This may seem like a new attitude to have, but Brundage has always been resilient when finding ways to deal with the ups and downs in his sporting life. Remember, this is the kid who had a lot of downs on the wrestling mat growing up. But he never gave up.
“I didn’t win a wrestling match for two years,” Brundage said. “I stuck with that. I think I’m a talented person, but, more than anything, I’m just persistent. I feel like I just don’t go away. I think it would be annoying to some people, but you find the right people and they can maybe cultivate that into something that resembles success. I think I’m just a persistent SOB and it’s going to be hard to get rid of me. It’s going to be hard to keep me down for too long, and so if I wasn’t good at sports, I would just be bad consistently until I was maybe average.”
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Brundage went on to become a two-time NCAA Division II National qualifier, and since turning pro in MMA in 2019, he’s compiled an 11-6, 1 NC record that includes five UFC wins. Not bad for someone who couldn’t buy a victory in those early wrestling years.
One person who probably remembers those lean years is Brundage’s father, Tony
“My dad would be at wrestling tournaments, and I never won a match those first two years, and I’m like, dude, let me quit this f**king sport,” he laughs. “He’s like, ‘No, you’re not quitting.’ I ended up finally figuring out how to win, but man, those first two years, I’m like, why would you do this to yourself? It’s not fun for you to watch me just get my ass beat, is it?”
