The UFC debut did not go as planned for UFC Vegas 51’s Brandon Jenkins. However, to be fair, there wasn’t much planning to be had.
After getting out of his PFL contract and hitting the open market, his management team told Brandon to get ready and stay ready. They anticipated a call to the UFC or Contender Series in the near future. Jenkins obliged them and got back into serious training at Syndicate MMA on a Monday. It was only three days later when things got pretty serious.
“I was training with Jordan Leavitt for that week – we were doing the hard sparring, hard wrestling,” Jenkins recalled. “He’s like, ‘you know what? I’m really craving some In-N-Out Burger.”
Being that it had only been a few days since his manager put him on alert, Jenkins thought it would probably be safe to indulge a little. He and his fellow UFC Vegas 51 competitor headed out after practice.
“Right after class, I had two double-doubles and a milk shake. I’m driving home all fat and Jason House [my manager] calls me,” he said. “He asks ‘can you make weight this week?’ And I was like, ‘for what?”
After finding out it was for a UFC fight in just a few days, Jenkins didn’t hesitate. He immediately began looking to work all the good stuff he just put in his body out.
“I went across the street to the gas station I live across from and I bought a gallon of water. I was like, oh my gosh, I just need to drink this and just run and hopefully some of the salt comes out and the fat,” Jenkins said with a laugh. “I just took off running for like six miles, just trying to do something, you know?”
The end result was one that didn’t reflect the actual abilities of Jenkins.
However, while some might think he’d have to cut back a little heading into his upcoming UFC Vegas 51 fight, Jenkins actually increased his caloric intake for this one – albeit without burgers. After consulting with a nutritionist, Jenkins decided to pack on more muscle prior to his next fight, and he’s more than happy with the results.
“They made me a lot more of an athlete than I was,” Jenkins said. “I feel faster and stronger and I’m excited about it. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing my performance.”
The new version of The Human Highlight Reel looks to get that elusive first octagon win this weekend when he faces Drakkar Klose. That fight will air on the ESPN+ prelims of UFC Vegas 51.
You can hear the entire audio of Brandon Jenkins’ interview prior to his UFC Vegas 51 fight below at 32:33.
