MMA Discussions

I’m honored and proud to have the 30th edition of 13 Q’s with Gil Castillo.

1.) Thanks for your time Gil! What’s new?

Been offered a big contract. Waiting to see what they wanna do with it and when. Thought I was going to be on TUF4 but apparently out of 16 of us there, I didn’t get picked when I originally was told I was going to. Oh well. Just want to make a memorable exit from my fight career

2.) What are your thoughts on the Gracie jiu-jitsu?

Jiu Jitsu is a fundamental must in fighting. Nowadays ya just gotta be an expert at kickboxing,wrestling & jiujitsu to be a top player. Doesn’t mean you have to be exceptional at any of them, but you must be very good at the individual parts before you can be a great fighter.

3.) What has been your biggest accomplishment in life, fighting or at all?

Well, with fighting it has been my 2 title fights in the ufc which didn’t turn out the way i wanted but I was proud of the first one.
Life; well, I am half famous for my investment predicting model of the stock market throughout the world and i have perfected it lately after 10 years to something that has never been done.
That accomplishment will be surpassed if I ever have kids.

4.) What are your thoughts on the current state of MMA in the U.S. and its future.

The road is paved for the young up and comers to make millions. However I do agree with Rickson Gracie to an extent when he said the quality of technique is being comprised for brawling. That is not his exact words but to that extent.

5.) Is there any loss that you’d you like to avenge?

YES, I have been very bothered for years that Matt Hughes head butted me in the eye in the 1st 2 minutes of our fight. At that point, i was a complete fighter and would have given him a hell of a fight. I would have rather had him destroy me for 5 rounds instead of having it stopped cuz my eye wasn’t focusing. At least i would have known where i stood and tried.

6.) What are some of your pet peaves?

In life; Hurtful people that take advantage of others. In Fighting; all the yahoos that train for a week and tell everyone that they are a ufc fighter.

7.) What are 3 bands/groups that are your favorites right now?

They are so old you wouldn’t even know them!

8.) Are there any fighters that you’d like a match with? why?

i don’t single out anybody but only that Matt Hughes rematch which is why I wanted on TUF4 because it was a direct path to him. don’t get me wrong, Matt is a nice guy but it was just business.

9.) What is it that got you into MMA and when?

Just heard the Gracies had a school in my home town and went down to roll cuz i was a wrestler. Trained for 3 years then went to watch a show and got thrown to a show. Unfortunately for me it was a ‘unlimited weight class’ tournament and I made it to the finals but it was against Vernon White who was already very experienced. His ego was hurt big time when I kicked his ass in 3 minutes and popped his arm! Normally I wouldn’t mention any names but he has been an ass to me about it.

10.) Is there anywhere in the world you’d like to see that you’ve never been to?

Oh yeah, italy, france, greece, thailand

11.) Where do you train, with who and how often?

George Tstsuis kickboxing academy. Before a fight I back with my boys (David terrell, Jake Shields)

12.) Besides fighting and training, what do you like to do for fun?

I’m a skiier and I fly planes

13.) Do you have any heroes/idols?

Yeah, My Dad and family

Thanks again for your time Gil! Feel free to use the extra space to say anything else you’d like to your fans and feel free to plug your sponsors.

thanks to the whole mma world for cheering for me and accepting. I’ve bled and sweated and been to the hospital more than once and it has been a pleasure fighting for you.

Yes, Danny ‘The Assassin’ Abbadi filled out 13 Q’s for me and here they are.

1.) Thanks for your time Danny! What’s new?

2.) How and when did you get your nickname, The Assassin?

Well before i started in mma i was a kickboxer and every one of my fights i would end in a dramtic way, i would tell people how i would beat them either knocking them out with a kick or punch and someone gave me that name and it just stuck with me

3.) What was your experience like on TUF 3 overall?

I loved the experience, i got a sign on the show that let me know this is what i really wanted to do and i wanted to take it to the next level, It was boaring sometimes without a tv, radio, book to read or any out side influence, at the same time it was a dream come true.

4.) Who are some fighters that you admire or like their style?

I love Rampage, Vitor is a big influence, Nikc Diaz, Karo Parisyan, GSP,

5.) Where do you currently train, with who, and how often?

