You recently beat Ryo Kawanura after having not fought for a year and a half, do you feel that the time away from competitive fights affected you for that bout? Do you feel that your back to 100% now?I WAS NOT 100% FOR THAT FIGHT BUT AFTER BEING OUT FOR OVER A YEAR AND A HALF I DIDN'T WANT TO CANCEL ANOTHER FIGHT. I WENT AGAINST MY DOCTOR'S ADVISE AND FOUGHT THE FIGHT. DURING THE FIRST ROUND OF THE FIGHT I COMPLETELY TORE MY ROTARY CUFF (WHICH IS WHAT MY DOC. WAS AFRAID OF) AND I HAD TO FIGHT THE REST OF THE FIGHT WITH ONE ARM. I HAVE NO REGRETS FOR TAKING THE FIGHT BECAUSE MENTALLY I NEEDED TO GET BACK IN THE RING-I WAS AWAY TOO LONG. YES IT DOES AFFECT YOU WHEN YOU ARE OUT SO LONG. I NEEDED TO HIT SOMEONE. BEING 100% NOW FEELS AMAZING. I AM OFF TO GO AND VISIT THE TROOPS IN KUWAIT AND IRAQ AND THEN WHEN I RETURN IT IS ALL ABOUT TRAINING AND GETTING MYSELF IN THE BEST PHYSICAL CONDITION THAT I CAN TO GIVE THE FANS WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.
Who are you training with these days? I know you've spent some time training at Randy Couture's gym, are you still training over there?
YES I STILL TRAIN AT RANDY'S-JUST HAVE NOT BEEN THERE FOR MONTHS-HAD TO LET MY SHOULDER HEAL FULLY AND NOW IT IS. THERE IS A GREAT LINE UP THERE OF GUYS AND I CAN'T WAIT TO GET BACK THERE. I ALSO TRAIN AT THROWDOWN HERE IS LAS VEGAS. I BEEN DOING SOME MUAY THAI AND BOXING THERE-COACH IVAN AND COACH KENNY RAYFORD ARE AWESOME.
Do you prefer fighting in Japan or would you rather fight in the US?
I LOVE FIGHTING OVER IN JAPAN-THE FANS ARE AWESOME BUT MY CONTRACT WITH THEM IS NOT EXCLUSIVE. MY MANAGER IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON A DEAL THAT WILL BRING ME BACK TO FIGHTING AT LEAST THREE TIMES IN 2009 IN AMERICA. AS MUCH AS I LOVE FIGHTING IN JAPAN I CAN'T WAIT TO GET BACK INTO THE CAGE.
Has there been any opponents mentioned for your next fight? Is there anyone in particular who you'd like to fight next (or you feel you match up with well?)
I KNOW THAT SENGOKU IS TRYING TO FIND A GREAT MATCH UP FOR ME AT 205 FOR MY FIGHT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. THEY HAVE NOT MENTIONED ANYTHING YET AND HONESTLY I DON'T CARE WHO I FIGHT I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO FIGHT. I AM JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO PUTTING ON A SHOW FOR THE FANS.
Would you like a re-match against Fedor at some point & do you see any flaws in him that you feel that you could expose?
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A CHANCE OF A FIGHT WITH ME AND FEDOR AGAIN. THERE HAS BEEN TALK OF IT ON A FEW OCCASIONS BUT RIGHT NOW I WANT TO FOCUS ON 205 AND DOING SOME DAMAGE IN THAT WEIGHT CLASS BUT YOU NEVER KNOW. I REALLY LIKE FEDOR AS A PERSON AND RESPECT HIM SO MUCH AS A FIGHTER. BY FAR HE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME. THE RIGHT PLACE AND TIME COULD BRING ME AND FEDOR TOGETHER AGAIN INTO THE CAGE OR RING BUT I WOULD PREFER THE CAGE IF I HAD TO FIGHT HIM AGAIN. FEDOR IS SO STRONG AND A FOCUSED FIGHTER SO IT IS NOT SO MUCH AS WHAT I COULD EXPOSE, BUT I AM SURE IF IT EVER HAPPENS IT WOULD BE A GREAT MATCH
Is there any specific area of your game that you feel needs to be
improved?
YES-I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY JIU JITSU-MY GROUND GAME HAS EVOLVED WAY PAST MY WRESTLING SKILLS AND I JUST MIGHT SURPRISE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE BECAUSE THEY NEVER SEEN THIS SIDE OF ME. I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY JIU JITSU FOR A WHILE BUT INJURIES HAVE KEPT ME FROM SHOWING OFF WHAT I HAVE LEARNED. MOST RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH A MUAY THAI COACH AT THROWDOWN AND MY KICKS ARE REALLY POWERFUL. WHEN I USED TO TRAIN WITH COLEMAN WE JUST NEVER WORKED ON MY KICKS. MARK FELT LIKE I WOULD GET CAUGHT SO HE CONVINCED ME TO STAY AWAY BUT KNOW THAT I AM WORKING ON THEM IT IS SUCH A POWERFUL TOOL TO HAVE IN MY ARSENAL.
With all the recent debate of who's the no.1 P4P MMA fighter today, who in your opinion deserves that title?
