After being victorious in three of his first four fights inside the Octagon, Charlie Brenneman (14-3) was slated to take on Anthony “Rumble” Johnson on national television in the nation’s capital of Washington D.C.
Brenneman’s night came to a close earlier than expected as he was defeated via head kick in the very first round.
But, as we know, a single fight doesn’t define an individual’s career as “The Spaniard” will be back in action when he takes on Daniel Roberts at UFC on FX.
UFC on FX will take place at the Bridgestone Arena located in Nashville, Tennessee on January 20th beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT and 9:00 p.m. ET.
In a recent interview with Bleacher Report’s Garrett Derr, Brenneman discussed his upcoming bout with Roberts, his famous nickname, and more.
“Ever since I entered the sport, people have been asking me where “The Spaniard” came from,” said Brenneman. “A lot of people think it came from the movie “Gladiator” but it actually didn’t.
“I was going to become a Spanish teacher. So, every summer we’d do a wrestling camp and because of my long hair and my background in Spanish, people started calling me “The Spaniard.” Since then, the nickname has just kind of stuck”, stated Brenneman.
Long hair and all, Brenneman is currently in the final stages of preparations for his bout with Roberts in just a few short hours at UFC on FX. Brenneman feels more prepared than ever and has his AMA fight team to thank.
“Our gym is decently known and we’re really starting to grow. Right now we’re located in North Jersey. I really have to thank all the guys who’ve been helping me prepare for this fight.
“Dan Miller, Rafaello Oliveira and some other guys have been pushing me to the max. To be honest, with everyone’s busy schedules it’s the core group of guys who help make the camp go,” said Brenneman.
While Brenneman may be just your everyday, ordinary fighter, his journey to the UFC is much different than most. On his way to establishing himself as a potential contender in the UFC’s welterweight divsion, Brenneman has been joined by his brother Ben, who is three-and-a-half years older.
“Ben has been by my side since day one. He’s my chief adviser and he gets me a lot of my sponsorships. Earlier on in my career he was managing everything. He literally took care of everything in my career. He is a jack of all trades,” said Brenneman. “He’s one of my best friends and I have a lot to thank him for.”
As Brenneman continues to train for his welterweight matchup with Roberts, his brother Ben will certainly remain by his side. Despite coming off a recent defeat to Johnson, many fans were surprised to see Brenneman get the matchup he did as Roberts has lost two consecutive bouts with little to no flashiness.
But, Brenneman wasn’t the least bit surprised when he received word that he’d be meeting Roberts in Nashville, Tennessee.
“I didn’t know who I would be fighting to be honest,” said Brenneman. “Daniel is just as good as some of the other guys I could have faced so I’m pleased with the matchup.”
“I didn’t really know where I was going to be placed. But either way, I’m in the sport to be the best I can be. I’m in the sport to make a living for my family. So in the end, it doesn’t really matter to me who I fight,” stated Brenneman.
Brenneman is confident that his skill set will be more than enough to receive the nod over Roberts on January 20th.
“If you take a look at the different areas of the overall fight game I think I’m the better fighter. I know he has a lot of skills in the submission. But, my bread and butter lies in my wrestling game which plays into his strength,” stated Brenneman. “So, that’s something I’ll have to be careful of.”
While Brenneman is on the home stretch leading up to his bout with Roberts, his fellow welterweights Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit are rigorously training for their main event showdown at UFC 143 on February 4th.
Brenneman took the time to weigh in on this interim championship bout and gave his predictions for how he thought the fight might unfold.
“If I’m being completely honest with you and myself, I think Condit is going to win. I don’t think Diaz will be able to dominate like he has in the past. I like Condit because he’s long and has great range. Also, if the fight goes to the ground, I don’t see Diaz submitting him by any means,” stated Brenneman.
Regardless of the outcome at UFC on FX, Brenneman is thankful for many things in life and knows January 20th will be another chance to learn and improve.
“I have so many people I could thank. Of course Ben has helped me a tremendous amount. However, my dad is the one who put me into wrestling to begin with. He’s been by my side and I love him,” said Brenneman.
“That’s why I’m where I’m at today. So, thanks dad.”
For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter
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