10 Questions With James Brum (2/22/2012)

[DarrickPatrick]

10 Questions With James Brum (by Darrick Patrick)

James Brum is a professional mixed martial artist who has competed in organizations such as Shock N Awe, Capital Punishment, TuffNut Promotions, ZT Fight Night, and British Association of Mixed Martial Arts. At the time of this interview, his next scheduled match is against Leandro Gontijo in Cage Warriors Fighting Championship at CWFC 46 on February 23rd, 2012.

Darrick: What was the path that led you to competing professionally in mixed martial arts?

James: I got into MMA while I was studying Sport and Exercise Science at university. I found a UFC DVD whilst browsing in the sports section at the video store. I think it was UFC 46. It was on sale, so I thought I’d check it out. I was blown away. Ever since, I’ve been hooked! I trained for fun and then once I completed my degree in 2008, I began taking my training seriously. That was where the journey began.

Darrick: Who are some of the people that greatly influenced you while growing up?

James: My mum and dad have been very influential to me. They are such loving and devoted parents, working so hard to give me the best opportunities in life. They also support me in following my dreams, even though it breaks my mum's heart every time I step into the cage. I haven't told her I'm fighting outside of the country, as I don't want to add to the stress. She actually doesn't know I'm fighting this week. She knows it's soon though and she's praying for me as always. It's better this way. Once I call her to tell her it's over and I've won, she will not have had the opportunity to go through all the stress.

Darrick: Any words of advice for other individuals looking to compete in MMA?

James: I could write a whole bunch of advice on this topic. One major piece of advice would be to make sure you have a back-up plan in life. Finish your college course or university degree so you have something to fall back on in the future, should things not work out as you planned. Another thing would be sacrifice. If you very badly want something, then you have to be willing to make sacrifices in life in order to achieve your dreams. In the end, it will all be worth it when you're at the top of the mountain.

Darrick: Your next scheduled match is against Leandro Gontijo on February 23rd. What are your thoughts about this upcoming fight?

James: I can’t wait for this fight. First off, it’s my debut. Secondly, it's been five months since my last fight in the main event at Shock N Awe 9 in the U.K. I’m itching to get back into action, but more importantly to step into the cage at Cage Warriors Fighting Championship. When I signed to the promotion I knew I would fight some tough fighters. Therefore It was no surprise to me when I was matched with Gontijo, who is highly ranked in Europe and a black belt in BJJ. He has fought some tough opponents in Artemij and Pastor. The bottom line though is that this is my debut, and no matter who I would have been matched up against, I’m going to go out there and lay a beatdown for the fans in the Ukraine and those watching around the world. I’m an unknown at the moment and intend to make a big entrance to the European circuit.

Darrick: What brings you the most fulfillment out of martial arts?

James: I love testing my skills in combat and ultimately defeating my opponents. What I love about this sport, and the martial arts lifestyle, is that you will always be learning and there is always an area in your life you can improve. It enhances you on so many levels. Physically, spiritually, and mentally.

Darrick: Who is someone in the sport that you highly respect?

James: I respect Georges St-Pierre for the way he carries himself as a champion. He is a true athlete and sportsman.

Darrick: Outside of MMA, what are your other interests?

James: I love learning and reading up on nutrition. I got into indoor rock climbing for a bit as a means of keeping active on my rest days, but I’ve put it on hold lately. With the intensity of my training week, I mostly want to relax on my day off. I mainly like to relax at home with the missus, watch a DVD on Scarlett (she’s my top of the range TV), and tuck into some quality food. When I get the chances to do so, I make the effort to head to the cinema. That way my missus doesn’t get angry at me for falling asleep during the movie, which is pretty much a certainty when I’m at home.

I would like to attend some festivals this year, namely The Secret Garden Party. I worked security for it two years back and had a great time. The missus and I wanted to go last year, but I was fighting. We've talked about a holiday too but it will all depend on my fight schedule. Like I said before, it’s all about sacrifice.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

James: I struggle to remember where I put my keys most of the time, so I don’t really have an answer for this one. I can tell you though what the best nachos I ever tasted were! I had them back in 2010 at Joe Buck's in St. Louis. They were amazing. When I’m back in the USA, I’m heading straight there.

Darrick: Tell us something about you that most people don't know.

James: I’m Batman! I’m a real geek at heart.

Darrick: If you had three wishes, what would they be?

James: It would be cool to have Neil Strauss write my biography one day. I’m a huge fan of his books and love his writing style. Maybe have Jamie Oliver in my kitchen cooking me up some mean ass grub! Then when I’m in fight camp, I’d have in Gordon Ramsey cooking my meals because he could shout at me and fire me up too. MMA would have WWE-style entrances with pyrotechnics flying everywhere. That would be cool, huh?! A real wish for me is that I want to fight four times this year for Cage Warriors. With over seventeen shows around the world, I think it is possible.

I would like to give a big thank you to Darrick Patrick for hitting me up with this interview. A huge thanks to Coach Bri (@BigBri1SCS), Gareth, and my teammates at GYM 01 (@Gym01portsmouth) for a great fight camp! A big thank you to my strength and conditioning coach Lee Waite. If you want to know about S & C in MMA, hit him up (@LeeProedge). Thanks to my sponsors MMA World Ltd (@Alisonmmaworld) for all the supplements and apparel. Thank you to my parents and girlfriend Liz for being so supportive. And a big shout out to Intensiti Fighter Management (@IntensitiFM) for looking after me and making the fights happen.

FOR OTHER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS BY DARRICK PATRICK:

http://www.myspace.com/darrickpatrick/blog/343519835

You can also check out James Brum in the following places:

Official James Brum Facebook Site:

http://www.facebook.com/james.brum

Official James Brum Facebook Group:

http://www.facebook.com/james.brum#!/groups/122900464429011

James Brum on Fight Finder:

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/James-Brum-54179