MMAMemories.com: You are involved in a significant amount of charities, including the Cops Care Cancer Foundation. Tell us a little bit about Cops Care, along with some of your other charitable projects such as Puder Strength Training.

Dan Puder: I started PST when I was 19 years old. The 1ast camp that I ran was for 8 weeks and we had about 26 kids. Now I’m on the board of CCCF, and conservation corp charter school. My passion in life is to change a kids life into the right direction.

MMAMemories.com: There’s a Cops Care Cancer Foundation charity event coming up at the Playboy Mansion on August 23rd called “Cops & Robbers” and a lot of A-list MMA stars are advertised as possibly attending. What will the atmosphere be like at the event and what do you have planned?

Dan Puder: The weekend will be a long party, starting off at a local club with a BBQ and a PPV Womens Wet T-shirt wrestling League. The Playboy Mansion is on Saturday with a Lingerie fashion show, a few comedians, and a tour of the mansion along with an OPEN bar of you favorite alcohol.

MMAMemories.com: Your MMA career seems to be a little infrequent due to all of the projects you are involved in, but the last time you fought was for StrikeForce at the Playboy Mansion and you won your fight. What’s on the horizon for your fight schedule?

Dan Puder: I will probably be fighting at the end of the year somewhere. I will know for sure next month. Then I will concentrate full time on fighting.

MMAMemories.com: You recently trained at American Kickboxing Academy, which is churning out a lot of big-name MMA fighters that are very successful. How often do you get a chance to train there and what’s it like training with AKA?

Dan Puder: I was training at AKA my whole life. Now I will be training in Los Angeles because I now live down here full time.

MMAMemories.com: A lot of people know you for your feud with Kurt Angle and the war of words you have had with him. How serious do you think Angle really was considering an MMA fight?

Dan Puder: I think in his mind he thinks that he can take me and other fighters. He is a no joke athlete. An I believe that I can take him even though he is such a superior athlete. But I am a fighter and he is a wrestler and I know he would beat me in Olympic style wrestling. But I can beat him in fighting.

MMAMemories.com: Do you think promoters put Angle up to talking trash against you?

Dan Puder: I don’t know, but I know he likes to trash talk me.

MMAMemories.com: One pro-wrestler who put his money where his mouth is was Brock Lesnar, who fought Frank Mir and lost. What kind of prospects do you think Lesnar has of not only surviving in MMA, but becoming a champion?

Dan Puder: I think he can become the champ…… but in the ufc there are a lot of really tough heavyweight fighters.

MMAMemories.com: Is pro-wrestling something that you are still interested in participating in?

Dan Puder: Yes. I love the sport and on August 22 we will be taping for my 1st PPV with the Wet T-shirt Wrestling league.

MMAMemories.com: What do you make of Frank Trigg possibly making the transition into pro-wrestling with TNA?

Dan Puder: I think that it gives him an edge that can potentially make him a bigger name.. It seems that the bug has caught guys like Trigg and Mayhem Miller these days.

MMAMemories.com: How many more MMA fights do you think you have left in you before you retire and focus on all of your extracurricular activities?

Dan Puder: I would like to fight for a while. I love fighting and I will go out the Champ.

MMAMemories.com: Do you have a message for all of your fans out there who are interested in what you are up to and how can fans keep up on your latest doings?

Dan Puder: Please check out www.puderpro.com we will be building up the site and makin it better day by day.

By Scoop Malinowski

MMAMemories.com: Brock absolutely dominated Heath Herring at UFC 87 in Minneapolis. His amateur wrestling skills simply proved to be too much for Herring to handle. Why do you think Brock was able to manhandle Herring so easily?

Erik Paulson: “I think nobody has been really able to understand since I’ve been training with Brock - his transitions, controlling and riding people are unbelievable. He was really good at riding people in college wrestling. That explains why he didn’t put his hooks in. A lot of people were expecting him to put his hooks in but Heath is really good at rolling out as soon as you put your hooks in. And another thing about Brock is he is really, really hard to catch in a submission. Now we’re really looking for Brock to slow down and really look for openings for strikes and submissions.”

MMAMemories.com: Herring is now demanding a re-match against Brock. Should Brock give it to him? After all, the fighter who wins the first time around generally wins about 70% of the time in the re-match.

Erik Paulson: “I don’t know. Does the UFC want a rematch? If the UFC feels compelled to give Herring a rematch, it would be good.”

MMAMemories.com: How many more fights and how much more training does Brock need before you would consider him coming close to becoming a well-rounded fighter? If he learns how to strike accurately and proficiently, he’s unstoppable.

Erik Paulson: “Well, he already knows how to do that. His striking has gotten so much better. That’s what we’ve worked on for the last two fights - his striking. It’s a daily process. You have to keep in mind they’re not throwing Brock any slouches. He jumped right into the deep end. Frank Mir was his second fight. Sure, he would do a rematch with Heath. Brock is so aggressive, his conditioning is unbelievable. He does an eight-week camp. His two coaches are Greg Nelson for MMA and Marty Morgan his wrestling coach at U of M. They structure his complete training schedule. I’m brought in for a week. I combine the striking with the grappling. People don’t understand that Brock is really fast. One reason he doesn’t show it is because he wants to lead them in.”

MMAMemories.com: Right now in the UFC Heavyweight division, it seems the top three guys in the end will be Brock, Nogueira, and Cain Velasquez. Velasquez is an excellent wrestler and he trains with a good team at American Kickboxing Academy. How would you see a fight going between Cain and Brock? In terms of building a game plan, what are some of the major weaknesses that Velasquez has in his young MMA career at the moment?

Erik Paulson: “I don’t know who he is. I know people have been talking about him. But I haven’t actually studied him. I’ve probably seen him before. Everyone is a contender, you can never take anyone lightly or underestimate anyone. Brock will definitely be prepared for anyone he fights. His number one strength is his conditioning. And he also has a gameplan. That’s where I come in. That’s Greg’s and my specialty - formulating a gameplan for each opponent. Then have a back-up gameplan if that doesn’t work.”

MMAMemories.com: Nogueira is currently the UFC Heavyweight champion and he’s really tough, but he’s also getting older and has taken some real beatings in his career. How much preparation time do you think Brock would need in order to have the skill set to beat Nogueira and win the UFC Heavyweight title?

Erik Paulson: “A lot. Because Nogeuira’s very dangerous on the ground. Brock would have to outwrestle him and take him down. And be very careful that he doesn’t extend his limbs. Brock hits like a sledgehammer. He hits so hard and he’s fast. One thing we’re really working hard on is not pushing his strikes but launching strikes with crack and pop at the end. To have boxer-level hands. Also, his knees are devastating. I would not want to get kneed by Brock. His knees are huge. Heath had no idea that Brock was going to come out and throw a kick at him. As for a match with Nogueira, I have no idea what the UFC’s plans are. I know Brock has two more fights. Brock is such an incredible athlete. He could rise to the occasion. For me, he’s fun to train because he’s so ambitious. Brock is completely coach able. Some fighters I’ve worked with, you go for a week and you end up holding pads for them. With Brock, it’s, Can you teach me? Can you show me? Can you show me? It’s worth the time to go there.”

