Issue 109

December 2013

Chewing the cud with the ‘laid-back country boy who enjoys punching faces’.

If you could choose one fight from your career that every MMA fan should see, which one would it be and why?

“I would say either the Chase Beebe fight or Scott Jorgensen fights just so they can see how much heart I fight with.”

If you could fight anyone in any weight class, who would you choose?

“John L Sullivan or Don Frye, because both had majestic mustaches and are the perfect definition of a man!”

You are known for your power, but who’s the hardest-hitting opponent or training partner you’ve faced?

“Opponent wise I think Joe Benavidez just because he caught me the cleanest. In training, I’ve been hit hard but I have a hard head and I move so that a lot of the shots just graze me. I remember Mike De La Vega kicked me square in the face once as I was sinking for a shot. That one stands out.”

Who are the people that inspire you most, personally and professionally?

“Inspirations are the people around me, my little brother mostly. And my trainers; the worst feeling for me is letting people down and to lose a fight. I feel as though I’ve let them down and that’s why I give it my all every outing.”

If you weren’t a professional mixed martial artist what would you be doing for a living right now?

“I still work as a firefighter for the city of Laporte (Texas). I love doing it because every day is different and you never know what you’re going to get into.”

Who are your favorite fighters to watch and why? Conversely, who are your least favorite fighters to watch?

“There are so many exciting fighters out there it’s hard to point out just one. As for a least favorite, as long as people come to fight I don’t mind watching anyone. I just want them to put on a bit of a show.”

You recently faced Renan Barao in a bantamweight interim title fight at UFC 165. Now some time’s gone by what do you think of the referee’s decision to stop the fight in Renan’s favor in the second round? 

“I’m obviously disappointed in the stoppage, but that was at the referee’s discretion. I’m a durable man, it was a title fight and I wasn’t close to being out. Having said that I take my hat off to Renan.”

You were the first bantamweight champion in WEC history. What did that mean to you at the time and have your thoughts on that great moment changed at all over the years?

“At the time I didn’t know what the WEC was, I just loved to fight and wanted to go to California. They said it was for a belt and I didn’t see it as any different to just another fight – until I got home. I clicked on the computer, got on The Underground (forum, news site) and there was my picture. I guess it was a pretty big deal that I didn’t comprehend what it meant until that moment. I still cherish that moment and will always be the WEC’s first-ever 135lb champ.”

What is the one thing that no one knows about Eddie Wineland?

“There isn’t too much people don’t know about me, to be honest. I’m pretty open through Twitter and Instagram. Just a laid-back country boy who enjoys punching faces.”