Jackson County Martial Artist Balances Firefighting With Combat Sports

Local Muay Thai fighter Brandon Goolsby is preparing for his next bout, while moonlighting as a volunteer firefighter.

Goolsby volunteers for the Central Fire Department in Jackson County. Goolsby said it all started at 12 years old when he decided he wanted to stand up for himself.

“I used to get picked on in school and stuff like that and I wanted to learn how to defend myself,” Goolsby said. “That’s kind of what got me into that. Then I saw my teammates going and competing in the cage and I go to some of the events. Then I thought it might be something I would be interested in whenever I become an adult.”

Goolsby said balancing the fighting and fire fighting means he’s always busy. He said he can come back from training to sleep and before he knows it, he’s getting a call to respond to an emergency.

“We had about four or five calls just in one night last night,” Goolsby said. “I just hadn’t been back from Kentucky yet, just maybe a couple of hours. So, I was just kind of resting and took a nap and I woke up to a bunch of calls.”

Goolsby said YouTube videos of Muay Thai fights peaked his interest in transitioning from kickboxing. He said finding a coach with real experience in Thailand also led to making the commitment.

“The preparation for Muay Thai compared to kickboxing is really tough,” Goolsby said. “It’s a big mind game, it helps you a lot. And also, you get to throw elbows and knees and stuff versus kickboxing, you just throw punches and kicks.”

Goolsby’s next fight is on March 27 in Kingsport at the Meadowview Convention Center. His current record in Muay Thai is 5-7-1 with four wins by knockout.