Meet Australia's adopted UFC star

Battle-hardened MMA fighter Brian Ebersole talks to BigPond Sport about life in the UFC, alternative career paths, and the decline of respect in the Western world.

Profile: the life of Brian

BigPond Sport: After a long and winding road, how does it feel to be in the UFC?

Brian Ebersole: I'm happy to ply my trade in what seems to be the only organisation that really matters. There's a bit of validation that comes with that. I've always competed with some of the sport's best athletes – and, dating back to wrestling, even higher calibre sportsmen on a more regular basis – so I knew where I stood. It is nice to have the recognition from both the UFC and the public this past year. The rewards are greatly appreciated on my end, and I hope I give this sport as much as it's given me.

BPS: What are your thoughts on your win over Claude Patrick at UFC 140 in December?

BE: Many. I'm happy to be 3-0. The fight's pace in reality was the pace that I had nightmares about during my camp. I would have liked to have gone for a nice 1600m run. Instead, we seemed to be climbing a steep rock face of Mt. Everest. It was a grind. It happens. I'd have liked to have opened up the movement and the pace, but it didn't happen that night. But two good veterans caused some stalemates. And two veterans showed their defensive capabilities and ended up without broken faces.

BPS: What did the win in your UFC debut over Chris Lytle – a huge name in MMA – mean to you?

BE: I had a second UFC fight coming.

BPS: What hurts most in MMA?

BE: Losing. Having an excuse adds to that hurt, because then there's the guilt of not having walked the path that you know should have been walked in preparation for the bout.

BPS: Is winning enough, or does it matter to you how you perform en route to victory?

BE: Of course it matters. I want to win convincingly. I don't want to fight for 15 minutes, and if I do I sure don't want it to be anything but clear that I was the winner of the engagement.

BPS: You have fought in various parts of the globe over a long period. What does this wider experience bring you as a fighter?

BE: I think my travels, and the trials and tribulations that accompanied those travels, leave me in a grateful state. I'm thankful to have come out of 70 pro fights with health and hunger enough to allow me to start my UFC career. A few small details being different, I could be a retired MMA fighter right now, so I'm thankful for it all.

BPS: How do fight crowds vary around the world?

BE: Everyone is obnoxious, drunk, loud, and disrespectful en masse – except the Japanese fans. Western cultures don't even realize that they're obnoxious. Most people from the USA, England or Australia would walk into a Japanese home with muddy shoes and wonder why the homeowner is gobsmacked. They'd walk across a martial arts mat with their shoes on and think it's rude that the instructor asked them to remove their shoes. It's hard to blame them, when respect isn't something that's truly taught during youth. But it is a glaring difference.

BPS: The idea that you are an anomaly because you are an intelligent man in a fight sport is snobby rubbish. However, do you meet many people who find it hard to reconcile your personality with your choice of vocation?

BE: You know, it actually brings up some interesting conversations. There have been drunken conversations about what I would have been had I not been a fighter. I offer my 'realistic' vocation, having originally gone into teaching and education (with the goal of being just a wrestling coach more than having a full classroom schedule). Other folks have thrown out some interesting options/opinions, and the justification and extrapolations that followed such proclamations have been more than entertaining.

BPS: You could make good money as a real estate agent, never get punched in the mouth again and never have to run another kilometre in training. At 31, why do you choose to be a fighter?

BE: I enjoy competing. I'll compete for free, and to be fair, I compete for free way, way, way more than I compete for a wage. If I'd spar hard in a gym, for free, why not go get paid for it a few times per year?