By Felix Rodriguez
Legacy FC middleweight champion falls back to deep convictions and not selfish desires as he carries out God’s plan
BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION, TX, July 12, 2014 – “The Fighting Texas Aggie” Bubba Bush (7-2) is a follower of Jesus Christ, first and for most. That’s likely the first thing he’d want anybody to know over and beyond anything he’s accomplished, or will accomplish in the sport of MMA. Still the fact remains that the Texas A&M grad is Legacy FC’s reigning, defending middleweight champion. And he’ll be defending that belt this Friday night when he takes on undefeated Alfonso Gonzales (5-0) at Legacy Fighting Championship 31.
Also a gym owner who’s invested plenty of himself in the sport, Bubba Bush runs the BVMMA facility in Bryan/College Station. It’s there where he teaches and trains in between fights, serving as a role model for the younger fighters under his tutelage. As a fighter, the 185 lbs. champ has spent his entire career under the Legacy FC banner and is extremely proud to represent Mick Maynard’s promotion as their champion:
“I’ve seen Legacy grow from its infancy, having fought in the second ever Lonestar Beatdown show in College Station (back in the early days). I’ve fought all of my fights for Mick and I think our entire fight scene is what it is because of this promotion. It’s a dream come true to represent Legacy as its champion. To have and retain a title in a huge regional promotion like this is something very few get to experience.”
As for Legacy FC 31, the proud Texan was originally scheduled to face Corpus Christi’s Roger Narvaez. That is before “Silverback” got the call to fight for Dana White in the UFC. Some fighters would have been miffed at their opponent (the challenger nonetheless) getting the call instead of themselves but Bush takes it all in stride. He’s happy to continue his career representing Legacy FC and the middleweight belt, but he also knows it’s a matter of time before he too might get ‘the call.’
“Winning is winning, and that’s the goal. The UFC watching doesn’t make me want to win more, it just makes it potentially more lucrative if I do. I’ll get the call to the UFC if and when God wills it. I think there is a higher purpose in everything we do here and it’s not for me to worry about, my job is Alfonso and trying to keep my winning streak alive.”
Speaking of his opponent Alfonso Gonzales is no late replacement pushover. He’s a standout fighter from another region out in the Pacific Northwest and there are those that say he’s an even tougher fight than the one Bubba had originally. Above and beyond that, regional pride is now at stake for the champion as well.
“I definitely don’t want to be the guy who let the belt travel out of Texas. But I don’t want to be the guy who let the belt leave College Station either.”
Gonzales may not be a household name here in Texas, but Bush is well aware of the potential threats his undefeated opponent poses to him and was extremely complimentary of Gonzales when describing his opponent to TXMMA. “[He] is a stud from up in Washington State who has been rolling over the competition in that region. A solid all-around fighter with heavy hands, he has basically knocked out a few opponents with one punch power, but also has a submission and a few ground and pound wins to round him out.”
Back to Bubba, it’s important to note that he is one of the true good guys of this sport. That’s the prevailing opinion on him and his accomplishments are even more impressive when the fact that he is a type one diabetic is taken into consideration. He is a man of deep faith who believes God’s plan for him involved changing people’s lives through mixed martial arts, “I think fighting is unavoidably spiritual. The way I imagine combat is. You’re essentially fighting for your life (with the rules of the sport there to draw a line), which can be terrifying if you don’t know yourself. Jesus Christ has changed my life and had mercy on me as a sinner, giving me ultimate purpose and constantly pushing me to do something more worthwhile than serve only my own ends.”
Fighter Acknowledgements
“Thank you to Mick Maynard and his wife Andrea for what they do for this sport, as well as Collin Cantrell and Jennifer Ray, Richard Burmaster and Christian Sutton and the rest of the people that work with us sometimes more behind the scenes to make these things happen. Thank you to Cellucor, Ammo to Go, Independence Harley Davidson, Fox and Hound, Cortiers Real Estate, Spring Insurance, 2A Apparel, VersaCarry, Fuzzy’s Tacos, and Hungry Howies for the support that allows me to do this. And if you have a heart to, reach out to Restore Her at StillCreekRanch.com and make a donation to help combat the damage done by sex trafficking in Texas.”