CALIFORNIA STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION Executive Officer Armando Garcia takes time out to answer our questions in this all-encompassing interview:

BoxingInsider.com: How did you make the transition from being a boxing referee in Florida to heading up the California State Athletic Commission? Leading the CSAC is a lot of responsibility.

Armando Garcia: It was a natural progression for me. I have held a variety of positions in boxing and my professional career in management helped me out tremendously. It has not and continues not to be easy.

This is a 24/7 job. We’ve set a torrid pace. There have been about 500 events in California in the three years that I’ve been here. We also went through the sunsetting of the Commission, working with numerous new Commission members and dealing with a slew of operational deficiencies that would have easily shut down a non-state business. And, to boot, family separation which is quite heartbreaking.

I applied for the position and went through the state application process along with 75 other candidates. I then underwent interviews and the Commission members selected me by vote.

I’m happy to say that I have received very strong support from the state since I got here. I’m very thankful.

We just finished another banner fiscal year at over $2M in revenue and importantly, under budget.

Commission revenue the year before I took over the job was at about $441K. In my first year we went to $1.3M, the next one $1.6M and then this tremendous $2M plus year.

Hard work pays off. I’m so thankful.

BoxingInsider.com: How has the drug testing policy changed with the CSAC in the last year? It seems as if more information is being released about test results and the specificity of the testing is more publicly known now with the steroid testing taking place at the WADA testing facility at UCLA.

Armando Garcia: Our operation values transparency. What is public record is treated as such.

Our entire drug testing, more than any Commission has ever done in the history of combatitve sports, is funded through our support budget. That means we don’t ask for or receive additional monies. Managing money is important to my administration and we are quite good at it.

We have had our minor set backs in testing, but with the great effort of Assistant Executive Officer Bill Douglas, our Program Manager, we have established the best testing program in the Nation by far.

BoxingInsider.com: What is the exact cost of drug testing? There are so many MMA and boxing events happening these days that it seems impossible to get the financing to test all of the fighters.

Armando Garcia: It is expensive, but much needed. Use of steroids and drugs is both cheating and a possible indication of addiction and or other medical issues that are not consistent with combative sports.

Once the contract with the UCLA WADA lab is finalized the cost for a steroids test will be $125.

Presently for steroids tests, and to be absolutely sure that an adverse analytical finding (positive) is just that, we go through a detailed process. First, we send the sample to the Olympic Quest Laboratory in Atlanta. If the result is negative it is considered negative. If the result is positive the sample is transferred to the Canadian WADA lab in Montreal. Sending it to WADA Montreal costs an additional $125 per test.

For drugs of abuse we use instant kits that are 99% accurate. These kits cost $12 each and they check for twelve kinds of abused drugs. If it is negative it is negative. If it is positive it is sent to Quest Laboratory for confirmation at an additional $25 per test.

Expensive, but a must. What price tag do you put on a person’s career?

People can conjure stories or excuses trying to defend themselves from a positive drug test result in California but in the end if we say it is positive it is positive. We’d never announce a positive unless our detailed process was true. In fact, for example, if the laboratory doesn’t receive the sample in pristine manner to include the paperwork being correct it is considered a fatal flaw and the sample is discarded.

WADA is the highest standard in the world.

BoxingInsider.com: Do you think that more fighters are staying away from performance-enhancing drugs because of the drug testing policy or are fighters finding new ways to beat the system before the system catches them?

Armando Garcia: I’d like to think that through education they are learning the perils of drug usage. They are terrible for your mind and body, but I think we have both a little staying away and a little attempt at trickery. Education takes time.

BoxingInsider.com: The amount of MMA-related activity in the state seems to be growing every year. California is a huge state and travel is a big hindrance for regulating so many events. What kind of stress does the size of the state put on your staff and what changes have had to be made to streamline or modify CSAC management to be able to handle the workload?

Armando Garcia: Good management and staffing techniques is critical to our success. The whole thing is quite stressful on everyone.

We have a detailed event preparation process that deals with numerous medical examinations. It is very time consuming.

Morale has remained high though. Everyone loves being on a winning team. Humbly speaking, we’re not perfect, but we are the best if you consider the size of the state, the number of events, where we’ve come from, our regulations and laws, etc.

BoxingInsider.com: Quinton Jackson, who is a high-profile MMA fighter, has undergone psychiatric evaluation for potential mental health issues. What is the protocol in the state of California right now for testing fighters in terms of both their physical and mental health, and are there any suggestions you might have to change the way testing is done in the future to address possible problems that arise?

Armando Garcia: Although we have a neurological examination it does not address potential mental health or psychiatric issues that may result from participating in combative sports.

We are reviewing the present neurological examination and I hope that it is changed for something that better clearly identifies cognitive impairment.

BoxingInsider.com: There seems to be some controversy and confusion regarding strikes to the back of the head and what exactly the ‘zone’ is for a legal blow as opposed to an illegal blow. For the casual MMA fan out there, can you explain what the current rules in regards to this situation?

Armando Garcia: That is easy. The same as boxing. From the back of one ear to the back of the other ear. I’m in complete opposition to the ‘mohawk’ concept for back of the head fouls. Our Physicians support our position.

Illegal blows to the head are devastating. Ask Gerald McClelland.

BoxingInsider.com: What do you think about the 10-point must system being used to score MMA fights? Should there be a change in the scoring system more towards a PRIDE-style system where a judge picks a winner after three rounds as opposed to individually scoring each round?

Armando Garcia: We’ve beat the whole scoring system up pretty badly in both boxing and MMA. I think what we need is consistently competent judging not so much a new or modified scoring system.

With that said, we should move to address the differences of a 10-9 to a 10-8 round. We’re dealing with shorter fights in MMA. There’s both sides, a 10-8 is huge in a short fight while the differences in 10-9 rounds (routines to close to dominant) are more visible.

I like our system as opposed to the old PRIDE system.

BoxingInsider.com: How would you compare the CSAC’s media relations with MMA media members in comparison to boxing media members? Which media sector is it easier to communicate the kind of message you want to get through? It seems as if various members of the boxing media have been hostile towards you and the way business is being handled in California.

Armando Garcia: We value our relationship with the media tremendously. We have a huge mailing list and virtually everyone in the state has my cell phone number. Our thinking is that the relationship must stem from professionalism and of course, truth. We are more transparent than anyone and I think the media enjoys it.

The MMA media is much more active than the boxing media I think. I love their passion. The down side of the internet is that there is a bit too much disinformation all the way around.

I have a different view in looking at it than just stating that some boxing media have been hostile to me. Overall they’ve been fabulous. Most of them have many years of experience and know of me.

Everyone knows the story. What you’ve had are a couple of people who favor a very small group of other people in California who perceive they are out of power or something and for whatever reason try to use their position to slant facts to their favor. The isolated cases are much more personal than business. One must question their real love for the Commission and the sports we regulate.

The interesting thing is that one of those things started like this interview when an internet writer called me for an interview. This was in May 2006. His initial concern seemed to be that Mexican-American boxers were wearing patches or showing placards about an immigration bill that was in the news at that time, how could I allow it, etc. From there we began talking about my job and it moved on to a supposed article that was to be written about me, my position, etc. I spent about two hours speaking to this individual on two occasions and discussed many things to include quite personal struggles of my family in Cuba and when we came to the USA. The final product was a perfect example of yellow journalism. Some really terrible deceit there.

