Saturday, February 18, 2012
No Holds Barred: Bubba Jenkins
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with 2011 NCAA Div. I wrestling champion and mixed martial arts fighter Bubba Jenkins.
Bubba was also a junior world champion in freestyle wrestling in 2007, wrestling at 66 kg/145.5 pounds.
Right after he won his NCAA title in March 2011, wrestling for Arizona State at 157 pounds, Bubba Jenkins announced that he was planning on becoming a professional mixed martial arts fighter. He made good on that promise, moving to Florida and training at the legendary American Top Team facility in Coconut Creek. He then won his first pro MMA fight, on December 2, 2011, with a first-round stoppage by strikes of Josh Williams at Tachi Palace Fights 11 in Lemoore, California. His next fight is scheduled for March 9 at Tachi Palace Fights 12, against Chris Gomez, who has a record of 2-3.
We spoke with Bubba Jenkins at length by phone Thursday night about how his transition from wrestling to mixed martial arts is progressing. He explained that while he was a bit nervous when his first fight started, and actually was briefly in trouble from a submission attempt, he quickly gained control and secured that first-round victory.
We discussed his adapting to MMA where both submissions and striking are part of the sport, and how his training at American Top Team has been critical in his development as a fighter. He knows that he has great potential in mixed martial arts, but also that, after only one fight, he must advance one step at a time.
While he still is teaching at wrestling camps, he said that his days as a competitive wrestler are over, even in this Olympic year. We also discussed his experience in winning his NCAA title.
Bubba Jenkins has all the tools to become a star one day in mixed martial arts, so make sure to pay close attention to what he had to say, and to his fighting career in its early stages.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.
DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: American Top Team, Bubba Jenkins, Eddie Goldman, MMA, No Holds Barred, Tachi Palace Fights, wrestling
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