Author: Ed Kapp

UFC 130: Cole Escovedo: "I Was Paralyzed from the Waist Down"

It’s hard to believe that only a few years ago, Cole Escovedo, who will be fighting at UFC 130 on Saturday evening, was riding a three-fight losing skid and, on account of a very serious illness, on the brink of being forced into an early retirem…

It’s hard to believe that only a few years ago, Cole Escovedo, who will be fighting at UFC 130 on Saturday evening, was riding a three-fight losing skid and, on account of a very serious illness, on the brink of being forced into an early retirement.

Prior to being sidelined with a staph infection in 2006, Escovedo, who fought eight times under the WEC banner from late 2001 to mid-2006, had established himself as one of the sport’s top featherweights.

The WEC’s first 145-pound champion, Escovedo, before dropping successive bouts to Urijah Faber, Jens Pulver and Antonio Banuelos, started his career by winning 11 of 12 bouts.

After having a simple staph infection misdiagnosed, Escovedo’s health took a sharp turn for the worst in 2007—leading many to believe that he would never compete again.

In May 2009, to the shock of many, Escovedo made his return to professional competition—winning, in his first bout at 135 pounds, the PFC bantamweight title over current UFC contender Michael McDonald.

Since his return to the sport, Escovedo has won six of eight bouts, fought for the Strikeforce and Dream FC promotions, returned to his natural 145-pound weight division, and is currently set to make his long-awaited UFC debut against Renan Barao.

 

Were you involved in martial arts growing up?

Yeah, I was involved in karate at age six and did that until I was, probably, 16 or 17. Then I took up Jiu-Jitsu in ’96.

 

What do you think made you gravitate towards martial arts?

My parents got me into it when I was six, so it wasn’t something that I naturally gravitated towards; it was something they put me in to stay in shape and to have something to do. I just stuck with it, because it was fun and it just, kind of, grew on me when I was younger.

 

What inspired you to try your hand at mixed martial arts?

The mixed martial arts was more so just a way to stay in shape after I graduated from the police academy. It seemed like the smartest way to stay in shape; mixed martial arts training is a great way to stay in shape.

 

Police academy?

Yeah, I went to the police academy when I was 18.

 

Did you always have an interest in law enforcement?

Actually, the goal was to be a cop for a couple years and then apply to work for the U.S. Marshals department.

 

Do you still plan on doing that?

I’d have to go back to the academy and re-qualify, but with the economy the way it is—the state of California is on a hiring-freeze right now—it’s kind of hard to get a job in law enforcement.

 

Did you ever think that you would be fighting for a living?

No. [Laughs] I definitely never thought I’d be fighting for a living. Honestly, I don’t really like fighting all that much; it’s not in my nature to want to hurt people. I happen to be good at it and it pays really well—it’s pretty much just a way to pay the bills.

 

Have you ever enjoyed fighting?

Not in the sense of enjoying the idea of the fighting itself; I like the idea of the competition and I like the idea of the time, effort, and discipline that it takes to be successful in it.

I like the idea of saying, you know, you’ve got one guy who’s been training really hard and he says he’s better than you and you’ve been training really hard and you feel that you’re better than them—you’re going to go in there and actually find out who’s better.

I like that competitiveness, but that’s really the only thing that I like about fighting.

 

Why do you fight?

Because I’m good at it and it pays the bills—and I’ve got a family to support.

 

If you could do something else for the same amount of money and the same amount of effort, would you do it?

Yeah, of course. That’s one of the reasons why I was looking into law enforcement. I wanted to be a cop; my dream job would be working for the U.S. Marshals or something.

 

What is it that motivates you to go to the gym every morning?

The fact that the bills aren’t going to pay themselves.

 

Do you enjoy the lifestyle?

I don’t really live the fighter’s lifestyle; I live a pretty quiet life. I’ve got my family at home and when I’m not training, I don’t really do anything involved with martial arts or anything like that; I hang around and play with my kids or play my X-BOX. I’m really not too involved with MMA when I’m not preparing for a fight.

 

Do you consider yourself a fan of the sport?

I love watching it; I watch just about every card.

 

What were your first impressions of the sport?

When I first saw it, I kind of thought the way a lot of other people thought—it was pretty violent. It was a blood-sport; people were calling it “human cock-fighting” when I first started getting into it [laughs].

There were no real weight-classes and it was just really brutal, but I always thought that the idea of taking different martial arts and pitting them against each other was really cool.

What were your goals when you started in this sport?

I didn’t really have too many. When I first started, it was more just to have fun and prove that my team—where I live in the Valley—had the best Jiu-Jitsu at the time and fighting in local fights was the best way to do it.

The goal was really just to win a couple fights and prove that our Jiu-Jitsu and MMA was better than anyone else’s in the Valley.

 

When did you realize that you had what it took to turn your hobby into a career?

I’d say, probably, around the time when I won my first belt. I had built up some local notoriety, so I had a bit of bargaining and negotiating power when it came to setting my fight purses.

I asked for more money here and there, and the promoters kind of let me name my own price. I was pretty flexible with it, but I realized I had a pretty good following; I sold a lot of tickets and I was making some decent money.

That was probably the time when I realized that there was good money to be made here and I thought I’d take a crack at it for a while and see how it works out. 

 

How do you feel about what you’ve been able to accomplish so far?

I feel good. I feel like I’ve actually accomplished a lot in this sport. I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities to share my story and reach certain people and interact with my fans on a daily basis because of my involvement in the sport and what I’ve achieved.

I think I’ve achieved a lot. I think I’ve achieved more through the fighting—with the connections that I’ve made—than I would’ve been able to had I not been involved with it.

If you could go back, would you go into mixed martial arts again?

It’s hard to say, you know? I would’ve much rather gone to college and tried to get the career in law enforcement going, but it’s really hard to say.

I won’t know if it was a good decision until the story is all over. So far, it seems like it was the right decision, so I’d have to say, ‘yeah’. It’s hard to say without knowing the whole story, though.

 

Are people ever surprised when you tell them that you’re not passionate about mixed martial arts?

It’s not so much that I’m not passionate; I’m just not that jazzed about the whole idea of fighting. I’m a pretty non-confrontational person; I go out of my way to avoid bar fights and fighting with random people—I’m not a very violent person by nature.

It doesn’t really surprise people too much, but a lot of people don’t think that; a lot of people just assume, because I’m a fighter, I like fighting.

 

Do you look at mixed martial arts as a rewarding career?

Yeah. Like I said, it has afforded me a lot of opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise had. I’ve been able to do a lot of things that I wouldn’t have been able to do on my own.

I’ve been to Japan twice—I’ve got to see the world—these are things that I would’ve never gotten to do on my own, but with fighting, I’ve been able to do it and I’ve been able to meet a lot of people and have a lot of unique experiences. I’d say it’s been really rewarding so far.

Did you think, when you started, that you would be afforded so many opportunities in the sport?

Not really. When I first starting, it was more of a local thing. Never in my wildest dreams did I think people would be paying me to go to places like Japan to fight—I would’ve never thought that in a million years.

 

Could you tell me about the staph infection that you had a few years ago?

The staph infection was misdiagnosed; it was a simple staph infection that went misdiagnosed and untreated, so it turned into MRSA—which is an antibiotic-resistant strain of the infection—and it made its way into my spinal cord.

Once it got there, it kind of turned into a parasite; what that infection does—when it gets to that point—it latches onto an organ or a piece of tissue and it starts eating away at it like a parasite.

That’s essentially what it started to do to my spine, and eventually it got to the point where I was paralyzed from the waist-down and they had to do an emergency surgery on me to relieve the pressure and get the infection out of my spinal cord.

I pretty much lucked out; had I gone another 24 hours without the surgery, it probably would’ve made its way to my brain stem and I, pretty likely, wouldn’t be here talking to you [laughs].

 

Do you think about that a lot?

Every day when I get up and walk to the restroom I think about that—because I’m walking.

 

Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, think that you would compete again?

There was always that hope and that desire in my heart that told me that I could do it, but there was also the smarter part of me that told me that it probably wouldn’t happen.

The doctors were pretty convincing with their medical opinions and all of the stuff they were showing me about why I wouldn’t be able to fight again.

 

Were you at all apprehensive before making your return to the ring?

Yeah. We weren’t sure—even with all of the training—how my back was going to hold up until I actually had that first fight back. There were a lot of nerves and a lot of people were waiting and holding their breath to see what would happen the first time that I fought.

I had my concerns, too. Training and sparring are a lot different than the strain that you put on your body during a fight, so there were a lot of concerns.