At the end of the day though there is always the bottom line. I’m a state employee, not a boxing or mma guy and I work hard at doing what I’m supposed to be doing all of the time.

Things that I’ve already mentioned, the anti-doping program, the Inspector program, how we’ve handled inherited operational deficiencies, creating small businesses with about 20 new promoters who consistently promote, etc. while effectively supervising over 500 events in three years time in a huge state are the things that one should judge an athletic commission administrator like myself.

We’ve had more informational and Commission meetings than ever in our history. We’ve brought back fairness and an equal playing field to California while frankly, simply doing our job. Respectfully and humbly, the work product surpasses anything and everything before it in California.

BoxingInsider.com: What are some of the major political challenges that the CSAC faces both internally and politically in the state in terms of funding, medical testing, etc.?

Armando Garcia: We just finished a banner year. If we keep the present funding and spending we will continue to shine. More likely than not that is what will happen as we move forward.

The top promoters in the world have come to California more times than ever. We also have a strong club level group of promoters who work very hard and help us to distinguish ourselves.

We have some very exciting things coming our way. Amateur mixed martial arts, full muay thai kickboxing, multiple sports events in the same competition enclosure, an expanded drug awareness effort, really exciting things for fans and athletes.

Thanks for allowing me this time.

By Scoop Malinowski

Author Loretta Hunt who helped mixed martial arts legend Randy Couture pen his Simon & Schuster biography “Becoming The Natural” took time out of the busy promotional tour to answer questions about the book which, we hear, will debut on the New York Times Best Seller list starting Sunday, at a very respectable #33 in what is said to be a very busy season.

QA with Loretta Hunt, Co-author of Randy Couture’s new autobiography

Q: First of all it’s an excellent autobiography, very well done. Very enjoyable and gripping read from start to finish. Can you tell us how the process began and take us through how the idea of doing the bio with Randy came about, whose idea it was, and his reaction to it, in the beginning and during the interviewing process?

A: First of all, thank you for the kind words. The book came about in an interesting way. Originally, Randy approached me about writing a companion book to a movie script that had been written based on his life. This was in Jan. 2005, a week before “The Ultimate Fighter” debuted on Spike TV. Over time, the pieces seemed to fall into place to make this book his official memoirs. Randy signed with an agency that had a literary dept. I wrote a 30-page book proposal and they sent it out and publishers started bidding on it. It was like many things in Randy’s life – great timing and a little bit of luck. The book sold less than three weeks after he returned to fighting at UFC 68 against Tim Sylvia.

Q: Randy is kind of a shy soft-spoken man yet he really opened up and told his entire life story, no stones seem to have been left unturned. Were you surprised how candid he was about his personal life?

A: Some things I was surprised that he revealed. Some things I had to push him a little to open up about. I knew Randy had something to say though; he had a goal for this book way beyond making money. He wanted to tell his story and inspire people, maybe even have a cathartic experience getting some things off his chest. He took this process very seriously from start to finish, so I knew he was going to reveal tidbits of his life he’d be reluctant to. That being said, I knew Randy picked me for a reason. I believe he opens up more to females, which is touched upon in book, and we had a trust between each other for sure.

Q: How long did it take to gather all the info from Randy? When and where did you do the interviews?

We did interviews everywhere! At his home in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, on the set of TV shows or movies he had parts in. I traveled anywhere I could and tried to make sure I was there for the important moments in his life to observe them. We met in Starbucks too – that was our first official meeting, in a Starbuck inside a supermarket in California. We spoke on the phone a lot, especially as his career geared up, which seemed to be the whole time. I began the book proposal, which is basically an outline for the book, in 2006. I guess we did over 30 interviews in the end and I went back to some of our earlier interviews in his career that I’d done with him as a reporter. Those were particularly interesting for both him and me when we re-hashed them, but it was important to jar his memory and revisit how he felt in those moments. Overall, the process took over a year and a half ofgathering info, but we wrote the book itself in eight months.

Q: You said earlier, To write a book is “very scary” - can you elaborate?

A: This was my first book, so I was new to the process. I wasn’t new to Randy – I’d seen half his career live – and I wasn’t new to the sport and interviewing fighters after eight years in the game. But, the book is like your baby. You take care of it, nurture it, protect it from the world for months and then you have to let it go on its own. I’m writing the pages with Randy and they seem good to me, but I wonder how others will respond to them. You never really know until you let the baby leave your arms to walk out on its own.

Q: Do you remember your very first impressions on seeing Randy compete live in the early days of UFC? Also your initial impressions of when you first interviewed him? When and where was that. Did you always have an idea he would become the sporting icon he has?

I met Randy Couture with his second wife Tricia in 2001 at a hotel during UFC 32. I’d seen him fight first at UFC 28 against Kevin Randleman and noted how the fans waited over an hour for him to leave the cage just to get a picture with him. Sitting down with him, I was new to MMA reporting in general – Randy said I was a wide-eyed girl, which I certainly was. I felt an immediate connection, though Randy has the ability to connect with almost anybody I believe. Randy was kind, considerate, thoughtful, with that soft voice of his that draws you in. At that point, sitting down with Randy in 2001, I already believed he was an icon in the sport with what he’d accomplished. His ability to re-create himself many times over as a champion was a priviledge to watch though.

Q: Now that his career is over, what do you think Randy’s influence on the sport has been? How would you describe it? And how will he be remembered by the MMA / sporting public?

I’m not so sure Randy’s career as a fighter is over. I know he wants to fight again. How the whole thing plays out with the UFC, Fedor Emelianenko, etc. is still very much up in the air. I wouldn’t be surprised if Randy enters the cage (or maybe even a ring again) at least one more time. Randy’s influence on the sport has been set already though. He is, in my estimation and observation of the sport, the most inspiring athlete that MMA has ever had. It’s just something about his underdog story, the way he has conducted himself, and the way he’s overcome personal and professional challenges that has resonated with aspiring fighters and fans alike. Randy gave the sport hope in its dark hours. After all is said and done, I hope that’s the way he is remembered.

Q: How has Randy changed from when you first covered and interviewed him, to what he has become today?

Randy is much the same as when I first met him — engaging, polite and incredibly humble. He’s unaware of the impression he makes on people many times, that they adore him. His clothing has changed (no more flip flops and fight shorts), which I don’t think is a bad thing. He’s worked hard for what he’s earned, but it doesn’t change who he is on the inside. The difference with Randy today is that he is pulled in a lot more directions. He can’t sit alone anywhere without someone coming up to him to chat or take his picture. I’ve never seen Randy be rude or impatient towards anyone ever. Not all of Randy’s relationships have ended well, as he talks about in the book, so those people may have said he’s changed. Randy is still the same to me and has never treated me differently at any point in the eight years we’ve known each other. He’s just lived life a little longer, made a few mistakes, had a few more triumphs, but so have I.

Q: Everybody in MMA must be reading this book. What has been the general reaction and feedback so far? Is there anyone who did not like it? I can’t imagine anyone not liking it.

