Published: July 04, 2008 08:30 pm            

Beware of ‘The Epidemic’: Jeff native finding success in mixed martial arts

There is always life after basketball, but it doesn’t always take place on the court.

In Daniel Farmer’s cage, the thirst for competition had to be caged.

Farmer, a former hoops player at Jeffersonville High School, has moved into the world of mixed martial arts, where he has shown an aptitude for the rough-and-tumble sport. He is currently 5-0 after a victory on an MMA card held in New Albany last Saturday.

On Sept. 6, the Indiana University student will vie for the middleweight championship of the Gladiator Elite Cage Fighting group, when he meets fellow unbeaten Enrique Nunez in Warsaw.

“I just love to test myself,” said Farmer, who is studying to become a fitness advisor in Bloomington. “Basketball was over for me, so I thought it was good to venture into another territory.”

The territory doesn’t get much different than MMA.

The sport, rapidly growing in popularity with the explosion of the industry-leading Ultimate Fighting Championship group, has long drawn big pay-per-view audiences for big-time bouts. MMA stars like Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell and Quinton Jackson have become cross-over stars, appearing in movies and drawing media coverage that rivals that of athletes from more established sports.

This is undoubtedly a good time to be involved with MMA, which has, in many ways, taken the place of professional wrestling in American society by providing legitimate (and hard-hitting) competition to go along with theatrics.

“I look at this as a sport and not a fight,” said Farmer, who is nicknamed “The Epidemic” and often goes through a high-energy dance routine before his matches. “If a guy hits me in the face, I don’t think about hitting him back. I think about what I have to do to win.”

Farmer’s involvement with MMA came from his study of jujitsu, a martial art that revolves around grappling, utilizing joint locks, traps and other ground-based maneuvers that can force an opponent to “tap out” — acknowledging that the situation is inescapable and ending a bout.

Farmer began with jujitsu in Bloomington and later became a student of prominent MMA veteran Rock Cruz, who operates out of American Martial Arts Academy in Louisville.

Cruz trains Farmer in stand-up, literally going toe-to-toe with an opponent in a standing position, and in the arts of boxing and muy thai kickboxing. Josh DeWitt also coaches the 6-foot-5 Farmer on grappling, supplementing his jujitsu background.

MMA training is every bit as extensive as basketball practice, and Farmer usually trains six days a week for bouts, which he tries as best he can to work in around his college classes.

“I’m more dedicated to my classes and studying,” he said. “I’ve got a 3.5 GPA so far and I work very hard at it. I just try to make as much room as I can to train. I try not to take fights during the semester. My main focus is always on my degree.”

So far, so good — at least for Farmer.

With the full-contact nature of MMA, there will always be the worry that something could go wrong. His father Jeff, an assistant coach for Jeff girls’ basketball coach Chad Gilbert and the head girls’ coach at Wilson Elementary School in Jeff, has learned to accept his son’s new sport — even if he doesn’t always like it.

“The week before (a fight) I can barely sleep,” Jeff Farmer said. “It’s nerve-wracking as a parent. But it makes him happy and I support it. So far, he’s done really well.”

With the reach and height of a basketball player and the fundamental skills of a grappler, Farmer seems poised to be competitive in MMA no matter who he fights. And his skills as a showman have helped to make sure “The Epidemic” gets plenty of requests for his services at regional MMA cards.

“‘The Epidemic’ came about when I was on spring break in high school,” he said. “I was talking about being in MMA and somebody said I should be ‘The Epidemic,’ so I went with it. People don’t always remember the best fighter, but rather the fighter that they enjoyed the most.

“I was involved with theater in high school, so I know what’s it like to be in front of people and to try and entertain. The persona is all about having fun.”

So was basketball, but Farmer says the transition has been easier than he thought.

“I’d say I had a lot of fun with it (basketball),” he said. “But there were more negative moments. Not so much my senior year with (former Jeff coach Jimmy) Just, but overall through the years. I’ve had a lot of fun so far.”



Farmer's new 'do

You may have noticed that Daniel Farmer looks a lot different than in his days at Jeffersonville High School. But fear not, his new long hair (which he has been growing since October 2006) is part of his efforts with Locks for Love, in which people donate 10 inches of hair to create wigs for children in need.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Farmer said. “I just made the decision to grow it out because I thought it was a great cause.

“The Epidemic’s” braids are simply a device to keep his mane out of his eyes during his training and MMA fights — the only downside to his charitable effort.

— Staff writer Matthew Cress



‘THE EPIDEMIC’

To check out Daniel “The Epidemic” Farmer in action, go to the following video links on the Internet:

• Farmer vs. Jason Hayes, Sept. 1, 2007, Indianapolis, IN:

rockcruz.proelite.com/stuff/video/72980/Elite_Cage_Fighting

• Farmer vs. Robbie Nieto, Jan. 26, 2008, Warsaw, IN:

rockcruz.proelite.com/stuff/video/100180/OK_CORRAL

        

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