Brent Primus and I sat down to discuss his upcoming Bellator fight, his past, being homeless, and his journey on becoming a father.
Brent Primus vs Islam Mamedov at Bellator 263
“Business as usual, man,” Primus would answer when I asked if there was any beef with his upcoming opponent, “I usually don’t have any beef with any of my opponents … I respect everybody that I fight and they’re doing the same thing I’m doing. I know they’re putting their heart and soul in it.” Bellator 263 will be Saturday, July 31, at 6:00 pm ET.
“I got a couple of cool submissions that I’m working on that I’ve been catching a lot of people in.” Primus says he has a mystery submission he’s been training to prepare for Mamedov, “I don’t think anybody’s caught anybody in a big promotion with this one that I’ve been working on and I’m not going to say what it is.” Of course, there is always plan B. “I can catch Islam in it if I don’t knock him out.”
The former lightweight Bellator champion Brent Primus won his title headlining at Madison Square Garden when he used low-low kicks to defeat the then-champion Michael Chandler. The two would rematch and Chandler would take the title back via unanimous decision. Since this 2018 fight, Primus has gone 2-0 in MMA, but had some choice words for his former foe.
“The only guy that I really don’t really care for is Michael Chandler … Screw that guy he’s a little b*tch. You never know man, someday we might fight. You know, get that third fight.”
For now, Brent Primus is focused on his upcoming opponent in Russian-born Islam Mamedov, who is 19-1-1 in MMA and will be making his debut in the organization at Bellator 263.
“I’m gonna go out there and fight my heart out.” Brent Primus tells me, “I’m ready, I’m training my butt off and it’s kill or be killed. I’m ready for a freaking war. Tune in on Showtime on the 31st, man. It’s gonna be awesome.”
Selling Marijuana While Homeless
At age 13, a young Brent Primus would get in a fight with his step-father and be kicked out of his childhood house. A young teenager homeless in Oregon, the young Primus did not have many options.
“I got kicked out of my house when I was really young, like 13. I tried to get a job at any place I could- Taco Bell, anywhere, nobody hired me because I was so young.”
After applying for all sorts of different jobs, Primus’s life would take a new path. “I met some little hippie dude, and he started giving me marijuana, and I started selling it.” Eventually, through his selling Primus would be able to purchase his own home. Selling marijuana saved Primus’ life.
From homeless and selling marijuana for college students, Primus would soon switch to selling marijuana with more purpose. “After a while, I actually started growing medical marijuana for a bunch of patients who had cancer and HIV.”
Fighting for Free, and Fighting for Money
“I’d go to college parties, I was 16 years old, and I was literally getting in at least one fight or two fights a weekend. I was knocking out grown men. Every weekend I was knocking people out.” Every party had a bare-knuckle fight for Primus.
“My hand used to be like a humongous calcium deposit. I’d go to these parties and people bet money on me- arm wrestling or fighting these people. There’d be some times where I would literally fight three guys on one.”
One of Primus‘ friends suggested making money from all this fighting. “One of my buddies said ‘Man, if you’re gonna be doing this you might as well make some money.’“
Ahead of Primus’ first fight, he thought he should learn some Jiu-Jitsu, and it would start his love for MMA. “I remember I was like two weeks out I was like, oh man I better go to this Jiu-jitsu gym and see what’s all about. I walked in that gym and I thought I was gonna manhandle everybody. And they submitted me, and put their damn legs around my neck, and choked me … From then on I fell in love.”
He put everything else aside to just focus on the fight game. “I had my own landscaping business at the time, and I was selling a bunch of weed… Threw it all this side, and sold everything, just put my heart and soul into jiu-jitsu…I had my blue belt within three weeks.” He told me one of his biggest idols was Rickson Gracie.
Fatherless to Fatherhood
“Enjoy every second, every minute of it. I grew up with my dad in prison. I never had a dad. I never knew what it was like to have a dad.” From never knowing his own father and to now being a father himself, I asked what advice he would give to other fathers.
“I think it is it’s literally the best thing that’s ever happened to me. My kids are awesome and makes me almost want to tear just talking about it. It is what life is all about.”
Primus drives back and forth, two hours each way, to do go to the gym, then come home to his children. “That’s the highlight of my my day. Driving home and picking up my kids and hanging out with them. It’s a blessing, man. It is the coolest thing in the world.”
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