“I don’t plan to lose, so he better come with his game face if he wants to fight my brother at Strikeforce.”

Daniel “The Pit” Pineda

Interview and Photos by: Barry Laminack

If you where going to make a list of the most recognized fighters in Houston, there is no doubt that Daniel Pineda’s name would be on that list.  That’s saying something when you consider that he hasn’t fought in Houston in over two years.  His lack of fights in his home town isn’t from a lack a of desire, he’s just been traveling all over Texas trying to fight the very best in the state, and amassing a respectable 11-7 record in the process.

“The Pit” has never met a fight he didn’t like; after all this is the guy who went up __- weight classes from 145 to 170 to fight Jae Suk Lim.  He admited that’s been something he’s had to work on, but like the old saying goes, you can’t change a zebra’s stripes. Fighting is what he loves to do, so he does what he loves.

I made the trip out to 4oz to spend some time with Daniel as he prepared for his upcoming Legacy fight with Legacy Lightweight champ Rey Trujillo.  We talked about the set backs he’s had, the road ahead and why he’s stayed so loyal to his striking coach (Bob Perez).

TCD.net:  Your first fight was against Jeremy Mahon, who is now your trainer (and co-owner of your home gym, 4oz). Tell us how you ended up training with him?

Daniel: I got in a little argument with Silverback, so I was looking for another gym to train at.  Come to find out, Jeremy had a gym that I could train at.

TCD.net: Did you call him, or did he call you?

Daniel: Actually, he contacted me, via MySpace. He said, “Hey man, how are you doing? Come over here and train a couple of times if you want.” So I did and brought Robert [Perez] with me.

TCD.net: How long have you been training with 4oz?

Daniel: About a year and a half.

TCD.net: There are a ton of gyms in the city, so what keeps you here?

Daniel: Robert, my Muay Thai trainer.

TCD.net: How did it feel to win the Katana title?

Daniel: It was one of the best feelings ever at the time, but it doesn’t mean anything to me anymore until I get that Legacy belt.

TCD.net: We talked a little bit about it when the fight was announced, but tell us, is this a revenge fight for you, given the fact that your opponent [Rey Trujillo] beat your gym mate [Jesus Rivera].

Daniel: Me and Jesus are very good friends. We met here at 4oz and have become really good friends. It’s like if somebody beats up your brother or one of your best buddies, you’re going to want to kick their ass right? That’s my whole goal; I want to get his [Jesus’] revenge.  I should get his 155 belt if I beat him.

TCD.net: So, you want both belts?

Daniel: Yeah [laughs] I think it should be for both belts.  If he comes in heavy and I beat him, I should get both belts.

TCD.net: Speaking of brothers, the rumor right now is that when Strikeforce come to town, that Rey could be fighting your brother [Jose Santibanez] on the undercard.  What are your thoughts on that?

Daniel: It’s funny because I’m going to be fighting him, what, 21 days before my brother fights him? Honestly it’s going to be kind of hard because if you lose, you’re suspended for what, 30 days? I don’t plan to lose, so he better come with his game face if he wants to fight my brother at Strikeforce.

TCD.net:  Early in 09, you suffered a 4 fight losing streak for the first and only time in your career.  What was it like going through something like that?

Daniel: I’m the kind of guy that doesn’t like to lose. I was going to quit, but like always Robert kept me in there and kept my head straight.  I haven’t had my ass kicked yet, I’ve only been submitted. [laughs] so if Trujillo is going to try and beat me, he better go for the submission because I haven’t been knocked out yet.

TCD.net:  During that streak, you had something like 3 fights in 6 weeks right? Talk about that a little bit.

Daniel: That was my problem. I was taking everything. I lost my fight against Vargas at Bellator and I thought, “man, screw this; I’ve got to get a win.”  My head wasn’t on straight and I just kept on going, fighting guys who were undefeated or had a belt and I wanted to fight the best because I wanted my name to get back up there; it just wasn’t going my way.

TCD.net:  Looking back, would you manager your career any different?

Daniel: Man, you just learn from your mistakes, like don’t take fights too soon.  Rey, that goes for you too, don’t take a fight that quick.

TCD.net:  We talked a little about the Trujillo/Rivera fight and how it was probably one of the best fights Houston has ever seen.  Can’t his fight replace it as the best ever?

Daniel: It’s not going to go 5 rounds.  I’ll be surprised if it goes 3 rounds. It’s going to be a war. One of us is going to get knocked out our ground and pounded out in the first or second round.  This isn’t no 5 3 minute rounds, this is 5 5’s so I hope he’s training for them.

TCD.net:  Rey is a high energy, go forward fighter. How do you plan to deal with that?

Daniel: The awesome thing is we are both like that, so we are just going to [claps his hands together] and see what happens and see who gets knocked out.

TCD.net:  Do you have a prediction for the fight? How do you see it ending?

Daniel: I think he’s going to tap to punches on the ground.

TCD.net:  How long has it been since you fought here in Houston.

Daniel: It’s been about 2 years. I fought Vince Libardi at the Verizon Wireless Theatre.  A lot of people are like, man it’s about time he’s coming back to Houston.  I was fighting all over the place, but I was like, MAN, I want to go back to Houston.

TCD.net:  What’s it feel like to be back?

Daniel: I love it man, it pumps me up even more. I told Robert for the longest but it just hasn’t happened; but now I have the opportunity and it’s for the belt! I think you’ll hear the fans going crazy and I think we’ll get fight of the night. He’s got his fans and I have mine, so it’s going to be loud.

TCD.net:  What is one thing that nobody knows about you?

Daniel: That I watch a lot of cartoons and play a lot of Playstation 3. [laughs]

TCD.net:  What do you want the fans in Houston to know about you as a fighter?

Daniel: That I’m the kind of guy that doesn’t stop. When I bring it, I’m going to bring it all and I’m going to give it all I have, win or lose. I’m there for the fans and to get my belt.

TCD.net:  How long do you plan on fighting?

Daniel: Man, until god breaks my legs or something. He’s the one that’s going to stop me.

TCD.net:  If you win this fight, and assuming that the talent pool is deeper at 155 than at 145, would you consider moving up in weight and taking some fights at 155?

Daniel: I want the 155 belt too, so yeah.

TCD.net:  So if you win this, are you going to ask for a title fight with Rey at 155?

Daniel: If I win this fight, I shouldn’t fight Trujillo.  He should just drop the belt and I should fight the next up and comer.

TCD.net:  Do you feel comfortable at 155?

Daniel: The first three fights of my career where at 155, and then I went up to 170 to fight Jae Suk Lim at Elite XC, so yeah, I could do it.

TCD.net:  You’ve mention Robert Perez several times during the interview.  What is it about him that makes him so good and what does he mean to you as a trainer?

Daniel: I’m the kind of guy that I would like to finish where I start, and I started with Robert. He’s the one that told me I needed to fight, him and my brother Jose Santibanez.  Both of those guys are the ones who pushed me into fighting. I just wanted to learn how to fight so I could protect myself in the street, because I used to fight a lot, it was like an every weekend thing for me.  So they pushed me into it and got me out of trouble.

When I told everyone I was going to 4oz, he was the one that followed me. Not even my brother followed me.

TCD.net:  So do you hold that against your brother?

Daniel: No, I think it was better. He gets what he needs over there and I get what I need over here.

TCD.net:  Do you guys ever spar or train together?

Daniel: Yeah, he comes over here and trains some.

TCD.net:  Do you ever go back over there?

Daniel: Yeah, sometimes; usually to help him or some of my buddies out. Tony is a great guy, I like Tony.

TCD.net:  If you don’t mind me asking, what happened over there that caused you to leave?

Daniel: You know, it was just one of those things and it was time to move on. Like I said, Tony is a great guy.

TCD.net:  Is there anyone that you’d like to thank?

Daniel: Yeah, I want to thank Robert Perez, my Muay Thai trainer, Ragan McDaniel at B3 Sports, You guys at TheCageDoor.net, and all my sponsors:

• Los Cucos Mexcian Cafe
• Fast Fitness
• New Star Muffler Shop #5
• American Grinding
• iBodyPaint.com

]]> http://www.thecagedoor.net/media/interviews/interview-daniel-the-pit-pineda/feed 1 http://www.thecagedoor.net/media/interviews/interview-rey-the-truth-trujillo http://www.thecagedoor.net/media/interviews/interview-rey-the-truth-trujillo#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:37:07 +0000 Rich B. http://www.thecagedoor.net/?p=10140

“People are there to see me put on a show and the KO of the night is putting on a good show.”

Rey “The Truth” Trujillo

Interview and Photos by: Richard Burmaster

There are few things in this life that attack with the pace of Rey Trujillo. From the moment the bell rings Rey is on the hunt throwing whatever it takes to hurt his opponent. His assault does not relent until you do. No one has been able to stop his attack yet and no one has figured out the key to beating him. Coming into this title fight Saturday Rey is still unbeaten as a pro, add to that he was unbeaten as an amateur and you have quite a win streak on your hands. TCD caught up with Rey at his sparring session last week with Paradigm and slowed down the champ long enough to answer some questions.

TCD.Net: How did you get started in MMA?

Rey: I was always fighting outside of MMA and had always watched UFC. I got tired of hearing people say “ Man you should do that” , eventually my Dad told me I would be good at it and that I should give it a try. I wanted to make my Dad proud so I dove in headfirst

TCD.Net: Did you participate in sports before that?

Rey: I played football on the varsity team as well as basketball and track. I was always active. Football helped to prepare me and how to train hard.

TCD.Net: You recently moved to Paradigm from Metro, what brought on this change of camps?

Rey: Originally I started at Bushi Ban, I have always cross trained with them even when I was at Metro, and they will always be my home. I believe if you stay at one place to long you stop developing, so I try to cross train whenever I can

TCD.Net: Do you get a different challenge here at Paradigm?

Rey: It’s a different type of program here and we spar a lot. I spared a lot at Metro as well, I get to work with some great teammates here like Mike B, Jeff, Tim, and Brian and working with some of the best guys in the state really makes a difference. Coming here has helped me to change things up and hopefully keep my body from getting adapted to the workouts.

TCD.Net: Ralph Macchio or Jayden Smith as the Karate Kid?

Rey: I have not seen the new one but I am a fan of the old one, plus he was bigger than the new one, looked like he could stomp the new guy down. The new one did have a good looking kick on the promotional flyer though.

TCD.Net: Macchio or Hillary Swank?

Rey: I’m going to go with Swank.

TCD.Net: Would you rather have the Fight of the Night award or the Submission of the Night?

Rey: That’s a tough one. I would rather have the won that paid the most , and neither pays a bonus right now, gonna need to talk to Mick about that . I would say Submission of the night, fight of the night usually means you had a tough fight through all the rounds, with the submission of the night you probably took less damage and its about time for me to start getting some subs on my record.

TCD.Net: Submission of the night or KO of the night?

Rey: KO most definitely, People are there to see me put on a show and the KO of the night is putting on a good show.

TCD.Net: Your last fight was a 3 round battle with Jesus Rivera that many have called the best fight the city of Houston has seen; did you know during the fight that you were part of something special?

Rey: I knew it was going to be a good fight, I thought I should have finished him in the second round, I had issues with training camps and behind the scenes stuff and I can usually finish people when I have them dazed. He has a great heart and a good chin but I had an after party to attend and I should not have let the fight go that long.

TCD.Net: What sets you apart from the other fighters in your weight class?

Rey: I would say the things I have been through in life, I have been through a lot. I may not have been training as long as others but that doesn’t mean I was not out there building character that helped to mold me into a champion. I have had some hard times from prison, to almost dying, a lot of different things that really made my skin tough. I averaged two fights a week until I turned 24, when I started training that dropped down to none. I have gained a lot of discipline.

TCD.Net: Will that tough skin from your past help you to stay the champion?

Rey: Most definitely. Had I been training since I was 15 then I would have missed out on a lot of life, I would have missed out on a lot of the stupid things I did but those things are what made me tough and helped me to open my eyes to the world.

TCD.Net: Tell us about your match-up with Daniel Pineda?

Rey: Daniel is a good guy and a good fighter, he has been around for awhile and is considered a veteran. He has a lot of fights under his belt and my hats off to him but this is my time right now. I believe he had his time and maybe he didn’t capitalize on it. I do well under pressure and I have a lot from all the people I bring to the fights as well as my clothing line and music.

TCD.Net: Your on the upcoming Strikeforce card, how much does it mean to you to be on the biggest card to come to Houston?

Rey: Its everything I have been working for, I perform great under pressure so I feel more sorry for my opponent in front of 10,000 people because the pressure will be applied to them in the form of pain. I have to get through this first one and take care of business.

TCD.Net: Anyone you would like to thank?

Rey: First id like to thank Jehovah god and Jesus Christ, and all my friends and family that support me!!! Then I’d like to thank all my sponsors : A&K Industrial, Jackie’s Brick House Pizza, HVAC Environmental Services, Emiliano’s Bar, Guidry’s, The Wing Factory, and Franchise Sports!!!!! Last but not least all my team mates at Bushi Ban (Fighters Elite) and Paradigm!!!!!!!

]]> http://www.thecagedoor.net/media/interviews/interview-rey-the-truth-trujillo/feed 2 http://www.thecagedoor.net/media/interviews/interview-jonathan-the-hulk-harris http://www.thecagedoor.net/media/interviews/interview-jonathan-the-hulk-harris#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:47:43 +0000 Barry L. http://www.thecagedoor.net/?p=10122

“…we’re generous, we like to give the beating rather than receive it”

Jonathan “The Hulk” Harris

Interview by: Lance Edwards

Watching Jonathan train at Submission Boxing, I could see that this was a fighter with a hard work ethic. With the trademark cauliflower ears denoting a seasoned grappler, I was surprised by his friendliness and just how polite Harris is, something a lot of fighters share.

TCD.net:  Jonathan, so you’re fighting in three weeks, what do you know about your opponent

Jonathan: Yes, that’s right. What do I know? Not much really, I was due to fight Mike Brazoulis, however my opponent changed. I’ve just heard I’m fighting a guy called Kenny [editors note: It's now JR Fuller], he’s a ground guy, that’s about it, he signed on Wednesday so I don’t know too much right now. I’m 181lbs three weeks out, by the week of the fight I’ll be 170.

TCD.net:  Is it difficult to change the opponent so close to the fight?

Jonathan: No it’s ok, Mike’s a good wrestler so I focused a bit on that, but we train in all aspects of the game, we don’t like surprises and you can become too focused on a game plan, so that if the fighter does something different it’s hard to adapt. We like to train for anything that could happen in a fight.

TCD.net:  Do you have a favorite aspect you like to train?

Jonathan: I like it all, everyday we train a different style. I feel as comfortable on the ground as I do standing, so wherever a fight goes I have the skills to finish it. Coach Frank likes to have us as well rounded as possible, we’re generous we like to give the beating rather than receive it.

TCD.net: When did you start training?

Jonathan: I’ve been training four years through a school, I started playing about with friends years before though. The more mixed martial arts grew the more I wanted to train seriously to compete, I thought I’d try and make the dream happen.

I started at Elite, which is a great school, it was a long journey for me so I thought I’d find a place to train nearer to home. I visited different schools, and submission boxing really stood out. It’s a family here, loyalty’s a big part, we’re a team and we support each other, all pulling together to make each of us the best we can be.

TCD.net: You’re fighting at Legacy aren’t you?

Jonathan: Yes that’s right, my last fight was with legacy, and my first two were at Havoc of Houston, I had two amateur fight with Lonestar Beatdown. I love the show they put on, it’s a great venue, there’s not a bad seat in the house for the spectators and it’s really professional, Mick always takes care of me. I feel really fortunate getting to fight on the show. The Houston Arena was designed for cage fighting, you couldn’t find a better venue.

TCD.net: Is it hard being a pro starting out?

Jonathan: It’s very difficult being a pro coming up, I passed up some really good jobs to be broke and chase my dreams. I give respect to low end fighters, it’s hard to train full time and work full time, and takes a lot of faith. I nearly had to quit to work the oil field, Coach Frank and my team believe in me, and I have faith that I’ll get there. It helps to have your team mates to support and believe in you.

TCD.net: So what does your training consist of?

Jonathan: We have specialist coaches who teach the different aspects to allow us to have well rounded fights, wrestling, boxing, muay thai, and jujitsu. You see wrestlers get shut down by standup fighter, and jujitsu guys get shut down by wrestlers; we train pretty evenly to have skills in all these aspects. Every day is different, that’s what drew me here.

We do a lot of circuits, as conditioning is so important. My conditioning coach has be doing pool two days, two days long distance, and we do sprints and drills. I used to be into bodybuilding, so I kind of take care of that part myself and do weights. Trent Denton is one of the head coaches in San Jacinto College athletics department, we’re really lucky to have him here. When they first got me I’d die after one minute, now I can last for rounds.

TCD.net:  Anything you’d like to say to anyone?

Jonathan: I’d just like to give special thanks to my sponsors. Dr. Donavan May keeps me healthy, of course all my coaches, and big props to legacy for letting me give all I’ve got in the show, and of course The Cage Door for exposure.

TCD.net:  So what should we expect on 31^st July?

Jonathan: I’m coming to kill or be killed, it should lead to a good show.

Thanks Jonathan, we wish you all the best for your fight.

]]> http://www.thecagedoor.net/media/interviews/interview-jonathan-the-hulk-harris/feed 2 http://www.thecagedoor.net/perspectives/looking-back-legacy-muay-thai-2-june-11-2010 http://www.thecagedoor.net/perspectives/looking-back-legacy-muay-thai-2-june-11-2010#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:36:38 +0000 Rich B. http://www.thecagedoor.net/?p=8775

Second guessing is part of our sport. Many times we will watch a fight as fans and second guess the decisions a fighter made. We don’t truly understand what’s going through their minds during the fight. “Looking Back” is a way of letting the fighters explain to the fans why they did what they did or what they might have done differently.

Enjoy.

(PS – If you’re listening at work, you might want to get some headphones…some language is NOT SAFE FOR WORK)

Akira Smith

Alex Black

Alex Morono

Craig Gardner

Cody Phillips

John Malbrough

Mike Jackson

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“Hopefully, in the second round I’ll get him on the canvas, and I’m not talking about with a sweep. I mean on the canvas and the fight ends.”

Cody Phillips

Interview and Photos by: Richard Burmaster

Cody Phillips is going to have to make some hard choices very soon. If he had average skills then the choice would be easy.  Fortunately for us, Cody is not average. The striking display he gave us against Alex Black in his last fight showed the athleticism and the technique that has come from hard hours at the gym. When you realize that Cody trains less than most of us because of his job than you have to wonder what he can do with a full time training schedule?

TCD.Net: How did you get started in martial arts?

Cody: I was actually online looking for a gun permit, and with Scott’s brilliant website work I came across his site. I picked up the phone and called him. A buddy of mine I worked with went in that night also and trained with Scott . My buddy lasted that night and never came back. I have been here going on three years now.

TCD.Net: What has kept you here at Bam Bam?

Cody: Scott and Brett. I am a very loyal guy. These guys have taken me from a little overweight former athlete to where I am now. I am constantly picking these guys brains about martial arts, and I have never wanted to stray from here. I’ve got the knowledge right here with Scott especially with his background.

TCD.Net: If you had to pick one thing that helps this gym standout what would it be?

Cody: Scott does a phenomenal job of creating the perception that the gym isn’t just a bunch of meat heads. This sport is filled with lots of very intelligent people, and through marketing this gym has a good mix. Brett and Scott do an awesome job of promoting themselves and this place. It’s a very friendly environment.

TCD.Net: Are you able to get any cross training at any other schools?

Cody: Actually during the holiday season, there were some issues with scheduling and things, and Scott recommended I do some cross training with Kru Pong. I’ve been doing cross training there since January.

TCD.Net: What made you branch off into Muay thai?

Cody: My 1st two mma fights were with Young Guns. I did fine there. Muay
Thai is a sport I love. I love the culture. I like the idea of being able to showcase just the standup portion. The crowds who support Muay Thai are different as well I think. I love the cage, but I think this is a great opportunity to showcase standup for the fighters and the city. If we all do just mma then we kind of get lost in the shuffle. MMA is still about specializing in individualized arts and then mixing them together.

TCD.Net: What was going on in your mind during your last fight with Alex Black?

Cody: Alex Black is a great fighter. I knew a little bit about his game. I knew he had good hands. I had seen some of his fights. I knew he was good on the ground as well, but I didn’t have to worry about that. I found out actually a week before since some other fighters had dropped out, so I went from fighting guys who were a little bit smaller to a guy who was 6.1 and left handed, Alex. I was scrambling at the last minute to try to change my game plan up, but during the fight things slowed down and since our body types are so different I just tried to do something different like flying kicks. I was fortunate to be able to fight Alex, and I’d do it again. I don’t throw the flying kicks just for show. Kru Pong actually has us train those.

TCD.Net:Your fight Friday is against Alex Morano, What do you know about Alex?

Cody: The most I’ve seen on Alex is on thecagedoor interview. I saw more on your minute interview than his other fights because he just made quick work of other people. I respect the guys that he trains with, and I have spared with his instructor Daniel Kim not too long ago at Kru Pong. That was kind of awkward, I mean it’s Daniel Kim and you want to spar impressively, but also try to hold back and now show too much. The guys around him are phenomenal guys, so I expect the same from him. I’m excited. He’s bigger than me, so hopefully the fight will slow down for me like the last one.

TCD.Net:How do you predict this fight ending?

Cody: If you ask my girlfriend, who I’ve told 6 thousand times, she’d tell you that Alex is going to sleep. I envision this being my first opportunity for a knock out. I hold nothing against Alex’s skills. I feel like the underdog in this fight to be sincere with you, but you never know this could be your last fight, and with what I’ve got going on I feel like we are going to leave it all inside the ring. Hopefully, in the second round I’ll get him on the canvas, and I’m not talking about with a sweep. I mean on the canvas and the fight ends.

TCD.Net:You are giving your ticket proceeds to a charity. Tell us about the charity.

Cody:The David Center for Texas Childrens Hospital. I have family members that carry this immune deficiency disorder. It’s not the same disorder that David had, but it is similar. I’m very fortunate that I do not carry this disorder, but other family members’ are. It takes a lot of money and research to help this disorder for my family. This is a fund that I can give to help family that I have and other children that come into Houston with this disorder. Learn more about The David Center here http://www.texaschildrens.org/web/50years/patients_david.htm

TCD.Net:Why do you fight?

Cody: It’s a passion. I’m at a crossroads in life where it’s do you follow a passion or not. Not about going to the UFC, but about just being an athlete I love the training and the art of what goes on not the brutality of it. I like to dissect people’s techniques’ and trying to figure out someone else’s abilities. It really is a science. It’s technique against power a lot of the time. It really is my passion. It keeps me looking forward to the next day and helps out in all aspects of my life.

TCD.Net: Do you think people focus on the brutality of the sport because they don’t understand the Art that is represented or do they just enjoy the brutality?

Cody: A lot of people do focus on the brutality, but a lot of people are becoming educated.  I think I have a huge appreciation for the muay thai because it shows a different side of fighting.  When you throw people into a cage, which I enjoy cage fighting, the perception is of a hostile environment. The events I’ve been to have been very well run.  The everyday person does not understand it. My Mom is just now coming around to what I do. If you get inside of these places and train you can see that it’s not all about brutality.  It’s deep in tradition. Hopefully one day we will focus less on the brutality, and we will focus more on people’s defense and technique like we do in other sports.

TCD.Net:Who are some of your favorite fighters?

Cody: Scott Sullivan.  Watching some of his videos intrigues the hell out of me. Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo. They harness what the sport is really about. I have a huge appreciation for Uriah Faber’s heart.

TCD.Net: You mentioned being at a crossroads, how far do you think you can take this?

Cody: That’s the thing that’s most intriguing to me because I really don’t know. I don’t want to look back one day though and wonder what could have been. I want to go to other countries and fight. I want to take it as far as I can. In life, do you decide to give up what pays the bills to push forward in a sport where you don’t know what the end result will be? Also it’s a short lived career, not the training or coaching aspect, but the fighting itself.  You’re not expected to stay around very long. Work and training are running into each other right now, and we will see what happens.  Hard to show up at work everyday when your passion is fighting. I give kudos to guys who are pro’s with no other jobs.

TCD.Net: Is there anyone you want to mention or thank?

Cody: First and foremost Scott Sullivan. Scott got me in to this sport and without him we would not be sitting here right now. Brett Boyce, without him I would not have been puking at Memorial Park on Sunday ha-ha.  Brett is always on me and putting me in the right positions. Justin here at Bam-Bam, he has laid numerous amounts of hook’s and right hands. The team at Kru Pong and Kru Pong himself, who is a phenomenal person. Those guys there keep it fun and upbeat. They are my friends and family, and I want to thank all of them.

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“Then I found out Bruce Lee could beat up all the ninja turtles and that’s when I got started in JKD.”

Akira “Afro Samurai” Smith

Interview by: Richard Burmaster

Akira Smith is not your average fighter. He is far from the norm. I am not talking about his striking or his ground game that few have seen I am talking about Akira the person. This is a guy who listens to the Beatles before fights and rocks a bad ass 1970’s afro. Akira may be the most exciting striker in Houston right now and after his last fight where he broke his opponents arm with a kick Akira is on the short list for fighters you don’t want to fight right now. I caught up with Akira as he prepared for the Legacy Muay Thai fights on Friday.

TCD.Net: What made you decide to compete in Muay Thai?

Akira: I will do any fight that allows me to go in there and improve my skills and show everyone how good I am. I thought it was an interesting fight that gave me a chance to brush up on my striking skills.

TCD.Net: What got you started in martial arts?

Akira: The ninja turtles. I liked Donatello because he was good with machines and I wasn’t. Then I found out Bruce Lee could beat up all the ninja turtles and that’s when I got started in JKD. Then I did Tae Kwon Do for almost 10 years. Competed in some state competitions and the junior Olympics and then worked my way up to boxing and BJJ.

TCD.Net: What brought you to 4oz?

Akira: I was working at this store called liquid, and I was telling everyone how I liked to train. I didn’t have a gym at the time and was training with my brother in the garage. The owner was into MMA and told me there was a gym opening up next door. I went in and saw Jeremy putting up this sign and we started talking about MMA and basically he told me he was going to open up a place to sell gear. Ever since then I would walk by and peek through the window and he would be like it’s that kid with the afro. As soon as the gym opened it became more of a gym than an actual store for gear. It was coincidence if I hadn’t been working there then I probably would not of even trained there.

TCD.Net: What has kept you at 4 oz?

Akira: It’s a sense of a family. Their bunch of animals going at it and going pretty hard to push each other to the limit. You have a lot of guys with a lot of different skill sets, so you get pretty well rounded training. Even more than that it’s the sense of family and unity that everyone has.

TCD.Net: 4oz is notorious for its hard training sessions. What brings you back here each day?

Akira: The love for it. The passion. Yes, they beat me a lot, but that’s all part of the game. You have to take you loses. It’s good to make mistakes at the gym because then you know what you need to work on. Then I won’t make those same mistakes in the fight or at least I’ll make them a lot less. I thrive on the good times I have.

TCD.Net: Do you know anything about the guy you are going to fight at the muay thai card?

Akira: No, I know nothing, but I know I more than I did for past fights. I’ve heard he has good kicks, good traditional muay thai.

TCD.Net: You seem to have a different style. Where do you come up with these creative little ideas?

Akira: First of all, my background is Tae Kwon Do and every one in here is a boxer or a wrestler or mua thai. I’m pretty much the only tae kwon do guy who has made the transition to transform my style. Other than that I’m just influenced by different fighters like Sakuraba who is really unorthodox. I try to just touch on things that no other fighter has done and then also my natural style is just a little bit different. I mean I don’t think anyone else is influenced by the Ninja Turtles.

TCD.Net: Who are your favorite fighters?

Akira: Sakuraba is my number one. The guys behind that would be Fedor, GSP , Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Aokia, and Taka Ray.

TCD.Net: Any of these guys coming out now like John Jones?

Akira: Yes I ‘ve been studying him a lot and that’s what’s been influencing my elbows a little bit because he does really smart elbows.

TCD.Net: How do you see the fight ending?

Akira: By stoppage. I’m going to go in there and he’s going to have pretty good kicks. He’s going to be pretty fast, but I know for sure I have a good chin. We’re going to throw some elbows from what I understand. I’ve got hard elbows, hard knees, and just hard everything, so his chances of being able to last with me aren’t too good. I’m not trying to disrespect him. I’m sure he is a good fighter, but I don’t go in there to lose and I don’t go in there to go to decision.

TCD.Net: Any mottos you live by?

Akira: No I don’t think so.

TCD.Net: Anyone you would like to thank?

Akira: I’d like to thank Jeremy. He has very good intentions. There are a lot of guys out there who would like to take advantage of their fighters or make some money and not tell them the whole truth about whether something is best for you. To me he is not one of those guys. He’s genuine. He wants his fighters and gym to do well. He trains with us too. This gym with great trainers like Bobby are a reflection of his character. Thank everyone else who helps me prepare, and I’d also like to thank Jerret Lewis our Jiu Jitsu coach he gave me a lot of base for my Jiu jitsu.

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Story and Photos by: Barry Laminack

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the Houston MMA scene who hasn’t heard of Adam Villarreal.  The problem is most people think he’s an L.A. guy who comes to Houston; when in fact, it’s the other way around.  Adam has enjoyed a vast amount of success in his short career covering MMA, but success wasn’t just handed to him.  He had to hustle for it.  Whatever you do though, don’t call it luck..  He doesn’t believe in luck.  He states that “luck means you didn’t have any control over what happens. I believe more in the old adage, ‘luck is when preparation and opportunity meet.’“

Born and raised in Yorktown, Texas, his love of writing began at an early age.

“I had a fascination with writing and the manipulation with words to create ideas,” he says about his childhood. “I was on the high school newspaper, and I always said that this is what I wanted to do.  I remember being in Jr. High and wanting to be an English professor. It sounds funny, but then I thought to myself, how many times have you cracked open a newspaper and seen the words wanted: English professor?”

Adam got his big break in writing when he landed a job in sales with Houston based Envy magazine.  It wasn’t a writing position, but he used the job to his advantage.  He says “I’d drop hints like, hey I’m a writer, nudge nudge, but they wanted me to focus on selling ads.  At the time, they had no content and I knew a lot of people in the music industry like at Capitol records, Island def jam, etc.  I told them I could get one of my favorite bands and do a cover and spread, and they liked the idea.  I told them if I get them, I get to write the story.  So that’s pretty much how I weaseled my way into the writing industry. “

It wasn’t long after that he wrote his first MMA piece, “I got in to MMA around the time that the Ultimate Fighter Season 1 came out.”

Feeling that MMA was on the cusp of really taking off and going more mainstream, he decided to write an article on one of the gyms in Houston, Revolution Dojo (at the time, the gym featured guys like Yves Edwards and Tim Credeur).  He admits that  it was awkward when he went to the gym for the first time and that working with Jeff Messina was intimidating. According to Adam, “he’s the nicest guy in the world, but he almost looks inconvenienced when you talk to him.”

He wrote the piece and submitted it to Envy, but they sat on the article for a year.  Then when The Ultimate Fighter really took off and began to get more and more attention, the editors at Envy began to scramble to find somebody to write an article on MMA.  “I’m like, hello, check your inbox from a year ago,” he told them.

About the time the article was finally published, TapouT magazine was finding its identity and was in need of writers.  Adam contacted Bobby Pittman, and he claimed that he could get an interview with Yves Edwards.  They agreed to let him do the interview, and his first piece for TapouT was published.  The piece, titled “New Years Yves”, was about Edward’s comeback in MMA.  The success of the article landed Adam a full time position with TapouT.

“After that piece, they flew me to LA, so now you’ve got this Mexican kid from a small town in Texas trying to find his way in L.A.  They are like, here is your work load, and here are your deadlines. No bullshit.  No mistakes. “

It wasn’t always smooth sailing working for TapouT.

“Back then, I wrote the whole magazine. I was literally doing 20-30 pages of content and interviews every week.  Not only that, but I was also writing for our sister magazine, MMA worldwide.   They always say be careful what you wish for. I was always like OMG; I’ve got to provide content. There is the q&a format, the story format, and how do I not use one too much?’”

It didn’t take long for people in the industry to recognize his talents, and soon Adam would receive a call from Gary Shaw at Elite XC.  They asked him to write the bios for all of the fighters for their first event.  He now found himself talking to guys like KJ Noons and Crazy Horse. It was also around this time that he was lucky enough to get credit for doing Gina Carano’s first interview, later published in TapouT magazine.

“Before I knew it, I started becoming the go to guy for fighters to have their bio done”, he said of his new role. “I started getting calls from fighters and managers, and they would ask me to put together their bio.  The hard part was figuring out how to charge for it.”

Never one to rest on his laurels, he continued to branch out in the world of MMA media.  He had started doing shows for what was then a new station in town, 1560 The Game.  He was told he was in the running to host his own show.  He waited for weeks, but he never got that call.

“Every time I called them, they would never return my call.” He said of the lack of communication.  “Now, to their credit, I did find out they had a non-compete with another radio station. They couldn’t even talk about radio, so here I am getting nervous and maybe even a little offended. I’m like, why don’t they want me?  It’s like calling a chick that you really love, and she won’t give you attention.”

They ended up giving the show to Saul Soliz.   Fast forward several months and Saul has to leave town for several weeks to help Tito Ortiz prepare for a fight.  When asked to fill in, Adam of course jumps at the chance.  It was his first time to ever be in studio, but that didn’t stop him from providing value to the show.

“Within a span of a couple of weeks, I had got them Rich Franklin, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes and Big John McCarthy.  They were like, we need to figure out how to get you paid!”

Eventually, Saul would return, and Adam would again be relegated to spot guest duty.  He quickly found himself longing to be on the radio more often.  As luck would have it, he got a call from a friend that worked at ESPN 97.5.  Before long, Adam found himself with his own 10 minute segment on “In The Cage”, hosted at the time by Scott “Bam Bam” Sullivan.

Adam would soon find himself in an all too familiar situation when Bam Bam needed to take some time away from the show.

Adam explains, “There was a catch.  They said we’ll give you until august. In August, Scott has the option to come back. Even if the show is doing awesome, if he wants to come back, he gets to come back,.  I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. “

“I did the show. I was working with Julie Takahashi because I didn’t have any experience, and they didn’t want me doing it by myself.  Thank god she was on the show too. My first show was on my birthday too.  On the way to the studio, I called my sister and was like whining and saying things like, I don’t know if I can do it!”

“I finally told myself, look, you want to do radio, this is your chance.”

“Anyway, I did it, and I knocked it out of the park.  But it’s funny, if you listen to my old shows compared to now; I was very monotone and proper.   Now I’m talking crap, and we have sound bites and a lot of fun.  The thing was I always had content. I knew what the fans wanted to hear because I knew what I wanted to hear. “

One formula that Adam has stuck with since he first started appearing on “In The Cage” was giving local fighter (and others involved in Houston MMA) a chance to ride shotgun with him on the show.  He started the trend back when he had his 10 minute segment, and he continues it to this day.

“I try and bring in local guys all the time as a co-host every week. I try and give them a spotlight to shine, and show how great they are. For me to bring in a local fighter to thank his sponsors is big for him.  Then, I like to bring in a national fighter in the second hour.  I hope that one day I can say that somebody who is wearing UFC gold was once in my studio.”

As he has done so many times throughout his career, Adam built on the success of his radio show, and he has branched out into TV. He was a commentator for beatdown.tv.  He has done play by play for several local shows, and he has also appeared on Inside MMA (a feat he labels as his favorite moment in his MMA career).

When asked what the toughest part of his job is, he responded, “keeping it fresh. I’m still learning the medium of Radio now, and I’m always trying to do new stuff with it.  There are so many tools, and I’m still so new, so I’m having fun with that.  In print, there is only so much you can do.  It’s just you and your laptop.  With radio, there is so much more that you can do to dress it up, and now I’m realizing the colors I can use to fill this blank canvas.”

“I would like to thank my parents, my brother and sister, my fiancé Estella, and my daughter for their continued support. Mom I promise when I get this journalism and radio bug out of my system I’ll go back to school! I’d also like to thank my Revolution Dojo family, The Pittman’s at MMA Worldwide HQ, TapouT & ESPN 97.5 for taking a chance on me.  All of you guys make me better and give me a reason to keep doing what I do. “

You can read Adam’s monthly column in TapouT magazine (http://www.tapoutmagazine.com).  Also, be sure and catch his show, “In the Cage”, weekly on ESPN 97.5.  You can listen online at http://espn975.com/.

“Train first, everything else second”

Jason Soliz

Interview by: Richard Burmaster
Photos by: Richard Burmaster and Barry Laminack

Many of us know the coaches kid, the kid who was always given his position just because his dad is the coach.  It’s a little different in the Soliz household.  When your dad is a BJJ Black Belt, a Golden Gloves boxer and one of the leading authorities on Jeet Kun Do, you have some big footsteps to follow in. Usually kids of coaches either succeed or leave the sport of their fathers. Jason from a young age showed the desire to win and the passion to constantly improve. He jokes about training first everything else second, but drop into Sugarland MMA at any point of the day, and you’ll see it’s not just a joke. It will be easy to find Jason, he is usually the guy sweating through a cardio routine or rolling with students. Never one to sit around, Jason constantly strives to improve himself and those around him.  He was born to compete and he is not slowing down anytime soon. I was able to catch up with Jason in between classes at Sugarland MMA and talk with him about growing up in martial arts.

TCD.Net: How did you get started in Martial Arts?

Jason: I started in Jeet Kun Do concepts, that’s what my family was brought up in. You learn all kinds of different techniques. One of the main parts is grappling I really enjoyed the grappling side of it and started learning more grappling. I really didn’t start competing till I was 12.

TCD.Net: How old were you when you started JKD?

Jason: I was around 9 when I started training. My dad had always showed me techniques and I was always messing with the sticks and knives. There are some pics of me in boxing gloves and diapers. [laughs]

TCD.Net: How was the experience of starting tournaments at 12?

Jason: I was a big kid, when I turned 14 I was 210. So when I first started in the kids division I only had one or two opponents. So I had to move up to the men’s division.

TCD.Net: What was it like being 12 and competing with the adults?

Jason: It was kind of fun, it was cool. I never looked at it as competition, it was always a game, and I was never really supposed to win the game. That always made it better because there was no pressure. If the other guy loss it was always you got beat by a kid, did you take it easy or did he actually get you? [laughs] around 14 I started to take it seriously. I started to compete heavy in the men’s divisions then. I started doing pretty well with bigger guys; they were a lot bigger then. I was competing at a 180 weight, and a lot of those guys were cutting 20 lbs to make that weight class so I was actually fighting 200lbers at that time.

TCD.Net: Did you have guys who wanted to make an example of the kid?

Jason: Yeah I got a lot of that. We were in Austin at the Machado tournament I think, I had already been through three or four matches and my mom and brother were sitting off on the side and heard my next opponent tell his friend that he was not tapping for some 13 or 14 year old punk. At first everyone thought I was 18 so it wasn’t a big deal, then it leaked out that I was 14 and all hell broke loose, and nobody wanted to tap to me [laughs]. So we get set up and the guy has this real serious look on his face and will not even shake hands [laughs].  It took about 5 minutes, but I caught him in an armbar and I had to pop it 3 or 4 times to get him to tap but he did. Our strategy back then was to excel in conditioning because I was not going to beat them in strength.

TCD.Net: Did you run into more who were against you being in the men’s division or more that supported you?

Jason: It was about 50/50. Here in town they were pretty supportive. When I would go to Dallas and Austin they were not very supportive. [laughs]

TCD.Net: You have achieved all of your rankings under your father Joe Soliz. What is it like to have your coach also be your dad?

Jason: It’s brutally honest. It gets aggravating sometimes but you always know you are getting the truth.  He is my dad and he is playing the father figure and telling me what I should do, he is also my coach and telling me what I should do. He also has the ruling to say what I am doing badly and what I should be doing. Some coaches worry about hurting feelings. Usually right after a match my dad has the tape out showing me what I did wrong; he chops it all up and points out every single detail where I can improve. A lot of the times when we break down the fights, we move all the furniture out of the living room and we work on the moves as we watch the match. Then we run over them again at the gym the next day then we start the training.

TCD.Net: How has the martial arts helped to strengthen you relationship with your dad?

Jason: We are closer than about anybody I can think of. I don’t see my dad as just a coach or a training partner. I get aggravated about the stuff he is telling me to fix sometimes but he is always right about what I should be fixing. [laughs] It just strengthens our relationship, the more we do it the more respect I have for him.

TCD.Net: Where is competing in MMA on your radar?

Jason: I would like to get my black belt first. I’m just focusing on my jiu-jitsu right now. Most people know me as a ground guy which is pretty cool because they don’t know about the standup I have been working on. No video of me striking, it’s like a surprise package. Before I compete in an MMA event I would like to make it to Abu Dhabi.

TCD.Net: Who are some of your favorite martial artists?

Jason: Of course Bruce Lee, even though he wasn’t a black belt in all these forms his mind set him apart from everyone else. He was so far ahead of everyone else, even now all these people are training MMA but back in the day the JKD guys just called it cross training.  Another one that gets me in trouble sometimes because I mess around a little bit is Fernando “Terere” Augusto is one of my favorites. Also Octavio “Ratinho” Couto is another favorite

TCD.Net: If you could roll with anyone who would it be?

Jason: I would take Ratinho because he helped start a lot of guys and helped build their foundations.

TCD.Net: As an instructor at Sugarland MMA what is more satisfying, watching someone you have trained win or winning your self?

Jason: Seeing someone I trained win is great. I am more nervous for them than when I go, it’s a nerve wracking experience because you can’t push them to fight but you love to see them work. We try to get them as good as we can as fast as we can

TCD.Net: You found success in martial arts at a very young age, what do you tell a new person coming into martial arts to keep them motivated?

Jason: Find a routine, then break it, [laughs] then do it again. You have to keep changing it up. The traditional way is you learn an art and you get a black belt but don’t ever really apply it. We try to train to constantly be evolving.

TCD.Net: Is there any art that stands out above the others?

Jason: It’s more of the concepts and ideas. I’m not going to say JKD is the best because JKD the art form died with Bruce Lee. No one moves like him. What’s left is the concepts and ideas. There is not just one way how to do something, it’s up to us how it’s applied.

TCD.Net: Any motto you live by?

Jason: It’s kind of funny and I use it as a joke all the time but train first everything else second.

TCD.Net: Anyone you want to mention or thank?

Jason: Daniel, my dad Joe Soliz, everybody and anybody who has helped me, I can’t really pick out a few names, so everyone along the way.

We caught up with Urijah at Pardigm Training Center after his MMA seminar and talked with him about his upcoming fight with Jose Aldo and what it means to be the headliner for the first ever WEC pay-per-view. Rich also talked with Urijah about the the differences in pay between the weight classes, his wrestling background and more. Enjoy.