Well i live in orlando and theres not much training out there so im in orange county training with Rampage, Antonio Mackie,
I train twice a day and il be out here till my fight

6.) What has been your biggest accomplishment in life, fighting or at all?

Well ive trained hard and worked real hard my whole life i am now starting to see all my hard work fall in place now, from fighting and other relationships in life

7.) What bands or groups are some of your favorites right now?

I like all kinds of music and dont really have a favorite band or singer at this time

8.) What are 3 goals that are on the top of your list right now?

1st one to beat Jorge Gurgel
2nd Move to Orange County and train full time
3rd Be a top and high active competitor in the ufc

9.) As fighter, what are your strengths?

Im a Good and strong striker, very accurate with both kicks and punches

10.) If you weren’t fighting professionally, what would you be doing for a living?

I started teaching taekwondo and kickboxing
so id probably still be doing that teaching

11.) If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Ive already been many places overseas, but i really enjoy egypt, jordan and greece
i really want to go to japan soon

12.) What is it that got you into MMA and when?

well i love kickboxing and one day a friend of mine told me that mma was better then just kickboxing and didnt belive him and after he took me down and beat me up i fell in love, this was about 5 years ago

13.) Is there any advice you could give to someone who would like to get into MMA?

Train hard, no matter how many people say to you that you cant be a fighter or your just not good enough dont listen and do it if its in your heart, find someone better then you always to train with, thats how your goig to better yourself

The 28th edition of 13 Q’s is with FightFlesh Combat Clothing…

1.) When did FightFlesh begin?

fightflesh not even a year old yet!! Started fightflesh at the end of 2005

2.) What fighters are you currently sponsoring? or, who can we see sporting FightFlesh clothing?

We do not sponsor any fighters…we are friends with many and have worked with a ton!! (Frank Mir, Jeff Monson, The Diaz Brothers)

3.) What makes your company different from the other MMA fight gear companies?

WE LOVE THE SPORT OF MMA!! Not in it to get rich!! Or to Party in Vegas with Fighters!! MMA IS THE GREATEST SPORT OUT THERE AND FIGHTERS ARE THE BEST ATHLETES IN THE WORLD!!! …we want to offer them something different.

4.) What made you decide that MMA was the way to go in merching clothing?

Only interested in fighting!! Not Soccer or shit like that!! But, that being said we kick UNDER ARMOUR’S ASS!!! LOL

5.) How would a fighter go about getting sponsored by your company?

Talk to me. We hadle things on a fight by fight basis. Honestly we are Too young of a company for long commitments at this time. Fightflesh digs THINKING fighters not real big on Brawlers.

6.) Will you ever be coming out with a FightFlesh girl calender?

Every Company out there Has Girls All over their ads and Websites. I dont know what that has to do with fighting. That really isnt the fightflesh style. our MySpace has a Few Hot girls on it that is because it is also my own personal Space so there is a bunch of Crap that I am Interested in.

7.) Do you send people out from your company to go to MMA shows?

We as Often as Possible!!! We are based in Florida so it is tough to Fly out to Vegas Every month But we try. We have be to very few California Shows…We need to get on that! Fightflesh has now been to Two PRIDE events in Japan, Thats Great!!!

8.) Besides your website, is there anyway to buy ‘FightFlesh’ gear?

We are work on some Wholesale Deals at this time. I Seen Our PERFORMANCE SHIRT on EBAY. LOL

9.) Where do you see your company in 3 years? How Big?

HUGE!!! Honestly I dont Know. I think we have a very Cool product and style.we have alot of New stuff on the way And We LOVE this SPORT!!! DID I already say that?? So we Plan to stick around for awhile. ITs funny there are ALOT of New fightgear Companies showin up on the scene and that is what we have seen in our very short existence. Man I wonder How TAPOUT FEELS!!??

10.) How big is word of mouth for your company?

whats that?

11.) With MMA growing like WEEDS in the states, do you see your company growing outside the U.S.?

Yeah. We already sell a fair amount of product overseas. They must have all the Cheese!

12.) As a company, what has been your biggest accomplishment?

Seeing fightflesh on Jeff Monsons ASS as he Choked out Hinkle at UFC 57!!!

13.) What are your thoughts on the current state of MMA in the U.S., and how BIG do you see it getting?