 

What did you think would happen?

I honestly didn’t know. For all I knew, my spine would snap and I’d still be paralyzed [laughs], so I wasn’t really sure. Even I didn’t know what would happen—I was rolling the dice.

 

Are you glad that you came back to the sport?

Yeah—I am. I feel that I’ve achieved a lot more—having come back and being put in the position that I’m in; to do interviews and meet people and get my story out there and, basically, get out there and spread the word about the infection and how bad it can be.

I’m glad that I came back, because I’ve done a lot of good. I’ve been able to help people through my misfortunes.

Did you ever think that fighting would give you the opportunity to have such a strong impact on people?

No. Not until after my surgery did I think that that would be a possibility. Before my surgery, I never really thought that I would be put in the position to be able to speak and interact with people at that type of level—where they would actually listen to what I have to say.

 

How did you react when you learned that the UFC would be putting on fights at the lower weight-classes?

I thought it was pretty cool. I thought it was pretty cool when the WEC merged with the UFC, because the little guys were able to, pretty much, have their own show—with the WEC—and make it successful on TV and make those lower weight-classes something that people wanted to watch every day.

It’s a bigger stage with better pay-cheques and more exposure for these guys. More exposure equals more money for everyone involved, so I think it’s a good thing.

 

Did you ever think that you would have the opportunity to compete in the UFC?

I always felt that I belonged there; it just took a little longer than I had hoped. To me, being there is all that matters.

 

How did you come into contact with them?

They called me and asked if I wanted to take this replacement fight.

Was there any hesitation to sign the contract?

Nope—none at all. It’s where I feel I belong and now I have the opportunity to prove that. It’s a better opportunity to make a better life for my family, so it was an easy, easy decision.

 

What does fighting in the UFC mean to you?

It means a better life. The opportunities that the UFC offers you; with the marketing and the PR and the different avenues that you can take to market yourself and get yourself out there and get people to want to watch you.

There are so many avenues that they open up for you—it’s almost mind-boggling.

 

Did you ever think that the sport would be this big?

Yeah—I always thought the sport would be this big. It’s just taken a little bit longer than I think it should have; some things have to crawl and then they walk and run—but I think the UFC is well into the mainstream.

The sport itself was marketed properly and it’s a good sport that everyone can get involved with.

 

How does it feel to be a part of the UFC?

It feels good—so far [laughs]. I haven’t had any bad experiences yet. You’ve got to take the good with the bad, but so far it’s been a good experience and I’m more than happy that I’m involved with them.

How are you feeling going into this weekend’s bout?

I feel good. I have no concerns; the weight is good, I’m in shape, and everything is going fine. For me, it’s just another day at the office—it just happens to be a bigger office.

 

What problems do you think your opponent poses to you?

He’s definitely got a dangerous ground game. He comes with a lot of power strikes. The dangers are there—just like with any other opponent—I just need to make sure I stick to my game plan and use my strengths to counter his and exploit his weaknesses.

 

Do you have a prediction for how it’s going to end?

I would like to see it ending by a TKO or a knockout. My goal for this fight is to win by TKO or knockout.

 

What would a win this weekend mean to you?

It would be huge. It would solidify another milestone in my career and it would take it one step further in proving that my world didn’t end—just because I had the problems that I did.

I’m here and I’ve been saying I belong here for a while—it will be another milestone in my career. It would be proving something that I always knew was true; I belong in the UFC.

 

What do you feel is the next milestone in your career?

The next fight [laughs], winning my next fight, a title. Winning a title—I think—would be the next milestone in my career. Each fight is a different goal, but each goal is leading to an eventual title fight.

 

What do you feel you can accomplish in this sport?

The sky is the limit, really. It’s just a matter of how much effort and time I’m willing to put into it and making the most of the opportunities that the UFC has given me. The more that I put in, the more—I think—I will be able to get out.

 

What would you like to accomplish in mixed martial arts?

As far as interacting with younger people and letting them know that life gets really hard sometimes—and just because life gets really hard, doesn’t mean that you should give up.

I think being able to tell people that and prove to them that taking the easy way out isn’t always the best way—sometimes you’ve got to bite down and bear it. There are benefits to the struggle and the hardships.

 

Have you thought about how much longer you’d like to compete?

I decided that I’ll compete as long as my body lets me do it and as long as there is money to be made doing it; as long as I can make a living doing it. The day that it’s no longer profitable—from a risk vs. reward standpoint—then I’ll move on to something else.

 

What do you think the next move will be?

No clue. I won’t know until I get to that bridge.

 

Have you given any thought as to what you might like to do when you’re done fighting?

I’d like to stay involved in the sport; maybe become an instructor so I can pass my knowledge and experience down to other fighters. I’ve tossed around the idea of working the UFC—maybe in their marketing or PR department somehow.

Those are just off the top of my head. I haven’t thought too much about after fighting—I’ll figure it out as I get closer to the end of my career.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Charmaine Tweet: "I Feel the Future Holds a Championship in Strikeforce"

It’s hard to believe that everything Charmaine Tweet has been able to experience in martial arts—a decorated kick-boxing career complete with forthcoming amateur and professional mixed martial arts bouts—can all be traced back to a &l…

It’s hard to believe that everything Charmaine Tweet has been able to experience in martial arts—a decorated kick-boxing career complete with forthcoming amateur and professional mixed martial arts bouts—can all be traced back to a “Sugar” Ray Leonard VHS tape.

“I’ve always been in fitness and I picked up a ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard boxing aerobic workout tape and it got me hooked—I actually wanted to box. I went to Duke Roufus and I said, ‘I want to box,’ and he said, ‘yeah, you could do that—but you have the perfect build for a kick-boxer. Do you want to do that?’”

The rest, as they say, is history.

A student of the world-renowned kick-boxing coach Duke Roufus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for nearly five years, Tweet holds a resume in kick-boxing that includes a record of 10 wins with only one loss and a number of championships in both Canada and Thailand—a nation that boasts an unparalleled passion for kick-boxing.  

Since moving from Milwaukee back to her native-Canada a few years ago, Tweet has taken up mixed martial arts—and has yet to look back.

“I was involved in Muay Thai for 10 years and I was talking with Duke at the WEC in Edmonton and he said to me, ‘What the hell are you doing? Get in MMA and make some money—you’ve been doing it free for long enough,’ so here I am.”

On Saturday, May 28, after a year of searching for an opponent, Tweet will make her long-awaited mixed martial arts debut against Tia Wishart at the Turvey Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan under the Saturday Night Fights banner.

While she is quick to point out that she isn’t looking past her opponent, Tweet has already booked her professional debut—in three weeks time—against Ronda Rousey, in a bout that will be contested on a School of Hard Knocks card in Calgary, Alberta.

Although she—again—insists she isn’t looking past her opponents, Tweet is confident moving forward in mixed martial arts.

“I feel that I can go all the way … I started striking when I was 24, so to go from knowing nothing to world-champion in eight years—it gives you a little bit of confidence … I figure I’ve got, probably, 10 years left in me—considering women age seven years slower than men [laughs].”

Tweet, a student of AJ Scales at Complete MMA in Regina, is so confident in her skills, in fact, that she believes she is 18 months away from being titlist in Strikeforce.

“I’m looking for a Strikeforce championship … That would be the icing on the cake; I’ve won kick-boxing championships and Strikeforce is the pinnacle of women’s MMA. I feel the future holds a championship in Strikeforce.”

Although Tweet, who will be inducted into the Rural Sports Hall of Fame on Friday,  admits that she would’ve never gotten involved in martial arts had she not stumbled across that VHS tape a few years back, she—and mixed martial arts fans everywhere—are nevertheless grateful she did.

“It’s been quite the experience,”—as Tweet said—may be an understatement.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Seth Baczynski: "I Always Knew That I Could and Would Compete at a High Level"

While Seth Baczynski jokes that he is “probably the last one on the UFC’s mind at 170 pounds,” a little less than a year removed from his UFC debut, he is nevertheless confident that he is ready to make the jump back into the Octagon….

While Seth Baczynski jokes that he is “probably the last one on the UFC’s mind at 170 pounds,” a little less than a year removed from his UFC debut, he is nevertheless confident that he is ready to make the jump back into the Octagon.

Prior to appearing on ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz’ as a member of Team Ortiz, Baczynski held a record of 11 wins with five losses—with all victories coming by way of stoppage.

Despite losing to eventual season winner Court McGee in the preliminary round of the competition, after an injury to another contestant, Baczynski was given the opportunity to re-enter the tournament.

