A massive weight was lifted off the shoulder of Mike Bruno back in October of last year as he snapped a three fight losing streak at Titan FC 31 against Kamrin Naville.
It was his first victory since February of 2012 and he will be looking for his second straight win on Saturday night when he meets Dakota Cochrane in a catchweight bout of 165 pounds.
When Bruno (12-7) steps into the cage on Saturday, it will have been just over eight months since his win over Naville. He recently told The MMA Report that he has been learning new skills every week, especially in the striking department at American Top Team.
“Since that fight, everything has been changing by the week,” Bruno explained. “It took me a long time to get into striking. Once I did, I started learning all kinds of things. Just like it took me a long time to get good in wrestling. By the time it was my senior of high school, I won everything. Then I got into teaching wrestling and I was able break down wrestling like I know how to break it down. I produced some young champions with my teaching. I am into striking like that now. I have finally learned enough about striking where I can teach hands and Muay-Thai to people. Get a guy like an amateur title. I have been learning something new every week since that Halloween show.”
Bruno knows that he is facing a tough midwest wrestler in Cochrane, but has some questions about his opponent and about this fight being at a catchweight of 165 pounds as opposed to a lightweight bout. He wonders about his opponents mindset heading into this fight and is a catchweight bout an advantage for him or Cochrane?
“I believe that this fight was presented to me at 165, it’s going to be an advantage for me,” Bruno said. “It’s also like an advantage for him, but I don’t know if it is. He fought recently and who knows what he has been eating. Obviously on that short of a notice, he can not make 155. It would be hell. It’s just the organization cutting him some slack — like that this fight on short notice. He will let you have the ten pound allowance. I think he is going to be a little bit relaxed in his training knowing that he has that ten pound allowance.”
This will be the 20th professional fight for Bruno and he is planning to show off all of his new skills in this fight. He is planning to have a statement type performance and finish Cochrane at some point in the fight.
“I am going to get a devastating finish and they are going to see an animal that has been evolving through the years,” Bruno explained. “Since I was 18 and joined American Top Team in 2004, I have been waiting to be 29. Then the next year I have been waiting to be 30. I have been waiting for over ten years for this training with the best in the world. Being yanked from my sparring session and being told, ‘Mike, we need you to shoot on this guy.’ Putting my body on the line to get these guys world titles. Now I am 29 and I am going to get even better. I’m going to get more man strength and they are going to see a new Mike Bruno at Titan FC 34.”