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.”

By Scoop Malinowski:

Renowned MMA and professional boxing cutman Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran has for years worked the Octagon and corners of world championship professional boxing matches. He shares some of his fascinating and insightful perspectives about Fedor, who would win a Klitschko vs. Couture showdown and more…

MMAMemories.com: You have been to most of the UFC shows. What would you say has been the UFC’s equivalent to the 1971 Ali-Frazier Fight of the Century?

Jacob ‘Stich’ Duran: “Wow, there’s been some good ones. What is coming to mind is the most recent - Chuck and Wanderlei. I was there. That was exciting. I just heard those thumps. Boy, that one is coming to mind but there’s been many.”

MMAMemories.com: You work closely in both MMA and world class boxing - if Couture vs. Fedor is on the same night as Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto which one are you watching and which one are you taping?

Jacob ‘Stich’ Duran: “I’d probably be at the Randy Couture-Fedor fight. I hope. The action. I’m into that action.”

MMAMemories.com: You’ve worked with both Heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko as his cutman, and cornered for Randy Couture many times. You’ve seen both of these phenomenal athletes up close. Who wins a Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki type showdown?

Jacob ‘Stich’ Duran: “That’s an interesting question. This one I haven’t answered yet. With Wladimir’s physical strength and abilities - In Germany I did pads for Wladimir - I felt his strength and power. Randy’s takedown skills…I’d have to go with Wladimir. Wladimir knows how to kick too. I think Wladimir would catch Randy on the way in. That’s a tough question. Wladimir has that one-shot opportunity. He would use that jab early to set the pace. If Randy got hit by Wladimir’s right hand, he’d be out.”

MMAMemories.com: Klitschko hand and footspeed are amazing. Footspeed is underrated. He might keep Couture at bay.

Jacob ‘Stich’ Duran: The guy is a great athlete. He really studies the sport.”

MMAMemories.com: How did you first break into the world of world class pro boxing as a cutman?

Jacob ‘Stich’ Duran: “Before I got into pro boxing I was working with pro kick boxers. Then I got with the Sacramento boxers Tony ‘The Tiger’ Lopez, Ray Lovato, Willie Jorrin. Then I got a job transfer with RJ Reynolds Tobacco company to Vegas and I came to Vegas to be a cutman.”

MMAMemories.com: What are the most common criticisms you hear about the UFC or MMA?

Jacob ‘Stich’ Duran: “No. You know what, I don’t get involved in politics, whatever. I do my job. The UFC is one of the best organizations I’ve worked for. I left corporate America. What these guys do - the UFC, to me, is tremendous.”

MMAMemories.com: If you were MMA czar for a week which changes would you try to make to enhance the overall presentation of the sport?

Jacob ‘Stich’ Duran: “I don’t know. I don’t know the game as good as the MMA guys, I’m a cutman. How would I change it? I don’t know. I think it’s pretty damn smooth now.”

MMAMemories.com: What has been the greatest moment of your career?

Jacob ‘Stich’ Duran: “The greatest…the Forrest Griffin-Shogun fight. Or when Wladimir Klitschko, my first time with Wladimir Klitschko. He fought DaVarryl Williamson in Vegas (Oct. 2004). He had just come back (after losing by TKO to Lamon Brewster in April). He boxed well in the first two rounds, then in the third he got dropped. Then in the fourth he got a headbutt and a bad cut on his forehead. This was a split-second decision - the rulebook says if you get a beadbutt before four rounds it’s an automatic no-contest. I said, He’s already beat the odds, he’s winning the fight, I said to Vitali (Wladimir’s older brother), I’m stopping this now. Let it go to the scorecards. Why send him out wounded? (Klitschko won a technical decision because he was ahead on all three socrecards.) The next day, Dr. Margaret Goodman (Nevada Commission ringside doctor) said I did a very good job. The cut was near a nerve around his eye and it could have given him eye damage.”

MMAMemories.com: What happened with the Griffin-Shogun fight?

Jacob ‘Stich’ Duran: “Griffin got a cut between the eyes. Like three inches long. I fixed the cut. The cut didn’t bleed for four minutes. He ended up tapping out Shogun.”

MMAMemories.com: Too bad for Vitali Klitschko you weren’t working his corner when he was fighting Lennox Lewis for the WBC Heavyweight title (Klitschko suffered an unbelievable gash above left eye in round 3 and was still winning the fight on all three scorecards when fight was stopped because of the cut after round 6).