In his second bout of the competition, Baczynski, in a three-round contest, beat Team Liddell’s Joseph Henle.

In his third fight of the season, Baczynski, following an illegal soccer-kick, was disqualified from his bout against Brad Tavares.

Since leaving the ‘TUF House,’ Baczynski has gone undefeated in a pair of bouts—including a victory over Alex Garcia to claim Ringside MMA’s interim welterweight title in April—and is currently looking for more opportunities at 170 pounds—while working full-time for Liberty Water.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Seth Baczynski about his time on ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ training with some of the sport’s elite at Power MMA and Fitness in Arizona, and his future in the sport. 

Were you involved in any martial arts growing up?

No. Growing up, I mainly played football and basketball. I didn’t really get involved in martial arts until I got out of high school.

What inspired you to try your hand at mixed martial arts?

I always competed in something growing up and when I got out of high school, I started to put on some weight and I just wanted to do some basic Jiu-Jitsu classes.

One of my buddies was saying, “You should come try this. You’ll beat all of these guys up,” but I did it more just to get in shape and to have something to do. I ended up being pretty good at it and enjoying it quite a bit.

Were you passionate about it from the start?

I liked it the day that I went in. Once I got in there and started rolling around and learning, I was immediately hooked and I haven’t stopped working out since.

Did you think, in the beginning, that this was something that you’d be able to make a career out of?

Yeah, I used to tell people all the time—right from the time I started. People would, you know, ask what my goals for the future were and I would always tell them—with a straight-face—that I was going to fight in the UFC one day and they always laughed at me like I was crazy.

From Day One, I always knew that I could and would compete at a high level.

Did that ever waver in your mind?

Nope—it never has. There are have been low points in my career when I realized that it was a lot harder than I thought, when I realized that I would have to sacrifice more and more, but I never contemplated giving up on my dream.

What inspired you to try out for ‘The Ultimate Fighter’?

They called me and they asked me to put in a video—for season seven—and they flew me up and when I was doing the interview, they straight-up told me, “What the fuck happened to your record?”

And it, kind of, hurt my feelings, but once I got back, I was determined to get better and work on my game. The last time that I tried out for it, the coaches were telling me, “Hey, it’s an 85 season.”

Even though I fight at 170 pounds, I’ve got to diet quite a bit to get down there, so they felt that if I tried out for a 170 show, making weight four to six times in six weeks would be too hard on my body, so 185 would be where to go at. I decided to put in a video and try to make it on.

Did you think that you would make the cut?

I knew I had a good chance. I knew that I would be in the upper-echelon of the competition. They knew who I was, because I had fought in IFL, and I knew if I could put in an interesting video, that would get me close to an interview.

From that point, the interview would determine whether I got on or not. I felt that the interview went well; once I got out of the interview, I knew that I was going to get a shot to compete on it.

What did you include in the video?

I just explained who I was and where I’m from to them. I’m from this little hillbilly, kind of, trailer-trash town and it was really hard for me to explain who I am and where I’m from just talking on a video, so I went out an interviewed locals in my town and did some stupid trivia. It ended up being pretty funny.

Were you at all apprehensive before you went on the show?

Just like in any sport, any athlete has doubts and worries. At the time, my son was only a few weeks old and it was tough, you know? I knew that if I looked back on my life, I would’ve regretted not going on the show. I knew, looking back, that I would want to give it a shot and see how it went. Like anything, there are always doubts and worries.

What were your first impressions on the first day of filming?

I had a good idea of how the system worked, because a lot of my teammates had been on there. For me, it was kind of weird seeing Tito [Ortiz] and Chuck [Liddell] for the first five minutes, but after that, you realize that you’re going to be fighting one of these guys to get in the house and it’s a mental-war from there; preparing yourself mentally to get in there and compete.

My first impression was a little overwhelming, but after that, I realize that I was going to be competing—I didn’t know who, yet—but that’s all I had on my mind.

Do you feel—at the time—you were adequately prepared to go on the show?

Yeah. With the skill-set that I had at the time, and I was in good shape—I went in ready to go three five-minute rounds and to fight until the end.

There are always things that you look back on, where you wish you would’ve done this and you wish you would’ve done that, but I feel that I was in shape and game and ready to go and compete.

Was there anything that surprised you during your time on the show?

Not too much. I knew that you were going to have your one or two guys that were really weird around the cameras, but nothing really surprised me too much. I was prepared for a bunch of weird, crazy stuff anyway.

I’d say the most surprising thing out of the whole experience was how cool all of the fighters are and how respectful they all are to each other—for the most part.

Once you get in there, you realize that everyone has their own unique story, but we’re all, kind of, the same; we’ve all been through trials and tribulations trying to get where we’re going. That was probably the biggest surprise; how cool everybody was.

How do you feel about what you were able to accomplish on the show?

I feel like I could’ve done better. Obviously not winning, wasn’t what I was intending on doing, but I didn’t go on there for a moral victory; I went on there to do my best and I wish I would’ve done better.

I feel like I could’ve beat anyone in the house, but I didn’t. That sucked, but it motivated me to get better; I’ve changed a lot of things in fighting and in my life in general since then. It goes one way for some fighters and the other way for some fighters.

In that sense, some guys take it and build on it, but it’s the end for some guys, and I really feel like it’s the beginning of my career. I learned a lot about myself and, all in all, it was a good experience.

Is there anything that you would change, if you could?

I wouldn’t soccer-kick Brad Tavares in the face when he was on the ground [laughs]. That’s the first thing that pops up. Other than that brutal foul that I committed, no.

That was a mistake, though. That happens, right?

Yeah—it is what it is. That’s probably the one thing that I would change. Not a lot of people remember my really close fight with Court McGee and beating Joe Henle; most people just remember that brutal soccer-kick.

There are a couple athletes that you can think of, where—no matter what they do in their career—they are remembered for that one thing and I’m bound and determined to do bigger and better things, so that’s not what people remember when they think of me.

Did you realize what you were doing as you were doing it?

Yeah, but I was already letting go. If you look at the film, when he’s going to get up, he lifts both of his hands up; both of his hands come up when his knee is still down.

Right when I saw his hand come up—it looked like he was in an upward-motion—I went to let my hand go, and then I realized his hips were really low, but it was already going.

When it’s allowed, do you like that rule?

Yeah, I like that rule when it’s legal; I think it’s a way to end fights and not have a lot of the boring fights that we do have. When it’s legal, I think it’s a good rule, but when it’s not it shouldn’t be done at all—in any instance.

Do you feel that you’ve gotten a bad reputation because of that foul?

Yeah, but it’s my own fault. There’s really nothing that I can do about it except keep on winning. I think, if I keep on winning, then all of that stuff will go away.

Is there anything else that you took away from your experience on the show?

I learned a lot. I learned a lot of cool things about MMA and I learned a lot about the fight-game, in general.

Would you do it again if you were given the opportunity?

Yeah, who wouldn’t [laughs]? Any competitor that has lost on the show—or came close to getting to the end—were offered that opportunity and they already weren’t in the UFC, then they would take it.

How long have you been training at Power MMA in Arizona?

About three months before its grand opening, so probably six or seven months, but I’ve been working out with that core-group of guys from ACS for a year, a year-and-a-half.

How would you describe the environment there?

It’s awesome. I just got done working out about an hour-and-a-half ago. We’ve got tons of talented guys, we’ve got a lot of good things going on with coaches. There’s no hostility or anything like that; everyone that is there is there to get better, and that’s it.

Have you experienced an environment like this elsewhere in your career?

Yeah, I think having a positive environment in any relationship—whether it be with a girl or a work-relationship—where everyone is there for each other, I think you achieve great things.

I think when you have negative energy and negative people around, it keeps you from growing as a person and in the fight-game, if you don’t evolve, you get left behind—and this isn’t a sport where you lose by three points in overtime; you get knocked-out or submitted in front of everybody.

How does it feel to train with, arguably, some of the most talented guys on the planet?

It feels great. I feel that I’m the weakest link on the team, but I feel like I’m growing leaps and bounds every day. When you train with those types of guys—with that type of work ethic—you grow more and you push yourself to compete every day. Nothing is ever easy there, but I feel like I’m growing leaps and bounds.

Is there anywhere else in the world that you would rather train?

Not really—Arizona is my home. It’s about time, with all of the great fighters; [Ryan] Bader, CB [Dollaway], Jamie Varner, Drew Fickett—it’s about time that there’s an elite gym and elite trainers that are all together.

