Jared Revel (9-2) is chasing a fifth straight victory when he enters the cage against Drayton Angus (7-9) at BFL 65 this Saturday in Vancouver, B.C.
Fresh off a notable victory over former The Ultimate Fighter competitor Collin Hart, Revel, 35, is determined to carry his momentum forward. Before stepping into mixed martial arts, Revel earned a black belt and built an impressive resume in Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition.
But his entry into the world of grappling didn't start out smoothly—it turned into quite an eye-opener.
"I went to one of my first MMA classes and some little guy armbar'd me," Revel told MMA Empire in a previous interview.
"I was thinking, what in the world is happening? He told me to give jiu-jitsu a shot, and I decided right then I'd never let that happen again. I poured everything into BJJ and worked hard to become elite. For roughly seven years, my training revolved around jiu-jitsu with occasional kickboxing sprinkled in, but BJJ was always my primary focus."
Switching to MMA felt like a natural progression for Revel after nearly a decade of BJJ tournament competition, with his passion for fighting sports burning just as brightly.
"I competed relentlessly in jiu-jitsu, and the logical next step was to try MMA. Competition is in my blood—even when playing board games with family, I'm driven to win," Revel explained.
"And honestly, I thrive on challenging people's perception of toughness. I enjoy facing the guys who claim they're tough and proving them wrong."
Still, moving away from a pure jiu-jitsu background to MMA hasn't been entirely smooth sailing.
"There's definitely a steep learning curve. For a long time, my coaches kept calling me a jiu-jitsu guy because that's what I was known for in BJJ—mostly a guard player. But now I've shifted my focus toward landing strikes and moving away from purely sport-oriented jiu-jitsu thinking," Revel shared.
"Bibiano Fernandes trains at our gym and he's a beast on the ground. One of his constant reminders is to avoid staying flat on your back. In one of my few losses, I lingered too long on my back hunting for submissions instead of pushing myself upward, and it cost me a decision. I took that lesson to heart."
As with many accomplished jiu-jitsu athletes who've made the jump to MMA before him, Revel's priority has been strengthening other areas of his skill set to build a well-rounded MMA toolkit.
"BJJ wasn't exactly built on wrestling foundations for me. My strength has always been pulling guard and hunting down submissions from a bottom position," Revel shared.
"Striking and wrestling have been where I've dedicated most of my attention. I've worked with several wrestling coaches across the board, seeking out top-tier instruction. Over the past half-decade, I've stuck with the same coaching staff and seen tremendous growth."
Revel is hot on a four-consecutive-win run and sits at 8-1 in his last nine contests.
While most of Revel's wins have arrived by submission, the BJJ black belt proved he could handle the stand-up game back at BFL 55, where he stopped TJ Koehler inside the opening round.
Revel has invested the hours and feels fully prepared for whatever awaits in his next bout against Angus.
"My head is locked in. Across my last four fights, I've felt completely at ease trading strikes on the feet. For me though, it's about finding the simplest path to victory. Should he come charging forward looking to knock me out, I'll likely shoot for a takedown. Otherwise, I'll keep myself disciplined and dissect him standing up," Revel explained.
"That's my style. I've been effective at submitting my opponents, and that's always my target. I want to finish fights quickly."
On the matter of facing his opponent, Revel keeps his composure.
A single strike can flip a fight's outcome entirely, and sometimes it all comes down to managing risk.
"No matter his record, I'd never look past any competitor in this sport," Revel stated.
"I had a handful of opponents lined up that fell through. He stepped up and signed, so I'm grateful for the chance to compete. I'm pumped for this opportunity and ready for another serious challenge. He's a well-seasoned fighter."
Despite his already impressive journey, Revel isn't planning to slow down. He says he's never felt stronger as an athlete.
His immediate focus is on protecting his middleweight championship and adding to his record, but there's no question Revel has put himself in the spotlight for major organizations worldwide.
"I'm not sure how that all unfolds. I've discussed it with my team at Iridium, but securing the W is all I'm concerned with right now," Revel said.
"That would make my record 10-2, and that's certainly an eye-catching resume. I'd be riding a five-fight win streak. Clearly, my aim is to compete at the highest level eventually, so I'll continue grinding and trust that dedication brings rewards."
Acknowledgments From Revel
"Revolution MMA and Iridium Sports Agency." Stay connected with Revel online: FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM
