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Although Muhsin Corbbrey insists that he belongs in the UFC right now, for the time being he is more than happy to continue working hard to further establish himself in the sport before making the jump back to a major organization.

A professional mixed martial artist, boxer, and kick-boxer—who also happens to own his own academy in Savannah, Ga.—Corbbrey is currently slated to travel to Australia to compete under the Cage Fighting Championship banner, in a bout that will decide the organization’s No. 1 lightweight contender, against Adrian Pang.

If Corbbrey wins on June 3, he will have the opportunity to take on current CFC lightweight-king Bernardo “Trekko” Maghales at some point in the next nine months.

Before his bout, however, Corbbrey will be, for the fourth time in his career, training at the famed Tiger Muay Thai academy in Phuket, Thailand.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Muhsin Corbbrey about his upcoming bout in Australia, training in Thailand, and the prospect of Din Thomas coming back to the UFC to rule their featherweight division.

 

How is life for you these days?

Life is absolutely wonderful—absolutely wonderful. Our gym is having the best month we’ve ever had—ever [laughs]; our gym is doing really well and we’ve got a great group of students right now.

On top of that, I’ve got some really good opportunities coming up; I’m fighting for the number-one contender spot in the CFC—I’m going to be fighting a tough Australian named Adrian Pang.

When I win this fight, I’m going to be fighting for their title, so there are great, great opportunities coming up.

Could you recap how this fight came to be?

Well, I know the guys in Australia—because I fought for ESPN Asia—and the organization that I fought for over there used Australian judges and referees. We just put in some talks—Din Thomas is familiar with those guys and said I would love to fight for their event.

My guys at Tiger Muay Thai put in a good word for me, they got a chance to see my highlight reel and they made it happen.

 

You told me earlier that you were starting to get worried that you wouldn’t have an opponent for your proposed M-1 bout. Looking back, do you feel that this is a bigger opportunity for you than the M-1 match?

It’s a much bigger opportunity. This is a great opponent for me; he’s tough and I only want to fight the best guys. He’s a top-ranked Australian fighter, so I want to go over there and show them that I can beat their best guys.

 

You’re going to Thailand first?

I’m going to be heading out in the first week of May; I’m going to be going to the amazing Tiger Muay Thai.

 

How did you first come into contact with the crew at Tiger Muay Thai?

You know, before my Nick Diaz fight, I knew that I wanted to do something a little different, because I wanted to get my game as tight as possible.

I talked with Ray Elbe—who runs their MMA program over there—and before all of those guys were heading over there, I went over there and got some work in. I’m one of the original members [laughs].

Since then, I’ve been in love with Thailand. After my trip last time, my gym here became the first Tiger Muay Thai affiliate in the United States.

What does that mean to you?

It means a lot, man; it means a lot. It means they respect what we’re doing over here and they respect us enough to let us use their name. At this point, we’re in the only US-affiliate of Tiger Muay Thai.

 

What does that mean to you?

It’s great; it’s a great feeling, man. Those guys out there are my family; Ray has helped me out and done so much, and my trainers over there are amazing. I love the environment—it’s amazing training over there.

 

How would you describe your experience in Thailand?

Thailand is a fighting culture. Here, if you’re a fighter, you get up in the morning and you train and you dedicate your life to this—everybody else looks at you like you’re insane, because you’re doing something that no one else would do.

It’s just a different lifestyle, but there, that’s the norm—it’s regular. You land in Bangkok and there are giant murals on the walls of Thai boxers—it’s their national sport; they’re fighters.

They go pro when they’re eight years old—it’s a lifestyle. Getting up in the morning and running and training isn’t uncommon; it’s what they do and that’s their life, so I fit right in there.

 

How much of an impact has the crew at Tiger Muay Thai had on your career?

They’ve had a huge impact on me. They brought my Muay Thai skills around—them and Kru Brian, who we have at the gym—they mould me into what I am; they allow me to beat people up.

[Laughs] It’s safe to say you plan on heading back for a fourth trip?

Oh, man. Listen; if it was up to me, I’d move there tomorrow [laughs], except I’ve got a lot of things that I want to do and a lot left to accomplish in the States. I definitely plan on having a second home in Thailand when it’s all said and done.

 

Is it difficult to leave your family when you go to camp or go to a fight or, in this case, both?

You know, it’s a part of the game. This will be my 43rd professional fight—I’m used to it and my wife is used to me being away at camp, you know, trying to get ready.

She knows that we’re in a hurt-sport; if you’re not 100 percent prepared and ready to go, then you’ll get hurt. She supports me 100 percent; she holds it down while I’m gone and she makes my life easy.

 

Has your drive in the sport ever wavered—when you thought maybe this sport wasn’t for you?

