Why I Made Jack Garrett a UFC Champion

When readers first meet Jack Garrett in HAMMER, they quickly learn that he's more than a rancher in the Texas Hill Country. Before the events of the novel, Jack was a UFC Light Heavyweight Champion—a man who built his reputation inside the cage through discipline, sacrifice, and an unwavering will to win.

Some readers have asked why I chose that background for my protagonist.

The answer is simple: I didn't want a superhero. I wanted a survivor.

Fighting Is About More Than Fighting

Most people see combat sports and think about violence. What they often miss is the discipline behind it.

Every successful fighter spends countless hours training when no one is watching. They learn how to endure pain, overcome fear, and continue moving forward when their bodies and minds are telling them to quit.

Those traits aren't limited to the octagon. They apply to life.

Jack Garrett isn't dangerous because he can throw a punch. He's dangerous because he's learned how to stay calm under pressure. He's learned how to solve problems while exhausted, injured, and facing overwhelming odds. Those are qualities that become essential as he uncovers the conspiracy behind his parents' murders.

A Fighter With Something to Lose

Many thriller heroes come from military or intelligence backgrounds. There's a reason for that—it works.

But I wanted Jack's experiences to be different.

A fighter enters the cage alone. There are no teammates to hide behind. No one is coming to save him. Every victory and every defeat belongs entirely to him.

That mindset creates a unique character. Jack accepts responsibility. He doesn't make excuses. He understands consequences. And when tragedy strikes his family, he can't simply walk away and hope someone else will handle it.

He steps forward because that's what he's always done.

The Cost of Success

Professional fighting also gave Jack something many action heroes lack: scars.

Not just physical scars, but emotional ones.

The journey to becoming a champion demands sacrifice. Relationships suffer. Time disappears. Pain becomes a constant companion. Even victory comes at a cost.

By the time readers meet Jack, he's already lived several lifetimes worth of experiences. He's achieved fame, endured punishment, and walked away from a career that defined him. Like many retired athletes, he's trying to discover who he is after the spotlight fades.

That internal struggle makes him more interesting than a character who simply wins every fight.

Strength Isn't Enough

One of the themes running throughout HAMMER is that physical strength alone can't solve every problem.

Jack quickly finds himself confronting powerful criminals, political corruption, and secrets that reach far beyond anything he ever faced in the octagon.

A championship belt won't help him uncover hidden truths.

A knockout punch won't expose a conspiracy.

To survive, he must rely on intelligence, persistence, relationships, and moral courage. In many ways, the battles he faces outside the cage are harder than any he fought inside it.

Why Readers Connect With Fighters

Whether it's sports, business, military service, or everyday life, most people understand struggle.

Everyone has faced setbacks. Everyone has been knocked down by something.

What inspires us isn't perfection. It's resilience.

We admire people who get back up.

That's why I made Jack Garrett a UFC champion. Not because he's the toughest man in the room, but because he understands what it means to fall, to suffer, and to keep moving forward anyway.

At its heart, HAMMER isn't just a story about revenge, corruption, or conspiracy.

It's a story about a man who refuses to stay down.

And that's what fighters do.