Calm, cool, collected and combat ready

By Brett Auten | Knuckle Junkies

Jimmy Donahue is no stranger to combat competition.

He has an ease and a comfort with conflict that comes from a fighter usually much older than his 23-years.

Donahue, who has won his last two fights and is 3-2 as a pro, can strike from all over the place and is savvy. He has been competing since high school after he first started taking kickboxing at 17 years old .

Saturday's fight with Chris Evinger is one of four pro bouts on the Lumiere Fight Night card. This event will be the debut for St. Louis-based Shamrock Promotions at the Casino. According to Sherdog.com, the 6-foot-4 Evinger is 1-2 and hasn't fought since February of 2011. He is the brother of Tonya Evinger, a standout women's mixed martial artist.

Donahue, who now lives in St. Louis, but grew up in Barnhart. While there he tried wrestling and football before being almost forced into kickboxing. "I got jumped in high school," Donahue said. "My parents got me into classes for self defense and I fell in love with. I took that wrestling mentality and mixed it with the kickboxing."

When it came to his fight career, he didn't jump into deep waters. He spent two years fighting amateur; first as a kickboxer, then boxing, and eventually MMA.

While he relies on his training partners and coaches from Finney's H.I.T squad to push him past his limits and make him stronger, Donahue knows that once the cage door is shut, it's all on him.

"MMA is a team sport but it also comes down to just you and your performance," Donahue said. "The only person holding you back is you. Definitely a one-man job."

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