Big thank you to Fighter Brooke Mayo for being kind enough to do a quick interview. As usual contact details for Brooke at the bottom and I will ensure all hyperlinks take you to one of brooke's social media channels.

If you are fan of Brooke, fan of combat jiu jitsu or a fight fan Brooke never fails to bring hell on every occasion. Great interview

If you think you don't know Brooke, read on.....

What is your background, who do you train with and how did you get invited to the Combat Jiu Jitsu tournament?

I have been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu since August of 2013. I started training in the gi under Ralph Gracie and Kurt Osiander. I had my first amateur MMA fight before I had ever competed in grappling in July 2014. I currently train with team Alpha Male in Sacramento. I train with a lot of great professional fighters such Sara Mcmann and Cynthia Calvillo. I got into MMA because I was always a fan. I loved watching fights with my dad in high school. I played soccer my whole life but ended up having to end my college career early because I suffered a serious injury. I began training Jiu Jitsu and immediately felt confident enough to fight. I think training Combat Jiu Jitsu helped my MMA training. Having to think about utilizing striking on the ground helped me to improve my ground and pound. I come from a traditional gi Jiu Jitsu background so I get stuck in submission mode and I forget that I can be more aggressive and brutal when I'm doing no gi and gi Jiu Jitsu. Combat Jiu Jitsu helped me to flip the switch and really rain down strikes on my opponents on the ground. My goal was to get a tko or ko but I came up short. I would love to do more CJJ for sure though. Eddie Bravo messaged me and asked me if I was interested in competing and I immediately responded yes.

2. Being honest, was it hard just slapping rather than raining down blows? I think at one point I seen your hands clenched?

It was a little bit tough not being able to punch but I guess my friends say whenever I'm heated I clench my fists when Im getting heated

3. Did you consider sliding a DM to bas Ruten for tips on palm strikes?

Hell yes I did! I actually do admit I watched a bas ruten tutorial before I competed. It definitely helped out

4. Did Eddie Bravo talk to you about flat earth?

I didn't have a chance to talk to him about that. 😂

5. What is it like walking out for the first time on a bellator event?

It was definitely electrifying. I loved the energy but I definitely felt it. I was pretty nervous going out there in front of that many people. I didn't think I was going to be though. I'm really happy I had that experience

6. Was there a walk out song of your choice?

I walked out to sister Nancy bam bam. I usually walk out to reggae.

7. What advice would you give to people that aspire to make it to the big events?

People are going to try to tell you how to fight or how to portray yourself but it's important to know yourself as a fighter and as a person. You should always be looking to improve and listen to constructive criticism in order to grow, but do not lose sight of your identity.

8. What injuries have you had over the years training?

First injury I had a 280 pound purple belt broke my right ulna with an arm drag. That was a shock to me. I had only been training Jiu Jitsu for 3 months. I've had disc issues in my back, one broken nose, one dislocated limb, and one broken finger.