Goldsboro's Whitfield to restart MMA career

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 20, 2016 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Each drill awakens his spirit.

Quick jabs as he dodges the pads fuel his desire.

A precise strike against a sparring partner neither satisfies his hunger nor his competitive nature.

Jake Whitfield misses the ring.

In fact, it's been five years since the mixed martial arts fighter has stepped inside the octagon and relished the chance to impose his will on an opponent, then have his hand raised in victory. He walked away to focus on teaching self defense -- his forte that led him to 12 victories and a Carolina Fight Promotions title.

"When I left before, I had some personal stuff going on and I was pretty much at the top in North Carolina, so I decided to step away," said Whitfield, the head instructor at Triangle Jiu-Jitsu Academy who earned his black belt under the legendary Royce Gracie -- the first Ultimate Fighting Champion.

"It's just that hunger where I'm a fighter, a competitor. I want to get back in there. I want to do it."

Whitfield makes his official return to MMA on Saturday evening.

He'll face Kentucky resident Portland Pringle on the Next Level Fight Club card at the Raleigh Convention Center. It's Whitfield's first non-title bout since 2008. Pringle, who appears athletic and strong on tape, steps into the ring for the 14th time as a pro and 28th time overall during his MMA career.

The fight took seven months to arrange.

"He's got a lot of experience, is in really good shape and a guy like that can be dangerous as opposed to me because I haven't been in a cage in five years," Whitfield said. "He fought two months ago, so he's in that rhythm and he's going to be ready to go."

Don't let Whitfield fool you.

An inner confidence instilled by Gracie has primed the 31-year-old into thinking he can emerge victorious any time he steps into the ring. He's trained with his students who continue to master the art of Jiu-Jitsu under his guidance, and they have developed into worthy adversaries during training sessions in the gym.

Since his departure from the MMA scene, Whitfield has participated in Jiu-Jitsu and grappling tournaments. The skills and tools remain intact within his 5-foot-9, 185-pound frame. Those opportunities on the mat have undoubtedly sharpened the sword.

A Jiu-Jitsu fighter's strategy hinges on safety. He must avoid injury and counter the opponent's plan of attack. That can play toward Whitfield's strength if he's able to get Pringle onto the mat.

The only difference is Whitfield, a grind-it-out fighter, has to work quickly. The bout is three five-minute rounds.

"Watching his tapes, I've seen certain things that I think I can exploit," Whitfield said. "I'm not an incredibly explosive fighter. I try to make the person fight my fight, and just slowly wear them down ... shut them down before I impose my game. I have to be prepared standing up and I am, but I know for sure if I take him down and get on top of him that he's going to have a bad night.

"I'm going to mentally get myself in a place that I'm completely convinced that I can win that fight."

Spoken like a true Gracie disciple.