Hey there Maniacs! I'm make this quick. I was recording the weigh ins of an MMA event in Atlanta tonight for our documentary and something interesting happened. As I was clearing things with the promoter I couldn't help but notice the hand grenade tattoo on the back of someone's hand as they were helping out one of the fighters. I became curious so I zoomed in with my camera, and sure enough its him. Junie Browning.
There was a moment where I pondered the probability of him ripping off my face for trying to speak to him (we've all watched the episodes, seen the videos, and heard the stories of how unstable he can be). However, those thoughts soon made way for less logical actions and hopes of being able to gain new and exciting contacts for the documentary. He began walking in my direction and my brain went into now or never mode. Awkwardly, I managed to get his attention and ask, much to his delight I'm sure, "Excuse me, but... are you Junie Browning?"
What followed was the exact opposite of what I expected. We had a very pleasant conversation about the current MMA world, in which he spoke clearly and respectably, and at the end I gave Mr. Browning my business card, wished them luck, and reassembled my blown mind. It's not my intention at all to suggest that he has never done anything stupid or wrong, but it did get me thinking.
I've only ever seen or heard about Junie Browning when he does something wrong. I don't think that I have heard seen or read anything positive about him. So, when I met him and he came off as, dare I say, gentle it was extremely surprising. Do any of you have similar stories of meeting fighters or other prominent MMA figures where they just seemed to be the polar opposite of their public image?