The Chronicles of Eric Bradley and his Journey to the UFC – Part One

To recap what we already know (or maybe not)…

Eric Bradley is a 28-year old former wrestler from Penn State who was a two-time NCAA Division One Wrestling All-American. He was ranked number one in the United States in his senior year.

Bradley was also a two-time Big Ten Conference Wrestling Champion and a National Boxing Champion (with a record of 15-0).

Bradley holds a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (under John Lewis) and has been in several training camps with the likes of BJ Penn, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and John Hathaway.

Now for the shocker…

While wrestling in his freshman year at the Olympic training center in Lake Placid, NY, Bradley injured his back, resulting in a hairline fracture in his spine.

In other words—Eric broke his back.

Say good-bye to wrestling, right?

Well, not exactly.

With an injury that would have permanently side-lined most anyone else, Eric Bradley never once gave up on himself or on his dream.

There’s just something about that concept that really appeals to me and I have so much respect and admiration for this young man that I have decided to create this entirely new series dedicated to following Eric on his incredible journey to finally realize his dream of fighting in the UFC.

This is my second interview with Eric. Please enjoy.

James Ryan: Hello again Eric!

Eric Bradley: Hey there James!

James Ryan: Thank you for agreeing to speak with me again. I take it you were pleased with our last interview?

Otherwise, you’d probably be telling me to take a hike right about now [Laughs].

Eric Bradley: I thought it was awesome!

James Ryan: Thanks. Are you sure that you’re ready for this?

Eric Bradley: Yep.

James Ryan: Are you absolutely sure? These are some pretty tough questions Eric. I don’t know if you’re going to be up for the challenge [Laughs].

Eric Bradley: [Laughs] Uh oh!

James Ryan: Last we spoke, you were preparing for a fight in May and then hopefully another immediately after in June. What are the updates on those fights?

Eric Bradley: Well as you know, I had been training with John Hathaway for his fight at UFC 114 against Diego Sanchez and during training camp, which was a brutal training camp by the way, we sparred a tonne and in one session, I unfortunately caught a knee.

The doctor’s thought that I may have fractured my ocular so I had to pull out of the May fight.

James Ryan: Ouch! That sucks.

Eric Bradley: Ya but it’s healing up really nice. You can’t even tell right now. The first x-ray, they thought that the bone was cracked, but after the second x-ray two weeks later, they said that it was fine. So I’ve been back sparring now and it’s not even an issue any more.

John is kind of long and lanky and he’s got a bit of a boney physique [Laughs] so he just kinda hit me flush right in the cheek area.

James Ryan: Have you got anything coming up in June then?

Eric Bradley: Right now, I have a tentative fight scheduled in Croatia. I’m just waiting to hear back about the flight and passport and stuff. I’m just getting out of this training camp with John Hathaway, so I’m definitely in top shape.

If I don’t go to Croatia, I’ll be looking to get anything on short notice here in the States. I’m in fight shape right now for sure, so I am eager to get inside of the cage.

James Ryan: Any more contact with anyone from the UFC about being a part of their Boston show in August?

Eric Bradley: I spent a lot of time networking in Vegas last week at the UFC Fan Expo and plus I was in John’s corner, so I got to be backstage a lot.

I had hoped to get some face time with Dana White but unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to meet him in person, which was a bummer. John gave me several “shout outs” during his post-fight interviews though. It was really nice to get my name thrown out there after a big win like the one he just had over Diego.

I grew up in the Boston area so being a part of that show would be an absolute dream come true for me.

James Ryan: Well if you do ever meet Dana White, you’re really going to have to do a great job in selling yourself, right? He’s a busy guy, he has a lot going on, and he has a lot of different fighters all clamouring for his attention to get into the UFC.

Eric Bradley: I know. He definitely has his pick of everybody right now, but I think that I bring a unique look to the team. They could definitely market to me and in this business, that’s important.

I trained under Josh Koscheck at Penn State and I feel like if I can just get my foot in the door with the UFC, then that would be all that I need. From there, my career would be way more in my hands.

The last couple of years, I have felt like my career has really been at the mercy of the promoters.

James Ryan: As you said, you used to train with Josh Koscheck—do you feel that he has been unfairly criticized as of late for what some may perceive to be “acting” and faking injuries in the ring?

What do you make of all that?

Eric Bradley: I think Josh is doing good and I think he’s really coming off true to who he is. People think that he plays it up to wow up the crowd or whatever, but it’s kinda the Josh that I remember.

As far as the Daley fight, that’s the exact fight plan that I would have implemented. Daley has dropped a lot of guys with his punching—so taking him to the ground and controlling the pace of the fight was the key to victory.

As far as Josh faking an injury, sometimes things don’t look that bad but they end up being worse then they are. It’s tough to say unless you’re the person in the cage fighting.

James Ryan: Only he knows for sure, right?

Do you feel that Paul Daley’s expulsion from the UFC for his late hit on Koscheck was justified or do you feel that the punishment was perhaps a bit excessive?

Eric Bradley: I think that Paul Daley was made an example of and part of that might have been because of the whole Strikeforce brawl episode.

Dana White is trying to create an image of MMA as something that can be viewed as athletes in a sport and not just a bunch of people looking to fight everybody.

A lot of the guys that I train with are pretty laid back guys. People that you almost wouldn’t even know that they were fighters. John Hathaway is a prime example of that. He’s just a cool guy.

The UFC is trying to keep the credibility in the sport and are helping to make us look professional. It’s unfortunate for Daley though. He’s a tough fighter and he definitely could have gone far in the UFC.

James Ryan: I agree that Dana White didn’t have much choice, given how critical he was of Strikeforce after the brawl on CBS.

Eric Bradley: It can become very emotional at times.