There are so many fighters that are coming out of Arizona now, I think that they should have a cool place—a nice facility—to train in. It’s about time there’s a nice facility that complements the fighters here in Arizona.

What do you feel the future holds for your academy?

I feel big, big things. I feel that we’ve got good coaches, everyone gets along well, and as long as everyone remembers to treat everyone with respect—which is what has been happening—then nothing but good things can happen.

How did you come into contact with Ringside MMA?

They contacted me. We knew, at the beginning of the year, that it would be tough to get anybody to fight me at 170 pounds, so we just had to stay in shape and, it would be one of those situations where we have to take a fight on short-notice. It just, kind of, fell in our lap.

What does that welterweight championship mean to you?

It meant a lot for the fact that [Alex Garcia] was undefeated and there was a lot of hype behind him. I was just excited to get a game-opponent and test myself. Going into his hometown and beating him like that in front of everybody means a lot to me, personally.

Every win, from now on, is going to be very important—I was just happy to get out of there with a win over a guy that has a lot of talent.

Do you plan on defending your championship?

Yeah, if nothing else comes along. There are a couple things that we’re working on right now—and hopefully it works out—but if nothing else comes along and it’s worth it, then I’ll definitely go up there and defend it.

Do you have anything else on the horizon?

We’ve got a couple things that we’re working on. I don’t want to say, but, hopefully, I’ll be signing with someone soon.

What do you feel is the next step in your career?

I don’t know. Hopefully it’s fighting good opponents—that’s all I really care about. I could go fight every weekend in a small show, but I don’t want to fight those guys—for the simple fact that I want to fight good fighters.

I want to compete against 170-pounders who are game and ready—wherever that is. Whoever wants to give me a home and a place to fight—that’s where I’m going to be.

Do you feel that you’re ready to go back to the UFC at this point?

Absolutely! Without a doubt in my mind, I feel that I am. With the merge of the WEC and Strikeforce, though, I have a feeling that there are going to be a lot of other fighters that are going to be getting released and it’s going to be even tougher now.

With all of the other fighters that they have under contract and whatever happens with the Strikeforce thing—everything is up in the air. I know I’m probably the last one on the UFC’s mind at 170 pounds [laughs].

How much better do you feel you are now than when we last saw you in the Octagon?

I feel like I’m much better; I feel that everything is starting to get better—one step at a time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I feel that with my striking and my flow, everything is really starting to come together and I’m getting my own style, you know?

Everyone—when they become really good—have their own style; Dominick Cruz has his own style. I feel that I’m starting to get my own style, my own flow, my own attack, my own game-plan that’s different from everyone else. I’m happy about that, but with that being said, there is always a ton of stuff to work on in this sport. I’m never going to stop.

How would you describe your fighting style?

High-pace, you know? I fight at a high-pace; I’ve got 13 professional wins and they’re all finishes. I don’t want to win by decision; the one win that I got by decision—over Joe Henle—I was disappointed with. I would just say that I’m a high-pace, exciting fighter.

What do you think is your greatest asset as a mixed martial artist?

Probably my toughness; my all-around will to win.

Have you thought about how much longer you’d like to compete?

As long as my body holds up and I’m able to do this at a good, high-level—I will.

What do you feel you can accomplish in that time?

I think I could do anything I put my mind to. I feel that I’m far from competing at the top-level in any organization, so I’m just going to take it one fight at a time and see how far this road goes.

Have you thought about what you might like to do when you’re done competing?

Definitely spend time with my family [laughs]! I work full-time right now, I train full-time—it’s a lot of commitment and I don’t have much of a life outside of working out and working. I feel that to be a great fighter in this world, you’ve got to sacrifice a lot of things in this world that people take for granted; eating food, going out and drinking with friends—stuff like that.

Where do you work?

Liberty Water. I work on industrial water-pumps.

Do you enjoy that?

Yeah. It’s a good job with good people.

If your mixed martial arts career really starts to pick up some steam, would you plan on focusing solely on that?  

I’ve got three children, so I would definitely have to be able to support them financially and when that happens, as long as I can support them so they can have the same lifestyle that they have now, then I’ll do it.

Is your schedule ever too overwhelming?

Absolutely. Every day it is.

Is that what inspires you to really try to take your mixed martial arts to the next level?

When you put this much into something—maybe it’s being stubborn—but it’s hard to quit until you get what you want.

What do you want?

I just want to be the best and I want to compete against the best. I feel that I can compete with anybody in this world and I love that feeling; I love getting in there and competing against great competition and I love beating them and defying all of the odds and coming out on top.

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Tyler Toner: Former UFC Featherweight Sits Down for an Exclusive Interview

Although Tyler Toner has dropped two straight bouts—including a decision loss at the hands of Diego Nunes at WEC 51—the former UFC featherweight will be looking to get back to his winning ways in 2011. Prior to dropping his past two outings…

Although Tyler Toner has dropped two straight bouts—including a decision loss at the hands of Diego Nunes at WEC 51—the former UFC featherweight will be looking to get back to his winning ways in 2011.

Prior to dropping his past two outings, Toner, competing primarily in his native Colorado, racked up 11 professional victories in 13 opportunities.

After claiming Ring of Fire’s featherweight championship, Toner was invited to compete in the WEC in April of 2010. During his time in the organization, Toner notched a first-round victory over Brandon Visher at WEC 48 and a loss against Nunes in late September of last year.

After the WEC was absorbed by the UFC, Toner fought once—a decision loss against Ian Loveland at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale—and was subsequently released from the promotion.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Tyler Toner about, among other topics, his experience at the first UFC event in 1993, his early days in the sport and his training at Grudge Training Center in Colorado.

 

Were you involved in any other combat sports before trying mixed martial arts?

I did martial arts my whole life. I started with Tae Kwon Do, I think, when I was five and I competed quite a bit in that. I was actually the national point-sparring champion when I was eight. I did a lot of boxing and kick-boxing in high school, but nothing serious.

What do you think made you gravitate towards martial arts?

I got into Tae Kwon Do when I was younger, because I think every kid wants to be a ninja and I just wanted to follow through with it [laughs]. I did martial arts all the way up until high school, and I think that interest came back when I was in college and I found a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school.

What inspired you to get into mixed martial arts?

I had always been interested in it. My instructor, back in the day, took us to the first UFC and we were interested in that for a while. But when I was in high school, I wanted to do team sports like football. He always told us that if we could find a legitimate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor, then we should jump right on it, and when I was in college, I went grocery shopping and—in the same strip-mall—I saw Easton Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and popped in. I took a free class and it turned into two days a week, three days a week and then within a month, I was there, probably, every day.

What were your first impressions of the sport?

I thought it was cool as hell [laughs]. Like I said, I’ve always been interested in martial arts and I was into it right away. I jumped into it head first and never looked back.

And you were at the first UFC event?

I was really young and I hardly remember it, but our instructor took us there and told us that Royce Gracie was going to win it all and we thought he was crazy; we were cheering for Ken Shamrock [laughs]. Like I said, I don’t really remember it all that well, but it was cool to be there for sure.

As an aspiring martial artist yourself, was that inspiring to see a mixed martial arts tournament?

Yeah, I think we were just in awe that the little guy was the guy that won the whole tournament. I think, for everyone that watched that, Royce Gracie probably blew their mind by winning that tournament—it was the same with us.

Looking back, did you think that the sport would be as big as it is today?

I don’t know. I always thought it was exciting. My dad has always been into it, and my brother has always been into it. Back when you had to order Pride tapes on the internet, I would order them and all of my friends wanted to watch them, so I knew that there was a lot of interest in it; it just needed more exposure. I wouldn’t say I’m surprised that it’s as big as it is, but I didn’t know it was going to happen that quickly, though.

Did you think, when you started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, that you would be able to turn your passion into a career?

No, I didn’t think so—at all. In my first couple fights, I fought for free. I still think, even if I wasn’t getting paid, I would get in there every once in a while. I didn’t think that it would be a career for me, but I’m glad it is [laughs].

When did you realize that you had what it took to make it a career?

I don’t know. I think the first time I got paid, I think I got paid, like, 200 bucks to show and 200 bucks to win and I was psyched about it; I couldn’t believe I was getting paid to do it! I kept winning and the pay-cheques kept getting bigger and, by then, I was working and teaching at the academy—which was my main source of income—and I don’t know; I just kept going and it turned into a lifestyle and a career for me. 

What were your goals when you started?

I don’t know; the first time that I fought, I really just wanted to get in there and try it out—put all of that training to the test. But winning an MMA fight is probably the most addictive feeling that I’ve ever felt in my life, so as soon as I was done, I wanted to get back in there. I’ve still got that going today; every time that I win, it’s like a high, and I can’t turn it off. 

