ODESSA, TX, January 11, 2011 – We recently caught up with West Texas fighter Jarret Jones (Octagon MMA) and spoke to him regarding his upcoming fight against Brandon Farran at this Saturday’s Elements Fighting Championship event scheduled for the Plano Convention Center.
Enjoy this conversation with Jarret as he talks about his beginnings in MMA, life in Odessa, his 2011 TXMMA Submission of the Year nomination, Octagon MMA, and much more on the way to his fight this weekend.
Tell us a little about yourself. Are you originally from Texas?
I was born and raised in the hard working, dirty, toughest part of West Texas, Odessa. This has everything to do with who I am today. Hard working, dirty, and tough… Growing up here I played mojo football, got in many fights, and started working an oilfield job legally at age 15 but was actually doing it way before then.
How did you get into MMA? Tell us more about life before you found the sport.
Before I found MMA in 2005 I was a typical gym rat that worked a 8-5 job. I was searching for something to fill my competitive drive from high school. Lifting weights and reading flex magazines wasn’t going to cut it. I would go out to the bars on the weekends and get rowdy like we do out here. One night I had a good scuffle at Dos Amigos bar. I got out of there quickly afterwards and thought nothing of it. 2 days later I was at Whataburger drive in when a guy who had been training at a new MMA gym was in line behind me. He came up to my window and handed me a card to West Texas MMA. I actually trained BJJ only in the beginning for about 6 months.
The first day I decided to go to MMA class just so happened to be the first day of another guy you might know, Clay Hantz. We didn’t know each other and little did we know that this day would be a turning point in our lives. We stared at each other down from across the gym. The instructor at the time came up with a drill that was more of a college hazing ritual then MMA drill, he called it milling. He put me and Clay on a line about 2′ from each other and said we had to punch each other in the face for 1 minute and the first person to step off the line could not be a fighter. 1 minute, 1 broke nose, 2 black eyes, and a couple bruises later 2 of the toughest fighters in Texas were created. We developed a friendship that no one could understand. We beat the crap out of each other every day twice a day for the next 3-4 years. We self taught a lot, went to every seminar in Texas, and made some really good friends along the way who have helped us get to where we are today.
So what’s it done for your life? What do you love about being a fighter?
Training is my life. it has given me a goal to shoot for. Everything I do and every decision I make revolves around my training. I want to be the best and be involved in this sport for the rest of my life. I know you can’t fight in the cage forever but you sure can roll. And BJJ will always be my passion. I love this sport because of the self discipline and responsibility you carry as a fighter. You have coaches, partners, and even a team but when it comes down to the fight it’s all on you and your performance. You can’t blame others for you losses or short comings.
Do you have any other jobs or hobbies outside of training/fighting?
Outside the cage I have a beautiful wife who has been with me and supporting me the whole time. She’s drained my ear when it was cauliflowered, took care of me when I busted up my knee in 2010, takes care of my paperwork at the weigh ins, and keeps my dinner warm when I come home late at night from training. We also have our 10 month old daughter who has impacted our life greatly. It makes it hard to train sometimes knowing that the family is home waiting on you but I use it as fuel and work hard to make a better life for all of us in the future. I started some personal training a few years back to supplement the income and last year opened a CrossFit Affiliate gym. Basin CrossFit, located next door to the same gym I teach and train at, WTXMMA. We train athletes, and get some crossover of MMA/BJJ athletes wanting to supplement their training or prepare for upcoming bouts. The advantage I get from being a strength & conditioning coach is that I can train myself to what I know my body needs. I think I definitely have a strength and conditioning advantage over any of my opponents because of this.
You train with Octagon MMA too right? What’s it like training over there?
I started training at Octagon MMA in 2009. It wasn’t until this time that my training came full-circle. I had always been an aggressive fighter that used my BJJ skills but when I started working with coach (Sayif Saud) and Bruno Bastos, my striking and wrestling went to a new level. Clay (Hantz) moved to Dallas to permanently train there and while I couldn’t make that commitment at the time, his couch became a regular place I would sleep on the weekends to get my training in. At one point I would make that 6 hour drive to Dallas every Thursday night for a weekend of training at Octagon. Through the years I’ve seen this team grow into a group of animals who had a very impressive showing last year. I am proud to say that I fight for these guys and they will always be my go to place for training when fight camp starts.
You were nominated for the 2011 TXMMA Submission of the Year. How do you feel about that? Do you consider yourself more submission-oriented or more of a striker? What should fans expect out of you?
Yeah, I got that submission of the year award for applying a Twister on Ox Jones this past year at 24/7. Honestly this might have been the highlight of my life thus far. I’ve been doing that move for years and for some reason all it gets is laughs. You put someone in a spine lock and all they can do is laugh it off like it wasn’t legit in the sport. If you look at the picture of my hand being raised after I did it you will see referee Kerry Hatley, Ox Jones, and myself all laughing. I don’t know why but if I can bring some smiles to the sport of MMA by some unorthodox submission so be it. I had a$100 bet with clay for 3 years of who was going to get that first in the cage. I tried it once before and caught a nasty back elbow which gave me a defining facial scar in my smile. So to get that submission and to be recognized for it makes me feel good.
Moving on to your upcoming fight with Brandon Farran this weekend at EFC – This one is a rematch of your fight in 2009 right? How did the first fight go and how do you feel about fighting him again?
Yes this is a rematch with Brandon Farran. The first time we fought I was still real green in the sport. My jiu-jitsu was there to pull me through though. Honestly, I think Brandon was beating me up for a round and a half but I threw up some rubber guard, got him in a triangle and switched to arm bar. That was my first win as a professional and a turning point in my career. I like the idea of rematch because I want to see how much I’ve progressed these last 3 years. I’m not the same fighter and if Brandon makes the mistake of thinking I am it’s going to be bad news for him.
Any predictions as to how the fight will go this time around?
My prediction is that this fight has potential for fight of the night! You’ve got two fighters that are extremely well-conditioned and veterans in the sport. But when it comes down to it my hand will be raised at the end. All of my wins have come by submission and that will always be my strength but I plan on beating him up first and showcasing every tool I’ve worked hard to put in my tool box. When he’s ready to get out of that he’ll give me a arm, leg, or neck and I’ll gladly rip it off for the win.
What are some of your goals for 2012, in and out of the cage?
2012 will be my year! I want to get 5 wins this year. That will put me in position for bigger and better things in 2013. Also I’m looking at moving back down to the lightweight division around the summer time to stir up some trouble. I want to continue to grow my gym, Basin Crossfit. Giving people the best strength and conditioning available in West Texas.
Any last words before the fight Jarret?
I want to thank everyone that has helped along the way. My manager,, striking coach, and friend Brad Barnes. All my instructors and teammates at West Texas MMA – KC Whindham, Jack Burcham, Jamie Lara, etc. Everyone at Octagon MMA for all the help and support through the years Clay Hantz, Sayif Saud, Bruno Bastos. My wife and daughter Kirby & Jinger Jones. All my athletes at Basin CrossFit. My family, friends, and fans in West Texas and the DFW area. And TXMMA.com for the interview. Thanks guys, keep your eyes on me for 2012! Good things coming my way!
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