By Scoop Malinowski

Status: UFC Light Heavyweight & Heavyweight contender.
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 225 1/2
DOB: October 10, 1977 In: Norfolk, VA
Fight Inspiration(s): “My family.”
Leisure Activities: “Playing with my dogs, remote-control cars, I like to go mountain bike riding, and play video games.”
Nicknames: “Brad.”
Favorite Movies: “The mafia-gangster movies and all the horror movies. Scarface, Goodfellas, all the Saws, the original Exorcist, the original Evil Dead.”
Favorite TV Shows: “Weeds, Heroes.”
Musical Tastes: “Everything except country, well there is some country I like. I usually listen to smooth R&B.”
Last Book Read: “The Book of Five Rings.”
Favorite Website(s): “My site of course [laughs], Brandonvera.com. You Tube. And Evilchili.com.”
Childhood Dream: “A fireman or an astronaut.”
Favorite Meal: “Chicken adobo.”
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “Frosted Flakes.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Depends on the mood, I like rainbow sherbet, butter pecan.”
First Fighting Memory: “Oh shit, I won!”
Pre-Fight Feeling: “Why the hell am I still doing this?!”
First Job: “Janitor at my father’s restaurant (called) Chan’s.”
First Car: “‘86 Z28 Camaro (white).”
Current Car(s): “Have an ‘06 Takoma and an ‘08 Sequoia.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “It hasn’t happened yet.”
Most Painful Moment: “Fuckin’ losin’ two in a row.”
Worst Injury: “UCL reconstruct on right elbow (in ‘99).”
Funny Fighting Memory: “Getting kicked in the nuts by Rampage the first time I ever trained with him.”
Embarrassing Career Memory: “Losing two in a row.”
Favorite Fighters To Watch: “Rampage, Forrest, GSP, BJ Penn, Anderson, Josh Barnett.”
Toughest Man Faced: “Verdum. (Why?) Him being well-rounded.”
Which Fight Were You At Your Very Best: “I haven’t got there yet.”
Last Vacation: “I don’t know. I don’t take many. Philippines maybe. I haven’t been on a vacation in a while. Oh yeah, Big Bear. I did one week in Big Bear (California).”
Funniest Fighters Encountered: “Rampage [laughs]. He’s retarded. Everything coming out of his mouth is funny. Dominic Cruz - we call him Li’l Angry Guy. He’s always angry. But it’s funny angry, he’s not being a jerk about it. He’s just angry, man [smiles].”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Honesty.”
www.thebiofile.com

By Scoop Malinowski

STATUS: MMA Heavyweight fighter and former UFC Heavyweight champ has career wins over Randy Couture, Minotauro, Jeff Monson, Yuki Kondo. Will take on Pedro Rizzo on July 19 at the Affliction Banned show in California. It’s a rematch of an exciting brawl won by KO by RIzzo in 2001.

HT: 6-3 WT: 250

DOB: November 10, 1977 IN: Seattle, Washington

CHILDHOOD HEROES: “I always looked up to my dad (Larry). Growing up I had a high school football
coach named Fred Sato that influenced me a lot into learning judo and martial arts.”

NICKNAMES: Baby Faced Assassin, Otaku - from Japanese fans.

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: “I love building muscle cars, computers, I’m really big into Japanese animation, guns, video games. Basically my hobbies are being a huge geek [laughs].”

FAVORITE MOVIES: “Ah well, Bladerunner still. Rollerball 1975. And I’ll pick one that I saw recently - No Country For Old Men. And the book was incredible too.”

FAVORITE TV SHOWS: “Let’s see…what have I been watching…Battlestar Galactica is a huge one of mine. I know some of the people on that are fans as well. So it’s sort of a mutual relationship there. Super Natural. Metalopalypse. Almost anything on Adult Swim cartoons.”

MUSICAL TASTES: “Everything except country, Fear Factory, 311, Led Zeppelin, DMX, Cream, Savoy Brown, I could go on and on.”

FAVORITE WEBSITES: “Homestarrunner.com, Pennyarcade.com, lethalperformance.com - because they’re my sponsor and I’m a car guy, so I’m always checking, you know, putting together what I’m gonna put on my rig.”

FIRST FIGHT MEMORY: “Against an AMC guy named Chris Charnos who fought Jerry Bohlander in SuperBrawl and did very well. And he was already a pro and I took the fight on 11 days notice, and I was like, Sure. I was 19, on Christmas vacation from school. And I went in there and I choked him completely unconscious with a front choke. And I’m doing the throat cut thing and I’ve got my back to him and I turn around and look and the guy is passed out. Drooling. And I’m like, Oh, crap! What did I do?! Here I am cutting my throat and the guy looks like he’s dead. I’m like, What the hell did I just do?!”

FAVORITE MEAL: “Ribs with greens, turnips.”

FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: “Peanut butter.”

FIRST JOB: “Doing landscaping under tha table. I was making money so I could go to nationals for freestyle Greco-Roman wrestling.”