I have been overwhelmed with the positive feedback. A lot of MMA journalists have reached out to me and told me how much they’ve enjoyed it. I felt a sense of relief with this as I knew how precious Randy’s story was and I wanted to do right by it. I know some fans new to the sport will pick up Randy’s book to find out more about the sport and I wanted to share this great figure with them. I know Randy has had to deal with some mixed feedback from people mentioned in the book in his personal life, which I understand. It must be difficult to read about yourself in a book that an infinite amount of other people will see too.

Q: What is Randy’s reaction to the finished product? Is he pleased with it?

I think he is very happy about it. He’s told me and others this. I know he had a certain angst right before it came out. It takes a great vulnerability to put your life story out there for others to dissect and potentially write off. The fans on his book tour have been nothing but supportive though.

Q: Now that you have your first book complete and a success, are you contemplating any future projects to do?

I am a couple months into working on my next book, which will be the memoirs of iconic MMA referee “Big” John McCarthy. I am very excited to write this book. I respect John immensely and his book will pose a whole set of different issues I will have to work through with him. The man has the history of the UFC, and essentially the birth of MMA in America, rolling around in his head and we will get it out onto paper together. In addition, John has led a very distinguished and rich life outside the cage as a police officer and a husband and father to three incredible children. John also has a great sense of humor and is a very captivating person. I think the fans will really enjoy it.

Q: And lastly, are you happy with how it came out? Or are you a typical perfectionist ? Once again, congratulations. You did a terrific job.

I am very happy and almost in a daze. I never thought I’d write a book or be a journalist for that matter, but now I can’t imagine myself doing anything else ever. I have learned so much from this project, about myself and the publishing industry. The editing process of a book is a whole different animal. An editor tells you what should be dropped from the book and what shouldn’t. You cling to some things with unwavering judgment and refuse for them to get dropped. You take a leap of faith with other things and drop them in the hopes it will make the book stronger as a whole. We had a fantastic editor, Ursula Cary, really shave off the fat and enhance the book’s flow. I consider our agent Margaret O’Connor the book’s third author. She kept me on track. Surprisingly, I don’t have any feelings like I missed something in this book. This is what Randy wanted to say in his own voice. That was my goal and I believe we achieved it together. I hope everyone enjoys it.

By Scoop Malinowski

Promoter Roy Englebrecht talks about his successful business philosophy, his intriguing new “American Champion” reality TV show project, Affliction Banned, and much more in this interview:

BoxingInsider.com: You have been busy promoting a lot of MMA shows lately. One of the claims you like to boast about is that you are still promoting shows while other promoters like the IFL are losing tons of money. Why are you able to remain successful as a promoter while others are flailing around in the business?

Roy Englebrecht: Deliver good shows, at good prices, in clean venues, and say thank you. Fans will come back. Also, I am a minor league operator, while the others thought they were major league without any experience.

BoxingInsider.com: Besides promoting boxing events in cities such as Irvine, CA you have also been involved in Fight Promoter University. Tell us a little bit about how this project started, why you started it, and who some of the more successful students to come out of the class have been.

Roy Englebrecht: The fight business has been very good to me and I wanted to give something back. It just made me so sad to see promoters, who meant well, lose $25,000 on a show and were never heard from again. I want everyone to have a chance to be successful. We have had graduates be successful in Ohio, PA, Boston, California, Texas.

BoxingInsider.com: At the Fight Promoter events, you have officials like Armando Garcia from the CSAC along with officials from both Golden Boy Promotions & Top Rank. How have you been able to bring together different personalities from the fight business to help educate people who want to enter into the fight business? Aren’t the politics of the fight business usually set-up for sabotage rather than cooperation?

Roy Englebrecht: I always say “a rising tide raises all boats”, and I believe the big guys in combative sports realize this too! Bad promoters hurt good promoters!

BoxingInsider.com: It’s easy for new promoters getting into the fight business to say how they are not going to lose money like ‘the other guys’, and yet they seem to always lose money. Why is it that so many people think that they can get into the industry when 98% of everyone who enters the business fails?

Roy Englebrecht: They don’t treat it as a business, or they try to do it part time. You need to leave your ego at the door.

BoxingInsider.com: For a lot of fight promoters, it seems as if they want to promote shows and make themselves the front men just to get accolodades and attention. What separates a good promoter from a bad one when it comes to creating a persona or an image that the promoter actually cares about the fans that show up for an event, that the promoter is going to take care of those fans because they’re ‘in his house’ at that moment?

Roy Englebrecht: I believe to be a successful new promoter you shouldn’t date the ring card girls, sit in the front row, or get into the ring! A good promoter needs to be in the back of the house orchestrating the show….they are the conductor!

BoxingInsider.com: You worked with the Affliction group to help co-promote their first event, which drew a healthy crowd at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Why did you decide to work with Affliction and how did the opportunity come about?

Roy Englebrecht: Their people called me, as Tom Atencio had been to a number of my shows over the last 15 years and knew who I was. I love working with the Affliction group as they are successful business men who know what it takes to be successful…..hard work!

BoxingInsider.com: You frequently stress that you run shows to make money and to provide good, clean entertainment. Meanwhile, Affliction on their debut show had a rock concert-type feel to it with Megadeth and bragged about how much they paid their fighters. How is Affliction’s promoting philosophy compatible or incompatible with the lessons that you preach to others who want to get into the fight business?

Roy Englebrecht: The people at Affliction Entertainment believed as I do, “you don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression”, so some of this had to happen to make it a great first impression!

BoxingInsider.com: You recently were involved in promoting an event that you labeled as the first boxing & MMA doubleheader ever done. How did you come up with the concept and what kind of feedback did you receive for it?

Roy Englebrecht: We did a pro boxing show on one night and a pro MMA show on the next, in the same ring in the same venue. This was done for a session of Fight Promoter University, and I would not do it again unless tied in with FPU. It was very stressful.

BoxingInsider.com: Tell us a little bit about the new reality TV show project that you are involved in called “American Champion.” You are looking for new American heavyweight boxers, right?

Roy Englebrecht: Can a finely tuned athlete from one sport be trained to become a champion boxer in the heavyweight division? This is not The Contender, this is finding 10 elite athletes with the size we need, to go to training camp for eight months and come out fighting other pros.

Question: How did the idea for the “American Champion” program come about? Was it simply based on a need to develop new stars in boxing or was it based on some other philosophical idea?

Roy Englebrecht: Where have all the American Heavyweights gone? That was the incentive for us. I have two Hollywood partners in “American Champion”, Jason Williams and Greg McClatchy, and just thought that we need to have those glory days of heavyweights back.

BoxingInsider.com: Your promotional companies are often involved in a lot of charity activities, which is a good way to build local contacts and network with others who can help you down the road in other business ventures. Why do you think many promoters bypass this aspect of the business and focus on simply running a show on their own without much help?

Roy Englebrecht: This area of community involvement gets lost when you are a part time promoter!

BoxingInsider.com: How and when did you first begin your career in boxing?

Roy Englebrecht: 1985 with the first “Battle In The Ballroom” show at the Irvine Marriott. The main event was Bert Lee vs Danny “Magic” Lopez. Trust me we didn’t spend a lot on purses.

