James Madison University - Bluestone Schoolmaam Yearbook (Harrisonburg, VA)

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IIMAt!UIIICllliaiCllt Straining to submit his opponent with a l nee bar, sophomore Herman Brar looks to his trainers for encouragement during the second round of Brawl in the Cage 5. A l nee bar, technically known as a straight leglock, resulted in hyperextension of the knee. photo Znataliewall Receiving high fives from his training partners, sophomore Herman Brar goes to his comer after being declared the Brawley Fights Lightweight Champion. Brar fought in the lightweight division, one of nine MMA weight classes, in which fighters weighed between 146 and 155 pounds. photo Znataliewall When asked about his opponent the day before the fight, Brar seemed comfortable, knowledgeable and prepared. [Presley] is a very respected fighter in the MMA community and he holds a few titles, not to mention he is going pro very soon, said Brar. Both fighters were aware of each others strengths and weaknesses. Presley ' s strengths were groundwork and submissions, while Brar ' s were stand-up and striking. If I win, I know that I can roll with the big dogs, and if I lose, I know I lost to a very good fighter, said Brar. Every true fighter wishes for a battle and hopefully that is what the fans will get. With Brar stunned, Presley goes for a single-leg takedown and takes Brar to the ground. Presley is in top guard, straddling Brar. With Brar on his back, he throws six hard elbows to the top of Presley ' s head. Presley advances his position and manages to get Brar in an armbar, an arm lock that hyperextends the elbow. Brar scrambles and escapes — and the crowd goes crazy. They get back to their feet, but seconds later, Presley lands a hard right kick to Brar ' s side, knocking him over. Brar stumbles into the fence and tries to go for a single-leg takedown. Presley grabs Brar by the neck and swings around onto his back. In a piggyback-like position, Presley submits Brar in a rear naked choke. Brar taps, 1:34 in the first round. The fight ended. . . harsh, noted junior James Morrissey. Brar graciously accepted his defeat, and congratulated Presley. Event volunteer Brandon Sardik saw that Presley landed a couple of blows that opened it up and I think that [Brar] was staggered by those blows and after a while it disheartened him. Brar knew that he came out relaxed with his usual combination, which he thought might have been his downfall. Presley got Brar to the ground early, and Brar said he knew he was in a bad s pot from then on. 20 thebluestone2010

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c xc I learned a lot as a fighter because of it and I ' m just going to go back to the drawing boards and come back stronger next time, said Brar. Brar worked with the Jiu-jitsu Club on campus to improve his groundwork, planning to bulk up for his next fight in late August (see Brar ' s Update ). As long as he learns something from this fight, it can be seen as a success, said Brar ' s training partner and friend, senior Shea Kelly. He knew it was going to be a tough fight and came away knowing that he gave it 100 percent in training and during the fight. He had nothing to lose. With his arms encircling Corey Wamsley ' s neck, sophomore Herman Brar attempts a guillotine choke to restrict his opponent ' s breathing. Even when fighters were bloody and exhausted, the officials would not stop the tight until a fighter tapped out, was knocked out or was unable to defend himself. photo Znataliewall M ' O TE His face was split open, he could not see straight and he only had a two minutes to go in the third round. Sophomore Herman Brar was just seconds away from his goal. On Aug. 29, Brar became the Brawley Fights 155-pound lightweight champion at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds. The fight consisted of three five- minute rounds, ending halfway through the third round. This belt means more than anything to me and when I finally won, it took me a second to realize what had just happened, said Brar. Brar ' s trainers pushed him in the gym and taught him how to counter his opponent, 20-year-old Corey Wamsley. I knew he was tough and I knew he could take a hit from the videos I watched on him, said Brar. Training for the title proved to be different than training for any other fight, an average day consisting of an hour of technique drills and an hour of intense cardio training, ending with hard sparring. Everything all of a sudden became a lot more serious, said Brar. My trainers began throwing me in five-minute rounds for sparring against a fresh opponent every time to build my stamina and to break me mentally so that I would be more than ready for any situation I encountered in the cage, said Brar. The most important part of training was making sure each day involved something different so Brar ' s muscles never got used to the same motions. Although the physical aspect of training for this fight was different, Brar said he mentally prepared for this fight like any other fight. Alone time and soothing music helped Brar get in the zone. You want to be very calm going into a fight so you can think instead of reacting on instincts, said Brar. Freshman Tyler Peacock attended the fight and claimed Brar ' s was the best fight of the night. [Brar ' s] opponent picked it up in the last few rounds and made it a much tougher fight for Brar, said Peacock. The back and forth momentum was what made it so enjoyable for me, Three minutes and six seconds into the third round, Brar mounted Wamsley and dropped several punches and elbows for the TKO, or technical knockout, and the title. Brar suffered a fractured orbital, the seven small bones surrounding the eye socket, in the second round and had surgery to replace it with titanium a few weeks after the fight. Aft er the referee stopped the fight I just rolled over and laid my hands over my face because it was so surreal that I had won the lightweight championship, said Brar. It was the greatest feeling ever. amandacaskey writer ■ SF (Th- features 21