Issue 073
March 2011
After a decision win over John Hathaway, Mike Pyle shows FO around his, er, locker. The Xtreme Couture fighter’s surroundings are so swish he doesn’t even need a gym bag!
Vibram Shoes
“I’ve given up my wrestling boots for the Vibram Five Finger shoes. I like them; they seem to be more natural to train in than a stiff wrestling shoe. I use that when I’m boxing, hitting mitts and things like that to keep my grip, but not when I’m sparring. I use them when I’m training boxing because we’re always working on a lot of footwork three or four times a week. Hitting angles and everything your feet get a little torn up, so I use those. They’re a little more natural, you know?”
Body Wash
“I’ve had that bottle of soap for about two years now. It’s anti-bacterial because when you’ve got a lot of dirty guys in here like Mike Chandler who’s got ringworm all over him [laughs], you’ve got to get that anti-bacterial stuff to keep it off of you. I’ve had staph and I’ve had ringworm. I think a lot of fighters have probably had ringworm. The soap’s to keep the funk off, man. There are a lot of funky dudes in here.”
Xtreme Couture Locker
“Yeah I have a locker instead of a gym bag. I keep all my ass-whupping material in there. With all this stuff you can’t fit much more in there – except for your opponent, and I think he’s probably got other things to do.”
UFC MMA Gloves
“Well, those are UFC-certified, bona fide, ass-whupping gloves that I’ve fought in and now I just keep them and use at the gym for training. I don’t keep gloves for keepsakes; all the keepsake is on video. All that’s right there to look at. Every time a pair of gloves is just going to get old and stinky; you’ve got to use them.”
Cleto Reyes Lace-up Boxing Gloves
“I choose them because they’re 10oz’ers for doing mitts – when I work with Gil Martinez (Xtreme Couture boxing coach). They’re the best. I mean, they’re good, they fit, they form well with the hand and they’re good for hitting mitts with. I use them on the bag as well.”
Unbreakable Mouthpiece
“I only go with Unbreakable; Unbreakable’s the best that I’ve ever had. Any time I ever need anything from Unbreakable they’re always there for me. Hector [Ruvalcaba]’s always there to do whatever, whenever, at the drop of a dime. And he’s a cool cat so I’ll stick with him forever. As long as he keeps making good mouthpieces like that, I’m in.”
XCAP Supplements
“I use XCAP, that’s Randy Couture’s line of pharmaceuticals (Xtreme Couture Athletic Pharmaceuticals). It’s great. I use everything from the protein powders down to the fish oils and things like that. It just helps keep the machine oiled.”
Everlast Shin Guards
“I have some shin guards that I’ve just picked up from around the gym. I don’t even know what kind they are. I think they’re Everlast. I use them every time we spar.”
Headgear
“I don’t use headgear so much; I can’t stand it. But, probably the last couple of weeks of my fight camp I’ll wear it just in case of injury.”
Mike Pyle spoke to Gary Alexander
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