Brett Shoenfelt - Dignan/Brumbaugh MMA fighter
Back in September I had the chance to watch Dignan-Brumbaugh MMA fighter Brett Shoenfelt fight at Complete Devastation 6 in Clearfield, Pa. Brett ended up winning the fight by TKO at 3:57 of the 1st round against Antwan Penn. Brett showed excellent striking and a solid ground game. I was impressed by the way he humbly thanked his coaches & team-mates for helping him prepare for the fight, as well as the promoter for having him on the fight card. He thanked the fans for attending the event & also his opponent for taking the fight. In a sport where you see people wanting all the glory, it was refreshing to see a fighter shine the light on others, especially the fans. MMA may be an individual sport, but it takes a team to get a fighter ready to have the best chances for success. It's good to see someone like Brett who seems to have a good head on his shoulders to go with the solid foundation of excellent coaches/instructors & helpful team-mates for him to build upon.
The evidence of this was shown again last Saturday night, when Brett defeated Noe Quintanilla at Complete Devastation 7 at the Blair County Convention Center. Brett won by submission at 4:40 of the second round. Again, Brett thanked his coaches/instructors, his team-mates for helping him be ready for the fight. He thanked everyone for coming to the event, and the promoter for having him on the fight card. He also thanked his opponent, and showed him respect by shaking his hand after the ref had stopped the fight.
It was an exciting fight, with the first round having both fighters getting in some ground-and-pond action. It began with Brett taking Quintanilla down & landing some strikes, but Noe Quintanilla had Brett in a bad position and was landing some serious blows himself. The fight could have been stopped due to Noe causing a large cut to open above Brett's left eye, but before the referee could make that decision, Brett managed to escape and reverse position, and the round ended. I can tell you first-hand that there was a decent amount of blood resulting from that cut. The blood was cleaned up between rounds & the fight was allowed to continue.
The second round picked up where the first left off, and both fighters scored points. Brett was able to use his guard to sink in a triangle on Quintanilla. Brett softened up his opponent by using some elbows, before pulling in the triangle choke tight. When that happened Quintanilla had no choice but to tap. In the post-fight interview with Drew Shannon, Brett gave credit to his opponent for a tough fight, and admitted how dead his legs felt from the brawl that just went down.
After the fights were over, Brett was interviewed by MMA Cage Night - who was attending the event along with Next Legend Fight Wear, a company out of Middletown, Pa. Next Legend sponsors fighters - among them Brett's opponent Noe Quintanilla.
Last week I had the opportunity to interview Brett as he was preparing to face Quintanilla at Complete Devastation 7. Here's 10 questions with Brett Shoenfelt.
1. Tell us some basic info about yourself.
I'm 23, fight at 155 lb pro with a 3-3 record (total of 16 fights overall pro/ammy)
2. How did you get involved with MMA?
I got involved believe it or not because I used to be a trouble maker on the streets. I was getting into fights alot. I got a call one day from Eric Frick, and he said, "Hey, wanna make some money and try a new career?" and I said sure. That's how I started fighting for Team Fricks.
3. What do you feel your strengths as a fighter are?
I've wrestled for 17 years throughout school. I feel my strengths are that I'm very determined, motivated in the workout room. I feel I'm the type you have to bring a bat in the cage with you!
4. What do you feel you need to work on to become a more well-rounded fighter?
My biggest thing I need to work on is my cardio. I've always had a problem with that field. I guess you can say I get all teary eyed when it comes to sprints. I just never liked it
5. How has training at Dignan/Brumbaugh MMA helped you as a fighter?
Dignan-Brumbaugh MMA has helped me to realize who I am as a fighter. I know I give them crap sometimes, but they push me. They have helped me a lot with strategy and the head game in this sport.
6. How are you preparing for your upcoming fight at Complete Devastation 7 this Saturday?
I took some time off since my last fight in Clearfield, then devoted myself more to work. The match maker was having a hard time finding me an opponent for this event. But as soon as I herd I got a match I started to hit the gym up again. I wouldn't say I've been training my hardest for CD7, but I'm confident enough with the knowledge I have to step in the ring and put on another show for the home crowd.
7. How has your life changed because of MMA?
My life has changed a lot. I was a die-hard wrestler in school and once I graduated I felt lost. I didn't know where to go or what was next. I guess you could say I found trouble constantly, getting in trouble for fighting on the streets. Since I've started fighting I gave up the street life, I'm better than that. I've learned a lot of discipline in this sport and gained some wisdom.I now have the knowledge of how to be a true fighter and live better life-style.
8. Who are some of your role models?
I look up to fighters like Ryan Bader and Aaron Simpson. And Dan Henderson is a complete beast. Of course my coaches/instructors Jason Dignan and Byron Brumbaugh.
9. Do you have any sponsors/coaches/people you'd like to thank?
I really haven't tried developing a sponsorship team at this point. I've been to busy with work, but I'd like to thank Ryan Raider from Sacred Keystone Tattooing. Also my parents for all their support, my uncle Terry Bowser for helping me out early in my career taking on my match-making and venue finding to keeping me in the cage. The Frick brothers for getting me off the streets and into the cage. And the whole Dignan/Brumbaugh MMA Fight Team!
10. What do you hope to accomplish in your fighting career?
I've already relocated to Phoenix, AZ. in my past. I made the Power MMA team out there, that was a huge experience for my career to be training with an average of 7 UFC pros on a daily basis. I've learned a lot at that gym and I feel that's were I learned my motivation from. I've got the experience of UFC level fighters for an entire year, so now I think it's time to push forward and get myself to the next level. Ultimately I want to get on The Ultimate Fighter so I can make it into the UFC or some organization like Strikeforce, Bellator or XFC. My goal is to be in the UFC withing 5 years.
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| Facing off with Noe Quintanilla for Complete Devastation 7 |
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| With the cage girls after winning at Complete Devastation 7 |
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| Me with Charlie Gathers, Mike Kunowsky & Brett Shoenfelt after the fights at CD7 |
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| Brett with Complete Devastation cage girl Alyssa |
Brett Shoenfelt Vs. Antwan Penn Complete Devastation 6
Brett being interviewed by MMA Cage Night at Complete Devastation 7
Some material provided by the MMA Rundown, Rob Lynn Photography, GoTime Promotions / Complete Devastation MMA, and MMA Cage Night as well as Next Legend Fight Wear. I'd also like to give a huge THANK YOU to Jason Davis & everyone at Complete Devastation MMA / GoTime Promotions, Dignan-Brumbaugh MMA, MMAmadhouse.com, Drew Shannon & Albert Cameron of the MMA RunDown plus everyone that attended Complete Devastation 7 for making it an exciting time & a very memorable event!
Hope to see everyone at Complete Devastation 8 on March 2nd 2013 at the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona, Pa. And always remember - SUPPORT LOCAL MMA!!!