FIRST CAR: “1978 orange Ford Courier.”

CURRENT CARS: “In L.A. I drive a Chrysler 300 SRT 8. In Washington, I switch between an ‘07 Mustang GT California Special and my ‘04 Mystichrome SVT Cobra.”

LAST BOOK READ: “Finished? Or in progress? (Both.) I’m in progress now of reading Descent of Angels by Michael Scanlan. The one before that would’ve been Faith and Fire. I’m a big sci-fi fan.”

PRE-FIGHT FEELING: “Think about imposing my will. And there’s nothing the guy can do to hurt me. Or stop me from throwing punches.”

GREATEST CAREER MOMENT: “Winning the King of Pancrase from Yuki Kondo (by rear-naked choke in 3rd-round in Tokyo in 2003).”

MOST PAINFUL MOMENT(S): “Dislocating my shoulder - combined with losing to Mirko Cro Cop three times. And always just having the worst luck in terms of fighting that guy.”

EMBARRASSING FIGHT MEMORY: “I don’t think we have enough space for that [smiles]. Would be jumping over the top rope in SuperBrawl and rolling my ankle - before my finals match against Bobby Hoffman.”

FAVORITE FIGHTERS TO WATCH: “That is a huge list. But I’ll talk about guys like Babalu, Fedor, I’m a big fan of Megumi Fuji of course. She’s my student and yet she’s just amazing the way she goes out there. Shayna Baszler. And Ginelle Marquez.”

TOUGHEST MAN FACED: “Everybody I get into the ring with is a pretty bad ass. But I think my training partners are the toughest men I face on a daily basis. Because they get me in the worst scenarios and then take pleasure in giving back to me what I do to them [smiles].”

FUNNIEST FIGHTERS ENCOUNTERED: “Erik Paulson’s friggin’ hilarious.”

PEOPLE QUALITIES MOST ADMIRED: “What impresses me is anyone who puts the heart, will and determination into making their dreams reality. That sticks out to me no matter who they are. And helps to drive me to succeed.”
www.thebiofile.com

STATUS: WEC Featherweight champion.

HT: 5-6 WT: 156

DOB: May 14, 1979 IN: Santa Barbara, CA

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: “I have a lot of stuff to do with fighting - watching other fighters, learning. Outside of fighting, I like to go to the beach, anywhere sunny near the ocean is awesome. I like to eat good food obviously. Hang out with my friends.”

NICKNAMES: “Bambi was from Pop Warner football. My coach was making fun of me because all the little cheerleaders liked me I guess because of my big brown eyes. So he called me Bambi. Thimby from my little sister and stepdad.”

FAVORITE MOVIES: “I like all sorts of older ones, like Cool Hand Luke, The Good The Bad & The Ugly, probably Gladiator. Blood Sport.”

FAVORITE TV SHOWS: “I would have to say…growing up it was Cheers. I don’t really have one now. Anything fighting.”

MUSICAL TASTES: “I like a ton of different stuff, anything from rap to rock to country. Depends on the mood. If I’m relaxing on the beach - something like Jack Johnson or Johnny Cash.”

LAST BOOK READ: “Chuck Liddell’s book. I read it this weekend.”

FIRST JOB: “I used to do acting when I was little. I was in commercials and plays. And got paid for it.”

FIRST CAR: “Datsun B310 ‘85 (white).”

CURRENT CAR: “Is a Toyota Sequoia (champagne color).”

FIRST FIGHTING MEMORY: “I remember sparring in karate as like a second-grader, like every Friday. Every Friday was sparring. I never tried any kicks, just haymakers. They moved me up to my brother’s class, my brother (Ryan) is two-and-a-half years older than me. Then the older kids started kicking me and it was harder to throw haymakers.”

FAVORITE MEAL: “Anything my mom makes, Italian, salad and chicken or barbecue chicken.”

FAVORITE BREAKFAST CEREAL: “Honey Bunches of Oats.”

CHILDHOOD DREAM: “You know, as a little kid I didn’t have something I wanted to be. I’m not a huge planner. I wanted to be Spiderman a long time ago, that’s the last one I have. Just kinda went with the flow after that.”

FAVORITE WEBSITES: “Sherdog.com. And MMAWeekly.”

PRE-FIGHT FEELING: “I try to relax - till an hour before the fight. Then I start to think about my offense, what I’m gonna do to the other guy. Impose my will.”

GREATEST CAREER MOMENT: “Yet to come.”

MOST PAINFUL MOMENT: “It was being drunk after the Abu Dhabi Fighting Championships, wrestling in the hallway at like 4 am (in 2005). I had a severely sprained ankle, thought I broke it. Was out for three months. That was right before my fight with Tyson Griffin.”

WORST INJURIES: “I haven’t really had any injuries, knock on wood. Cut my head open once. Seven staples in my head. Busted my head open with Tyson Griffin. Eight seconds into the fight I did a head dive, hit an inside ankle trip. And came directly down on part of the cage.”