Jacob ‘Stich’ Duran: “Cuts like that I’ve worked before. Cutting the blood flow is difficult. I tell you what: I’m glad I didn’t work that cut [laughs]. Vitali had not one but like three bad cuts, one in his mouth and lip. People don’t realize he drank a lot of his own blood from that.”

MMAMemories.com: What has been your most painful moment of your career?

Jacob ‘Stich’ Duran: “I don’t think I’ve had one. I’ve been pretty blessed. The thing about it is, I’ve done so many fights. You always attach to the fighters in some way. But you accept defeat.”

MMAMemories.com: Do you have any Fedor anecdotes you can share?

Jacob ‘Stich’ Duran: “I worked with Fedor. Fedor had just broke his hand. He was coming back, I don’t remember which fight it was exactly. They asked me if I’d wrap his hands. While wrapping his hands I tried to shoot the shit with him. But he wasn’t shooting it with me. He’d open and close the fist to see how it felt. After we finished I asked him how it felt? After he opened and closed the fist a bunch of times, he said, ‘Super. Super.’ That was the happiest moment of my life [laughs]. After the fight was over Josh Barnett invited me in the dressing room and we broke some vodka together. You know, I’m just a kid from a small town in California. Being at this level is a mindblower.”

Note: Stitch Duran is in the process of creating an educational DVD/video ‘Cuts, Cornermen and Confidence.’ It will show how to properly wrap hands, how to work cuts, how to properly work corners. It will be available in June or July.

The voice of the octagon Bruce Buffer joined MMAMemories.com for a very informative interview on the state of MMA.

MMAMemories.com: Tell us about “your patented spin turn”?

Bruce Buffer: Now that cracks me up as I’ve been doing this to a degree for years but the camera began to catch the 180-degree spin turn and it’s caught on from what I’m told. I am a more physical announcer versus others, which is due to my passion for the moment at hand, and that moment gets accentuated when announcing a much anticipated and exciting fight. Let’s call it the “Buffer 180”. Now when you see the “Buffer 360”, I think people are really going to talk.

MMAMemories.com: You’ve been a UFC insider from the early days, which event would you say is the UFC Fight of Quarter Century, like the equivalent to how Ali vs. Frazier is called boxing’s Fight of the Century? Why?

Bruce Buffer: There are so many. In recent times we have to go with the Couture vs. Sylvia fight which had all the drama and all the build up, with all the surprise. Plus both the first Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock and the Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell fights for the same reasons.

MMAMemories.com: How did TUF1 change the sport and it’s popularity? How did it take UFC to another level?

Bruce Buffer: It allowed the viewers to get into the diverse personalities and route for their favorite fighter as he came up through the ranks of the UFC, which brought more of the 18 – 42 demographic into the UFC and opened the door to the ever proven TV marketing tool of “Free TV, Free TV, Free TV, Pay Per View”, which translates into sold out arenas and large PPV buys. Plus it made SPIKE TV and SPIKE in tune puts it’s all behind the UFC so it was a win-win for all. Wrestling proved this theory years ago and it still works and always will if marketed correctly but there is no guarantee, which is why other televised MMA shows can fail and lose money.

MMAMemories.com: Would you admit to being surprised by the evolution of the UFC since around 2001? Why?

Bruce Buffer: No I’m not surprised at all. It has gone almost exactly as I envisioned it’s timely growth and success. Everyone should be thanking Dana White and the Fertittas for where the UFC and MMA is today, I know I do.

MMAMemories.com: Your thoughts on the legacy of Ken Shamrock?

Bruce Buffer: Long live his legendary warrior spirit.

MMAMemories.com: Your thoughts on Tito leaving?

Bruce Buffer: I’m going to miss him as he’s always been one of my favorite fighters in the UFC… but I’m happy for him because he’s my friend and I like Tito and always want to see him succeed. He is “hands-down” the best self-marketer in MMA and has done very well for himself.

MMAMemories.com: Were you at the infamous Tito Ortiz-Lee Murray street fight? If so, what happened?

Bruce Buffer: Yes I was… it happened quickly and people got hurt. We were all partied out and leaving the club and all hell broke loose when it shouldn’t have… the rest will forever be urban MMA legend.

MMAMemories.com: Your thoughts on Kimbo and how, to many casual fans, he’s the face of the sport?

