When Brian Heden first was talked into entering a local
mixed-martial-arts event with no training, he was 19 years old and 370
pounds.
A former high school wrestler at a powerful small-town program, Heden
had never even been in a real fight. But in Frazee, Minn., where manual
labor is common for a living, the big-man toughness was ingrained.
It might even be more accurate to say Heden entered that first tournament out of annoyance.