WHICH FIGHT WAS YOUR FINEST/BEST PERFORMANCE: “Not sure, man. To be honest, my best performance…my game is always changing so much. I’m gonna say I haven’t had my best performance yet.”

FUNNY FIGHTING MEMORY: “Let me see…go back to some of my early fights. It’s not too funny but it’s all I can think of now. In my second fight against George Atkins, I remember kind of feeling sorry for him. During little breaks asking him, like I knocked his mouthpiece out and let him put it back in. Asking him, Do you still want to keep going? Because it was a non-stop, just a total beatdown. It was pretty brutal.”

EMBARRASSING FIGHTING MEMORY: “Not really.”

FAVORITE FIGHTER(S) TO WATCH: “Yeah, I like watching Sakuraba in Japan. He’s always entertaining, he does some inventful stuff. He’s original. It looks like he’s having fun in there. I like his attitude. Like one fight with Royce Gracie and he was taking off Royce Gracie’s Gi. You could see Helio trying not to laugh. Sakuraba was taking his pants and Gi off while they’re in the standing position.”

INSPIRATIONS: “Other fighters. I get inspiration from all sorts of different fighters. Not one in particular. I get motivated by great fights. I remember watching a Strike Force fight. All the fights were lame. And then Gilbert Melendez and Clayton Guida came on and gave an awesome fight, a back and forth battle. I needed that. I had a fight coming up and just wasn’t feeling the regular amp. That fight kicked me right back into the mode.”

LAST VACATION: “It wasn’t related to fighting or work…Bali, Indonesia a couple of years back. Pretty awesome, man. Really nice. Right after my fight with Charlie Valencia.”

LAST HALLOWEEN COSTUME: “I can’t remember the last time I dressed up…probably a pimp.”

PEOPLE QUALITIES MOST ADMIRED: “I like to see people that are positive. I feel like the most successful people in the world are people who are able to stay positive. My dad’s one person like that. He’s just a happy dude.”

www.thebiofile.com

By Scoop Malinowski

Status: MMA Light Heavyweight/Heavyweight fighter. Will next face Minotauro Nogueira at the July Affliction Banned show in Anaheim, CA.

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 210

DOB: December 3, 1971 In: Palo Alto, CA

Childhood Heroes: “It was Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris - before I met him. Now he’s not. He’s rude. I didn’t ask him for an autograph or picture or anything, he was just a rude bastard. Then Guy Mezger introduced me to him and, ooooh, he was such a nice guy. But I think you’re supposed to treat everybody the same. So he’s not one of my childhood heroes anymore, like Denzel Washington, Anthony Hopkins - guys who never get in trouble. Upstanding citizens, who make the kids want to be like them. So that’s what I wanted to be like.”

Hobbies/Interests: “My work is kind of like my hobby. I dance at a night club in San Diego - I’m actually pretty good too [laughs]. I like to eat, I’m a big pizza fan. Besides training I really don’t do much. I ride my bike, teach self-defense/submission classes.”

Nicknames: “Oh, you don’t want to know those! Well, Tiger. I used to rap with a bunch of guys, so they called me Vicious V.”

Favorite Movies: “The Lost Boys. Anything with Bruce Lee, Let Li, Cradle To The Grave, Jackie Chan Rumble In The Bronx. The stunts and fight choreography were very good.”

Favorite TV Shows: “Bernie Mac, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Mutant-X, Angel.”

Musical Tastes: “I like what Justin Timberlake has come out with lately. Big fan of Method Man. Hoobastank.”

Early Fight Memory: “The first time I started fighting, that was in Tokyo, Japan, September 16, 1993. Just hearing the people say my name, because they liked the way I fought. They had never seen me fight before and they were screaming my name after the fight. I lost in 1:38 (to a Japanese guy by armbar) but they liked me. I came out crazy - knife-hand strike - like a judo chop. But the guy’s head was too hard.”

First Job: “Roofer’s apprentice in Sutter Creek, CA (Age 19).”

First Car: “1984 brown Mercury Monarch.”

Favorite Meal: “Chicken curry or beef curry with rice.”

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Chocolate.”

Pre-Fight Feeling: “Before the fight I’m really not thinking about the fight. I don’t want to over-analyze the fight or pre-exhaust myself mentally. In the dressing room I’ll watch what’s going on with other people’s fights. I don’t start thinking about my fight till I get out to the arena and I see the ring. Then I start thinking about what I want to do and what I have to do. (Upon entering the ring, do you look in the opponent’s eyes?) Yes. I have to. If I don’t they might think it’s a sign of weakness and I’m scared. And I AIN’T EVER SCARED.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “When I had my son. My wife and I just had a baby (Sunday June 1, 2008). Then I won my fight against Anthony ‘Hitman’ Brown at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. The baby was born at 3:26 in the afternoon and I had to be at the arena at 4. I barely made the call time, went out and got the decision. Rose to the occasion.”

