The Human Cockfighter Story

In the early 1990s John McCain led a group of legislators in an attempt to outlaw mixed martial arts. The sport was young at the time and enjoyed limited public acceptance on pay per view with the Ultimate Fighting Championships. McCain called the sport “human cockfighting.”

The difference between myself and a rooster is free will, but being a professional fighter I embrace that label. I go to war in a cage with my fellow man for the entertainment of our neighbors. I fight because I enjoy doing so, can vent my frustrations and free my soul. Inside the cage noone can tell me who to be or what to do. It is the most free place on the planet, and I accept the risks to bask in that freedom.

My professional fighting career nearly never happened. After a five month training stint in 2007 I badly herniated a disc in my lower back. I took six months off entirely before resuming my training in the late spring of 2008. I found that my resilience was strong enough to endure the rehabilitation. Two years and ten professional fights later, I am very proud of that resolve.

I have fought some of the best fighters the midwest has to offer. My biggest win to date was a submission victory over Ryan Lopez in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ryan was a participant in Season 8 of Spike TVs “The Ultimate Fighter.” I took this fight on 4 days notice and finished Ryan by kimura early in the second round.

My favorite moment is a knockout finish over Dominic Brown. We fought in our hometown of Kansas City in July of 2009. I landed a big right hand early in the second round to end this 30-fight veteran’s evening. I had finished opponents before but none so suddenly. I didn’t sleep for two days following that punch.

Aside from the wins there have been plenty of losses and thus setbacks. In my first trip to Oklahoma I was choked unconscious by fellow Kansas Citian, John Ott. This fight was in April of 2009. I entered the fight at 3-0 and had yet to be seriously tested. I am proud to say that I refused to tap to a rear naked choke, hence my unconsciousness.

I fought Aron Lofton in the co-main event of a Freestyle Cage Fighting show in August of 2009. I was just coming off my big knockout win. I knew that Aron was a great grappler, but I wanted to take the fight to the ground. Losses are for learning, as Aron finished me by knee bar in the first round. It was very disappointing, but again a great learning experience.

I fought Chris Davis on a huge card in Tulsa, January 2010. Chris was the first fighter to finish me with punches. I took a huge right hand via ground and pound that badly broke my nose. Chris is the best fighter I have faced to date and I’m sure that he will fight in the UFC one day. There were seven men on the fight card that night that had fought in the UFC. It was a great thrill to be part of such a large show.

My fight story is not the cleanest or happiest, nor is it a story of championships and big pay days. It is a story of an ordinary man who took his best shot in the rawest game on earth. Win or lose it is my pleasure to entertain my neighbors. Stay in tune with my career by reading my blog which is published by Prommanow.com.

Brian Imes, The Human Cockfighter