How did you come into contact with Trevor Wittman and the crew at Grudge?

Amal Easton contacted Duane Ludwig to come work on our striking a little bit—it was, pretty much, Eliot Marshall and I at the time. We were just looking for another kick-boxing coach and Duane came in and worked with us for a little bit and our games jumped leaps and bounds after just a few weeks. He would take us down to—it was called T’s K.O.—just to get some sparring in with different guys, different kick boxers, and that turned into a meeting place for a lot of guys in Colorado. We started meeting Nate Marquardt there, a couple high-level wrestlers, and it just turned into the spot for all of the top fighters in Colorado to train.

How much of an impact has that academy had on your professional career?

A ton. I think you’ve got to have a great team to be great; I’m training with the best guys in Colorado and some of the best guys in the world. Trevor is a great boxing coach, Duane is a great kick-boxing coach and they’ve got great wrestling coaches and everything. It’s definitely been a blessing to get onto that team. 

How would you describe the environment at Grudge?

We’re all pretty tight-knit. I think Trevor is a bit reluctant to let new people come and train with us; after somebody trains with us once, he has a team meeting to talk about what we thought and discuss how he trained. We’re all pretty close friends. We train there together, a lot of us wrestle together, train Jiu-Jitsu together, do our strength and conditioning together, so it’s a pretty tight-knit group. I consider everybody that trains there a pretty good friend of mine.

Have you experienced an environment like this at other academies in your career?

A little bit at Easton’s, except not everybody has the same goal there. Easton has a pretty varied populous; you’ve got soccer moms in there that are training, as well as pro fighters. The thing about Grudge is that everybody is on the same path and they’re looking for the same things. We go in there and train—which is hard as hell—and we’re buddies afterwards.

To what do you attribute Grudge’s early success?

It’s hard to say. Like I said, it started off because Trevor is a great coach and they have a centralized location, they have a nice facility, so a lot of the top guys in Colorado gravitated there to train and that, kind of, turned into a team. People saw that we were having a lot of success coming out of there, so more successful fighters came to train with us—a lot of the guys from Jackson’s come down to train. I think it’s just a great learning environment with great athletes and great coaches.

What do you feel the future holds for the academy?

More great things, you know? Like I said, we’ve got great coaches and we’re bringing in new great coaches all the time and training partners that are, you know, high-level wrestlers or high-level kick boxers or high-level black belts in Jiu-Jitsu. The team is getting bigger, everyone is talented and everyone trains well together, so I think that just facilitates success.

How often do you coach?

I teach six days a week.

Do you think your teaching makes you a better fighter yourself?

I do think so. It forces you to think about it and break down the technique. It kind of makes you figure out what you do and breaks down the mechanics, keeps you sharp. You’re always yelling at people to keep their hands up, so you’ve got to do the same—you’ve got to lead by example. I think it helps my technique; I think it definitely keeps it sharp.

Is it—six days a week—ever too much?

I think almost everyone would rather have less obligation than more [laughs]. I enjoy coaching. I never go in there dreading going to work. If I can take a day off here or there that’s great, but I don’t think the workload is ever too much. If I’m making millions, then I might be teaching four days a week as opposed to six, but I think I’ll probably be doing it for the rest of my life.

How did you come into contact with the WEC?

The local promotion that I was fighting for—Ring of Fire—is a really successful local promotion, and the WEC follows the fighters that come out of there. I was their 145 champ and I think the promoter was making some noise about me. Also, Trevor Wittman was in touch with Sean Shelby and Reed Harris. Just watching highlights of my fights and having people talk about me, kind of, peaked their interest, so they signed me.

How did you react when you learned that Zuffa had acquired the WEC?

I was psyched. I always enjoyed watching the WEC more than the UFC—I love watching the little guys—but I felt that the WEC never got the exposure that the UFC got. I was psyched for more exposure and higher paydays for the little guys. I think it was great in that sense.

Originally, you were scheduled to take on Leonard Garcia. Was there any hesitation on your behalf in signing that contract?

Yeah, a little bit. He signed first, but he thought that I had already signed. They told my coaches that Leonard had already signed it. I’ve known Leonard for six or seven years and I called him up and I said, “What the hell, man? Why’d you sign up for the fight?” He said, “I thought you already signed.” We talked about it a little bit—we were both coming off loses and neither one of us wanted to put our career at stake, so we said that we’d fight and go out and buy each other a beer afterwards. It wasn’t something that I was psyched about; it was a little bittersweet, but I would prefer not to fight him if possible, you know?

What’s your take on teammates fighting teammates?

I don’t know if it’s a popular opinion, but I think it’s stupid. There are so many fighters out there, so it is avoidable. Leonard is probably the only guy in the UFC that was my teammate, and out of everybody, that’s the guy that I wouldn’t want to fight. I can see if it’s the champ and the No. 1 contender—maybe you can talk them into it—but it’s tough.

A lot of people that don’t fight don’t understand the mental game that you play on yourself, and the fight plays on you. A lot of times, I force myself into hating my opponent before the fight and it’s tough to put yourself in the right state of mind to fight when you know that he’s a good guy, you know that he’s your buddy and you’ve shared those training experiences with him. I think it’s tough and I’m not a fan of it. I’ll do it if I have to, but it’s definitely not my preferred situation.

Were you relieved when Leonard was forced to withdraw from the bout?

Yeah, it was bittersweet; I was psyched that I didn’t have to fight Leonard, but I had gotten over it mentally and was prepared to fight him. With that being said, I’m glad that I didn’t have to fight him. I wouldn’t want that held between us.

Not to put you on the spot, but have you thought about how that fight would’ve went down, had it happened?

Yeah, I’ve thought about it a lot. With Duane Ludwig—who is my kick boxing coach and Leonard’s kick boxing coach and cousin—it was really tough on him and he, right from the time it was announced, was really bummed about it. I asked him if he was going to corner me or corner Leonard and he said that he’s just going to stay out of it. He thought about it for a second and he said, “That’ll be a good fuckin’ fight, though.” [Laughs]

I thought the same thing. We have similar styles—there are definitely some differences—but we both like to stand and I think we’re both tough, so it would’ve been an exciting fight. Once again, I’m glad I didn’t have to fight him.

If you were put in the same position, would you sign the contract again?

If I had to, I would [laughs]. I’d ask them if they had somebody else for me, but if they tell you to fight somebody, that’s how it’s going to go down.

How do you feel about your performance in the UFC?

Terrible, man. That was the worst fight I’ve ever had. I don’t know why, but I just felt that I was off that night. I had a pretty good training camp, but I just didn’t fight well. Everybody has an off night, and, unfortunately, my off night was my first fight in the UFC. I toughed it out—I made sure I didn’t get finished—but I wish I could’ve put on a better show, for sure.

Do you think it was, I guess, big show-jitters that got to you?

I don’t know if that got to me. The first WEC that I fought on was the first pay-per-view in Sacramento and that was, by far, the biggest crowd that I’ve ever fought in front of. I don’t know how many people were there, but that place was packed. The Palms—which is where my first UFC fight was—is a much smaller, more intimate venue, so I don’t think I was overwhelmed by it.

I think the whole situation—the short-notice fight and trying to get over fighting Leonard and the last-minute opponent change—was a little bit tough on me mentally, but I had an off-night. It happens to everybody. Hats off to Ian Loveland—he beat my ass—but I know that I can perform a lot better than that for sure.

Were you surprised when you were released by the UFC?

A little bit, you know? Even though I lost, I feel that it was an exciting fight—I feel that I always put on exciting fights—and I was a little surprised. Even though it was an exciting fight, every time you lose, you’re kind of cringing every time the phone rings [laughs]. Like I said, I was a little surprised, but I was kind of expecting it in the back of my mind. I’ve just got to get a few wins and get back in there.

Do you have any fights lined up right now?

I don’t. We’re working on it. It’s been really tough to find fights, actually since February, and we’ve had a couple fights fall through, but I’m trying to get back in there as soon as possible.

Why do you fight?

[Laughs] I don’t know, man. Like I said, it’s like a drug; winning an MMA fight is a high like I’ve never felt doing anything else in my life. I’m just chasing that and trying to make a good career out of it and be able to put food on the table for me and my wife and my puppy [laughs].

What about when you lose?

It’s the lowest low in the world [laughs]. Every time I lose a fight—it doesn’t matter if I put on a good performance or not—I’m crushed for a couple weeks. It takes a while to get over it, but the win is worth the risk.

