A career in mixed martial arts takes dedication, passion and not only a will to win, but a determination to make the hurt business the only business. For the Scoggins collective, the fight game has become the family trade.

With older brother Justin currently competing under the UFC banner and newly acquired sister-in-law Hannah making her name by tearing up the amateur ranks, Jared holds the torch as next up in South Carolina's fighting family. Yet, where the younger Scoggins is quick to prop his clan for what they've accomplished and the noise that's currently being made, he's dedicated himself to a slightly different path.


Photo Credit: Chris Scoggins

Jared is a son, brother and father himself...but he's also a fighter. And a damn good one at that.

"It's awesome to have family around you," Scoggins said. "All families are going to support you in what you are doing, but to have your family there training with you is incredible. My brother is sitting there right next to me putting in the work, and we are realizing our dreams are starting to come true. It's awesome to have that type of support front and center.

"My brother Justin is in the UFC, but our older brother Jake is the one who got this started. He started karate when we were young and we just followed in his footsteps.

"Hannah is making her way through the amateur ranks right now," he added. "She's a killer."

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Having family members who also compete inside the cage comes in handy in many ways. Training sessions become all the more intense due to the ability to push one another, just as destinations that were once dreams become realized through progress.

On a similar note, having family members who know the ins and outs of the fight game comes in handy on other avenues as well--weight cutting especially.

"They accommodate for that stuff," Scoggins laughed. "I know other families who don't know what's going on and you go to their house and they are eating a big plate of spaghetti or something while you're cutting weight. My family is different on that front. They are all like, 'Let's sneak in the other room and eat while Jared is here."

Listening to him describe the dynamic, it's made clear in quick fashion there's no shadow to follow and expectations created by his last name carries no weight on his shoulders. Scoggins is proud of his kinfolk, but his love for the scrap comes natural.

He has set his mind toward greatness and a quick look at his record shows there are steps being made toward that goal.

"I'm definitely on my own path and when it happens, it happens," Scoggins said. "At the end of my journey, I'm going to be the world champion. I'm going to make my mark and I don't care how long that takes. Of course everyone wants to be there making the big money right now, but I know where I'm headed. I'm going to enjoy this journey and things will happen when they are supposed to happen."



Photo Credit: Chris Scoggins

Should Scoggins continue to achieve success at the same rate, an offer from the bigger promotions in MMA will certainly come. That said, there are still fights to be won, and each clash taken increases the pressure and spotlight. This rings especially true for his next run.

The younger Scoggins will face undefeated prospect Cody Durden July 22 at NFC 97 and has a yet-to-be-determined date under the Warfare MMA banner as well. The bout against Durden will set the top-ranked prospect from South Carolina against the most highly touted talent from Georgia in a fight that will determine the Southeastern flyweight title.

While most prospects try to protect their records by avoiding top talent on the regional scene, Scoggins isn't most prospects. He's ready to throw down on July 22 and get his hands on some championship gold.

"It's another fight and it will look good on my resume," Scoggins said. "It's another step toward getting where I'm looking to go, and that's the UFC or one of these big shows. A win in this fight will put me a lot closer than where I'm at right now.

"[Durden] is a wrestler. That's his game and he's going to come in trying to get a hold of me and take it to the ground. If that does happen, which it very well could at some point, I'm confident in my ground skills. I'm also confident in my wrestling, so I plan on keeping this thing on the feet. I've been striking since I could walk, man. Ideally, every fight I want to keep it standing and strike with guys, but wherever it goes, I'm confident."

While Scoggins has business to handle in the immediate future, the long-term goals are always on his mind. Making it to the biggest stages in the sport is what he believes he's destined to do, but that conversation has changed in the past two years. More and more fighters are looking at Bellator as an option, and that trend points to a drastic shift in the options that have been created.

Although Scoggins is aiming to join his brother on the UFC roster, he's not ruling anything out in the here and now. In his world, it's family first and whatever entity provides the best options for him to take care of those he loves he's going to take.

"I have a family and I have mouths to feed. Whoever is going to pay the most is where I'm going to go," Scoggins said. "This is my job. This is my career and I have to make that money. There are options now in this game. I'm going to go where I can do what is best for my family."

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