BoxingInsider.com: What has been the highlight moment of your career?

Roy Englebrecht: Oscar De La Hoya buying my company and we started Golden Boy Promotions.

BoxingInsider.com: What has been your most painful/disappointing moment?

Roy Englebrecht: God has been good to me all the time, I have no reason to be disappointed.

By Scoop Malinowski

Professional athlete and citizen of Oregon Matt Lindland takes time out of his busy career to talk MMA and politics in this interview:

MMAMemories.com: Greetings Matt. Congrats on the win at Affliction by decision over Nascimento. Were you pleased with your performance against who some called “the best kept secret in MMA fighting? What was the key to the victory? Rumor is Vitor Belfort might be next. How do you feel about that possible match?

Matt Lindland: I think the key was preparing properly and coming in with a great game plan and sticking to it. It’s no secret Team Quest has great coaches and training partners and our athletes show up prepared.

I don’t get into rumors, I don’t listen to them, and I don’t spread them. I deal with reality. The reality is I want on the next card that Affliction does. I will fight anyone in the world and I have proved that it’s up to the promoter to match-make. If Vitor is the opponent I would be happy, he is an incredible fight and it would be an honor to face him in the ring.

MMAMemories.com: Fedor is amazing. Would you classify him with Toger Woods, Roger Federer, Wladimir Klitschko, Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady, Christiano Ronaldo as one of the elite pro athletes on earth today? What makes him so great? If you fought him again, what would you try different?

Matt Lindland: No question he is the best in the sport right now and that’s why I wanted to fight him and see where I was. If I had the opportunity to face Fedor again I would make some adjustment and I would ask for the fight to be in a cage

MMAMemories.com: When did you first get the idea and what inspired you to enter politics in your home state of Oregon?

Matt Lindland: I simply felt that our state was moving in the wrong direction. Too often over the last decade our state has been the first into and last out of recessions. As you may know I am also a businessman here in Oregon. I am an employer and an active member of my local community and I care deeply about the economic situation of my state and especially the district that I call home.

When this seat came open and I looked at the folks who were stepping up to run. After evaluating what they stood for I decided that I had something to offer the people of my district and believed that I could do a good job representing them in the legislature so I thought I would make my case to the people of House District 52. Apparently the people in the primary agreed.

A cursory look at the issues that I find important can be found on my website www.mattfororegon.com.

MMAMemories.com: A lot of famous pro athletes have fallen short in fulfilling their political aspirations - such as Vitali Klitschko, Roger Staubach, Bob Backlund - what was the key to you defeating fellow Republican Phyllis Thiemann by a 58-42% advantage for the Republican nomination for the Oregon House of Representatives District 52 seat?

Matt Lindland: The first key is that I match my district very well. My district is diverse in that it is both rural/agricultural and it contains some growing metropolitan areas. I own a business and work a lot with people in the metropolitan area and I also own a small ranch in the district.

Secondly I would say just plain old hard work. Running for political office requires hard work and an ability to stay focused on the issues even when someone is trying to attack you. It is a lot like fighting in that you need to go into it with a plan and be willing to stick with your game plan and not let your opponent dictate what you are going to do.

Finally it also comes down to good people working with you. If I may use another fight analogy, it is like having good trainers and people in your corner.

MMAMemories.com: Next up in the general election you will face Democrat Suzanne VanOrman. How is that contest looking at the moment and what do you think you will need to do to win?

Matt Lindland: The contest is looking good at the moment. This district has historically been a Republican district and as the Republican nominee I have that going for me.

Also my opponent has run before and put up a lackluster campaign. So combine that with hard work on my part and I believe the odds are good that I will win this campaign. Of course nothing is for sure, that is of course why they hold elections. But I like my odds at this point.

In order to win I will need to, of course, work hard. I have worked hard at everything I have done my whole life and this will be no different. I have a good campaign manager and some very talented folks volunteering for me already.

Secondly I will have to raise money. Hey it may sound bad to say, but having enough money to get your message out there is a fact of life. Just like training for a fight that may last a total of 15 or 20 minutes -unless of course I knock my opponent out in the first round - it takes hours and weeks to train for is also a fact of life.

I believe that my message of creating a better economic climate for my state is a winner. So now I need to work hard on the ground and work hard to raise the money to get that message out to the voters of my district.

MMAMemories.com: If elected what changes would you work to implement?

Matt Lindland: A couple of things and I’ll not go deep into the details here. But one is to work to change the way the current tax rates are structured. I have endorsed a plan that will reduce the tax rates on everyone and to a greater degree those making less than $30,000. I believe that if we let more of our middle class people keep more of their money then they will spend it, and invest it, more wisely and help spur economic development. In that plan there is also a tax cut for those making more than $30,000 however the cut is smaller as the incomes increase. In the end this plan alone should produce over 19,000 new jobs in our state.

I will also be looking into a cut in the capital gains tax. By doing this we will be sending a message to businesses in our state that they will not be penalized for investing in new equipment and business expansion. Unfortunately we have one of the highest cap gains taxes in the nation and many businesses will hold on to their profits instead of reinvesting them and thus also take a hit on taxes.

It basically boils down to the economy and jobs and those two issues are a main part of my platform in a nutshell.

I encourage people to keep an eye out on my website www.mattfororegon.com to see the issues and news events as they develop. Campaigns are always moving and new things are always happening and I hope to keep people up to date as we move along.

MMAMemories.com: If you have any, who are your political inspirations and why?

Matt Lindland: Madison, Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams, to name a few these men held for the greatest country in the world they believed in the people and limiting the powers of government would ensure the freedoms we all enjoy. In the modern era of politics I have came to appreciate what a great leader Ronald Reagan was. I was too young to appreciate what kind of a leader he was at the time. Reagan brought back sound fundamental free market principles and renewed liberties, he focused on a mission, a vision and principles and didn’t play the political games. He said things people didn’t necessarily always want to hear but he was honest and we knew where he stood, weather you agreed or not.

By Scoop Malinowski

Wrestling icon turned MMA gladiator Brock Lesnar took time out to talk about his next opponent Heath Herring, his training, why he made the transfer from pro wrestling to the UFC, and much more…

MMAMemories.com: Heading into your UFC fight against Frank Mir last February, there was a lot of anticipation by fans in regards to how you would do in your MMA debut. Even though you lost the fight, were you happy with your performance?

Brock Lesnar: “When you lose a fight, it is difficult to be happy with your performance. There were some things I did right and some things I did wrong. I felt like I rushed the fight a little bit from the start. I made a mistake and put myself in a dangerous position, and Frank was able to capitalize on it. Still, I was happy that at least the fight was exciting and I think the fans enjoyed it.”

MMAMemories.com: In hindsight, is there anything that you would have done differently in training and preparation for facing Mir now that you know what you do?

Brock Lesnar: “No. I had a great training camp and we did all the right things. Looking back, there really isn’t anything I would have done differently prior to the fight.”

MMAMemories.com: Would you be interested in having a re-match with Mir? Do you think fans would be interested in seeing it booked?

Brock Lesnar: “I would certainly be interested in a rematch. I hope I get that opportunity down the road. I think the fans thought it was an exciting fight and it was not without controversy, so I think people would really like to see what would happen if we did it again.”