Is it the win that’s everything, or is it the actual fight?

It’s a little bit of both. I enjoy a good scrap and I’m having a good time in there for the most part. The training is great; I love interacting with my training partners and coaches. It’s going to be hard to give up this lifestyle when it’s time, but I don’t see that happening for a while, so it’s all good.

Have you thought about how much longer you’d like to compete?

I’ve thought about it quite a bit, but more about what I’m going to do after I’m done. I’m still pretty young—I just turned 28—and I think I’ve still got a lot of learning to do, so I’m going to keep on getting better and hopefully I can keep on fighting for a few more years. But we’ll see how it goes.

What do you plan on doing when you’re done?

[Laughs] I’ve thought about a tonne of different things—my mind is racing all the time. I’ve thought about becoming a firefighter or any type of job where I still get to be active. I don’t think I could handle being stuck behind a desk all day [laughs]. Or maybe I’ll just keep training fighters.

In the meantime, what do you feel you can accomplish in this sport?

I think that my ceiling is pretty high; I’ve got a lot of potential that I haven’t fulfilled yet. I’m really trying to round out my game. I feel that I’m getting better at striking, better at wrestling, better at Jiu-Jitsu every day. I think I have the potential to beat the best guys in the world—I’ve just got to keep getting better and keep on working.

Is there anything that you’d like to say to your fans while you have this opportunity?

[Laughs] Thanks for being a fan. It’ll probably only be my mom and my brother [laughs]. I appreciate all of the support from everyone and in my next fight I’m going to be coming out hungry—keep an eye out for me.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Zak Jensen: Former "TUF" Contestant Talks Time on Show, Upcoming Boxing Match

As is the case with many former “The Ultimate Fighter” competitors, in the coming years, Zak Jensen will be looking to prove to everyone in the sport that he is more than a reality TV show contestant. Boasting a record of seven wins with three loses be…

As is the case with many former “The Ultimate Fighter” competitors, in the coming years, Zak Jensen will be looking to prove to everyone in the sport that he is more than a reality TV show contestant.

Boasting a record of seven wins with three loses before his run on the show, as a member of Team “Rampage” on “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights”, Jensen lost his first and only bout of the tournament against Darrill Schoonover.

Following his tenure on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, Jensen won two straight contests—both first round stoppages—before dropping three consecutive bouts in mid-2010.

Jensen, who notched the 10th professional victory of his mixed martial arts career in late November, was slated to take on Neil Grove at Bellator 43 earlier this month. The bout, however, was cancelled when Grove, citing a lingering injury, had to withdraw from the contest.

Jensen, in what will be his second professional boxing match, has since agreed to square off against Aaron Green in St. Paul, Minnesota on May 27th.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Zak Jensen about, among other topics, his early days in the sport, his time on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, and his upcoming boxing match.

How did you get involved with the sport to begin with?

Well, I grew up doing Tae Kwon Do—from the time I was about five to the time I was 12—but then started playing football and focusing more on other sports. It was kind of weird how I got back into it; I wrestled in college and boxed for a little bit.

One of my friends from boxing was an MMA promoter and he found out that I was wrestler, talked to me for a little bit, and asked me if I would ever be interested in doing MMA. He called me, and I said, “Sure, what time?”

He said, “About an hour and a half. How close are you to Northfield, Minnesota?” I was about 45 minutes away, so I got into my car, drove down, and weighed-in. I fought that night, took the guy down, and ground-and-pounded him. I fell in love with it and that’s how it started.

Was there any hesitation on your behalf to fight?

None whatsoever. I grew up doing combat sports. Like I said, I grew up doing Tae Kwon Do and I boxed a little during and after college and there was no hesitation whatsoever. I love competition.

What was going through your mind during the car ride to your first fight?

I was a little nervous, but I was just taking it as any other sporting event—the pregame jitters. I basically looked at it as a wrestling match where I could actually hit.

That’s kind of funny, because I took him down with a headlock and, kind of, forgot that I could hit him. So I’m holding him there, and everyone was screaming, and I thought, “Hey, I can actually hit him.”

So I mounted him and started throwing punches—at that time, I didn’t really know how to throw punches from the mount with a lot of force, so they were all arm-punches.

I wasn’t really hurting him—it was funny to see on tape afterwards. I forgot I could actually hit him for about 30 seconds after I took him down [laughs].

[Laughs] You were passionate about the sport from the start?

Yes. I remember watching the first UFC on TV with my dad when I was little and I grew up watching boxing with him—I grew up a fight-fan.

I loved the sport before I was even involved in it, and it’s just kind of grown since then.

When did you realize that you had what it took to make a career out of your passion?

I don’t know. I was just doing it because I loved it and I started winning fights and I got the opportunity to go on “The Ultimate Fighter”—which didn’t really go the way I hoped it would. I know I have the guts to get in there and do it.

I’m working hard and I’m with a great camp. I think the most important thing is having the guts to get in there—I obviously have that—and it’s just building my skills after that.

Where are you training these days?

I’m training at The Academy—it used to be the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, but they changed to The Academy.

Greg Nelson is the coach and it’s where Jacob Volkmann and Sean Sherk train. I’m also doing my cardio at API—the “caveman training” with the gas-masks and the tire-flips and all that stuff.

Is that caveman training as crazy as it looks?

Ah, yes. I actually did it last night—I do it twice a week—and that gas-mask Sherk helped design, I put that on at the end of every session and go and ride the Airdyne and that thing is just crazy.

They have it blacked out, so I can’t see anything. It makes your lungs work so hard; the first time I wore it, my lungs hurt for two days, because the muscles around them were working so hard to get air.

It was definitely an experience, but you get used to it.

How much do you think it helps in an actual fight situation?

This is the first time that I’ve used it, so it will be interesting. It helps you focus more—it is more mental.

Let’s say that you’re stuck in a guillotine and you can’t breath—you might freak out—but with this gas-mask, it’s restricting how much air you get and it puts you in that mental state where you just have to focus, relax, and work through it.

It will help in situations like that.

I saw a picture of Pete Spratt with the gas-mask on Facebook, and he was talking about how people—regular gym-goers—would look at him when they saw him. Has anyone seen you walking around town or in the park or anywhere with that mask on?

[Laughs] I don’t put it on just to walk around town, but when I’m there training at API, they have classes that overlap with my workout.

You can hear people, like, “What the hell is he doing?” People ask me about it—it looks freaky; you look like a Stormtrooper or someone in the military—and it is crazy, but it’s a good thing and I’m glad that I’m doing it.

I guess as long as it helps—that’s the main thing.

It doesn’t matter how goofy it looks, as long as you get results.

What inspired you to try out for ‘The Ultimate Fighter’?

It’s like my soap; I’ve watched every single episode since it started [laughs], and I always wanted to try out for it if I ever had the opportunity.

I was sitting in my apartment the Sunday before the tryouts and I was talking to my manager at the time and I asked him if he knew when the next tryouts were—I had heard rumours that they were doing heavyweights. He said that he’d find out and he said it was tomorrow.

I said, “Okay, where?” and he said, “Seattle.” And I went online, bought a ticket to Seattle, got there at around 1:00 AM, woke up the next morning, and went and did it. It was kind of an impulse-thing, but I’m glad that I did it.

Did you think that you would make it through?

I had no idea—I was just going to go out there and do everything that I could with the grappling.

With the striking, you’re hitting mitts—some people are good at hitting mitts but really suck applying the striking in a fight, so I was kind of worried; how can you gauge someone just by watching them hit Thai-pads?

But I got through the grappling and I got through the mitts—I was more worried about the interview part than anything. After that, you have no control; you have control over how you do your grappling and your striking, but after that, it’s up in the air.

I wasn’t worried about what I could do; I was more worried about the stuff that I had no control over.

Were you surprised when you got the call-back?

I was. It was kind of a surreal moment. I was walking into my apartment with groceries and I got the phone call and I, kind of, just put them down and thought, “Did I really just get that phone call?”

It took me a minute to take it all in. It was like, “Oh, yeah; you’ve got to drop everything you’re doing and you’re leaving in four days.”

Were you at all apprehensive before you went on the show?

A little, but not really. It was more of one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities—where you have to do it. I was getting kind of antsy.

With the forms that you have to fill out—there was an encyclopaedia of paperwork that you had to read through before you go in [laughs]—that was the really daunting thing; am I really signing my life away?

It was just more hoping that everything would go well—I trained really hard before I got in there and it was just show-time, I guess.