James Ryan: Curious, do you have a nickname yet [Laughs]?

Eric Bradley: [Laughs] No, I don’t. Some of the guys have been calling me “Sideshow” because of my hair [Laughs] but I’m not sure I that wanna start going by that though.

James Ryan: Well you’re in luck. I had an idea a while back that I shared with Kevin from Carried Out Fight Gear, so I’ll make you a deal—I’ll share it with you and if you like it, I’ll let you use it [Laughs].

Eric Bradley: Uh oh, I’m nervous [Laughs].

James Ryan: You should be [Laughs].

Okay, now close your eyes and imagine this…are they closed?

Eric Bradley: Yep.

James Ryan: Okay, I’m trusting you [Laughs].

Imagine that you are standing inside of the Octagon right now, and using your best internal “Bruce Buffer voice,” you can hear your name announced across the microphone…

…Eric “The Back Breaker” Bradleyyyyyyy!!!

Eric Bradley: [Laughs]

James Ryan: Here’s why it’s perfect!

One—it’s totally opens the door for you to tell your amazing story anytime that someone asks you about it.

Two—it’s on the same level of coolness as “The Axe Murderer.” Almost. [Laughs]

And three—it’s all “B’s.”

I think you should sleep on it.

Eric Bradley: I like it James! It’s a heck of a lot better than “Sideshow” [Laughs]

James Ryan: Well it’s yours if you want it.

Okay Eric, all fun aside for a moment, I have one last big question for you.

But first the set-up…

I run a program at the College where I work at, which offers free in-school apprenticeship training—fully funded by the Province of Ontario.

Students must go through an application process which includes an academic evaluation and an interview before they will be selected. It is definitely not first come, first serve.

Each candidate must prove that they really want the opportunity. My biggest concern is the risk associated with potentially giving a seat to someone who doesn’t really appreciate or understand just how unique the opportunity really is.

If they don’t take it seriously or give it 100%, they will never likely get an opportunity like that again. For me, I need to understand their motivation and the reason why I should select them over anyone else.

I would hate to give a seat to someone just so that they could waste the opportunity because that is an opportunity that I could have given to someone else then.

They must sell themselves. They must be sincere. And they must have a solid goal outlining their plan for success.

Eric…

Everyone is trying to make it into the UFC right now.

Let’s role-play.

Pretend that I’m Dana White right now and start selling me on why I should choose you for the UFC. What separates you from other fighters? Why do you feel that you deserve the chance over everyone else?

Why should I select you?

Eric Bradley: Whoa! You did come up with a tough one there!

James Ryan: [Laughs] I warned ya!

Eric Bradley: Hmmm…let me see…

Wow, that’s a tough one. I guess what makes me deserving is that I have already been through and overcome so much in my life. I definitely don’t give up on the things that I really want in this life—I’m not a quitter.

I have crazy hair [Laughs].

Seriously though, I have always stayed true to my dream. I am focused on becoming the Champion. I am most definitely in this to win it.

If I’m Dana White and I’m trying to pick fighters, I’m gonna want guys that are willing to work their butts off to be the Champion. They need to genuinely believe in themselves and not just be full of themselves or all talk.

No matter who I’m fighting, I truly believe that I am going to win and if given the chance, I will one day become the UFC Champion at 170.

I think Dana White wants guys that are out there for more reasons than just making a paycheque…not that I don’t want to earn a paycheque [Laughs], but that’s hardly my prime motivator. My ultimate goal is to become the Champion.

James Ryan: Well, from what I know about your background, I think that you possess the physical chemistry and the right attitude to make it happen.

And I think for Dana White, he has to understand that desire from you. Dana strikes me as the kind of person who is only interested in guys who want to be fighters—quitters need not apply.

Eric Bradley: You have to possess the confidence to go into a fight and expect to win. I have been to so many training camps. I have paid my dues. It’s time to put me to the test.

I want to be the person training for the fight.

I want to be signed in the UFC. The UFC is the mecca of Mixed Martial Arts and all I need is a foot in the door.

James Ryan: I think that Dana White would be crazy not to give you a shot Eric—I really do. And I plan on following you on this journey of yours until your fate is finally in your own hands.

By the way, what was it like working in John Hathaway’s corner at UFC 114?

Eric Bradley: The whole experience was really cool. Seeing how it all went down at a show like the UFC was awesome! I visualized it being me out there fighting so that the next time I’m backstage there, it won’t feel like the first time.

And the next time I do plan on it being me. Being in John’s training camp was a great experience, but for me the next time I am back there, it will be for a fight that I am about to win.

James Ryan: Cool. Any special thanks?

Eric Bradley: My mom and dad for sure. They have never stopped believing in me, despite this roller coaster, and they have had my back the whole way.

I would like to thank Jim and Anna Chadwick. They are my second family out here in Las Vegas and without them, I probably would have wound up buried in the desert like Joe Pesci in Casino [Laughs].

Also, I would like to thank Kevin from Carried Out Fight Gear for hooking me up with you.

James Ryan: Well, it takes a great man to run a great company and Kevin is definitely that man. In the short time that I have known him, he has made an impression on me as a very generous person with an extremely positive attitude.

I feel lucky to know him.

Eric Bradley: Agreed, he’s a great guy!

James Ryan: With a great logo! [Laughs] Thanks Eric and best of luck.

Eric Bradley: Thank you James.

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This is my interview. If you don’t like it…I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

Carried Out Fight Gear was founded in 2009 by a group of Ex-fighters who realized that the true essence of a warrior was being lost by some people giving up. The Carried Out mindset of “One Way Out—Carried Out” signifies that a fighter will never surrender, and will fight to the very end. Leaving everything he/she has in the ring, on the mat, or in the cage.

ONE WAY OUT…CARRIED OUT!