Most Painful Moment: “”When I lost the King of the Cage title to Jeremy Horn. From him doing the lay and pray [smiles].”

Childhood Dream: “I wanted to be an actor or professional wrestler.”

Funny Memory: “Oh, poor Gary Goodridge. When he got his cup busted (vs. Vovchanchyn) and they they had to sort it out in the ring. It was actually squeezing his nuts, from what I understand. They put towels around him in the ring. The pain was probably excruciating [laughs]. Poor guy, not funny if it happens to you, but we can sit and laugh about it now.” Your Finest, Best Performance: “My very best - Todd Medina, King of the Cage in 2000. Nine-second knockout. First round.”

Toughest Man Faced: “Vladimir Matyushenko. He had very hard hands, like Barney Rubble, his hands are like two rock crushers. In our first fight he beat me up for seven minutes. In the second fight we went at it for 25 minutes - two ten minute rounds and a five-minute overtime. 25 minutes of brutally beating the crap out of each other. I got some of the best combinations off in my career. My stamina and movement were what helped me to win this fight.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Honesty. Even if it hurts people’s feelings. Honesty - that’s the only quality I like or want in someone. If I ask you a question and find out later down the line that you lied to me, I’ll never trust you again. Especially if it’s over stupid stuff.” www.thebiofile.com

Status: Former 1976 Olympic gold medalist. Head Boxing Trainer American Top Team.

Childhood Heroes: “My first idol was my father (Howard Sr.) Muhammad Ali was definitely an idol. (Ever meet him?) Many times. I was 11 or 12 when he came to Glen Cove. My father knew his chaffeur. The second time I didn’t know who he was. I was playing in a band at the Apollo Theater Amateur Hour. And he was backstage. I remember Muhammad Ali walking over to me and touching me on the chin, like, How you doing? He had a big afro wig, getting ready to go onstage for a play called ‘Buck White.’ It was during his exile.”

Nicknames: “John-John - a family nickname.”

Hobbies/Interests: “Well, I speak Arabic, play four musical instruments - drum, bass drum, guitar and keyboards. I have a studio in my home where I record music. Study theology, African and world history. Travel. My greatest love now is training stand-up to mixed martial arts fighters at the American Top Team gym.”

Favorite Movies: “Wow, I would have to say Raging Bull. Midnight Run with Robert DeNiro. And aka Cassius Clay - that’s what made me start boxing. It came out in the theater when I was 15. That’s when I started. I was so intrigued and motivated by that movie that the very next day I got up at 4:30 in the morning to run before school. I did that until the Olympics.”

Favorite TV Show: “The Odd Couple.”

Musical Tastes: “Jazz, smooth jazz. I like some rap but I prefer jazz.”

Pre-Fight Feeling: “Can’t wait to showcase myself. I wanted people to see me. I thought of myself as a genius when I boxed. I used more of my brains than my physical attributes when I boxed. My brain was my forte. Defense and speed. I was the fastest fighter in the world. Randy Gordon, the former editor of The Ring, timed me throwing more than 30 punches in three or four seconds.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “When I won the Olympics for my mother (Catharine). She passed away during the Games (1976 in Montreal) - three days before I had my first fight. I dedicated the gold medal to her.”

Most Painful Moment: “I’d have to say the passing of my mother.”

Favorite Meal: “Chicken parmigian and angel hair pasta.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Vanilla.”

Funny Boxing Memory: “I did have one satirical moment. My last year in Golden Gloves, second fight. I fought this guy and knocked him down, gave him an eight-count. Knocked him down again, gave him another eight-count. When we started again, he clinched and he screamed in my ear, Take it easy or I kill you after the fight! I had to knock him out the very next round. He came to me after the fight, Aw, I didn’t mean it. I was beating up on him pretty good.

Embarrassing Moment: “I don’t know what fight it was, I started walking back to the wrong corner.”

Toughest Opponent(s): “I would have to say when I had my second ten-rounder - Norman Goins. In Indianapolis, Indiana in 1977. He knocked me down in the 2nd and 5th rounds. I knocked him down in the 9th. The referee gave him a very slow, long count.”

Hardest Punchers: “Norman Goins was a devastating puncher. Tony Baltazar was a devastating puncher. Edwin Rosario was a very hard hitter. There was a Colombia in the amateurs. We fought in 1975 in Washington, DC in USA vs. Colombia. I weighed 128. This guy was a big guy, like 87-0 with 55 KO’s. I’ll never forget that record. The guy hit me real hard in the first round. I woke up in the dressing room. He hit so hard he jarred my memory. I woke up when my father took my handwraps off. I whispered to him, Where am I? Did I win? He said, Yeah, you won. He hit you with one punch, he never hit you again. After that one punch I didn’t remember anything. My father said I was signing autographs on the way to the dressing room. It turned out he was a welterweight. They put me in the wrong weight class.”

