State Champion Cougar continues to compete, but now in the MMA Cage.
As visitors drive down route 28 and enter Manassas Park it’s hard to miss the welcome sign that announces to the world your entering a wrestling mecca. The Manassas Park Cougars have 11 state championships and the list of Cougar champs is longer than your arm. There should be little surprise that athletes as competitive as the Cougars are finding their way to the world of mixed martial arts, and looking to extend their honors in the ring or cage. Two time state wrestling champ from Manassas Park High, Brett Jenkins, will do just that this coming Saturday at Lights Out Combat in Marshall Virginia.
Brett wrestled for Bull Run from age of 6 and Manassas Park HS 1997-2000 where he won state championships in 1999 and 2000. He now trains with Johnny Curtis, an All American Wrestler out of George Mason. Johnny’s taken his wrestling base to MMA, and has competed in the UWC and M-1 Global as a professional Mixed Martial Artist. Johnny is on a six fight win streak and defeated Bob Gurley with a vicious body shot last March in M-1 in Norfolk, Virginia. “I train wrestling, stand-up, kick-boxing and ground and pound with Johnny and I feel like I’m in the best condition of my life. It’s time to take my training seriously and see if I can succeed in MMA.” says Brett, “The end goal is to go professional.” Brett has competed in the Copa Nova Grappling championships where he’s gone 4-0 and had his first fight last May.
This Saturday in his second amateur MMA match, he faces David Oversteet, who he knows little about. “I’m told he’s a stand-up guy. Sometimes it’s good to know nothing about your opponent, so you can prepare for everything. I’m ready for an early blitz.” Brett faced an early blitz in his first match at Xtreme Cage Rage, but he quickly returned fire, got his opponent’s back and ended the fight by rear naked choke at 1:24 in the first round.
Not everything has been that easy for Brett as he transitions to fighting. He’s already had to cancel a fight for next month. “I had to cancel a fight I had planned in August because of a conflict with my daughter's birthday. The fight with my wife would have been worse than anything I might of faced in the cage.”
Lights Out Combat happens this Saturday, June 23rd, at Marshall Community Center in Marshall, VA. Doors open at 6:00pm. Pre-sale tickets are available now, call Jamie Clegg at 540.229.8918 or Ronnie Rodriguez at 703.906.0985 to purchase your tickets in advance. The card features Bryan Robey of Gold Medal Grappling in a 135 lb title fight as well as 16 other amateur men’s and women’s bouts.
- Jim Kirkland
