Issue 139
March 2016
Hollywood action hero Sylvester Stallone reveals how he became an MMA convert, and how he stays in fighting shape at 69.
Q: Why return to the Rocky franchise?
A: One of the things I love about Creed is that Adonis (Apollo Creed’s son) comes to seek Rocky out for advice – both in training and in life. Rocky is at a difficult time in his life, and through Adonis he gets a new, revitalized, enthusiasm, passion for life.
Q: How do you stay motivated to train at 69?
A: I’ve always enjoyed working out. It makes me feel good – really good. And then with movie roles, you always have to change up your workout to some degree, which makes it exciting and keeps it fresh, interesting and exciting. I usually train three times a week for an hour-and-a-half to two hours, focusing on different splits each day. And when I’m at the gym we go flat out; there’s no messing around.
Q: How has your approach to training changed?
A: Over the years, when it comes to training my biggest flaw was overtraining and this resulted in a lot of niggling injuries. I stretch more now and warm-up. I listen to my body. I make sure I get my rest.
Q: You were quite vocal about not loving MMA a few years ago, so what changed?
A: Randy Couture. I met him and that changed my attitude forever. He’s a beast and 100% legit. When we were filming Expendables someone asked me, ‘If you put all these tough guys, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, etc in a room together, who comes out?’ And my response remains the same: ‘If you walked in 10 minutes later you’d see Randy Couture sitting on top of us having a chocolate fudge sundae.’
Q: Is it true fighters from Team Nogueira in Rio worked as extras in he Expendables?
A: We were casting soldiers for the dictator’s army and when I went down there it was basically attack of the male models. They didn’t look like soldiers at all. I was like, ‘Oh my God! What are we going to do?’ Then I thought, ‘Brazil is the hub of mixed martial arts fighting.’ So all these fighters volunteered to be in the film and it changed the whole casting process. It may not seem like much on the surface, but when the camera goes by, it senses that these men can do great harm, they’re not just actors. They’re the real deal.
Q: After working with her on The Expendables is it safe to say you’re a Ronda Rousey fan?
A: Ronda changed the way the world thinks of fighters. She’s rewritten the book on what a fighter looks like. She’s a beauty that contains a beast. It’s very rare to blend the physicality and this blatant honesty. It’s very rare to get that in a person.
Yo, Rocky!
The Expendables series wasn’t Stallone’s only brush with MMA stars. He also ‘knocked out’ Chael Sonnen As Harry ‘Razor’ Sharp during a scene in 2013 flick Grudge Match.