When Were You At Your Best?: “My 4th pro fight. Probably could have fought anybody. I fought Tury Pineda, who had 37 fights. I knocked him out in the 4th round. He had all those fights and couldn’t do anything with me. At that time I thought I had arrived.”

On Training Shelby Walker (from 2005): : She’s coming along fine, doing well. She’s been with American Top Team for seven, eight months. Her first match is on February 12th at the War Memorial in Fort Lauderdale. She has a devastating right hand. If she hits anyone solid, they’re going out. In one MMA fight she made history. She’s got the fastest KO on record - seven seconds. But we need to work on her defense more. She’s not really a defensive fighter yet. She’s improving as we speak. Her work ethic is very good. She comes to the gym every day. But she definitely needs to work on her defense. You can’t throw punches all the time. That’s what I’m working on with her. Defense is just as important as offense.

People Qualities Most Admired: “I like someone that’s fair and honest and has integrity. Somebody that has a conscience with what they’re doing. That’s what I look for in people I meet and work with. If I see something a little unethical, I’ll stay away from those people.”

MMA coach & former World Cup and NCAA wrestling (University of  Iowa) champ
 
DOB: January 8, 1964  In: Baltimore, MD

Childhood Heroes:  “That’s a good question. Probably for sports - Dan Gable. I didn’t really have heroes.”

Hobbies/Interests:  “Nothing really. combat arts was a hobby that became a career.”

Nickname:  “Rico. My real name is Ricardo.”

Favorite Movies:  “I don’t watch movies. I’m not a movie guy. I don’t watch movies or much TV only MSNBC.”

Last Book Read:  “Let me go look, because I read about five books at a time…it’s an autobiography of a Yogi,The E Myth Revisted and a book on how to train bully breeds, ”

Musical Tastes:  “Everybody. Very eclectic taste in music. It’s hard to answer definitively. As a kid I remember I liked Bruce Spingsteen. That’s about the only one I can think of now.”

First Job:  “Never had a job. Teaching wrestling camps ”

First Car:  “Honda Prelude (black).”

Current Car:  “A Toyota Land Cruiser (white).”

Favorite Meal:  “Pizza or pasta.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:  “I don’t really eat ice cream.”

First MMA Memory:  “I went to go watch some friends fight. Next thing I know I’m in the corner with one, Tom Erickson.”

Childhood Dream:  “A wrestler. Amateur wrestler.”

Greatest Career Moment:  “When it was over. (Why then?) Because I focused my entire life on athletics. And not becoming - not exploring other areas in my life - it opened me up to explore the world and other experiences. It was eye-opening.”

Most Painful Moment:  “Anytime that I lost. Probably the worst one was when I lost the Olympic Trials to Mark Schultz.”

Embarrassing Memory:  “Is not having a guaranteed contract with Vladimir Matyshenko. I thought he’d blow through Tito Ortiz. He lost in five minutes. I should have guaranteed all three fights. It was embarrassing when Tito beat him. Tito was not even a credentialed wrestler, he wrestled in junior college. Matyshenko was a highly credentialed wrestler, a USSR champ & European championships silver medalist in freestyle.”

Favorite Fighters To Watch:  “BJ Penn - he’s a really really good fighter. The guys I used  to train - Couture, Trigg. I did not see him tap out Henderson but Anderson Silva must have gotten a lot better.”

Best Fights You’ve Seen:  “There’s tons of good fights, tons. I’ve seen some live that are  better because of the drama of being there live. About ten years ago in Japan Enson Innue  against Frank Shamrock. That was a crazy fight. It had everybody in the crowd going crazy.  That was more of a donnybrook. Recently Trigg vs Lawler another great fight because of heart Trigg showed on that particular night.”

Toughest Man You Faced:  “Myself. Everybody is the same. If you can control yourself then  you can control any situation. If not then it’s a 50-50 proposition or less. Though what people don’t realize is they’re only really fighting themselves.”

Last Vacation:  “To Atlantic City and home to Baltimore.”

People Qualities Most Admired:  “Truthful. That’s about it. As long as people are honest. Honest to themselves as well - more than anything else.”

Status: Professional boxer/ Mixed Martial Artist. Passed away in 2006. Recorded quickest KO in women’s MMA (5 Seconds)

Ht: 5-7 Wt: 130

Born On: February 27 In: Texas

Childhood Heroes: “Royce Gracie, Sakuraba, Sugar Ray Leonard.”

Hobbies/Interests: “I like to fish, I like to spend time in the country, go to the beach. That’s about it, besides training.”

Nickname: Shelby Girl.

Favorite Movies: “Hmmm…Dirty Dancing [laughs]. And Ali.”

Musical Tastes: “I like hip-hop, Eminem, Snoop Dogg.

Favorite TV Shows: “Friends.”

Early Boxing Memory: “I remember I had no rhythm. My coaches told me that. I couldn’t get it together. I was the only white person in the gym (in south Texas in ‘99), it was all Mexicans. I’m training with Howard Davis Jr. now. He’s helped a lot.”

