Professional Bull Riders World Finals started Thursday at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth. PBR says the first round of eliminations was sold out with Decatur's John Crimber finishing in a three-way tie with Kaiden Loud and Hudson Bolton for a Round 1 win.
A few miles up Highway 121, the world's ninth-ranked rider, Andrew Alvidrez, worked out with UFC Welterweight Kevin "Trailblazer" Holland. Outside the gym was a trailer holding the bull, Playmate, owned by UFC President Dana White.
"Bull riding's pretty cool," Holland says. "Today, we're trying to find out who bucks harder: humans or bulls."
Holland and Alvidrez sparred inside the gym. They say they noticed similarities between their two sports.
"Nobody ever thinks about the time you put in," Holland says. "Everybody thinks you get rich in 15 minutes or rich in eight seconds, but truth be told, it's a long time of preparation and duration. They have to learn how to distribute their weight just right, learn how the bull's going to buck."
"It's just trading knowledge, and I bet these guys can show me a lot of stuff that can help me in my sport. I'm just praying I can help them as well in some way," Alvidrez says. "Being calm, composed and trust your training."
Alvidrez says he looked forward to learning about UFC and asking questions about how Holland hones his craft.
"There's always the respect of the best of the best coming together and sharing the knowledge they have with each other," he says.
Forty riders qualified to compete in the PBR World Finals. Eliminations continue through Sunday at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth. The "Ride for Redemption" follows next Wednesday and Thursday at the coliseum.
Kid Rock's Rock N Rodeo takes place at AT&T Stadium Friday, May 16, and the PBR championship will follow Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18 in Arlington. A complete schedule of events is available at https://pbrworldfinals.com/.
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