the 16th of October, Brandon McDowell will compete in IXFA's Extreme Fighting Houston. This will be his 80th professional MMA fight, and here at Fight Night MMA we just think that's bad ass! Here is the interview we just did with Brandon...

FNMMA: Brandon, thanks for taking the time to speak with Fight Night MMA before your fight on Saturday. Tell us about your training for this fight?

Brandon: Man my trainings been going, you know, my training has been awesome! Um, I have a really good team behind me, I have a lot of guys that have dedicated them self's to me, a lot of guys have spent a lot of hours staying late with me at the gym, training with me at the gym. A lot of guys sparring with me, working with me, just being there when I need them.

FNMMA: Anything in particular that you have been training in?

Brandon: Uh yeah, lots of strength and conditioning, I've got some really great coaches, they've REALLY been dedicated so, that makes it a lot easier. But you know, MMA...... You know, lots of people seem to look at it as a individual sport, but in reality its more of a team sport. You know, only one guy actually gets in the cage, but it s sport you cant train on your own so... your only as good as the team and people you have around you.

FNMMA: Are you training with anyone specific over at CTC?

Brandon: Yeah, my striking coach is Elton Wells. I owe him the most thanks and gratitude. I mean, he has gotten up with me at 6AM to run hills countless times. He stays late with me at the gym, I can not express how invaluable he has been to my camp. He has helped me so much with my striking, um I feel like a completely different fighter going into this fight. And its primarily from Elton, and everything he has done for me.

FNMMA: You actually come from a wrestling background right, what made you transition from Wrestling to MMA?

Brandon: Um, well, you know. Now, its pretty common. Wrestlers making the transition and coming over to MMA. Back when I started, which was back in 1998, uh, you know it was still very new. The way I got into it was kinda random, one of my child hood friends was Former UFC Champion Evan Tanner, (32–8 ) we are both from Amarillo. And uh, he needed training partners, and he called me one day and um, asked me if I'd help him get ready for a fight. I started training and I ended up fighting and I've been doing it ever since.

FNMMA: So this is your 80^th professional MMA fight right? Yes. That's a lot of fights man, that's more than most pro fighters, or even 2 or 3 fighters will accumulate in their entire careers combined... What do you think about the MMA scene today, vs how it was just 5 or 6 years ago?

Brandon: Well, I think, even know I've been in it for a while.. Its definitely still not reached its full potential, It has changed a lot. I mean, you know when I first started I was basically just a wrestler and I would fight. It was definitely like the old UFC's, it was basically just style vs style. You know, you would have a Wrestler vs a Boxer, or a Karate guy vs you know, everyone had just one style. The way it is now, everybody trains in everything. So I think its evolved a lot more, everyone has at least some training in every aspect. I think we actually just now starting to get to the point were people are just coming up as pure MMA guys. People, I think right now are still coming up from a single discipline, and then switched over to MMA. So they are basically well rounded, but they still have their base. You know, like I will always be a wrestler first. So now, I think kids are training in all aspects of their game. Striking, bjj, wrestling and so I definitely don't think this sport has reached its full potential.

FNMMA: Speaking of 80^th fight, is your preparation different for your 80^th fight then it was for, say your.... 8^th fight?

Brandon: Hahaha.. I don't know that I train any harder, but I definitely think I train smarter. You know I've always said with MMA, its the hardest sport to train for and not get injured. So, going into any fight the best you can hope for is to go in hurt, not injured. Its hard to go through a full training camp and NOT get somewhat dinged up. But I think now, after preparing for so many fights, I'm better at cutting weight than I was back then. I know my body better now, I'm just more conditioned to the training, you know. I don't really know if my preparation is any different, I think my training is more precise now. I think I have more of a scientific approach to what I do now then what I did back then.

FNMMA: Who is the toughest opponent you have ever faced? And why?

Brandon: Umm.... you know that's a tough question cause I have fought a lot of really tough guys. I've fought current UFC competitors Gerald Harris (17 – 2) and Tim Credeur (12 – 3) They were really tough guys. I would say my toughest fight was with Sam Nest (16-1), we have actually fought twice. But the 2^nd time was in the Gulf Coast, Australia, and man that was a war! Hahaha. Our second meeting was a title fight, and it went all 25 minutes, all 5 rounds and it was just a war. The last half of that fight looked like a Rocky movie, I mean we were just standing there strait punching each other. He ended up getting it, with a spit decision win. But I would say that was my toughest fight.

FNMMA: Who is your favorite UFC and Strikeforce Fighters?

Brandon: I have a bunch of guys that I admire for different reasons. Jon Jones is definitely one of my favorite UFC fighters to watch. Tim Kennedy is also one of my favorite fighters out of Strikeforce. I am also a big Dan Henderson Fan.

FNMMA: If you could describe your fighting style in one word what would it be?

Brandon: “Crafty”

FNMMA:Who's gonna win it this Saturday in England.... Hardy or Condent? Akiyama or Bisping?

Brandon: Um, actually Carlos is also one of my favorite fighters. So my heart says Carlos, but my head says Dan hardy. As far as the main event goes, I hate to say it, but I got to give the edge to Bisping.

FNMMA: Thanks for taking the time to speak to Fight Night MMA about your 80^th pro fight, good luck in the cage this Saturday!

Brandon: No prob man, absolutely, thanks.