Brandon McDowell - The Fighter

When you think about MMA now a days, you undoubtedly think about the UFC and all the fame and glory that comes along with it. But fame and fortune is not the real reason fighters work so hard to become the high level athletes that they are. They do it because they love it, they do it because its apart of who they are as fighters. Brandon McDowell is a prime example of what a true MMA fighter is molded from. A mixture of dedication, drive, skill and heart is what it takes to compete in mixed martial arts, and with out that a fighter will fizzle out way before they ever make it to the pro level.

Brandon McDowell has been fighting at the pro level for over a decade, and has competed in promotions like Free Style Cage Fighting (FCF), Xtreme Fighting Championship (XFC), Kings of Kombat (KOK), and Bellator. With over 80 professional fights under his belt and a title shot with FCF in the middleweight division, McDowell is a true fighter at heart. We had a moment to talk with Brandon about his most recent win over Tom "Vulgar" Jone, and a possible match up against UFC vet Jake Rosholt for his next fight.



FNMMA:  First off Brandon thanks for taking the time to speak with us, how are things going?


Brandon: No problem at all, I'm doing very good actually. Just got back to Austin, taking a little time off after my last win and then its back to the gym to start training for my next fight. 




FNMMA: You took your last fight on short notice against a very tough opponent in Tom "Vulgar" Jones and won, how did it feel pulling off the upset? 


Brandon: Great, it was awesome actually! A huge win for me, I beat him in his hometown and I finished him in the 1st round with a mcarmbar. That's kind of a patented move of mine, I have finished 26 fights with that submission. Yeah, that one was a big win for me! 




FNMMA: Any word on who your next fight will be with? 


Brandon: Yeah, its not official yet but it looks like it's going to be UFC vet Jake Rosholt. 




FNMMA: Jake has a win over iron jaw Chris Leban, and fights with Kendall Grove and Dan Miller. Anything special or different your doing for this fight in your training? 


Brandon: Well, his hands are limited (striking is not very good) He is an incredible wrestler, so I am not thinking I can beat him in a strait out wrestling match. But he isn't a full, well rounded MMA fighter like I am, So the plan is to keep it standing at first, weather the storm and stuff a few take downs to tired him out. Inevitably he will get the take down, and I will be fighting off my back, but I want to make work for it the first round or two. Once we get to the mat, which we will, I'll be in my world look for submissions to finish the fight. My training camp will consist of lots and lots of train from my back. Like I said, Jake is a hell of a wrestler and I don't have any illusions of him not being able to take me down. So I'll be training from my back a lot and working my guard. I think I have a really good guard and can open him up for many different kinds of submissions there.




FNMMA: Do you think the fight will go the distance, or are you looking for an early finish?


Brandon: The longer the fight goes, the better it is for me. I want to finish him, and to do that the fight needs to go into rounds 2 and 3. The longer we are in that cage, the better I will be able to neutralize his wrestling and power. 




FNMMA: Where are you training right now and how is it going? 


Brandon: Everything is going great right now. I am training at Mario "Esfiah" Queiroga's BJJ gym and at NDBJJ up in Plano. Also, I am now fighting at 185 which is a much more natural weight for me. 




FNMMA: Whats next for you, is there a certain belt or promotion your aiming for? 


Brandon: With MMA and fighting, I do it because I love it. I have been competing in MMA since way before it was popular. I do it for the love of fighting. I will continue to take fights that are the most intriguing match ups for me. Fights with guys that are higher up on the food chain is the only thing I am after. I am not looking to get on TV though, that is not why I fight in this sport. As long as there is a cage and someone else is in it and ready to fight, sign me up! Also because of my last win with FCF I should be getting info soon on a title fight offer for the FCF middleweight belt, although nothing is official yet.





FNMMA: You know I have to ask, got any pics for the trio of super fights that are happening in UFC 126?


Brandon: Anderson Silva, Forrest Griffin, and Jon Jones. Belfort is going to give him hell, but I still see Silva coming out with the win on this one. Its MMA though, so you never really know. 




FNMMA: Thanks for your time Brandon, and good luck on your next fight!


Brandon: No prob man, anytime. Thanks. 



Interview by: Rudy Mogavero of Fight Night MMA.