Did you know Kimbo would be on the show before you went to Las Vegas?

Had no idea. When we got there, we counted 15 people and were wondering who the 16th person would be. We didn’t know that it would be 16; we didn’t know if we’d have to fight to get on or what.

We were staying at a hotel for the first night, and the first day is when they took us to the training center. We got in the van to go, there were five people in the van—so you don’t know who’s there yet—and then, slowly, people keep on trickling in.

And then, we went up and we were trying to figure it out. We thought that there were two possibilities out of this; I thought that Fedor [Emelienenko] might be an option, but then Dana said, “Well, he’s a fighter, but we’re not sure if he’s a mixed martial artist.”

And then when he said that, we knew that it was Kimbo.

[Laughs] You knew right away?

When Dana started talking about who the next guy was—when he said that we were all mixed martial artists—we knew exactly who it would be.

It was interesting, but I don’t think anyone was worried when he walked through the door [laughs].

What was going through your mind when you saw Kimbo?

“Are you kidding? Really?” I thought, “Okay, we’re going to have very high ratings—people are going to watch this one.”

No one was worried, though. He has no wrestling or ground, so no one was really worried about that, and we’re not fighting in the street without gloves on—it was a different game.

How would you describe your relationship with Kimbo on the show?

It was interesting. He’s an interesting individual; the way he told stories about his life and everything.

One day he was marinating a steak, but he was stabbing it with a knife and twisting it. I said, “Why are you doing it that way? You can just take a fork and, you know, stab it.” He said, “No; you’ve got to stab it and twist it like you’re shanking somebody.”

We were just like, “Okay.” [Laughs] Like, “Have you done that before?” We were wondering if he was trying to intimidate us by showing us that he knew how to shank someone.

He’s just a laidback guy—just like anyone else.

Do you feel that there are a lot of misconceptions of Kimbo?

He’s actually a soft-spoken guy—like most fighters. It’s like we go in there and flip a switch—because it’s work—and that’s all it is. After that, you just relax and hang out.

I don’t want to focus too much on Kimbo, but did you notice an improvement in his skill-set during his time on the show?

I mean, he got a little bit better. He never really worked with us that much; in the beginning he did a little, but other than that, he was off doing stuff with “Rampage” and Tiki [Ghosn] on his own.

How would you describe Quinton as a coach?

He would show us stuff that would work for him and he’d say, “If this works for you, use it and if not, don’t.” He said that he’s not a coach and that’s why he had his assistant coaches—because they would be showing us stuff.

I liked the fact that he was my coach; he did show me how to cover and roll and I’m one of those guys that doesn’t really care if I get it, so I didn’t really have any defensive-stuff.

I use that to this day and if that was the only thing that I took from that, than it was something that has helped me. He was a great guy; one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, actually.

Do you think your experience would’ve been any different had you been chosen to Team Rashad?

I think it would be different, but I’m happy with what I got. I actually wanted to be on Quinton’s team.

Before the show, I didn’t like Rashad because of how he fought; how he acted around the cage and everything—I don’t like that sort of thing. When I found out who the coaches were, I thought that I wanted to be on Quinton’s team, so it worked out the way I wanted it to.

I think it would’ve been different, but I’m happy with who I got as a coach.

Would you go through the tournament again?

Yes, I would. I would go into it knowing more about it.

Like the fact that I’m quite and like to stay to myself—I wrote in my journal a lot while I was there—and it was interesting to see how that got portrayed.

I would definitely go in with a different attitude towards it; knowing what it was like.

Do you feel that you were portrayed in a negative-light?

Not a negative-light, but it didn’t help that you have Wes Sims—that greatest storyteller of all-time in the house. I’m a shy person, and in that atmosphere, it played out like it would with anyone else—if that makes any sense.

If someone is shy and sticks to himself in a house full of extroverted people and people that like to poke at people, you know? I wasn’t expecting Wes to be so crazy, but I had a feeling that something like that would happen at some point.

Was there anyone that left a particularly lasting-impression during you on your time on the show?

Yes; Mr. McSweeney. Afterwards, he apologized for locking me in the bathroom. I’m claustrophobic—if I can leave a space, I won’t get freaked out, but if I can’t, I freak out [laughs].

That wasn’t cool. It’s too bad that he dropped down to 205.

He apologized after the fact?

Yeah; after the show was all done. I’m not sure if it was a heartfelt apology or if he was just saying it to say it, but he said, “I hope everything is okay. TV is TV, man.”

You think he was just trying to get more TV-time?

Yeah, but it’s still, kind of, a B.S. thing to do, so I still don’t like him for it [laughs].

With Wes Sims, I knew who Wes Sims was—I knew that he was a goofy guy—but with McSweeney, that still, kind of, leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

What else did you take away from your experience on the show?

To be able to go out and be a part of something like that meant a lot. I also learned that finding a good training-camp is a must; I could tell that I was behind some of the guys that were training at Greg Jackson’s and bigger gyms—that’s one of the reasons that I’m at The Academy now.

It’s a great gym and everyone is there to train. Cole Konrad, Chris Tuchscherer, Jon Madsen was there—when all of those guys are there, it’s a great camp for me.

It’s hard to find big-guys—that’s another thing. When I was on the show, that’s the most heavyweights that I’ve ever been able to train with—that was awesome [laughs].

You said that you were a big fan of the show—and I guess it might be hard to do this objectively—but did you enjoy your season?

I watched it because I had to; I had to do interviews about it afterwards. I’ve seen about three episodes since that season. I have not seen any of this season’s—at all. I don’t know if I’m over it, because I was on it and I saw everything that goes into it.

It was, like, familiarity breeds contempt—if that makes any sense. I’ve been on the show, I know how they do it, so I’m not too interested in it.

How did you come into contact with Bellator FC?

I was asking my manager, Monte Cox, what was next on the plate and he said that he was talking to Bellator and he would let me know if we had the fight-offer or not.

A couple days later, he texted me and asked if I wanted to fight Neil Grove on May 7th. I said, “Sure. Why not?” I just train and don’t really think about who I’m going to fight.

How did you find out that Neil had to withdraw from the bout?

My manager sent me a text message and said that Bellator just contacted him and said that Grove got injured, so they said that that fight was off and they were trying to get me a replacement.

Were you disappointed when you heard the news?

Yeah, I was really disappointed. They said that it was an injury that was slow to heal and that kind of confused me; if he had an injury, why would he train for a fight? You know?

I was kind of confused, but at that point I was just ready for the fight; I thought it was going to be a great fight and I think I matched up really well with him. It was like I was all dressed up with nowhere to go.

How do you think it would’ve gone?

It would’ve been an interesting fight. My game-plan, obviously, was to take him down, but I always tend to throw my game-plan out the window when the bell rings.

Is that a match that you’d like to have in the future?

Yeah, I would love to have that fight. We’re trying to get it set up for when Neil is healthy again.

Any idea when that will be?

I have no clue. I don’t know how bad Neil was hurt or how bad he was actually injured. Hopefully it happens, because that would’ve been a good fight.

Do you have anything else lined up at this point?

Actually, I just got offered a boxing match on May 27th, so I’m going to take that.

Have you boxed professionally before?

Once. I took the fight on four days notice and it didn’t go too well, because I was thinking about all of the openings for kicks and takedowns [laughs]. It didn’t go too well, but with this one, I’ve had a bit more time and I’ve been working my boxing.

How did this opportunity come up?

I’m friends with a boxing promoter and they had an opening. Every time that there is a heavyweight opening, he’s always asking if I want to get in.

I used to do the “Tough Guy” and I used to do amateur boxing before I got into MMA. He always gave me the option to fight on one of his cards.

Did you ever think about taking him up on an offer like that before?

Yeah, I have. It’s either been too close to a fight that I had scheduled or after I had an MMA fight, so I’ve never had it work out like this. It was the day after I announced on Facebook that my fight was cancelled that I got the phone call for this fight.

Was there any hesitation to sign the contract?

No. I’ve actually sparred with the guy that I was supposed to fight, so I’m not too worried.

What do you think Aaron Green has to offer you?

He’s a really good boxer; he’s a two-time Upper Midwest Golden Gloves champion, so he’s obviously got good boxing, but he doesn’t like to get hit. I’m just going to go out there and be like the bully MMA fighter [laughs] and take the fight to him.

If I stand there and try to box with him, then obviously that’s not going to go my way, because that’s not what I excel at.

If this goes well for you, are you going to pursue more opportunities to box in the future?

If that happens, that’s great—but I’m an MMA fighter and that’s what I’m always going to focus on.

