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Logan Brown shakes hands with Purdue Coach, Scott Hinkle.
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AUGUST 29, 2011 - WEST LAFAYETTE
Believe it or not, Logan Brown has never been in a fight - not even a little tussle as a youngster to settle a minor difference with a classmate.
"Nope, I've never been in a fight," said Brown prior to taking part in his first Mixed Martial Arts battle in West Lafayette on Friday. "I don't even remember ever getting hit in the face."
Which is why those who know Logan found it very difficult to sit cage-side and watch him throw leather for the first time.
"I can't take this," said Logan's mother, Karen as the preliminary bouts were taking place. "I'm a nervous wreck."
Brown, a 2006 Covington graduate and state wrestling champion, was the headliner in an amateur MMA card at the Family Sports Center in West Lafayette, Indiana on Friday. This was due to his overwhelming popularity generated through his wrestling career at Purdue - a career that took him to the NCAA Championships in each of his four years of eligibility.
And Brown's face was even printed on every ticket sold at the event.
"That's awesome," said Dennis "Scooby" Willoughby, a long-time Brown supporter who made the three hour trip from Covington to watch Logan fight. "Logan Brown is the man - and to be the man you have to beat the man."
Shawn Black, a 190 lb. fighter from Indianapolis found out the hard way that "the man" is hard to beat. Brown dominated the 2:22 of action as he pounded his opponent into submission for a first round stoppage.
"It was fun," said Brown after his victory. "I wasn't too nervous, not as much as I thought I would be. It was a pretty neat experience."
Brown took control of the match from the outset, landing a thunderous left hand that buckled Black's knees and following up with two more left jabs.
After tasting Brown's power Black elected to try and take Logan down, pinning the former Covington Buccaneer against the cage for a split second while he attempted to land body shots.
"I was surprised when he shot in like that," Brown explained. "I was like, what the heck is he thinking? So I just went with it and took him to the mat."
Which is where Brown did significant damage as the former standout grappler began pounding away at Black's ribs and face with controlled abandon - setting up each thunderous punch by switching from the body to the head around the Indianapolis fighter's defense.
Mercifully, at the 2:22 mark of the first round, the referee halted the beating and declared Brown the winner as the entire arena came to its feet.
"I want to thank everyone for coming out and supporting me," Brown said. "I could hear the guys (from Covington) shouting for me to keep pounding away. That's what I did."
All the while Brown's mother sat quietly a few feet away, hoping this would be the only MMA battle her son takes part in.
"I'm not sure about this," she said. "I hope he can walk away satisfied that he tried it (MMA)."
You can breathe easily, Mom. After all, Logan said prior to his fight that this was a one-and-done thing for him.
Hopefully he sticks to his word.
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