Bruce Connors is a former Marine scout sniper and current law enforcement officer and SWAT officer. Bruce joined The INFO on the recent episode and shared his thoughts on maintaining a balance between serving his community and serving his goals as a professional athlete.
This makes competing in the Mixed Martial Arts arena seem docile by comparison. “I am either working or I am training,” said Connors. “You feel pretty selfish because it takes you away from your family and friends. The pressure can be there but as long as you keep a balance, everything can work.”
Connors attributes his mental sharpness when entering the cage to his scout sniper experience. “Going through that kind of hell, there is nothing worse than dealing with that kind of stuff,” said Connors. “So getting into the ring is just a whole different thing. Real life situations help, but they do not prepare you for the cage.”
Despite having less mental strain than lying in a desert and putting his cross hairs on the enemy, Connors feels it is still important to maintain his mental sharpness. ”I learned from the fight before that you have to take it like a serious life and death situation,” he said.
The previous fight Connors refers to is the Jarrod Card fight at XFC 8. “I don’t take anything away from him. He was the better man that night but he definitely had a different mind set from me that night,” said Connors. “Every fight that I have had except that one I would dream about the fight. With Jarrod that never happened. Something was missing with me mentally. I never showed any kind of explosion during that fight.”
Coming off this most recent victory Bruce is anticipating fighting again here as soon as possible. “I know the XFC is having a card in Germany and I would love to compete there,” he said. “I want to keep my name out there.”
Connors does feel that having quick victories can be a little deceiving for his experience. “I can’t say that I am not glad I am ending the fights in the first round, but at the same time it is taking away from much needed experience,” explained Connors. “In my eight wins, they have taken less time then my one loss.”
Bruce was also quick to express the support he receives within his police department. ”They are very supportive but it is also a fine line,” stated Connors. “I can’t say ‘Hey, I am a cop and I will kick your ass!’ I have to walk a fine line but I have no complaints.”
“I am sure they worry about me getting hurt,” he said. “Being a police officer pays the bills, so I do not see myself getting away from until the time comes that I can support myself by fighting full time.”
When asked if has used his MMA techniques in detaining a criminal, Connors smirked and stated, “It is my first reaction, instead of using a tazer, I may grab them, or foot sweep them.”
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