First Job: “At a nursing home in Texas. I was a nursing assistant. Took care of elderly people (age 16).”

First Car: “A Buick.”

Favorite Meal: “Fried catfish, red beans and rice.”

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “Raisin Bran.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Chocolate chip cookie dough.”

Pre-Fight Feeling: “Winning. Think about winning.”

Funny Boxing Memory: “My very first boxing match ever (in Indianapolis in 2002). My opponent (Christmas Davis) came in with her hair taped up off the top of her head. In the second round I hit her and her hair flew off. It turned out it was a weave. The ref separated us and had to give her hair to her corner. (Who ended up winning?) I won by 2nd-round TKO. I guess she got flustered a little when her hair flew off.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “The five-second KO I got in Boston (vs. Angela Wilson). A straight right hand, right on the chin.”

Most Painful Moment: “When I knocked my shoulder out of socket. It slipped out throwing a punch that connected - a straight right, during sparring. And when the right side of my face was paralyzed. I was afraid it was going to be permanent. I got knocked out in training. It pinched a nerve in my face. As a result, my face was paralyzed for almost a month.”

Favorite Boxers To Watch: “Sugar Ray Leonard, Howard Davis Jr., Kostya Tszyu, Roy Jones Jr., Layla McCarter.”

Embarrassing Moment: “I showed up at a new boxing gym one day, just trying it out. I was boxing about two rounds. A guy came up to me and tapped me on the shoulder - the whole seam of my shorts had torn out. And I had on thong underwear. And that was their first impression of me.”

Childhood Dream(s): “A nurse for a while. And then I wanted to be a soldier, which I did for the Army.”

Last Halloween Costume: “A baby.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Honesty, loyalty.”

STATUS: MMA 170 lb. fighter.

HT: 5-9 3/4 WT: 170

DOB: August 24, 1973 In: Houlton, Maine

CHILDHOOD HEROES: “Hmmm…childhood heroes…like most MMA fighters I’d say Bruce Lee and Marvelous Marvin Hagler.”

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: “Growing up I was interested in herpotology, which is kind of a nerdy thing. It’s the study of reptiles and amphibians. Now I like computers and video games - Xbox 360. I’m still a geek.”

NICKNAMES: “The Irish Hand Grenade. My friends growing up called me Big D, for my last name.”

FAVORITE MOVIES: “Boondock Saints. The whole Star Wars, all the episodes. Braveheart. I’m also a big western fan. Deadwood on HBO. All the old Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns - Pale Rider, Hang ‘Em High.”

FAVORITE TV SHOWS: “Deadwood right now is by far my favorite. Entourage too.”

MUSICAL TASTES: “All-time favorite is Elvis. Next is Cake. Ben Folds.”

EARLY FIGHTING MEMORY: “I guess really fighting when I was 14. I had my first amateur boxing match. I won a decision. And it was against somebody that had 10 fights. I remember that feeling, feeling really good. It was my first fight. Having all those feelings of doubts, facing all that and winning.”

FIRST JOB: “Dishwasher at Bonanza in Bangor, Maine (age 15).”

FIRST CAR: “1972 Buick Skylark, candy-apple red with a white canvas roof. All leather interior.”

FAVORITE MEAL: “I like lobster and liguini. I love Italian. My favorite single food is the potato. Doesn’t matter how it comes - baked, mashed. For dessert I’m a cookie freak.”

FAVORITE BREAKFAST CEREAL: “It’s kind of boring but I like Cracklin’ Oat Bran. I go crazy over it, eat boxes and boxes of it.”

FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: “Cookies and cream.”

PRE-FIGHT FEELING: “Recently I’ve been very, very relaxed. Calm. Before I was always worried about being on the ground. I dwelled on the takedown, and trying to stop the takedown. Now I’m at the point that I don’t worry about it. I’m very, very confident on the ground. Now before the fight my thoughts are shifting to winning, on how I can win. Now I don’t question the win or loss, I just question how I’m gonna win.”

GREATEST CAREER MOMENT: “I’ve enjoyed most of ‘em. The greatest moment of my career…I would have to say the greatest moment of my career I really remember and enjoyed aren’t the fights in the ring. It’s the ones in sparring. With Rich Franklin and Jorge Gurgel. Those ones that led up to the fights. The friendships I’ve made in my career. Those are the things I really think about.”

MOST PAINFUL MOMENT: “Actually it would be the fight with Melvin (Guillard). I was still injured from the Joe (Stevenson) fight - AC joint, shoulder, clavicle. I wish I had waited the nine months for my shoulder to heal. I really thought that I was gonna beat him anyways. It was just real disappointing. I still think about it. When he slammed me, my shoulder and clavicle separated. When I think, Which fight could I do over again?, it’s the Melvin fight. My shoulder didn’t fully heal until March 2006. I fought Melvin in November 2005. I’ve won five in a row since, four by submissions.”