MMAMemories.com: Despite the fact that you lost your debut fight in UFC, it seems as if a lot of the fans that were booing you before the fight now take your very seriously. What do you think of the new-found respect that some MMA fans are showing you?

Brock Lesnar: “I appreciate it.”

MMAMemories.com: You are now training with two very good trainers in the business, Erik Paulson and Greg Nelson. What are some of the similarities and differences between the two men in terms of the training sessions that you’ve had with both men?

Brock Lesnar: “Greg and Erik have trained together, and have trained fighters together, for a long time and share the same general training philosophy. Both guys have an incredible amount of knowledge and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from them.”

MMAMemories.com: Training with Greg Nelson, you also have access to some very impressive training partners. What is it like to train with someone as talented as Sean Sherk?

Brock Lesnar: “Minnesota Martial Arts Academy is an excellent place to train. While Sean Sherk and I don’t frequently train together directly because of the size difference, Sean has been very helpful since I started training at MMAA in 2006. I have been able to surround myself with a talented group of heavyweight training partners, including Jesse Wallace, Kirk Klosowsky and Chris Tuchscherer, and we have been able to bring in a number of additional training partners to work on specific areas.”

MMAMemories.com: When UFC fans watched some of your training sessions on the All Access show on Spike TV, people were blown away by the regimen that you put yourself through. Is there such a thing as over-training and do you think your training regimen is optimally suited for the kind of cardio you need to be competitive for three round and five round MMA fights?

Brock Lesnar: “I work with Marty Morgan, the assistant coach for the University of Minnesota wrestling team, to constantly evaluate my training. Marty is remarkable when comes to helping athletes peak at the right time for competition. I don’t think there is anyone better. You have to train smart. There is always a risk of over-training or training beyond what your body is able to recover from, and that leads to injuries. Marty knows when I need to be pushed or when I have pushed too hard and the workouts are adjusted as needed.”

MMAMemories.com: Your entry into MMA is fascinating because we are clearly seeing a trend of collegiate amateur wrestlers who are now bypassing professional wrestling and are heading straight to MMA. You went into pro wrestling because of money and now you have made the transition to MMA. What are some of the challenges that you have faced that maybe a lot of fans wouldn’t think about when looking at how your fighting career has evolved?

Brock Lesnar: “Considering that I have only a couple minutes of actual MMA fight experience, I don’t know that my fighting has really had a chance to evolve yet.”

MMAMemories.com: Why did you decide to make the transition from professional wrestling to MMA? Obviously, there are factors like traveling and money at stake, but were there other reasons for making the career transition?

Brock Lesnar: “I’m a really competitive person. Professional wrestling is competitive in many ways, but I missed being involved in real athletic competition. All things being equal, I would have gone right from amateur wrestling to MMA. Back in 2000-2001, however, that wasn’t really a viable option compared to professional wrestling. After a few years of professional wrestling, I needed to get back into something competitive.”

MMAMemories.com: There has been a lot of talk that some power brokers in WWE are interested in getting into the MMA business. If Vince McMahon was to invest money in the MMA scene and promote events, do you think he could successful at it? Would people take it seriously?

Brock Lesnar: “No Comment.”

MMAMemories.com: You are facing a tough opponent in Heath Herring this August in your home state of Minnesota. Herring has been in some wars, including his recent UFC fight against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. What is the most critical aspect of Herring’s skill set that you are training for?

Brock Lesnar: “Herring is very experienced and he’s fought some the best fighters in the world. When you train for a guy like Heath, you have to train to be ready for anything and that’s probably the most critical aspect of his skill set - he’s unpredictable.”

MMAMemories.com: Right now, the heavyweight scene in UFC is controlled by one man and that’s Minotauro Nogueira. When you watch Nogueira in action, is he someone that you view as beatable? If you are able to beat Herring, how far down the road do you see yourself fighting Nogueira for the UFC belt?

Brock Lesnar: “I don’t think anyone is unbeatable in this sport, but I’m really focused on beating Heath Herring at the moment.”

MMAMemories.com: What kind of pressure do you feel, if any, fighting on your home turf? Obviously you have worked before some big crowds in WWE, but this is a very high-profile fight for you in front of a lot of your peers.

Brock Lesnar: “I’m really fortunate to get the chance to fight in front of my hometown crowd on such a big stage. I’ve wrestled at the Target Center not only with WWE, but also as an amateur. Fighting at home doesn’t add any pressure - they call it ‘home-field advantage’ for good reason. I don’t have to travel. I get to sleep in my own bed the night before the fight.”

MMAMemories.com: What fighters in MMA do you enjoy watching the most? Is there a certain weight class of fighters that you are a big fan of?

Brock Lesnar: “I’ve always enjoyed watching the heavyweights, particularly, fighters that came from the amateur wrestling scene - Dan Severn, Mark Coleman, Randy Couture. Guys like that.”

MMAMemories.com: . You have several fights left on your UFC contract. Do you see yourself sticking to the MMA scene long-term or do you other ambitions that you want to fulfill in the fight game?

Brock Lesnar: “This is something I want to do long-term. There is no back-up plan. My goal is to be the best fighter in the world, UFC Heavyweight Champion.”

By Scoop Malinowski

MMAMemories.com: A few hardcore MMA fans know your background as far as how you got into MMA, but most casual fans really don’t know your entire story. How did you end up meeting your BJJ trainer, Lloyd Irvin, and end up in the fight game?

Brandon Vera: “We met at a tournament in New Jersey, I’d say in around 2002 maybe. And I didn’t have no one training with me or working with me. He approached me and told me I was doing good things and that I should go forward. We stayed in contact and it just grew from there.”

MMAMemories.com: Your wife, Kerry, was featured in the second season of Fight Girls on Oxygen. How did the show change her life and maybe your life in terms of becoming more popular and well-known in the mainstream culture?

Brandon Vera: “[Laughs and then asks his wife]…Did it change your life? …No, it didn’t really change our lives.”

MMAMemories.com: You are currently training at the Alliance Training Center in Chula Vista. You teach an advanced MMA class there as well. What is like to be an instructor/trainer and has it changed the way you look at your skill set in MMA?

Brandon Vera: “No sir, I’ve always been an instructor, ever since I started, from day one. I love it. I love the members, I love teaching. It’s hard to explain how it is there. The best way is we have a deejay spinning music during classes.”

MMAMemories.com: What exactly happened between you and your former manager Mark Dion? Why was there a break-up between the two of you? What is your relationship like right now with the UFC?

Brandon Vera: “We have no relationship. He’s suing everybody. He’s suing everybody I know from the UFC and me. He’s a piece of ****. My relationship with the UFC is awesome. I’m cool. I talked with Dana a couple of times last week on the phone.”

MMAMemories.com: UFC’s 205-pound division right now is loaded with talented fighters like Quinton Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Machida, and Chuck Liddell. You are jumping right into the shark tank with these guys. What was the reasoning behind your move to go down from heavyweight to light heavyweight, given that it seems the depth in talent in the heavyweight weight class seems thinner?

Brandon Vera: “The UFC asked me to drop, they said I can fight right away if I did. That was pretty much it.”

