Luke 'The Silent Assassin' Cummo is a mixed martial arts fighter who appeared in the second season of the reality TV series The Ultimate Fighter. After winning two exhibition fights, he made it to the finals where he was defeated by Joe Stevenson by decision in a close bout.
Cummo fights out of Long Island, New York and works with (Matt Serra) Serra Jiu-Jitsu and Ray Longo's IMAA. After his performance on The Ultimate Fighter finale, he was signed to a contract by the UFC. Although his grappling ability has been improving, his primary style remains Muay Thai kickboxing. He also holds a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt.
TCB MMA: How would you describe your fighting style?
Luke Cummo: My two trainers are Ray Longo and Matt Serra. Ray is a JKD sifu and Matt teaches me Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Overall, Jeet Kun Do was intended to be a philosophy instead of a style. So I just learn as much as I can and use what works.
In a fight I like to make it exciting for the fans by pressing the action. This also benefits me by gassing my opponent and leading to more bonuses.
TCB MMA: Is there anyone in your divsion who you'd like to fight next (or you feel you match up with well)
Luke Cummo: There are no easy fights, especially in the UFC. Every opponent presents a different challenge and I enjoy coming up with a strategy with my team and training hard to win.
TCB MMA: What age did you start training in MMA / How did you get started?
Luke Cummo: I started with Kung Fu in my early teens. I saw Enter the Dragon and wanted to be Bruce Lee. After high school I found Ray Longo's academy and began training JKD and kickboxing. He put me in some fights and then brought me in to spar with Matt Serra. Then I started training at his academy for grappling. I had my first pro MMA bout in 2002.
TCB MMA: What would you say is your biggest strength?
Luke Cummo: I have a good brain for strategy and seeing openings. I also will fight to the death.
Another thing I do that no other fighter does is eat right. The program I do is the best thing for athletic performance and overall health and vitality.
TCB MMA: Is there any specific area of your game that you feel needs to be improved?
Luke Cummo: Life is a journey, and the sport of MMA is so complex that one could spend their entire life training and continually learning. I think I have one of the best jobs to be able to do something that is so much fun and I enjoy growing as a person through martial arts training.
TCB MMA: Can you take us through a typical week of when your training for a fight?
Luke Cummo: Usually, the main types of training sessions are striking and grappling. Now a striking session can include sparring, pad work, bag work, calisthenics, and cardio. There's so much to do and every session is a little different. This is important to change things up to keep you guessing and prevent boredom. Grappling class usually involves learning new techniques or repeating moves so they become muscle memory. Its so important to do a move so much that it just happens naturally - you don't have to think about what you're doing. As the fight gets closer my coach will throw fresh guys on me in intervals and in different positions to work on scenarios and build grappling conditioning.
Then there are other types of workouts that can be applied to MMA, like sprinting, strength training, swimming, and sauna time.
TCB MMA: With all the recent debate of who's the no.1 P4P MMA fighter today, who in your opinion deserves that title?
Luke Cummo: I don't know, there are so many great champions...
TCB MMA: Are there any other fighters that you like to watch? (besides yourself)
Luke Cummo: I learn something new every time I see a fight. Watching a live fight is the best, even its on TV. When an event is on time-delay I make sure to stay off the internet and avoid anyone who might reveal the results until I can see the fights.
TCB MMA: What are your opinions on the current rules in the Ocatagon? Do you think knees to a downed opponent and soccer kicks should be introduced?
Luke Cummo: I like the current rules and I would like the kicks to a downed opponent too, although I can see why they haven't been allowed yet here in the US. For a sport that was banned a few years ago for being a "bloodsport" its important to make the transition as smooth as possible. I think MMA will be the #1 sport in the world eventually.
TCB MMA: Is there anything you'd like to say to your fans in the UK / any sponsors you'd like to thank?
Luke Cummo: Thank you to all of my fans, wherever you are. I really appreciate all the positive emails from my fans. If anyone has interest or questions about anything they can contact me through my website or directly at lukecummo@gmail.com. I have some really amazing information on my forums at LukeCummo.com and I have a new clothing line out now. Its the first and only eco-friendly line of MMA-inspired apparel and I'll be debuting it at the weigh-ins and in the octagon at UFC 87. Keep and eye out }:-)