I’ve never thought it wasn’t for me. This sport is all about ups-and-downs; I had two losses in a row and that was really hard to deal with. Coming back and having three wins since then has really brought it all back together.

There’s a quote that I heard a long time ago that really makes me think; a champion is not decided on how he takes his wins—wins are easy; if you win, you feel great and it’s easy to deal with that, but, it’s how you come back from your losses.

Champions are determined by how they come back after a loss. I’ve been able to turn it around and it’s motivated me to work that much harder. All of the top guys in this sport have losses—that’s the way it is.

Generally speaking, can you take away more from a loss than a victory?

100 percent—unless you know where you’re lacking. You’ve got to think about what you missed in the camp that caused you to lose the fight. It makes you go back to the drawing board and figure things out—it forces you to get better.

 

What are you expecting out of the Australian fans?

They’re pretty fight-intelligent; they know the sport, so I expect to be welcomed there, man. I’m going to put on a show; any time I fight—win, lose, or draw—it’s going to be an exciting fight. I expect them to love me.

 

If they do decide to boo you, is that going to get to you?

Not at all—it’s just going to motivate me…I’ve fought in hostile-territory a ton of times; it’s just part of the game. Those boos will either turn into cheers or they’ll continue booing until I’m done, but at the end of the day, my hand will be raised—it doesn’t matter.

 

How are you feeling going into this fight?

I feel great. Honestly, I feel better right now than I’ve felt my entire career. Things are just coming together for me; my grappling is outstanding, my striking—you’ve seen it [laughs]—it gets better every day. I feel great and I’m just ready for the next challenge, and this is the next challenge.

What problems do you think Adrian poses to you?

You know, I’ve been studying tape and he’s pretty skilled; he’s good on his feet and he’s got some good game on the ground, he looks like a strong guy, and he’s got good cardio—he’s strong in the last round. I look forward to seeing if I can slow him down a little bit.

 

All things considered, do you feel that Adrian is your biggest challenge to date?

No [Laughs]. I’ve fought some tough guys, you know? I’ve fought guys like Nick Diaz—who’s been on an absolute tear, lately—I’ve fought some monsters. Adrian is going to be tough—I’m not taking anything away from him—but I’ve fought some really tough guys.

 

Do you feel that this fight is one of your biggest opportunities to date?

I think it’s a great opportunity. Being that No. 1 contender and getting an opportunity to fight for their title is a great opportunity.

 

So you plan on taking a shot at the title?

Oh, yeah; I’m getting that title. That title already belongs to me—I’ve already made a place on my mantle for it.

 

How about if Dana calls you, after you win, to say…

That would be great, but I have already signed a deal with them; when I win this fight, I have to fight for the title within eight months. I know I’ll be contractually obligated to fight for their title.

 

What would that belt mean to you?

It’s going to mean a lot, man. More than anything—the titles are great—but the struggle that we put ourselves through to get there is what I love; I love the camps, I love the hard work, and I love the feeling that I’m getting better every day.

Getting that belt and getting my hand raised is just proof that I did everything I right.

 

Another mixed martial artist that I spoke with, said that the physical championship belt that he got was more for his family and his friends and his fans that supported him than himself. Do you feel the same way?

Well, you know, somewhat. You definitely want something to show everyone after you go and do something big, but at the end of the day, you’re the only one in there; nobody else is in there with you and no one can fight that fight for you—it’s really up to you.

It’s a real selfish sport, man [laughs]. We have to be selfish sometimes. That belt is a representation of the things that I’ve done.

 

Do you feel that you belong in the UFC at this point?

I think I belong there. I can contend with anyone in this sport—I’ve said this before—but give me that opportunity. I know I have as much—or more—talent than the guys they have on their roster now. Give me my chance; let me try.

It seems that you can’t catch a break with the UFC.

It will happen when it happens. I’m not angry at Dana—they have to do what they have to do. At the end of the day, Spike TV is the one in charge of picking the people on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and I might not fit the mould of what they’re looking for.

I’m just going to keep grinding and I know—I know beyond a shadow of a doubt—that I will be in the UFC eventually.

 

Last time we spoke, you told me that you were the “underground icon” of mixed martial arts.

For sure. I feel like that underground rapper, man; that guy that has all the skill in the world and maybe gets a “Hip Hop Quotable” in The Source every once in a while, but just hasn’t got that big break—hasn’t got that big company behind him, pushing him.

Everyone that knows me knows I can fight; they know I have skills, they know that I’m raw and they know that, on any given day, I can beat anybody.

I just haven’t had the opportunity—I haven’t been signed yet; I’m that “Unsigned Hype.” Give me a little bit of time and I’ll be fighting for that major.