RIGHT NOW I DON'T SEE ANYONE LINED UP TO STEP IN THE RING AND BEAT FEDOR,
SO UNTIL HE LOOSES I HAVE TO GIVE THAT TITLE TO HIM. AT THE LAST UFC THEY
WERE TALKING ABOUT ANDERSON SILVA BEING THE BEST P4P AND HE IS A GREAT
FIGHTER AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME FOR SURE AND I RESPECT HIM. I SEEN HIM
BEFORE THE FIGHT THE NIGHT HE TOOK THE BELT AND TOLD HIM THAT HE WOULD WIN THAT FIGHT. HIS SPEED IS WHAT MAKES IT SO HARD FOR PEOPLE TO BEAT HIM BUT COTE WAS DOING A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING UP WITH HIM-IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THE FIGHT HAD TO END THAT WAY. THE GREAT THING ABOUT MMA ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT EVEN THE GREATEST FIGHTERS IN THE WORLD CAN LOOSE. JUST HAVE TO TAKE IT ONE FIGHT AT A TIME.
Can you take us through a typical week of when your training for a fight?
I TRAIN AT LEAST TWO TIMES A DAY-EVERYDAY AND TRY TO REST MY BODY ON SUNDAY. THE FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE FIGHT I TRAIN THREE TIMES A DAY. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF MY DAY THE MONTH BEFORE MY FIGHT: I AM A MORNING PERSON SO I START THE DAY BY GOING TO THE GYM AND DOING 30-45 MINUTES OF CARDIO. THEN I GET MY LIFTING IN. ARMS/BACK ONE DAY AND THEN LEGS THE NEXT. THIS USUALLY TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 6:00 AND 8:00 A.M. THEN I HEAD OVER TO THE MMA GYM AROUND NOON AND WORK WITH MY BOXING COACH. WE USUALLY ARE UP TO (15) 5 MINUTE ROUNDS BY THE MONTH BEFORE MY FIGHT (I THINK CARDIO IS SO IMPORTANT-WATCHING ALL THESE FIGHTS OVER THE YEARS I NOTICE SO MANY FIGHTERS GET GASSED SO I AM TRYING TO MAKE SURE MY CARDIO IT TOP SHELF). THAT USUALLY TAKES PLACE FROM NOON TO AROUND 2:00. THEN I HEAD BACK TO THE GYM AROUND 7:00 TO WORK ON MY JIU JITSU UNTIL AROUND 8:30. I DRINK ABOUT 3 SHAKES A DAY AND EAT AT LEAST 4 MEALS A DAY
How do you think your former training partner Mark Coleman will fair in the Light Heavyweight division?
I WOULD HAVE LIKE TO SEE MARK STAY IN THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION AND DO SOME DAMAGE IN THE UFC BUT HE FEELS HE WILL DO BETTER IN THE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION SO I WILL SUPPORT HIS DECISION. I THINK HIS REMATCH WITH SHOGUN SHOULD BE GOOD JUST BECAUSE OF ALL THE HYPE THAT WILL LEAD UP TO IT BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED IN JAPAN. IF MARK TRAINS HIS HARDEST HE WILL KICK SOME SERIOUS ASS BECAUSE HE IS SO PHYSICALLY STRONG AND WILL BE STRONGER THAN MOST OF HIS OPPONENTS AT 205. I AM TRYING TO GET HIM TO COME TO VEGAS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT FIGHTERS TRAINING OUT HERE RIGHT NOW. HE HAS 2.5 MONTHS TO GET IN SHAPE AND I AM GOING TO DO MY BEST TO GET HIM OUT HERE CAUSE HE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TRAIN HARD. I WISH HIM THE BEST AND HOPE HE KICKS ASS.
Is there anything you'd like to say to your fans in the UK / any sponsors you'd like to thank?
DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS I HAVE BEEN THROWN SOME SERIOUS SET BACKS WITH MY INJURIES AND INFECTIONS. AS A FIGHTER IT IS HARD TO KEEP YOUR HEAD UP WHEN YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO TRAIN EVERYDAY. I LOOK AT TRAINING EVERYDAY AS MY JOB-AND FIGHTING IS THE REWARD. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY FOR ME TO GIVE UP AND QUIT CAUSE EVERY TIME I WOULD GET BETTER THAT DAMN STAPH INFECTION KEPT COMING BACK TO MY SHOULDER OR SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN. I WOULD LIKE TO SHOUT OUT TO MY FIANCÉ ELIZABETH-SHE NEVER LET ME STAY DOWN. SHE TAUGHT ME THAT TOUGH TIMES DON'T LAST TOUGH PEOPLE DO AND I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL TO HER FOR STAYING BY MY SIDE AND PICKING ME UP WHEN I WAS DOWN. I WOULD LIKE TO SHOUT OUT TO THE LOYALTY OF MY FANS. I READ AND ANSWERED EVERY EMAIL THAT HAS
EVER BEEN SENT TO ME AND ALL THE POSITIVE WORDS AND LETTERS THAT WERE SENT TO ME FROM MY FANS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS REALLY HELPED INSPIRE ME TO KEEP FIGHTING FOR WHAT I AM SUPPOSE TO DO. I AM VERY LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT FOR A LIVING AND I PROMISE ALL THE FANS OUT THERE THAT I AM BACK AND WILL BE GIVING THEM SOME MORE GREAT MMA MEMORIES IN 2009.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK MMA AUTHENTICS-CAGE FIGHTER FOR BEING LOYAL TO THE SPORT AND HELPING SO MANY FIGHTERS. THEY ARE A GREAT BUNCH OF GUYS. YOU CAN TELL ALL THE FANS IF THEY GO TO MY WEBSITE AND WRITE TO ME I WILL WRITE THEM BACK. SOMETIMES IT MAY TAKE ME A FEW WEEKS TO GET BACK TO THEM BUT I PROMISE TO WRITE BACK:
