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By Scoop Malinowski

Champion fighter, TV commentator and athletic apparel designer Frank Trigg digresses on all things MMA in this interview, including Barnett vs. Arlovski, his next fight vs. Vitale, his future in MMA, Ken vs. Kimbo, and his apparel line Triggonomics. You won’t believe the mega-watt stars who are wearing it. Please proceed to read…

MMAMemories.com: How is your apparel line Triggonomics progressing?

Frank Trigg: “Very slow. I do everything myself - the design work, the pattern picking, textile picking, the stitch-work - every thing I do on my own which I’m starting to get some help now. It kind of alleviates my progress so some of the things will happen a little quicker now. We just released two designs - men’s organic and we just started to get into women’s wear as well. It takes a while because I’m very particular about the line and how it looks and where it goes and what I want to do with it. But it’s at a point now where
I gotta have some help. So that’s what we’re trying to do.”

MMAMemories.com: What inspired you do start it?

Frank Trigg: “Back in the day when I started in 2003 there was just crap, like you didn’t have Affliction or the others around. It was just like the stuff that was there was just horrible gear. And even TAPOUT at the time was just pathetic designs, manufactured poorly. TAPOUT’s grown and gotten bigger and better and the same thing has kind of happened to the industry as a whole. But when I started it was just bad stuff. What I wanted was sort of a little more durable, so that you can afford to wear it in a workout and then wear it out if you chose to, if you chose to wear it out and about. A little more of casual, street-wear line. That’s just how it came about.”

MMAMemories.com: Why do you believe Triggonomics is superior to what is out there?

Frank Trigg: “My whole concept was basically - I really wanted you to be able to wear something at the club, be able to pick up chicks with it, in the gym and then wear it out, make it be durable, then wear it out on the street, running around doing errands, what have you, and still look good while you’re doing it. But not be that shirt and tie, kind of conformist guy. So that’s kind of what we did. And my stuff kind of sticks out because it’s different in the mindset. It’s built for athletes, each garment has that athlete’s cut, little bit looser in the shoulders and the waist. Kinda built it around NFL lineman and set for guys that are athletes and sort of look cool while they’re doing it. That’s the whole purpose.”

MMAMemories.com: What’s the feedback so far from people who are buying and wearing it?

Frank Trigg: “It’s good feedback from people who are wearing it. It’s good feedback, everyone has something to say, positive or negative. Everyone’s not happy with something, no matter what you do. You need a new color here. Or change the design here. But overall the feedback is pretty positive.”

MMAMemories.com: Any high-profile endorsements yet?

Frank Trigg: “Not endorsements. I got a lot of high-profile people wearing it. I don’t really go out there searching for endorsements. The biggest endorsement anyone can ever give to me is to just start wearing it.”

MMAMemories.com: Who is wearing your gear?

Frank Trigg: “Oh geez, Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone, Mario Lopez, Wilmer Valderrama, Jared Allen, Brad Penny, Rudi Johnson, Boomer Grigsby. The list goes on.”

MMAMemories.com: Wow, that’s nice, that’s an impressive list. Your last fight August 24 in Japan, Takimoto, pleased with the winning performance?

Frank Trigg: “I wasn’t really pleased with the performance. I’m my own harshest critic. So for me it was kind of, Yeah, I want to finish the guy in the first round - and it went the whole distance. So, for me, it was a little bit tough. One thing happened - I let my weight get out of control. I’m doing a better job of that now. Keeping my weight under so I have the physical ability to be able to workout hard, all practices, and then don’t leave anything out that I have to do. But we’re also doing a little but different stuff, where I’m older, so I can’t really do the stuff that I did when I was 24. So, be smarter about the way I train. Kind of like Randy Couture style, follow his lead a little bit. That’s what we’re doing. But yeah, it was good going back to Japan and finally getting back into it again.”

MMAMemories.com: Next fight for you is in two weeks - Falaniko Vitale - what will be the key to victory for you in that one?

Frank Trigg: “Well, he’s such a heavy-handed guy, he boxes so well. Heavy-handed and so athletic. The main thing is make sure he doesn’t get me to the ground. His whole game is from a top-side, kind of ground and pound. Making sure that if it goes to the ground, I’m in control the entire way, no way he can reverse the position. But the other thing I have to do is make sure he doesn’t get any crazy haymaker type punches off, that I’m able to block on the top.”

MMAMemories.com: Do you have any long-term plans for your MMA fighting career? Is the WEC a viable option?

Frank Trigg: “No, nothing. WEC doesn’t have my weight class any more. All the 185-pounders are over at the UFC now. Just take one fight at a time, just kind of see where we go. For a long time I was kind of banished out in America. I was trying to find my space a little bit. So that’s what we’re doing now: Trying to get to that new level.”

MMAMemories.com: Josh Barnett vs. Andre Arlovski on paper looks to be a tremendous contest. What do you think their game-plans will be against each other?

Frank Trigg: “Geez, man, Barnett, I gotta tell you what, Barnett I think he’s gonna - the key is to keep Arlovski away from him and not allow him to get into position angles. Arlovski’s biggest game-plan is to try to get Josh to the ground as quick as he can. Because once he feels Josh’s heavy hands, he’s not gonna want to stand up with him. He’s just gonna have to pound with him as good as he can.”

MMAMemories.com: Kimbo vs. Ken Shamrock, who will win you think?

Frank Trigg: “Hmmm, Ken’s kind of over the hill I think. Kimbo is stylistically…neither one of them are very good technical fighters. The game is kind of passing Ken Shamrock by. And Kimbo doesn’t have enough knowledge yet of the game to be able to be super effective. But I do think it will be a very good fight, both guys are gonna be swingin’ for the fences, both guys are gonna bring their game. But I think that Kimbo’s gonna end up winning that victory.”

MMAMemories.com: And last question, of all your fights, which one or two did you feel at your very best? What were the finest performances of your career?

Frank Trigg: “I have no idea. No clue. I’m never happy with any of them. So I couldn’t really answer that one.”

MMAMemories.com: Thank you very much Frank, appreciate it.

Frank Trigg: “You got it, no worries buddy.”

Editor’s Note: Check out the cool designs at www.triggonomics.com, the clothing line by Frank Trigg.