Issue 054

September 2009

Q&A

Undefeated in nine contests, the heavily muscled fighter blew out his knee in his last fight yet still won a unanimous decision. A member of the Arizona Combat Sports team, he shares the mats with the likes of WEC champ Jamie Varner, CB Dolloway and Carlos Condit.  

Where are you right now?

I’m currently in Las Vegas. I’ve just got off a flight about 20 minutes ago! I’m out here to help CB Dollaway get ready for a fight.  

What do you remember about your first ever fight in MMA?

Mainly I just remember the nerves. There’s a bunch of different things going through your mind: You’re excited; you’re scared a little bit; you’re ready to go. After the first fight it’s different, but that first one you have no idea what to expect. I remember I ended up TKO’ing the guy in round one and I got to use a lot of my wrestling, so it was a good experience for me. I had a good time.

Since that fight, how do you feel you have developed as a fighter?

I know I’ve got things to work on; I’m training hard every day to get better and progress my jiu-jitsu. That’s my goal, to be a well-rounded fighter, and I’m working hard to become that every day.  

Have you ever considered quitting?

Never. Ever since that first fight I loved it so there’s no way I ever considered giving it up.

Which style of fighter do you find hardest to negotiate?

I would say another wrestler is the hardest for me. You know with wrestlers that they’re always going to come at you, you’re going to have to fight five-minute rounds and you’re going to get tired. That’s also where my major strength is, so you don’t want somebody who is going to negate it.

Are you an MMA fan as well as a fighter, and who do you admire most in the sport?

Absolutely, I’m a big MMA fan and I follow other fighters’ careers as closely as my own. As for somebody I respect, obviously I got to work with Nogueira, who is a great guy and a world class fighter. I have absolutely no doubt he’ll be back.  

Would you consider your career incomplete if you don’t win the title one day?

Yes I would, actually. I’ve set out to be the best, my goal is always to be the best at what I do and so the only way to achieve that is to get that title. My mini-goals are to beat each guy the UFC put in front of me, and that will take me to my ultimate goal of winning the belt.  

And finally, are you back in training after the injury?

Yeah, I’m back to full fitness. I’ve been boxing for a while, but two weeks ago I started jiu-jitsu and wrestling again. So everything is back to normal and I can’t wait to fight.  

Ryan Bader spoke with Ben Blackmore.