MMAer Bennett Gets Back in the Cage

Professional fighters get into the cage for a lot of reasons: the thrill of competition, the money, the fame. For Garrett Bennett, who takes on kickboxer Britton Eliott at this weekend's King of Kombat MMA event at the Crockett Center, the reason was a little simpler. "I got jumped one day, and I wanted to know how to protect myself."

The 6'2" Austinite freestyler out of Team LA Boxing was inspired by UFC, and hit the gym and the ring. While he says his style heads for the "ground'n'pound" school, he said he didn't want to become "two-dimensional." Splitting his time between working at LA Boxing and training, he's been working with a variety of trainers, working separately with experts in kickboxing, boxing and take-down wrestling – including top heavyweight Justin Howard. Going pro, he said, allowed him to concentrate on the night. "It's second nature to me to fight," said Bennett.

But both fighters come into this with a 0-1 record, so Bennett calls this his "revenge match." Lufkin's mix of kickboxing and jiu jitsu takedown give him the same skill spread as Bennett. But with five inches on his opponent, the Austinite's reach could be a big advantage if the match stays up off the canvas. even so, Bennett didn't seem sanguine about his chances. "It only takes one punch, so I won't underestimate the guy."