WORST INJURY: “I would say that. I’ve been cut a million times. I get cut real easily. I broke my cheekbone in a fight. That kept me out nine months. That’s how long the injury stayed with me.”

FAVORITE FIGHTERS TO WATCH: “I like to watch my friends fight most. I have a team. Rich Franklin. Jorge Gurgel. I can’t wait till Pat Miletich fights Renzo Gracie in IFL. Pat was always a hero of mine as an adult. I really like Pat a lot. I like to watch Mirko Cro Cop kick. I’m just in awe of some of his abilities. You’re always in danger with him, unless you get the guy on the ground.”

FUNNY FIGHTING MEMORY: “As an amateur I fought a kid and he shit himself during the fight. I think I was 15. Unfortunately he had on white shorts. Kind of gross but kinda funny. The cup and straps kept it in.”

EMBARRASSING FIGHTING MEMORY: “I don’t know. For me to be embarrassed, I don’t know. I guess the Melvin fight was the most embarrassing to me. Losing the fight and not being able to perform like I expected was embarrassing and upsetting.”

PEOPLE QUALITIES MOST ADMIRED: “The biggest quality that I like is loyalty. It’s nice to see people loyal nowadays. When you have all the deception going on, loyalty is very important to me. It’s hard to find loyal, loyal friends.”

FAMILY: Wife, Lara; daughters, Monica, Alexis, Emma; son, Duncan.”

Status: MMA Light Heavyweight fighter.

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 185

DOB: February 29, 1980 In: Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Childhood Heroes: “Right now one of my heroes is Muhammad Ali. He was an inspiration for me. He changed the face of boxing when he was at the top.”

Nickname: “The Predator. My team gave me this name.”

Hobbies/Interests: “Play golf a lot. A lot of golf [smiles]. I like golf. (What do you shoot?) Around 90. When I’m not training I like to play guitar and hang out with my friends.”

Favorite Movies: “Scarface. I like this movie a lot. I like the Rocky collection a lot.”

Favorite TV Shows: “I like a lot The Simpsons. I like King of Queens. Friends. I like The Ultimate Fighter show for sure. I watch a lot of movies, not a lot of TV.”

Musical Tastes: “Hip-hop, Iron Maiden, 50 Cent, Eminem, dance songs from the ’90s.”

First Job: “Wow, it was a paperboy. In Sherbrooke, where I grew up (age 12).”

First Car: “It was a Toyota Tercel, very small, red. It was not a beautiful car. I’m not a car guy. I just use car to get from point A to point B. (What do you drive now?) Now I have a Honda Civic (silver).”

Early Fighting Memory: “My first fight was in amateur rank. It was in Montreal (2000). I love this fight, it’s the best thing that happened to me. (How did you do?) I lose this fight. By referee stoppage. To a very tall guy, six-foot eight, black guy - I don’t remember his name. I wasn’t ready. I was thinking going in the ring and fighting was more easy than that. I realized I needed more training to take it seriously. After that I get back on my feet and think of the real training needed to be good at this sport. I did that and I’m in a good position now.”

Favorite Meal: “Baby-back ribs for sure.”

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “Honey Comb.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Butterscotch.”

Pre-Fight Feeling: “I’m not a very nervous person before the fight. When I go in the ring I know I’m ready. I prepare for the worst. I’m anxious. I can’t wait to hear the bell ring. So I’m very anxious, can’t wait, very enthusiastic to go in the octagon and fight. (Look at your opponent upon entering octagon?) Yeah, I look at him. I have very strong mental game, one of my number one skills. I’m trying to go in his head. I don’t mind if somebody does that to me because I have a very strong mental game.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “I think it’s the fight against Tito Ortiz. Maybe it looks strange. I took the decision (to replace Guy Mezger) seven days before the fight. It was the best decision. At this time Tito was one of my idols. And I did a good job. Nobody expected (me to last to) a decision. I believe I’m here in the UFC now because I took this fight and took this decision.”

Most Painful Moment: “For sure was my loss to Joe Doerksen. I was winning this fight so bad. Until the middle of the third round when he caught me with a rear naked choke. I make a rookie mistake and he catch me. After the fight he told me he didn’t remember anything from the fight, because I rocked him three times. I was sure it was my first UFC win but he caught me in the third round with a rear naked choke.”

Worst Injury: “I never had injury in a fight. More in training. Dislocated knee two months before the Ultimate Fighter show, but now it’s okay. Only big injury in my career.”

Bloodiest Fight: “The second fight of The Ultimate Fighter. It’s the bloodiest fight I’ve ever seen in my life. He had a cut in his forehead. It was so gross. I never saw so much blood.”

Childhood Dream: “I wanted to be a pro golfer. I like golf a lot. I’m a different kind of pro athlete now and I like my life but if I wasn’t a professional fighter, I’d like to be a golfer for sure.”

Favorite Fighters To Watch: “I like to watch Vitor Belfort. I like this guy. He has very, very good skills. Maybe his mental skills aren’t the best but I like to watch him fight. Bustamante. Every guy from BTT Canada. Nogueira brothers. Randy Couture - I had the chance to train with him. A very nice guy and a wonderful athlete.”

