From stand-out high school wrestler and NCAA All-American to collegiate wrestling coach and Spanish teacher, Charlie Brenneman knows what it's like to be something other than a professional fighter,and he doesn't like it.

Brenneman was born to be a competitor.

The Pennsylvania native is entering his third fight in the largest mma promotion in the world and he's enjoying the variety and the grind of training and traveling.

Once a solo act, Brenneman has now been hooked up with Mike Constantino and AMA Fight Club in New Jersey where he trains with fellow UFC fighters Jim and Dan Miller and Ricardo Romero. Now 1-1 in the Octagon (12-2 overall), he's prepared to begin his climb up the crowded welterweight ladder with a win over Amilcar Alves at Fight for the Troops 2.

FiveKnuckles: What does it mean to you to be on a Fight for the Troops card and taking part in helping injured veterans?

Charlie Brenneman: It's a huge honor to be fighting in front of the troops. It's a chance for us to give back for what they do for us.

FiveKnuckles: At 1-1 in the UFC, how are you feeling coming into this fight?

Charlie Brenneman: Like a million bucks. I don't feel pressure to win, I feel pressure to perform, and that pressure comes from myself.

FiveKnuckles: Do you feel like you learned a lot from the Hendricks fight?

Charlie Brenneman: Absolutely. I've taken those things and worked on them in training. I've improved greatly in the last 5 months.

FiveKnuckles: At one point in your career you trained yourself and did your own thing. How much does it help to train with a team and the caliber of fighters and trainers that you work with?

Charlie Brenneman: It's like night and day. I'm a completely different fighter than I was before joining AMA Fight CLub. Having access to top coaches and training partners did wonders for me.

FiveKnuckles: You made your UFC debut in Charlotte, NC and the crowd was chanting “Spaniard” throughout the fight. First, did you hear that at the time and if so, what was that like?

Charlie Brenneman: I did hear it, but it was in the background. My thoughts were on winning my fight. It was great though, especially for the UFC to see that I have a great fan following. From day one, my fans have been as loyal as anyone could wish for.

FiveKnuckles: Scoring is a hot topic in mma right now and one of the issues is that people are questioning how take downs are scored. Coming from a wrestling background, do you have any thoughts on this?

Charlie Brenneman: Negative. People will complain no matter what. Guess what, wrestlers can take you down. Learn to deal w/ it and get up.

FiveKnuckles: Is there anyone that you would like to thank?

Charlie Brenneman: AMA Fightclub, Boxing coach Mark Henry, John Danaher and my strength coach Don Messing for my training. I wouldn't be able to do what I do w/o my sponsors: Tokyo Five, IAVA.org, No Limits Personal Training, Microtech, Team Wendy, In Motion Meals, Custom Skin Art, Snare and Associates, and Higher Strength Nutrition.

FiveKnuckles: Best of luck in this fight and in your future. Thanks for taking the time.

Charlie Brenneman: Thank You!