Bruce Buffer: You’ve got to be kidding… the face of MMA, if so then something is really wrong out there. No disrespect for Kimbo, but he has a long way to go to prove to me he is the face of MMA which is laughable to me. What you have is a marketable fighter who will be brought up carefully against distinctly selected opponents and showcased as a main event in the process. I wish him all success but he would be beat by many UFC light heavy and heavyweight fighters. The best thing Kimbo has aside from being Pro-Elite’s favorite son, is to be trained by Bas Rutten because he is a game athlete and tough so it will be fun to see how he progresses. I’m all about the A-level MMA fighter fighting the best out there is. Kimbo is a throw back to the old Tank Abbott days and so be it, as there is a market for everyone and he has a right to make money just like all other fighters and I hope he makes a ton of cash.

MMAMemories.com: Your thoughts on MMA on CBS and BET?

Bruce Buffer: More MMA for the masses. Success breeds competition it’s no different from the boxing world of the late 80’s and early 90’s as there was boxing everywhere and people were sitting 6 or more to a room splitting the PPV cost, the pizza and beer. Networks for fighting for content.

MMAMemories.com: Do you believe the new Budweiser and Yahoo deals will change the UFC fan base?

Bruce Buffer: Not change, just expand and more reason why the UFC is light years ahead of all else out there marketing and brand recognition wise.

MMAMemories.com: Someday might you be filling in for Michael on HBO Boxing? Is there a successor plan?

Bruce Buffer: No plan as he is the preeminent boxing announcer and although I love boxing my passion lies in MMA. I just filled in for him for HBO’s Casamayor/Katsidis championship fight due to his having surgery and it was fun… I plan on Michael announcing for a long time to come and when needed plus if my schedule is open, I’m always there. After years of announcing multitudes of shows internationally in the fight world, I’m exclusive to the UFC for MMA and only announce other non-MMA shows of my choosing from time to time like boxing or Abu Dhabi submission wrestling. My eyes are on other forms of sports and entertainment outside fighting for what I have planned.

MMAMemories.com: Where do you see the sport going from here? With all the new promoters coming in, how do you see the UFC staying ahead of the competition?

Bruce Buffer: I see the sport growing for years to come with The UFC always ahead of the pack as the Star Wars event of MMA and perceived by fans as the tissue to the Kleenex and the Xerox to the copier. UFC has years more of growth and success behind it and is a role model for other promoters. To be successful in this business is very tough to do. It will take years for another show to match the international brand the UFC has achieved, if ever, not counting the profit potential, if any. I wish all of them good luck because it creates other avenues for fighters to fight and earn income.

MMAMemories.com: How do you see the sport changing over the next 5-10 years?

Bruce Buffer: We will see more great fights and great fighters become legends with plenty of avenues to watch it through plus you’ll see me announcing in the Octagon during the whole process.

MMAMemories.com: What are the most common criticisms you hear of the UFC?

Bruce Buffer: Honestly I hear nothing but praise from the fans and people who stop me in public. A lot of people, especially the internet media and forums get involved in the politics. Have fun; because I’m a fan first and to me all business is the same it’s just the product that’s different. When your ramping up to the top of the mountain, everyone wants you to succeed… and when you make it on top many of those same people find fault in what your doing and can’t wait to see you fail. All I know is they paved the way to success for all and if they ever fail, then all MMA suffers.

MMAMemories.com: If you were the all powerful UFC czar what would you change?

Bruce Buffer: I would handle a lot of things the same and other things differently but it’s easy to sit back and be a Monday morning quarterback. None of us know exactly what is the rhyme or reason behind many recent issues and decisions because we are not in the boardroom, but I do know one thing and that is Dana and the Fertittas are doing a hell of a lot right.

MMAMemories.com: Your thoughts on how the Randy Couture deal played out?

Bruce Buffer: There always two sides to a coin and the outcome was much to the chagrin of all the players involved in some way shape or form. I feel the Octagon is where Randy should fight the last remaining fights of his career. But remember, no one fighter is bigger than the UFC brand although it breaks my heart to see him leave, as he is the greatest MMA role model ever to date. It will not hurt the UFC, it will just not enhance the heavyweight division as it did over the last 18 months and it’s time to build other fighters, which is exactly what the future held in the Octagon if Randy had fought his last fight on his contract this year.

MMA coaching guru and former World Cup and NCAA wrestling champ from the University of Iowa Rico Chiapparelli comments on the world of MMA:

MMAMemories.com: What first attracted you to MMA?

Rico Chiapparelli: “All of the varied skill sets involved, it makes it very interesting to me. And it’s a limited rule structure. The sport I came from (wrestling) was more scoring based. In the fighting you have the shot to finish it definitely.”

MMAMemories.com: Do you know if the living legend from Iowa Dan Gable is a MMA fan?