Favorite Athletes To Watch: “(Golf?) Tiger Woods. I like Jim Furyk a lot. And Mike Weir - he’s a lefty like me. And Canadian. (Boxing?) Oscar De la Hoya. Roy Jones. Arturo Gatti. (MLB?) I don’t really like this sport. (NHL?) Brendan Shanahan. In the match he always gives 100%. He’s a true warrior.”

Favorite Fights: “The fight Couture and Ortiz. Couture showed his skills and he was better on this night. Belfort and Ortiz - I was there.”

Embarrassing Fighting Memory: “I think the fight of Edwin Dewees and Chris Leben. Before the fight Edwin said, If it goes to the ground, Chris is done for sure. And while on the ground,

Chris caught him with a straight arm bar. This was most embarrassing for Edwin Dewees.”

Last Halloween Costume: “Oh wow, a long time ago. So long ago I don’t remember.”

Favorite Vacation Spot: “I like Cancun a lot. I went last year with my girlfriend. Very nice place.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Sense of humor, for sure. I like the people who are like me. I don’t take myself too seriously. I like to laugh at myself. I like the people who are like that.”

Status: UFC Lightweight contender.

Ht: 5-10 Wt: 155

Born On: September 20, 1976 In: Wilmington, Delaware

Childhood Heroes: “The guys from the old karate movies of Run Run Shaw. And Johnny Depp from 21 Jump Street.”

Hobbies/Interests: “Watching movies. Spending time with my home boys and my girl. And eating junk food - cheesecake and french fries are my favorites.”

Nicknames: “In fighting, The Dominator, but that was a little while ago.”

Favorite Meal: “Like a school cafeteria cheeseburger - like real flat and dry - with french fries and a Diet Coke.”

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “Oh’s.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “I’d have to say Cookies ‘ cream.”

Early Fighting Memory: “I used to get into a lot of fights as a kid. I remember getting into a fight one time at this kid’s house and the kid chasing me with a pair of hedge clippers (age 11). ”

Favorite Movies: “Glory and Good Will Hunting.”

Musical Tastes: Hip-hop - Smut Peddlars, Cannibal Ox, Motown - Al Green, alternative - Portis Head, Radio Head, Coldplay.”

Favorite TV Shows: “Martin and Sanford and Son.”

Funny Fighting Memory: “I was watching a fight in Winter Haven, Florida last year. This guy - in between rounds - actually threw up in the ring. They cleaned it up - but not all of it. Then when the next round started and they started fighting again, the other guy was actually wiping his head in it! To me, that was funny. Actually, the guy who threw up actually ended up winning the fight.”

First Job: “I was a dishwasher at a Chinese restaurant - Lucky Cuisine in Jensen Beach, FL (age 15).”

First Car: “1991 gray Toyota Corolla.”

Childhood Dream: “I wanted to be a scientist. I used to always experiment with chemistry.”

Pre-Fight Feeling: “I get really, really focused. I don’t talk too much. I kind of get in like a state of Zen. Yeah, yeah, I look at him (upon entering the Octagon). Look for weaknesses.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Beating Mishima at Shooto in Tokyo, Japan in 2000. Well, because he was just kicking my ass. While he was kicking my ass, I wanted to give up. I just hung through it and I got through it and I turned it around. I waited for him to start getting tired. I hit him with a knee, it opened up a cut over his eye and it knocked him down.”

Most Painful Moment: “That was the BJ Penn fight. Last year in June 2002. I wish I knew (what happened). But after the fight, I didn’t even remember fighting. Just got caught, fell asleep, you know?”

Worst Injury: “Probably when I had a superfight grappling match with Rodrigo Gracie. He broke my elbow with a kimura. That was in Connecticut, December 2001.”

Favorite Vacation Spot: “I’m thinking it’s going to be Hawaii.”

Favorite Fighters To Watch: “Aaron Riley. Man, I don’t know, he’s just always on the go. Constantly on the go, he never stops. And Mach Sakurai. Same thing. He stays really focused and he’s got good timing. Caol Uno - real slick and tricky. He’s constantly, constantly trying to do things.”

Favorite Fights: “Man, my favorite fight is Uno and Sato, the first time. Man, it was a come-from-behind fight. Again, I like come-from-behind fights. Uno was taking a beating. Sato got tired from kicking his ass. Uno worked hard for the victory. Pele-Macacao, man it was a lot of emotion at the time between them. They really hated each other. And you got that vibe watching it. And they really tried to take each other’s heads off. A back-and-forth fight. In Brazil. It’s a lot of different rivalries down there. Egos I think had a lot to do with it.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Intelligence, by far. It’s easy to be stupid, to be ignorant. When you’re intelligent you kind of radiate good vibes, in my book. By intelligence, I mean - not someone who possesses a lot of information - but someone who knows how to think and reason.”