Lights out, knock out

Robert Bennett isn't your average young college student.

The 24-year-old, fun-loving guy, who originally hails from Upstate New York, has experienced a lot in his young life.

From near-death experiences to the birth of his daughter, Bennett has seen it all.

But nothing is quite like the ride he's on now – currently two years into his amateur mixed martial arts career.

Chasing, then losing your dream

Growing up Bennett was a junkie for another sport – this one involved a round ball and a hoop, something on the other end of the spectrum from the trunks and gloves he dons now.

"You could find me out there at 2 a.m. working on my jump shot," Bennett said. "I loved basketball."

He loved it so much that after he graduated from Madison Central High School he chased his hardwood dream back to his roots in New York, accepting a walk-on scholarship from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, a division-III school in Geneva.

The dream wouldn't last much longer, though.

In a pre-season game for the Statesmen, after the coach emptied his bench to let the walk-ons play, Bennett found himself playing in his first college game. But, after going for a rebound, Bennett's legs were undercut by another player and he came crashing to the floor.

His knee completely blew out. Torn ACL. Torn MCL. And soon after, a torn away scholarship.

Bennett had surgery and began rehabilitating immediately.

"I didn't want to give up on basketball," he said.

Sooner, rather than later, he would have no choice.

Within the year, Bennett was involved in a car crash with a buddy who was running on 36-hours without sleep. Bennett wasn't wearing a seat belt either, as the vehicle slid off the road.

Knee completely gone

again.

"The doctors said I wouldn't be able to play again to the potential that I was, so I decided to give up basketball, move back to Richmond to be closer to my family," Bennett said.

What looked like grim times for the youngster turned significantly better when three days after he returned to Kentucky, Bennett's daughter, Kennedy, was born.

"When she was born I decided to stay," he said.

A new sport

Hating the fact that he had to give up on his basketball dream, Bennett turned to the unthinkable – mixed martial arts – and when asked why he started his new dream, the answer was simple:

"I got picked on a lot in high school, so I had to find a positive outlet," Bennett said. "I saw it on TV one day and decided I want to do this."

So far in his short career, Bennett, fighting in both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, has used his muay-thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills to run off an overall record of 7-3.

Bennett obtained his blue belt in jiu-jitsu through the world-renowned Gracie Academy, and has a level two muay-thai degree. He also has trained his jiu-jitsu with professional MMA fighter Jorge Gurgel.

Six of Bennett's seven wins have come way of knockout, but he says his jiu-jitsu skills aren't to be overlooked.

"My striking is so natural, so it looks like it might be the strongest part of my game," Bennett said. "But my jiu-jitsu probably is my strong point, because I train it everyday."

Most days, his training starts with 600 kicks in 15 minutes. Then on to sparring and grappling sessions and then onto full round fights.

Bennett said that even though he's started back up his night classes at Eastern where he's in pursuit of a general education degree, his practice time is limited, but it's not rare for him to have a three or four hour workout.

"I just have to find the time whenever I can," he said.

Bennett also juggles sometimes as many as three jobs. He's worked on Eastern's campus for the intramural department, at the bookstore and locally at JC Penney.

He's also a full-time father and husband – he just got married last December to his wife Brandy, after they dated for two years.

Bennett gets most of his practice at Underground MMA, a gym in Richmond. But hopes to open up his own place.

"Right now in Richmond, we don't have a place that primarily focuses on jiu-jitsu," Bennett, who created his own team, Madison County Academy of Jiu-Jitsu, said. "I want to start my own place someday."

A fight with death

A few months back, Bennett scored maybe his most meaningful victory yet – saving his own life, after an armored truck collided with his motorcycle.

When he felt himself go down, Bennett said his instincts channeled his MMA training, and his body reacted exactly the way it should have if he was being hip-tossed in the octagon.