MMAMemories.com: Despite the recent ups and downs in your career, you seem to have very loyal fan support both online and with casual fans who react to you like a major superstar at UFC events. Is there any message you would like to give to your fans regarding the direction of your career and your overall philosophy on where you fit onto the MMA landscape?

Brandon Vera: “Tell them, Thank You. Thank you very much for your support. I really appreciate it. There’s always going to be ups and downs, that’s the way it is. I remember my promise to attain both belts at the same time (UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight). It doesn’t matter how long it takes. It’s only a matter of time. We’ll get there.”

Brandon Vera returns to action live on UFC fight night on Saturday, July 19th at 9PM ET/ 6PM PT on Spike TV.

By Scoop Malinowski

The following Interview was done before Kimbo - Thompson

MMA legend Bas Rutten shared some insights his own finest performance, Sylvia-Fedor, Kimbomania and more…

MMAMemories.com: In all your fights Bas, which one or two were you at your very best? Your sharpest finest performance?

Bas Rutten: “My rematch against Funaki. Pretty much all the other fights I was injured [laughs].”

MMAMemories.com: Who was the toughest man you faced?

Bas Rutten: “Funaki also. I had to knock him down four times before the final knee to the head. He stayed down.”

MMAMemories.com: Fedor vs. Sylvia - how do you see it playing out?

Bas Rutten: “Fedor’s gonna play it smart. I think he’s gonna go for a takeout. And he, once he goes to the ground, he should be able to get a ground and pound or a submission. But Sylvia on his feet is still very dangerous. If he connects with one it could bring maor trouble.”

MMAMemories.com: Do you think Fedor is just about unbeatable?

Bas Rutten: “Yea. Yeah. He’s really good [laughs]. I like him a lot. He’s very calm and he’s very focused. And he makes no mistakes.”

MMAMemories.com: I interviewed him last week at the Affliction press conference and his calm is amazing. Probably the most calm person I’ve ever intervewied in all sports.

Bas Rutten: “Yeah, for like five-six years it’s always like that.”

MMAMemories.com: Even before his fights is he like that, that calm?

Bas Rutten: “I know two of my friends in Holland they kind of build him up. Yeah, yeah, he’s always all the time calm. No emotions. And it’s a really good thing to have in fighting.”

MMAMemories.com: Kimbo - what does he need to work on to take it to the next level? What are his strengths and weaknesses?

Bas Rutten: “His strengths is he just loves to fight. He’s mentally very strong. He’s got great hands. And good takedown defense. His ground is getting along really well. I would say nobody’s perfect and he knows that. And that’s Fedor’s suit too. And it’s everybody’s. That’s BJ Penn - and he’s probably the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. But everybody wants to learn, and that’s what he’s doing right now. He’s just early in the game. He’s only busy for a year, if you think about it. And he’s getting better every day.”

MMAMemories.com: What can you tell fans that they don’t know about Kimbo?

Bas Rutten: “That he really likes to fight. Unlike 80% of the fighters - they fight for the wrong reasons. He really has a switch on or a switch off,whatever you want to call it. Because he really - and he really likes to hurt people in the moment he shoots in. And if you spar with him, or when I let him spar with other people, he’s really afraid to hurt other somebody. So he spars relaxed. He’s a big teddy bear [laughs]. But one it goes on it goes on. He’s a totally different animal.”

MMAMemories.com: He loves to train?

Bas Rutten: “He loves to train. You know, he never complains. He does everything you tell him to do. Another quality that’s very hard to find in fighters.”

MMAMemories.com: How good can he get? He must be improving by the month.

Bas Rutten: “He’s improving by the day. I teach him things today and I’ll put him in certain situations that I taught him escapes for, I do it the next day and he will escape.”

By Scoop Malinowski

Gaming industry pioneer Ed Fishman very nearly became the owner of Pride USA. But UFC intercepted the deal and subsequently pulled the plug on one of the world’s biggest sporting production companies. Ed Fishman took time out to talk about what happened to the almost deal of the century:

MMAMemories.com: Give us a quick background on who Ed Fishman is for those who don’t know. Your history in the casino business up to you meeting Sakikabara in Japan.

Ed Fishman: “I started entertainment the industry game shows Dealer’s Choice, Fun Factory, about six or seven game shows reached the air, we produced and owned with Columbia Pictures. Then while doing game shows in Vegas became fascinated with the whole gaming industry. Invented certain things like world championship of blackjack in ‘78 on CBS. Started tournament business in blackjack, craps, all games, winding up in ‘84 doing the Olympics of games, blackjack, craps, slots. We did it at Harrah’s in Atlantic City in 1984. But also did tournaments around the world - Nassau, Monte Carlo, on cruise ships, we had very big tournaments. Other things were cash advances, business cash advance machines - and sold it to American Express, involved in helping create the magazines Players and Slots. Then finally decided to get into the casino business with Players International with my late partner Merv Griffin. And we built and owned five casinos throughout the U.S.

I was over doing some work in Beijing, China, consulting on their lottery business. And a senator from China invited me to go to Japan to go with him to watch Pride five years ago. We went to the Tokyo Dome with 70,000 people in the arena and realized this was an exciting business for real athletes and real entertainers. After several more trips to Japan to meet with Nobu (Sakikabara) , he opened an office in Los Angeles and had been trying to get Pride into the U.S. He wanted to know if I’d want to become involved in opening the U.S. for Pride. I became president of Pride USA and decided to do it in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack. I was fortunate to have Harrah’s, especially Caesars Palace, The Venetian and Steve Wynn and Hard Rock all play a role in promotions and bought tickets for their good players.

Even though Pride was not well known in the U.S. by the average person, we were successful in the first two events, doing over $2 million in just ticket sales for each fight, not including sponsorship and television. Unfortunately Fuji TV canceled them ( in Japan) because of the Yakuza accusation (Japanese mob). And Nobu, when he told me that, I told him I’d be very interested in acquiring Pride but that I’d have to do my due diligence on what I was buying, exactly what I was getting and what people would still be involved and complete background checks on the staff.

Due to my involvement in gaming I told him it would take approximately three months. He informed me the UFC, the Fertitta brothers, directly said they’d acquire Pride much faster then that and they would keep the Pride organization and production in tact in regards to the quality that it was known for.

I had agreed to keep the quality of the Pride organization and to build and develop it in other countries. But a thorough due diligence could not be done that fast. Nobu decided to sell it to Zuffa or UFC. And the rest is history. It did not turn out to be what everybody thought it would be - a Super Bowl of the top two organizations of the world. But instead Zuffa closed down the Japanese office and did not continue with the Pride fights as we all know how it was for 10 years.

Today it is my understanding there are lawsuits on both sides with Zuffa suing Nobu and Nobu suing Zuffa. And as of today there are no Pride events being done anywhere in the world. Also Japan has a new organization called Dream. It consists of a lot of the top people of Pride combined with top people from K-1 producing fights in Japan similar in stature to the old Pride fights. Currently I’m still very interested in the MMA base and carefully looking at different opportunities to get involved. But to me they have to be very special unique events, because there are so many regular mixed martial arts fights that are now shown in the U.S.”

MMAMemories.com: In your short time as Pride USA president can you talk about what your responsibilities were and the deals you put together with Caesars in Korea, slots etc?

