About the authors

Jonathan Buffong &
Brenda Downes

Jonathan Buffong was born and raised in north London.
He is a diamond setter by trade, with his own jewellery business - Visit jewllery website.
He first encountered the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC – from which sprang Mixed
Martial Arts) in the mid-1990s, and later met MMA promoter Dave O’Donnell in 2003, from
whence his passion for the sport grew. His association with many of MMA’s luminaries
has led to an understanding of their personal sacrifice and commitment.

What inspired you to write the book?
I’d been a part of the MMA scene since the late nineties. I had been supplying jewellery to
Cage Rage, who was the biggest MMA organisation in the country and Europe, for sometime.
I did a few calendars and saw an opportunity to write a book on the fighters themselves.



Brenda Downes was born near the Elephant & Castle in south London.
She grew up listening to boxing matches on the radio and attending Millwall FC.
Despite her dad’s attempts to turn her into another ‘local lad’, she attended university;
later, she became the author of two books and a number of journalistic articles.
Her love of sport has returned to her via Saturday afternoons spent at the New Den.
Thanks to Jonathan, she is now also an MMA enthusiast.