MMA article from Big 2 News featureing Brad and Paul

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An event known as Shark Fights is taking place in Odessa this weekend, and the hand-to-hand combat is sure to draw a crowd. But before stepping into the cage, one of the fighters sat down with Big 2 to explain how his fighting technique has been picked up by our local law enforcement.

Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is a full contact combat sport that involves a wide variety of fighting techniques. It's become a popular past-time for many people. Some just watch it. Others actually practice it. So, in order to stay ahead of the game, Midland police have been working with a professional fighter whose helped them incorporate mixed martial arts into their training.

"If I'm writing a report next to a suspect, I don't know if he's going to be aggressive. If I'm not looking away and he eventually attacks...I stop...short elbow," Paul Buentello, a professional MMA fighter, said Friday while demonstrating his techniques.

He's been fighting for nearly 13 years, and this weekend he'll take on the undefeated Bryan Humes as part of Shark Fights main event. This UFC legend is no stranger to the area though. Buentello's worked closely with Midland police for years.

"I met Paul at a show in Carlsbad six years ago and really hit it off. He's real approachable," Brad Barnes, a Midland police officer, said.

Barnes quickly realized that Buentello's unique fighting style could translate to law enforcement, so he pitched an idea.

"When we don't have the ability to pull a gun or use a baton or use pepper spray...when we're just standing close to people, the things that you're good at will work for this job," Barnes said.

"There's a lot of little tricks of the trade...how to fight, how to close the distance, how to keep somebody away, and I jumped right on this horse because Brad's a good friend of mine," Buentello said.

Known as “The Headhunter” in the world of cage fighting, Buentello began to train Midland police officers...teaching them how to be prepared for any kind of attack.
"On a nightly basis we're putting people in handcuffs, whether it's just to detain them or to take them to jail. And people don't like being put in handcuffs, and they're going to fight you for it. I would say on an average shift...you're going to have to do some type of defensive tactics or stop some type of resistance," Barnes said.

"I've been doing it now for 13 years in a cage, actually getting paid to do these techniques. And if I can show an officer just a few little things things to remember, a little muscle memory on defending themselves and stopping an aggressive person. And they can go home at night...I feel a lot better about that," Buentello said.

For more about the event this weekend, check out www.SharkFights.com. And for more about Buentello, head to his website...www.PaulBuentello.com.