Issue 114
May 2014
The veteran middleweight lays down ‘The Law’ on his long, storied mixed martial arts career
If you could choose one fight from your career that every MMA fan should see, which fight would you choose and why?
“I really enjoyed fighting legends like Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn, Carlos Newton, and those are all great fights, but the one people should watch is the one where I moved up in weight class and kicked ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s ass and the judges gave him a split decision.”
Hypothetically speaking, if you could fight anyone in any weight class who would you choose to fight and why?
“My favourite fighter is Kazushi Sakuraba and on more than one occasion I tried to get that matchup, but it never materialised.”
Is there anyone else that you wanted to test your skills against but just weren’t able to?
“I was scheduled to fight Anderson Silva but the contract stipulated if I got a higher offer Cage Rage had to match. They ended up not matching and I fought Mike Van Arsdale for twice the amount the other organisation was willing to pay for the Anderson fight.”
What’s the most memorable moment from any training session you have been involved in?
“I remember many great training sessions with all the best guys in the world of MMA. It’s hard to pinpoint just one because training was all I did. The most humbling training was whenever I got to roll with Marcelo Garcia. The little guy was just amazing and I learned so much working with him. I loved that Pat Miletich invited me out to train with him after we fought each other and I returned the favour with Phil Baroni after we fought. I have many great memories working with all the legends of the sport.”
Who’s the biggest puncher you’ve fought or trained with?
“Vitor Belfort and Robbie Lawler.”
If you could fight anyone outside the world of MMA, who would you choose to pick a fight with and why?
“Why would I want to fight someone just for fun? But if I had to, it would be anyone. I don’t care. It’s just a fight.”
Who are the people that inspire you most, personally and professionally?
“All the great coaches I’ve worked with have all inspired me. All the great warriors throughout history, and most of all Jesus, have inspired me.”
If you weren’t a professional mixed martial artist what would you be doing for a living right now?
“That’s hard to say, but I feel as though I am called to coach and lead in some way.”
Who is your favourite fighter to watch and why? Conversely, who’s your least favourite?
“Kazushi Sakuraba is the most entertaining fighter I’ve seen and I appreciate his heart and skills. Although I think GSP is one of the greatest of our time, I can’t really say I’ve enjoyed watching his fights.”
Many professional athletes have strange superstitious habits. Do you have any?
“None. I have pre-fight rituals that I go through but I’m not superstitious in any way. I just like to keep things consistent around fight time.”
What’s the most amazing thing you’ve seen in regards to the growth of MMA since the beginning of your career?
“I am amazed that people actually watch reality TV in general, especially The Ultimate Fighter show. It’s awful television but thankfully there are enough simpletons out there to build the popularity of MMA as a sport.”
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