Herschel Walker says he can beat any TUF Heavyweight
Published by Zach Arnold on October 6th, 2009 in Current Events

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Last Thursday on ESPN’s Firsttake program, Herschel Walker did an interview with host Jay Crawford to talk about his upcoming foray into Mixed Martial Arts with Strikeforce. Walker is training with the American Kickboxing Academy squad in San Jose.

“Well, I may be 47 in age but I’m probably 25 in fighting, so that’s the reason I’m doing it,” exclaimed Walker during the interview. “Oh I’m in better shape (than ever before). You know, I’ve kept myself in shape, you know, I’ve been running my little food company that I have, not little company, but working out is my life. I talk about it, I preach it, and I try to live it. Working out about 6 hours a day, you know along with running my company so I work out about 6 hours a day. Well, I’m up now I’m doing a lot of my jogging, I’m doing anywhere between you know 4 and 8 miles on my run, I’m doing my strides at the track, doing jump rope, doing my delt work, doing martial arts training so I’m working out a great deal.”

UFC President Dana White has been very critical of Strikeforce signing Walker to an MMA contract. Walker addressed the criticisms during his ESPN interview.

“Oh yeah I’ve heard Dana. I know, Dana, Dana is good, you know, we got to give Dana his props because Dana and the Fertittas have done a great great great great job you know with the UFC and you know he’s really brought it to mainstream which is given many an opportunity to compete at it. I think the problem Dana has right now, the problem he has right now whoever made him the guy to measure athletic talent? I don’t think Dana knows anything about athletic talent, you know about fighters which is different, but I will say this — he is funny because he’s running the show right now with heavyweights and I put dimes to donuts all the heavyweights on that show right now I will beat and that’s a pretty easy saying, Dana I always tell people to put money where their mouth is and I tell Dana he said that I’m so old why don’t he step in the ring with me because he’s been priced in as well so maybe Dana and I can give all the money to charity which is one thing I’m doing, the money I’m making from my fight is going to my charity, Project Turnaround because you know I love to compete, I’ve been blessed, I love competition and you know stepping in the Octagon, stepping wherever in a ring ain’t no big deal.”

Herschel perhaps has taken one too many blows to the head if he thinks he could beat Roy Nelson in a fight. Nonetheless, Mr. Walker says that he’s preparing for his debut fight like a madman.

“Well I’m very, you know I’m very serious about it, you know and then that’s what’s so funny about people are so afraid of whatever and you know these guys in the ring, they’re just a competitor. Hey, I’m a competitor. You know I was there when they were working out and I heard one of them say that they’re the best athlete in the world and I’m thinking, wait a minute now, you know I’m a pretty good athlete myself, you know people can talk about age and all they want they do but then I don’t see too many jumping up to compete against me, so they can continue to say Herschel’s 47, 50, whatever you want to say, but it ain’t like you want to step in the ring or you want to go on the track and compete against me, I don’t see many people taking a number.”

Dana White, in a recent interview with u l t m m a . c o m, reacted to Walker’s comments about him on ESPN.

“Listen, he’s an incredibly talented athlete, was, you know, he was a great athlete. Would you not agree that Herschel Walker was one of the greatest football players of all time? Why isn’t he playing football any more? Because he’s too fucking old! That’s why he’s not playing football any more. And it’s absolutely disrespectful for him to think that he’s 47 years old and can’t play football any more but he can come over and fight? It’s like Randy Couture’s two years younger than him, should he play in the NFL? No. I got two words for you, Herschel — Johnnie Morton. OK?”

Morton, of course, got brutally knocked out a couple of years ago at the K-1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum event. Then, ironically, Morton got suspended for post-match drug testing problems.

Walker seems adamant in making his MMA debut within the next couple of months as opposed to take a full year to train and learn all the nuances of the sport. He views his entry into MMA as another challenge in life as opposed to a potential full-time athletic career.

“Well, we’re talking about maybe either the middle of December or in January but I’m shooting for the middle of December, you know I want sooner than later because you know I’ve been doing this for a long time and not like I’m going to be a fighter for years, you know I got a huge, huge resume of things I’ve done and stepping into the ring and the Octagon you know it’s just be another thing I add onto my resume when I’m looking for another job.”