During an 18-year career in the National Hockey League, Donald Brashear earned a reputation as one of the sport’s top enforcers due to his willingness to rip off his gloves and throw down. Now, though, he is getting to strap on some gloves and change his fighting arena from a rink to a cage when he makes his mixed martial arts debut at Ringside MMA 11 on June 4.
The 39-year-old will face an opponent yet to be determined in his adopted hometown of Quebec City, Quebec, and his first prizefight will come on very short notice. During a recent edition of The MMA Hour, Brashear said that he decided to take the fight after being approached by the event’s promoter just around one month ago, and with no previous MMA experience. If that sounds like a rash decision, Brashear can’t exactly argue.
“The most I know is from the people I see fighting,” he said. “The only knowledge of fighting I have is boxing and playing in the NHL, so I’ve got a lot of stuff to learn.”