Rico Chiapparelli: “I believe that he is from what I read. He’s a fan of anything where a wrestler succeeds. I think it would interest him because of all the different techniques you need to be good at. He’s myopically focused on wrestling. If you meander off the subject of wrestling, he’s really not that interested.”

MMAMemories.com: Just out of curiosity, do you think Dan Gable would have attempted and excelled at MMA if he was competing in this era?

Rico Chiapparelli: “His number one thing is conditioning and mental focus. He’d be really good at this.”

MMAMemories.com: The Randy Couture vs. UFC issue - who is right and who is wrong in your eyes?

Rico Chiapparelli: “[Laughs] If I had to pick a side - I have to be political [laughs]. From my perspective - I’ve worn a lot of different hats - the UFC is correct. It’s hard to say they’re not. From Randy’s perspective - it’s more for the future athletes of the sport. He’s been taken advantage for a long time. From my perspective, the whole thing was handled incorrectly - the way it was done so publicly. Then it became a battle of egos. Nobody will win. Both sides are losing no matter what. The worst part, for me, is just when the sport is gaining in mainstream popularity, this comes along and puts bit of a black eye on the sport. But the sport will move forward.”

MMAMemories.com: What is your take on Kimbo Slice? Is he the real deal or a well-matched and well-hyped fighter?

Rico Chiapparelli: “Real deal as far as what?

MMAMemories.com: Is he a totally legit credible MMA superstar athlete?

Rico Chiapparelli: “No of course not. He hasn’t really fought. If he’s had one fight maybe. This is what happens when entertainment gets involved in sport. But the guy has his audience and if developed correctly may become a pop icon, of course we have seen this all before but the mainstream has not”

MMAMemories.com: How do you see this sport evolving in ten years from now?

Rico Chiapparelli: “What I think is going to happen - right now you see a bubble. I think you’ll see some kind of conservative backlash. Right now you have a lot of immature talent. There’s no real pathway for the talent to be developed - there’s no amateur league where guys can learn how to fight and compete. The sport basically started on pay-per-view, from the top down yet continues to endure. People will become more educated as to what they’re watching. As far as the fighting goes, it will become much more exciting, much more technical and atheistically pleasing . MMA is in like the bare-knuckle era as where boxing once was. What it has to do is be given time to grow up. The sport is really just starting right now. Slowly, the public will become educated about and appreciate all the different technical aspects of the sport and athletes will develop without a strict adherence to a distinct art or style.”

MMAMemories.com: Can you recall your first memory of MMA? The first time you actively took a step into it?

Rico Chiapparelli: “When I went to see the first fight in Birmingham, Alabama, Renzo Gracie vs Oleg Taktarov. I to see him fight along with a wrestling friend of mine, Tom Erickson. A manager at the time had all the top wrestlers - Severn, Randleman, Coleman, Frye, Kerr… They had a falling out. Erickson asked me to corner thing, a very common thing amongst wrestlers. So I cornered Erickson but in the finals he fought a Bustamante a Brazilian jiu-jitsu guy. At the time I was unlearned in the MMA arts. After the show I was informed that this was a business & how the BJJ make their living. I thought, Well, then this is how the wrestlers can make a living also. It was clear early on that anyone who could really wrestle would do very well in MMA. We formed the Real American Wrestling team, also know as RAW.

MMAMemories.com: Lately there were some whispers on AOL Sports News that Fedor vs. Randy could happen this year. Your comment?

Rico Chiapparelli: “It’s a lot of whispers. In this sport there’s a lot of whispers sometimes they even have press conferences- but only about 1% of it is true. Randy Couture may never get out of the UFC contract. And Fedor may never fight in the UFC. Fedor’s managers could care less about the situation here. They just want to make their money and go home to Russia. Fedor is their chip. They want to keep the chip and not give him away, the UFC contract is too restrictive for them. And from the UFC’s perspective, why get Fedor when you can get Kimbo for 1/10th the price actually they can make their own guy for less than that? Right now Fedor is just a name known by the MMA fanatics. He’s a great fighter but he doesn’t look like a great fighter. He just looks like a fat guy who can really fight. He is not what mainstream America perceives to be a bad guy. He does not speak english well and is not American. It’s sad to say but all these are factors ”

MMAMemories.com: Finally, what is the latest with the PSL?

Rico Chiapparelli: We have been diligently working behind the scenes to finish the Professional Submission League’s (PSL), ‘X-Mission’ with Couture vs Jacare before our next series of shows starts. The PSL plans to have a Mundial Series of events in 2008 including a couple big name super fights as well. We are developing a pro league submission wrestling and should be announcing more details shortly. Events to take place on the west & east coast just putting all the different pieces together.