Coby Bradford Has Eyes Set on Championship Gold
With American Kombat Alliance steadily showcasing as one of the hottest regional promotions in the country, AKA 38 will showcase more of the country’s best talent when Coby Bradford and Daniel De La Cruz meet for the professional middleweight championship. Not only will this mark Bradford’s promotional debut as a pro but serves as a massive platform for his career if he can capture the championship. “The Candyman” hopes AKA 38 will serve as his “golden ticket” to a long reign atop the middleweight division.
Finding MMA
“Fortunately, I have always been an athlete. I’ve always had the desire to use the gifts that God gave me not only to entertain, but to compete with other athletes at the highest possible level,” Bradford told MYMMANEWS. “College football didn’t work out like I hoped it would, so I needed to find a sport where I didn’t have to depend on someone else. When you’re in that cage there is only you and the man in front of you. It’s a battle to determine who is the superior athlete.”
Though his time at Sam Houston State University may have not worked out how he hoped, his transition to the cage has been masterful. Before earning his amateur debut victory at AKA’s Rite of Passage 10, Bradford had to begin his MMA training somewhere under good tutelage. “Derrick Krantz, Larry Maxon, and Blake Franklin,” Bradford quoted as individuals crucial in his development.
“Larry taught me the fundamentals and instilled a devoted work ethic in my from day one. Derrick, through a series of humbling training sessions, showed me that being a superior athlete doesn’t necessarily mean that I have to overpower or be faster than my opponent. The mind is your greatest weapon, and it should be utilized as such. Blake looks out for my career just as much as he does my in ring striking. We’re adding tools to the toolbox every day when he isn’t making me take a rest day,” stated Bradford.
Amateur Career Leading to Pro Dominance
From Bradford’s debut in 2019 until mid-2021, he compiled a respectable 4-3 record, still acclimating to the sport. In a trying time that separates the true fighters from the quitters, Bradford would go on a rough skid losing four of five, the fifth a draw. In December 2021, Bradford would turn it around earning a knockout in 20 seconds at AKA 28 followed up by a third-round submission.
“Blake Franklin of Trouble Boxing, part of The Compound, here in Shreveport, sat down with Coach Brent Mason and I to get my diet together. We also came up with individual game plans and I stuck to them. Not to mention, I still go out of my way to see Derrick Krantz once a week. I’m the hammer during most of my training sessions. When he gets involved, I usually end up being the nail,” said Bradford about what helped him turn the rough corner in his amateur career.
