Braydon is a lifelong martial artist who began training in judo and jiu-jitsu at just four years old and added wrestling by age eight. A three-time high school state wrestling champion, he continued his career at the Olympic Training Site in Marquette, Michigan, under the late Ahgasi Manukyan, a former Greco-Roman world champion for the Soviet Union.

At 20, Braydon launched his amateur MMA career at the renowned Team Quest in Portland, Oregon, under UFC veteran Pat “Bam Bam” Healy. After successfully winning his first amateur MMA title he decided to turn professional and returned home to Hawaii to train at Gracie Technics with Rylan Lizares alongside local stars such as Max Holloway and Yancy Medeiros.

At 25, Braydon moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to train at the world-class MMA Lab, home to former UFC champion Benson Henderson and standout athletes including Sean O’Malley and Jared Cannonier. Along the way Akeo captured his first Professional world title for RUF MMA and fought on some of the biggest stages such as Bellator & PFL