If things like this come up, especially when I’m geared up for a fight and I have a good training camp and I’m ready and that falls through, I’d be more than happy to do it again.

Do you have any MMA-bouts lined up?

We were talking to Titan Fighting Championships for something, but that fell through. As of right now, though; nothing.

Have you gotten any word from Bellator about their heavyweight tournament?

I have not.

Is that something that you’d be interested in?

Of course—I would be very interested in that. Maybe they’ll just schedule me and Neil to fight and make it a tournament-fight—that would be nice.

After your boxing match, assuming you win, what’s the next step?

I’ll get back in the gym and refocus on MMA and if another boxing opportunity comes up, I’ll look at it and if it’s something that fits, I’ll take it. Like I said, though, I’m a mixed martial arts fighter and I’m going to focus on that.

What do you feel the future holds for you?

I’m going to keep training hard and, hopefully, more opportunities will come to fruition and I’ll start getting some big-fights with name-guys and I can come back. I want to start getting bigger fights on bigger stages.

Is there anything that you’d like to say to your fans while you have this opportunity?

Thanks for the support. I’m sorry that the fight fell-through; it sucks but it happens. Hopefully that fight can get rescheduled when Neil is healthy and the fans can watch a really good fight.

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UFC LIVE: Manny Gamburyan: "I’m Going to Go out There and Put on a Clinic"

As a mixed martial artist, Manny Gamburyan has one simple—albeit ambitious—goal; before he calls it a career, the man they call “The Anvil” dreams of owning a championship belt in the UFC’s featherweight division. Coming off a loss at…

As a mixed martial artist, Manny Gamburyan has one simple—albeit ambitious—goal; before he calls it a career, the man they call “The Anvil” dreams of owning a championship belt in the UFC’s featherweight division.

Coming off a loss at the hands of Jose Aldo at WEC 51 in September of last year—Gamburyan’s first title-shot as a professional mixed martial artist—“The Anvil” is now looking to work his way to the top of the UFC’s featherweight division.

In a little more than six weeks, in what will mark the end of near nine month lay-off from professional competition, Gamburyan will face Tyson Griffin at UFC LIVE: Marquardt vs. Johnson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Manny Gamburyan about his goal in the sport, his upcoming bout with Griffin, and the prospect of taking a run at the UFC’s featherweight championship.

What were your goals when you started in this sport?

To be a champ.

Any other goals?

Nope; to be a champ.

Why is that?

Growing up and being in the sport for many years, I realize that if you’re a true fighter, your only goal should be to be the champ.

Was there ever a time when that wavered in your mind?

Nope.

You always believed in your goal?

I was believed in my goal and I still believe in my goal.

How do you feel about what you were able to accomplish in the WEC?

I feel really good. I feel really good dropping from 155 to 145. It was a good trade, but now it’s even better; we’re back in the UFC and we have our own division at 145.

How does it feel to be back in the UFC at a division that better suits you?

It feels better. I should be more focused now, I should be more prepared, and I’m ready to make it to the top again and fight for the belt, again.

How did you find out that the WEC had been absorbed by the UFC?

I thought that it would happen—sooner or later—but I didn’t think it was going to be this early and it is what it is. For me, it doesn’t matter where I fight—the WEC or the UFC—but now that I’m back in the UFC, it’s even better.

How did you react to the news?

Normal, you know? I got really happy and I called my manager and asked him if it was true or if it was a rumour and he said it was true.

Do you feel like you’re coming home to the UFC?

Most definitely. I fought with the UFC, went to the WEC, and now I’m back home.

How confident are you this time around?

Very confident—I’m very confident. I train very hard—I put hours into it every day to prepare myself for upcoming challenges.

How are you feeling going into your upcoming challenge in six weeks?

I’m feeling very great; I’m feeling very confident. I believe that he is a gamer; he has what it takes, and he’s coming out of a good camp, so I’m getting ready for that fight, trying to get a ‘W’, and move on.

What problems do you feel Tyson poses to you?

To be honest with you, he’s not going to do anything that I haven’t seen before. I’ve rolled with him—not as my training partner—but I’ve trained with him a couple times. He’s durable; he’s got good stand-up, he’s got good wrestling—but so do I. We’re going to go out there and bang.

Do you feel training with Tyson gives you any type of advantage going into your match?

Not really, because training doesn’t mean anything, you know? Somebody can get dominated during training, but this is fighting—this is real. I’m looking forward to this fight. I’m very excited for this fight.

What do you think Tyson’s game-plan will be going into this fight?

I don’t know. Whatever his game-plan is, I don’t think he’s going to stick with it—I’m sharp everywhere. That’s my game, man; if I have to stand with him and box in the Octagon then I’m down with throwing them. He’s got a good camp, so I know he’s going to be ready. I expect—100 per cent—to see the best Tyson Griffin … He’s a very good fighter. He has a lot of good fights in the UFC, but now he’s been having some problems; he’s been losing lately and he decided that 145 is his weight-class. It’s not an easy cut, though; it’s not even an easy cut for me, either—I’m going to be pretty heavy for him, so let’s see how he’s going to respond. I’m going to go out there and put on a clinic.

Do you have a prediction for how it’s going to end?

I’m really bad with predictions, but at the end of the day, my hand is going to be raised and I’m going to have a ‘W’, I’m going to come back home and have a rest and start looking forward to the next one.

What would a win over Tyson in June mean to you?

It’s not like I’m fighting for the belt or anything; it’s just another fighter—and that’s how I look at it. He’s got a big-name, he’s got some good fights, and he’s a good fighter, he can impose his will, he’s got power, but we’ll see how he responds to me. I’m a different type of fighter than I was one year ago or two years ago—I’ve improved a lot and I’m trying to improve more and more.

How much better do you feel you are now than when we last saw you in the Octagon?

I’m a lot better, you know? I understand the stand-up game better now, I know how to control myself, my wrestling is getting way better, and my take-down defence and my submissions have improved dramatically.

Assuming you win, where do you see yourself in the UFC’s featherweight division?

There are a lot of good guys out there, like I said. There are a lot of top-guys, and nobody knows who the next contender is. Right now it’s Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes, but there are a lot of good guys out there; Erik Koch, Kenny Florian, and there are a lot of up-and-coming fighters—you can name them all day. The division is pretty stacked and I’m not looking past anyone; my next opponent is Tyson Griffin and I’m going to start from there and move on.

What do you feel you can accomplish in the UFC?

Like I said, my goal is to fight all of the best fighters and take on tough-fights—I never look for an easy-fight or anything like that—and I think I can be a champ in 2012. I want to improve myself, get that belt, and feel like a king for a while.

I guess it might be hard to put a number on it, but how close to you think you are to getting another shot at Jose’s featherweight championship?

It all depends on Dana White and Joe Silva and the UFC organization. Like I said, I wasn’t expecting to get the title-shot in the WEC; Josh Grispi was next in line, but I got the call for the title-fight, so I don’t know. One or two fights, maybe? We’ll see. Maybe one more fight and then I’ll get another title-shot again.

What would that featherweight championship belt mean to you at this point in your career?

It would be the best thing in the world; it’s like winning the gold medal in the Olympics [laughs]—there’s no other way that I could explain it to you. That’s my dream; to have that belt around my waist and feel like a king inside the Octagon and be happy.

Have you thought about how much longer you’d like to compete?

Well, I don’t know. I just turned 30, so I’m not saying that I’ve got another 10 years to go—I don’t know. Hopefully I have another four or five good years to go. As long as I’m healthy and training the way that I want to train, I can go. I’m not going to say that I want to be the next Randy Couture—because you know what? That’s a given. If I’m feeling it and feeling that I’m improving, I feel that I’m still capable of fighting—I’ll fight. Because of that, I can’t give you a prediction about how much longer I’d like to fight.

Have you thought about what you might like to do when you’re done fighting?

I don’t know, man. I’ll probably open up my own school and give my talent and knowledge to other kids to help them improve. I’m not the best teacher or anything like that, but I’ve got years and years of experience, so I could probably be a pretty good teacher and help other people be good fighters also.

What do you feel the future holds for you?

I don’t know—fighting, still. I can’t tell my future from a year or two from now, so we’ll see. We’ll see how it goes.

Is there anything that you’d like to say to your fans while you have this opportunity?

I, first of all, want to thank all of my training partners, my coaches, my family, and my fans out there. Watch me fight on June 26—it’s going to be on Versus and hopefully I’ll be on the televised card. It’s going to be a great fight; expect fireworks. I’m going to go out there and do my thing.

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