Burkman, along with 17 other fighters from around the world, is starring in a Spike TV reality series called "The Ultimate Fighter" that airs Mondays at 9 p.m.
It's been a strange journey for Burkman. The Cottonwood High School graduate spent several years pursuing a college football career at Snow and Dixie State. The former running back rushed for 1,439 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning All-Conference honors in his final season. Burkman was looking into transferring to the University of Utah, to play for then-newly hired coach Urban Meyer, when a radio advertisement caught Burkman's attention. The advertisement was for the Ultimate Combat Experience, a local fighting competition that is televised Sunday nights on UPN.
Without any training or experience outside of street fights, Burkman fought his first match in February of 2003. He quickly learned that fighting in a ring was a lot different than the type of fighting he'd been doing.
"I beat [my opponent] up pretty good in the first round, but by the end of the first round, I was dead-tired," Burkman said. "I couldn't even move my arms."
After the fight, the Cottonwood Heights resident was approached by a local businessman, Sov Ouk, who told Burkman he could "become the best in the world." Burkman began learning martial arts and training in the back of Ouk's offices, inviting other local fighters to come work out with him.
Burkman's training paid off - he won his next nine amateur fights. Burkman's local success caught the attention of national fight promoters, and soon he was competing and training as a professional fighter in Portland, Ore. Last season, Burkman was invited to compete on the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter," but a failed steroid test kept him off the show.
"I was embarrassed by it," Burkman said. "But it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. It helped me refocus."
Forced into a corner, Burkman decided to work even harder.
"I lived in Portland for nine months after [the failed drug test] with only a desk and a bed," Burkman said. "I trained every day for six hours a day."
It paid off. Burkman was extended an invitation to appear on the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter," an opportunity he jumped at. The 5-foot, 10-inch Burkman shed 32 pounds in a matter of weeks to drop down to 170 pounds so he could compete at the welterweight classification.
Though the series finished filming in July, Burkman is contractually obligated to keep quiet about the results. The show's finale, to air on Nov. 19, will feature two live fights, one between two welterweights and one between two heavyweights. Burkman can't say who'll compete in the finale, but when he mentions it, a big smile stretches across his face.
In the short term, Burkman is keeping fit and is an assistant coach on Cottonwood's football team.
Meanwhile, he plans to continue his fighting success in the Ultimate Fighting organization.
"I want to win the welterweight championship within a year and a half, then go up to middleweight [at 185 pounds] and win that, and then go up to 205 pounds, at heavyweight, and win that," Burkman said. "I don't want to fight past age 30, so I've got five more years."