 

You know, at one point in time Eminem was showcased in the “Unsigned Hype” column.

[Laughs] Exactly. Hey, I know my time’s coming. I’ve just got to keep on grinding.

 

Do you feel that within the next year you will be in the UFC?

You know, we’ll see. I know I’m going to keep on fighting and I’m going to keep on beating people—I’m going to keep knocking peoples’ heads off—and it’s going to come to a point where they can’t deny me anymore.

 

What would fighting in the UFC mean to you?

It’s the opportunity to fight the best guys in the world and, you know, the UFC is where everyone wants to be; it’s what we work hard for. That’s the end goal; everyone wants to get in the UFC and fight for that UFC title.

Just like everyone else in this sport, my eyes are on the prize. All I can do now is work hard, keep moving forward, keep doing what I need to do, and I’ll eventually get there.

 

Do you ever get sick of being asked questions about the UFC?

Yeah, I hear it. But, you know, we’ve fought on the big stage; we fought in WEC, we fought in EliteXC, I’ve fought some of the best guys. I’ve been there and I’ll be back.

Right now, the average-fan only knows UFC—that’s the only brand that they know—so that’s what you’re going to get. It doesn’t bother me—I know I’ll be there eventually.

 

Is it the money that attracts fighters to the UFC?

There’s definitely good money and good sponsorship opportunities, but if you’re in this sport for the money, you’re in it for the wrong reasons.

MMA is not seeing those million-dollar pay cheques; we’re not getting $30 million purses—we’re fighting because we have goals that we want to accomplish.

At the end of the day, I can use what I’ve accomplished in mixed martial arts to make millions of dollars. I’m going to keep grinding, keep winning titles, and keep beating people—I want to fight the best guys in the business—and we’ll see where I end up.

How big do you think the sport can get?

It’s blowing up. I think we definitely have to start thinking about the fighters; we want the fighters to get what they deserve, because at the end of the day, the fighters make the sport. Without the fighters, this sport wouldn’t be here.

I think we should definitely start putting more of a focus on the fight-purses—what these guys are making—and making sure that they’re being taken care of.

 

Are you hinting towards a mixed martial artists’ union?

That would be nice, but just anything to make sure that these fighters are being taken care of. It’s a combat sport, man; if you get hit the wrong way, you’ll be hurt for the rest of your life.

It’s happened in boxing; you’ve seen guys that had outstanding careers, took the wrong punch, and now their lives are changed.

We want to make sure that the families of the fighters and the fighters, themselves, are getting taken care of.

 

Do you think about that a lot?

You know, I don’t. To me, it’s all in God’s hands; if it’s my time to go or get hurt, it’s going to be my time. I can’t dwell on that.

 

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Five years? You know, the way that I feel today, I feel that I’ve got another 10 good years in this sport.

I’m just going to keep grinding and trying to accomplish goals and if, within the next few years, I accomplish everything on my list, then I might move onto something else.

I can see myself at the top of the game in five years; I feel like I’m only getting stronger every day.  

What are your goals at this point?

I’ve got a ton, man. Like I said the last time we spoke, I want to be a titlist in all three sports; I want to be a boxing world titlist, a Muay Thai world titlist, and a mixed martial arts world titlist.

I want to be that guy, when I finish my career, they say, “Man, that guy could strike his butt off; he’s got a belt in Thai boxing and boxing and he won a major-title in mixed martial arts. He’s got the goods—let’s go train with him.”

 

Who do you look up to in this sport?

Din Thomas. I just trained with him last weekend—amazing, amazing training. Everybody out there, fight to get this guy back in the UFC! I talked to him all weekend—he needs to be there. There’s nobody at 145 with his skills.

The guys is, probably, one of the best boxers on the planet and, even bigger than that, his Jiu-Jitsu skills are absolutely phenomenal. He needs to be in that mix.

I really look up to him and I appreciate him having me out last weekend to really jump-start my training camp. You know, again, “Mach” Sakurai—just watch how he puts it together. He’s phenomenal. 

 

When I spoke with Din a few months ago, he said the UFC wasn’t on his radar. Do you know if that’s still the case?

It’s definitely on his radar. It’s definitely on his radar.

 

What type of impact do you think he could have in the UFC?

I think he could have a title. You know what fight I want to see? I was telling him last weekend, that I think him and Leonard Garcia would make a knock-down, drag-out, spectacular fight for the fans, because the striking ability—the pure boxing ability—of Din, matched up with the wild style of Leonard Garcia—that would make a phenomenal match.

The fans, I think, would get a treat with that fight. After he beats Leonard, I think he’d get two fights and a title shot. I think he could beat Jose Aldo or Mark Hominick.

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