Junie Browning taking different path after "TUF" experience
"The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir" lightweight cast member Junie Browning (2-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is certainly no stranger to controversial situations.
But when filming for the eighth season of "TUF" wrapped, Browning left his hard-drinking, trash-talking days behind him and relocated to Las Vegas for a chance to train full-time at Xtreme Couture.
"It's awesome," Browning recently told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), while a recent in-studio guest. "The first week was really just being star-struck -- and getting used to just getting beat on."
Browning knew his behavior on the Spike TV reality show had earned him a reputation as a problem child. The Kentuckian was concerned that he may have cost himself a chance to follow his dream.
"The whole entire time I was on ["The Ultimate Fighter"] I was saying to myself when I came off I was going to start training full-time," Browning said. "Move off somewhere and train with some better partners and stuff. But I was afraid that no one would want to help me after the show, to be honest. So I'm sort of grateful that they took me in. Especially at a place like Xtreme Couture.
"There's no one (in the gym) that really acts the way I was acting on the show. Part of me was sort of intimidated to go there."
Browning said the training he's been able to receive while a member of the world-famous camp has been overwhelming.
"Where I'm from, it's a little easier," Browning said. "I'm usually the one doing all the beating up all the guys in the gym. You come over here and you're just a punching bag for everyone."
While Xtreme Couture's roster is loaded with UFC veterans and MMA champions, Browning has been most impressed by the depth of talent in the gym.
"To be honest with you, just the guys that don't really have a name there surprise me," Browning said. "There's guys there that no one's even heard of that are pretty good. Most gyms you go to, it's the guys that everyone knows that are the standouts. Over here, everyone's good."
With the drunken tirades that Browning was seen undertaking while on "The Ultimate Fighter," a relocation to a city that would give the lightweight 24-hour access to an oasis of bars and clubs might seem a bad idea. But the 23-year-old said he has yet to partake in the Las Vegas social scene.
"I haven't really been able to go out on the town or anything like that," Browning said. "Ever since I've been here I've just been training full-time, twice a day."
Browning has watched every episode of this season of "The Ultimate Fighter." The young fighter said viewing the show in retrospect was an eye-opening experience.
"When I was watching it, I was watching with a lot of friends and stuff back home (for) the first four or five episodes," Browning said. "And I was watching it as if I almost forgot I was on it. Most of the nights were drunken blurs anyways.
"I was actually surprised (UFC President) Dana (White) didn't kick me off. I was watching it and I was like, 'Man they really need to kick that [expletive] off there.'"
With that knowledge in mind, Browning has worked on maturing as an individual and improving as a fighter.
"Obviously in my second fight I had a problem with keeping my hands up," Browning said. "A lot of that I do intentionally. Part of me tries to show off a little bit, drop my hands and let people punch me. Against some of the better guys, the more experienced guys, that's not the smartest thing to do."
Browning said he has also worked on his conditioning. Critics of the lightweight had noted Browning's cardio as a possible liability.
"I'm the kind of person that I need somebody there to push me cardio-wise,' Browning said. "A lot of people are like, 'Well that's your own fault that your cardio isn't better.' If you do your own cardio, you'll just quit when you want. I need someone to make me do it."
While Browning's antics have already made him a legendary character in the history of "The Ultimate Fighter," his true legacy as a mixed martial artist remains to be determined. And while his fate on the show also remains a mystery, Browning's coach Shawn Tomkins may have tipped his hand when a TAGG Radio caller asked Junie to take a shot of tequila with him over the air.
"As Junie's coach I'll tell you that Junie would be more than happy to have a shot of tequila after Dec. 13," Tomkins said.
"The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir" lightweight cast member Junie Browning (2-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is certainly no stranger to controversial situations.
But when filming for the eighth season of "TUF" wrapped, Browning left his hard-drinking, trash-talking days behind him and relocated to Las Vegas for a chance to train full-time at Xtreme Couture.
"It's awesome," Browning recently told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), while a recent in-studio guest. "The first week was really just being star-struck -- and getting used to just getting beat on."
Browning knew his behavior on the Spike TV reality show had earned him a reputation as a problem child. The Kentuckian was concerned that he may have cost himself a chance to follow his dream.
"The whole entire time I was on ["The Ultimate Fighter"] I was saying to myself when I came off I was going to start training full-time," Browning said. "Move off somewhere and train with some better partners and stuff. But I was afraid that no one would want to help me after the show, to be honest. So I'm sort of grateful that they took me in. Especially at a place like Xtreme Couture.
"There's no one (in the gym) that really acts the way I was acting on the show. Part of me was sort of intimidated to go there."
Browning said the training he's been able to receive while a member of the world-famous camp has been overwhelming.
"Where I'm from, it's a little easier," Browning said. "I'm usually the one doing all the beating up all the guys in the gym. You come over here and you're just a punching bag for everyone."
While Xtreme Couture's roster is loaded with UFC veterans and MMA champions, Browning has been most impressed by the depth of talent in the gym.
"To be honest with you, just the guys that don't really have a name there surprise me," Browning said. "There's guys there that no one's even heard of that are pretty good. Most gyms you go to, it's the guys that everyone knows that are the standouts. Over here, everyone's good."
With the drunken tirades that Browning was seen undertaking while on "The Ultimate Fighter," a relocation to a city that would give the lightweight 24-hour access to an oasis of bars and clubs might seem a bad idea. But the 23-year-old said he has yet to partake in the Las Vegas social scene.
"I haven't really been able to go out on the town or anything like that," Browning said. "Ever since I've been here I've just been training full-time, twice a day."
Browning has watched every episode of this season of "The Ultimate Fighter." The young fighter said viewing the show in retrospect was an eye-opening experience.
"When I was watching it, I was watching with a lot of friends and stuff back home (for) the first four or five episodes," Browning said. "And I was watching it as if I almost forgot I was on it. Most of the nights were drunken blurs anyways.
"I was actually surprised (UFC President) Dana (White) didn't kick me off. I was watching it and I was like, 'Man they really need to kick that [expletive] off there.'"
With that knowledge in mind, Browning has worked on maturing as an individual and improving as a fighter.
"Obviously in my second fight I had a problem with keeping my hands up," Browning said. "A lot of that I do intentionally. Part of me tries to show off a little bit, drop my hands and let people punch me. Against some of the better guys, the more experienced guys, that's not the smartest thing to do."
Browning said he has also worked on his conditioning. Critics of the lightweight had noted Browning's cardio as a possible liability.
"I'm the kind of person that I need somebody there to push me cardio-wise,' Browning said. "A lot of people are like, 'Well that's your own fault that your cardio isn't better.' If you do your own cardio, you'll just quit when you want. I need someone to make me do it."
While Browning's antics have already made him a legendary character in the history of "The Ultimate Fighter," his true legacy as a mixed martial artist remains to be determined. And while his fate on the show also remains a mystery, Browning's coach Shawn Tomkins may have tipped his hand when a TAGG Radio caller asked Junie to take a shot of tequila with him over the air.
"As Junie's coach I'll tell you that Junie would be more than happy to have a shot of tequila after Dec. 13," Tomkins said.