'TUF: SMASHES' FINALIST COLIN FLETCHER: I AM 'FREAKSHOW'
BY STEVEN MARROCCO ON DEC 14, 2012 AT 9:45 AM ET

GOLD COAST, Australia – Here are a few things you might not know about Colin Fletcher. Things you might not absorb if, you know, you're distracted by his exterior.

It wouldn't be the first time it happened to him.

The man nicknamed "Freakshow" did most of his growing up while spinning records as a DJ. He got his start at a nightclub his father owned. He toured all over Britain spinning "funky house" and trance.

He claims to be a distant cousin of Ross Pearson, who was his coach on the U.K. side of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Australia vs. Team U.K." They see each other at weddings, funerals and pretty much anything else attended by his massive family.

He met his wife while driving a fancy car he made from his turntable earnings. Until the reality show, he rarely spent a day apart from her. They have a 9-year-old daughter, Abie, and a 3-year-old son, Freddie.

He is not going to stop dressing up. The outlandish costumes and makeup are not concealing a lack of willpower or talent. They are not there exclusively to attract attention.

You wouldn't be the first to think otherwise.

"I do like attention, but I'm pleasing myself with this," Fletcher tells MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I'm not out to be noticed for other reasons than, this is me. If you like me, fantastic. If you don't like me, I'll go somewhere else. But I'm going to continue to be me."

The distracted reporter forgets to take a picture of Fletcher (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in his garb the day prior to weigh-ins for UFC on FX 6, where he meets former show teammate Norman Parke (16-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in the lightweight finals of the reality show. (The event airs tonight on FX following prelims on FUEL TV.) It's hard to tell what the thing covering his right eye is supposed to be. Is it an island? A diamond? An inkblot?

His lipstick is easier: Think of that scene in "Airplane" in which they hit turbulence and the old lady putting on lipstick writes a red runway on her face.

Of course, there's the hat, a tiny red number that sits askew on his head, and a coating of tattoos partially covered by a shirt that reads "Lonsdale London." But it's the headgear that first caught fellow contestants' attention on the reality show. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva came up to him at auditions and made a big deal about his look and his performance. He was "over the moon" about that.

Fletcher, who didn't get his start in MMA until 23, when he retired from the music business, is aware of the fact that his looks have played a big part in getting him where he is today. He is what UFC officials call marketable, meaning his looks or personality make their job much easier.

Seeing as he's going to be doing it anyway, though, Fletcher isn't the slightest bit uneasy about his designation. He started dressing up as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle as a kid when he played with his cousins. They also fought for fun.

Fletcher said he has the kind of personality that makes him perfect for fighting, and it's not just because he wears it on his clothing. He's calm under fire, which means he can pick his shots for maximum effect.

"If people want to market me and think they can sell stuff off the back of me, that's fantastic," Fletcher said. "But it's not an issue for me. I'm just going to be me."

Fletcher's chance to prove he's not just another weird face is set for tonight at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gold Coast, Australia. The event's main card airs live on FX following prelims on FUEL TV.

Parke won his trip to the finals with solid displays of grappling and ground and pound against Richie Vaculik and Brendan Loughnane. Fletcher, on the other hand, showed aggressive striking against Ben Wall and Richie Vaculik despite submitting the latter.

"He's kind of a pressure fighter," Fletcher said of Parke. "He likes to close the distance and grind the fight out of you. That's easier said than done with somebody who doesn't stop moving."

Parke is bound to push for the takedown early in the fight. But Fletcher said he won't get the chance because he'll be preoccupied with the punishing strikes coming his direction. In that way, Fletcher fights like he dresses. He wants a reaction from people, and he'll put on some crazy things to make that happen.

"I'll go out there and put a little pressure on you and see what you come back with," he said.