To recap a bit for anyone reading who has not yet been following along, I won my professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut a little more than one month ago (March 31, 2018), fighting at the Gladiator Challenge: “Redemption” event at Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln, California. For all my past amateur fights, I’ve written a recap article that details all the events leading up to the fight and of course covers the action inside the cage.

For my professional debut, I did my usual write-up (LINK), but we wanted to do something extra as well. To that end, MMAmania/BloodyElbow videographer Case Harts was flown out to help create this mini-documentary. He tailed me starting on weigh-in day and throughout the fight weekend, documenting much of the process that goes into making a professional debut and the fight itself.

Episode 1 showcased the experience of weighing in at a bowling alley/bar and not having much of an idea who I would be fighting, plus Case gave a bit of information on my background both as a martial artist and as a writer here on MMAmania.com.

Things are a bit more serious this time around, as Episode 2 covers all the action of fight day leading up to the walkout. We start with my early morning shakeout — a short but tiring mitt session that aims to open the lungs and get a sweat going before the actual competition. Then, Episode 2 covers fight day food, the trials and tribulations of having a stupid haircut while fighting professionally, and exploring the casino venue right before the bout.

Episode 3 will be the final episode of the series, featuring highlights of my debut, post-fight interviews and activities, and a small look at my regular training life when I’m not just hours away from fighting. It will air next week, so stay tuned here on MMAmania for Episode 3 of, “Behind-the-scenes of a pro MMA debut: Andrew Richardson.”