[autotag]T.J. Brown[/autotag] had to make the tough decision of leaving behind his home state.
Born and raised in Arkansas, Brown (16-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) grew up training with rising star Bryce Mitchell, but he felt the best move for his career was to seek a bigger gym.
The 31-year-old now trains out of James Krause’s Glory MMA in Lee’s Summit, Mo., a move that has resulted in him snapping his losing skid with a two-fight winning streak. Mitchell has found a way to make Arkansas work by emerging as a featherweight contender, but Brown believes it was a necessary move for him personally.
“So me and Bryce came up together. That’s my boy,” Brown told MMA Junkie Radio. “We trained our entire career with each other in Arkansas, and that’s my boy. What was best for me was for me to be over here at Glory in Kansas. It’s just good for my mental. I can really just focus on fighting and focus on myself and kind of get away, but Bryce is a stud. I don’t see anything stopping him from being the champ, and I mean that. I’m not just talking my guy up. I really don’t see anything stopping him from being the champ.”
Krause has helped plenty of young fighters make their mark on the big stage, which has drawn fighters to his training methods such as Bellator bantamweight contender James Gallagher and ex-UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno.
“He’s just a great coach,” Brown said. “He’s a great mental coach, and he’s got the X’s and O’s down to a tee. It’s not just James. I love James and what he brings, but he’s also got a room full of killers out here, so it really brings out the best of me.
“There’s training sessions where I’m sitting here, and I’m like second-guessing staying in or tired and beat up or maybe even a bit nervous because I know I have to go in there and get after it, but that’s what you need, and that’s what I need. As much as I can get in that uncomfortable state, I feel the more comfortable I’m gonna be come my fight.”
Brown returns to action June 25 when he meets Shayilan Nuerdanbieke in a Fight Night event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.