Ben Rothwell
Biofiles | Published March 8th, 2008
 STATUS: Heavyweight MMA fighter.
HT: 6-4 WT: 265
DOB: October 17, 1981 IN: Kenosha, Wisconsin
CHILDHOOD HEROES: “My older brother.”
NICKNAMES: “The Edge, Berzerker, The Machine, Big Ben - Don’t forget the Big [smiles].”
HOBBIES/INTERESTS: “Building models. I like to fly rockets. Just do the nerdy type things. I got into animation. I love artwork, I love working with clay and painting. When I got into high school I got more involved in sports - played a lot of track, baseball, football. Mixed martial arts just kind of happened when I was 17. That became my full-time passion.”
FIRST FIGHTING MEMORY: “They posted it on the internet. When I was 17 and I fought, unfortunately, a heavy-set kid that everybody thinks I fought recently. I remember the fight, kid was actually older than me. It was an amateur fight in Cleveland, Ohio in ‘99. I beat him up pretty bad. They posted it on the internet like I took a fight between the IFL. Let’s get everybody’s head right, that’s not how it happened. I’m sorry that happened, I’m sorry. You didn’t agree with me beating up that kid but he had it coming [smiles].”
FAVORITE MOVIES: “Bloodsport, Conan The Barbarian, Braveheart, 300.”
FAVORITE TV SHOWS: “Don’t watch much except for Aqua Team Hunger Force and IFL Battleground.”
MUSICAL TASTES: “I don’t have a specific band but I like to listen to your heavier rock - old White Zombie, old Metallica, that kind of thing.”
LAST BOOK READ: “It was actually a history book about Muay Thai, it was called Ancient Arts of Muay Thai. It was like a thousand-page book. Pretty cool to learn the history of it. Last exciting book I read was Lord of the Rings.”
FIRST JOB: “Working for my parents at their restaurant - Victoria’s Nautical Inn (in Kenosha, Wisconsin).”
FIRST CAR: “A Yugo (beige). I had to take the front seat out so I could drive it.”
CURRENT CAR: “A Mazda 6 (black). Not by choice. Favorite car would be an M5 BMW. That’s the car I’m after.”
FAVORITE MEAL: “Philly cheesesteak - that I made [smiles].”
FAVORITE BREAKFAST CEREAL: “They don’t make it anymore. It used to be Peanut Butter Toast Crunch.”
FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: “Chocolate chip cookie dough.”
PRE-FIGHT FEELING: “Some people on the internet recognize from World of Warcraft a guy by the name of LeRoy Jenkins and he goes - this is my pre-fight feeling - GUNS UP, LET’S DO THIS, LEROY JENKINS![smiles]! (That’s what you think about?) Kinda. It’s like I’m sayin’ BEN ROTHWELL!! when I go in the ring. But it’s like, Let’s do it, Let’s do it, Come on. I’m excited. Get in there and get after it.”
CHILDHOOD DREAM: “I was gonna be a rock star when I was little. But I was always into fighting, when I was a little kid I collected swords. People thought I was pretty crazy when I was a kid. But that’s what I was into. Something that dealt with war, the fighting - not in the killing sense. Martial arts to me is exactly what I needed - the discipline, the professionalism that we carry. The sport is like a dream come true for me. And I’m living my dream, I really am.”
GREATEST SPORTS MOMENT: “For me, it’s a breaking point. I’ve had some good moments in the IFL, some good knockouts, winning the world team championship with a head kick. My fight, my particapation in that was great. My turning point was March of last year when I knocked Dan Bobisch out on a pay-per-view show with a knee. That was a turning point for my career. Because I stepped out, fought a big name opponent in front of 10,000 people (in Columbus, Ohio).”
MOST PAINFUL MOMENT: “Losing a fight in Russia that I had no business losing. That was in like 2002 or 2001. I fought one ten-minute round. I thought it was supposed to be one ten-minute round, then they called for an overtime and I chose not to continue. That was with an old trainer, before I trained with Pat (Miletich). That would never happen again. Second worst was in Brazil, I got caught with a head kick. That head kick also turned me into who I am now. It made me realize I had to go find real training. That’s when I found Duke Roufus and Pat.”
WORST INJURY: “Black eyes and bloody noses.”
FUNNY MEMORY: “All the wonderful times with Mike C. share together [smiles]. That’s funny. We go at it in public, verbally abuse each other but we’re very good friends too. It’s a very unique relationship.”
EMBARRASSING MEMORY: “I’ve had…just some things in training. That’d be something to ask Pat Miletich [smiles].”
FAVORITE FIGHTERS TO WATCH: “Fedor is incredible. Cro Cop - obviously his last fight was a hard blow for him. I always love the way he goes out to try and finish the fight with a head kick. I like Georges St. Pierre, he’s such a great athlete, well-rounded fighter. I think Anderson Silva is good, he goes out there and tries to fight exciting. I always respect that. Coaches like Pat, Renzo, Bas Rutten. We’re able to do what we’re doing because they went out in the beginning and started it, started the fanbase. So I look up to them a lot.”
FAVORITE FIGHT: “Gonzaga vs. Cro Cop. It showed in MMA anything can happen.”
LAST HALLOWEEN COSTUME: “I was a reaper.”
LAST VACATION: “San Francisco - half-vacation, half-training camp. For Fairtex.”
PEOPLE QUALITIES MOST ADMIRED: “Honesty. Loyalty. The attempt by somebody to always do what’s right.”
|
Loading ...