Ed Fishman: “It was really taking the Pride organization to America, everywhere from getting the event centers, getting the sponsors, getting tickets sold and marketing the Pride name in the U.S. This was also in coordination with all the Pride people who knew how to produce an excellent event but were not really familiar with how to market the U.S. or set up the right sponsorship. Caesars Palace, which was always known for staging the best sporting events in the world was a great asset in getting the first two Pride events off the ground. And becoming successful in a brand new type of fight that no one except the MGM group who housed the UFC fights, were very well known especially in Las Vegas. And of course Pride being a Japanese based company, iy was not as well known in Las Vegas or the rest of the U.S.”

MMAMemories.com: When Zuffa purchased Pride last year according to reports you sued over your contract for $10 million dollars. You threatened depositions against the Fertita’s and Sakikabara that had the MMA media buzzing, then this case was quietly settled. We can only assume you got paid off handsomely to go away. Can you talk about this?

Ed Fishman: “I can’t release the details but I think both sides were happy with the settlement. I was very sorry I couldn’t continue the Pride name. It wouldn’t have ended up like it is now, totally non-existent.”

MMAMemories.com: The follow up question that has led to much speculation in MMA circles, How much money, if any, did YOU invest in Pride prior to or when you were president leading up to the 2 Las Vegas show. There has been chatter in the industry that you kept Pride afloat with your own personal funds and that was the real reason behind your law suit.

Ed Fishman: “I can honestly say that’s not the truth. I did spend personal money in travel and marketing, etcetera. But that wasn’t a big dollar amount or a subject of the lawsuit. The lawsuit was based on that I had a five-year exclusive contract to do Pride events in the U.S.”

MMAMemories.com: You offered to Buy Pride for $65 million dollars subject to due diligence . The Pride people were not interested in you doing due diligence for obvious reasons. Zuffa jumped in and purchased the company. Knowing what you know now about the real assets of Pride. What was the company REALLY worth?

Ed Fishman: “Even today I still don’t know. The thing I do know is most contracts with Pride were personal service contracts, not always enforceable. That you would have to renegotiate many fighter contracts. Second, the Pride library which was valuable but I’m not exactly sure how Fuji ownership or distribution would have affected the acquiring of the library. Third, I would have to put a value on what the Pride name meant to the U.S. and other parts of the world. And that would be established by due diligence, research and focus groups on the name logo, etcetera. It was too vague, $65 million came up as something Nobu put an approximate price on. I’m sure now it wasn’t anywhere near that, if I did the due diligence which obviously was not done in depth.”

MMAMemories.com: What are your personal thoughts on how Zuffa handled the Pride asset sale? Do you think “hidden owners” are why Zuffa shut pride down? Or was it simply the Japanese refusal to work with American Company? Would events have played out the same had you had purchased the company? Was UFC just happy to kill Pride off?

Ed Fishman: “I’ll start with the last - I think UFC realized Pride would be a successful competitor in the U.S. if I would have acquired it. Just based on the first two initial events. And my opinion is that their reason to purchase was in part to stop a major competitor. If I would have bought it, knowing how the Japanese work, I would have definitely brought in full-time Japanese executives here to the U.S. to continue their way of producing the production of Pride events.”

MMAMemories.com: You had a very solid business plan with Pride, one that had the end result of the casinos attracting all types of international high rollers. Would you be able to execute this plan with any other MMA company?

Ed Fishman: “Yes. Again, being around the casino industry for the past 35 years I understand that it has to be good on both sides - for a casino to put their name behind it has to be a quality event and bring in quality fans and a good player base. Those are the kinds of things I discussed earlier, that I’d done all my life.”

MMAMemories.com: Are you still looking to invest in MMA or are you content with your settlement from Pride?

Ed Fishman: “No. I don’t know if the word content fits [laughs]. I would have rather have acquired than to have settled just for money. And today Pride would be huge in the U.S., bigger than anyone could have imagined. I especially would have continued the Pride events in the quality of both the production and the events and the fighters that were on such a high class level in this sport. Also I have had many meetings with several of the major mixed martial arts organizations and know entrepreneurs who want to get into this mixed martial arts space. And am still involved in talks with about getting involved in mixed martial arts.”

MMAMemories.com: What do you think of the UFC’s lawsuit with Pride? Does it have any merit? What about Sakikabara’s fighting the suit in Las Vegas? How will this shake out? Do you think you will be deposed in the case?

Ed Fishman: “The answer is I don’t know if I will be deposed or not. If I am certainly I will give an honest opinion of the Pride organization and it’s personnel. I don’t know (how it will shake out), I think it’s very hard because I was not in conversations on either side, what was promised, what was not. Especially oral promises that both sides were given and not followed through on. My only regret is that Pride is not existing throughout the world today.”

MMAMemories.com: What does the UFC have to gain, in filing this suit if the money they spent for Pride is basically gone? Why are they fighting the suit?

Ed Fishman: “Well, from what I’ve read and nothing more, I know that there are consulting payments still due to Sakikabara. And possibly other money that was still due. So whether or not somebody ever wins in a lawsuit is always questionable.”

MMAMemories.com: Now that this is all over, what are your thoughts on Sakikabara? Both as a creative force and as a business man? Can he do what he did for Japanese soccer what he did with Pride?

Ed Fishman: “I think he was a very bright businessman who developed a very big brand in Japan and was able to produce excellent events with top fighters. I also believe he realized he could not do the same thing in the U.S. As for our business association, for the short time I was with Pride, it was a good one. But I believe the pressure, especially the financial pressures put upon him with Fuji canceling the show, and the events forcing him to to sell to Zuffa. Because du diligence could be done in such a speedy and timely manner. I’m not familiar with the soccer in Japan, as we both know it’s a hard, upward battle here in the U.S. to make soccer as popular as it is in other countries. But he does have the marketing experience in Japan to accomplish this.”

MMAMemories.com: In the past year, you have been approached by virtually every MMA promotion big and small to invest following the Pride debacle. We would like your opinion on the major players in MMA today?

Ed Fishman: “I haven’t been approached by every single one. Zuffa and I have not had any conversations. I think it’s been a hard road for other companies to be successful. I think everybody realizes the turning point in the UFC’s history was the reality show on Spike. I really believe that any real success comes from television exposure, to get to know the fighters, their backgrounds, their personalities and get a fan base built around these individuals. Also I believe you need the exposure on pay-per-view to really financially be successful in a very grandiose way in the U.S.”

MMAMemories.com: And finally, do you have any personal anecdotes of Fedor? From your time spent with him?

Ed Fishman: “I got to spend time with him. I went to Russia over 40 times. Fedor’s a great fighter, a great individual. Well, it was after our first fight in Las Vegas. I went into the dressing room after, to thank him and congratulate him on his victory. He was there with his managers and Josh Barnett. Very gracious. I’m not a big drinker, they were toasting the success of the first fight in Vegas. I toasted with them and a lot of laughs were done, then I kind of gagged on whatever it was they were drinking.  I told them this could be put in my car. So we had a very good laugh. You had to see the looks on their faces. (laughs) But Fedor’s a nice gentleman and certainly a quality fighter.”