Big I HOPE!! I worry though…Thanx to the very entertaining ULTIMATE FIGHTER show Fighters are coming out of the woodwork!! I young guy buys some XYIENCE and some SPRAWL shorts and thinks he is a Cage Fighter. So I Hope the level of Compitition does not start to suck. Also Kinda tired of hearing “STAND EM UP!!” at every American Event! I Hope Fans start to Understand and enjoy all Facets of the sport…If its just about two guys with Tattoos bangin it will never get on ESPN!!

Thanks for your time Steve! Feel free to use the extra space to add anything else you’d like. Plug Away!

-TiM

The 27th edition of 13 Q’s is with MMA FAN, Kerri, from West Virginia

1.) Thanks for your time Kerri, What’s new?

Nothing much, and it’s no problem at all!

2.) What is it that got you into MMA and when?

I was at a party where they ordered a UFC event, and ever since then I’ve been hooked.. I believe the event was UFC 45.

3.) Do you train MMA now or would you ever like to?

There really isn’t anyone in my area that offers MMA, but I would definetly love to take it up!

4.) Have you ever had an MMA fight or do you ever want to?

If I ever get to train, I’d love to compete!

5.) What are 3 bands/groups that’d be in your iPOD right now?

Dream Theater, Black Label Society, and Pantera

6.) Who are some of your favorite fighters and why?

Some of my favorite fighters are Fedor Emelianenko (man is unbelievable), Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell (both are amazing fighters and even more amazing men), and Forrest Griffin and Jason Von Flue (they both have great personalities and are always fun to watch in the octagon).

7.) What is the best MMA fight you’ve ever seen?

I’d have to say Griffin vs Bonnar 1! Matches like that are few and far between! Absolute war!

8.) Besides the UFC, have you watched other MMA events, which ones?

Besides UFC, I watch Pride and KOTC whenever possible!

9.) Have you ever been to a professional or amateur MMA event?

As of now no, but hopefully I’ll be attending my first event at the end of the month.

10.) What are your thoughts on the current state of MMA in the U.S.?

I’m glad to see how well the sport is doing and how far its come! I believe it still has a way to go but it’s well on its way. I can’t wait to see what else the future has in store though!

11.) Is there anywhere in the world you’d like to travel to but haven’t seen yet?

In the US, I’d love to go to Las Vegas for a UFC event, and different areas of California.. I’d also love to travel to Australia and Japan.

12.) What other sports, if any, do you like? list your favorite teams if any.

Besides UFC, I also like baseball.. My favorite team is probably the Alanta Braves..

13.) If you could see ANY MMA match, who would the fighters be?

Actually, I’m really hoping to see Chuck and Wanderlei face off.. I’d love to see how that match would play out.. I think Wanderlei vs Randy Couture would of been a great match too.

This is the latest edition of 13 Q’s with Tyson Griffin.
Interview done by Steve

1.) Thanks for your time Tyson. What’s new?

your welcome, thanks for your interest. I’ve just signed with the UFC but other than that, nothing really. just another fight and another training camp.

2.) What are your thoughts on your UFC Debut?

Im honored that they’ve recognized my accomplishments and are giving me a shot in their organization. I cant wait to show the world what i can do in this sport, I’ve had alot of doubters so far in my career and I hope to correct them soon.

3.) Where do you train, with who and how often?

I train in Santa Rosa under Dave Terrell at Nor-Cal Fighting Alliance. We train twice a day everyday of the week and take weekends off.

4.) Is there anywhere in the world you’d like to see but haven’t yet?

Yeah, everywhere. I’d like to see all the cultures this world has to offer before I die, but I guess thailand to answer your question.

5.) What are your thoughts on the current state of MMA in the U.S., and it’s future?

I got started as the sport was progressing in the states and dont know much about its past, but I am excited to see the media coverage and pay scale increasing for all mma in the U.S.

6.) What fighters do you admire or look up to? or just name a few of your favorite fighters.

I admire any fighter that has heart and doesnt know how to quit. I like watching exciting fights but dont really follow many too close so I dont really have a favorite.

7.) What do you like to do when you’re not fighting or training?

I like anything outdoors, fishing, just chillin at the beach, camping, cliff diving, just having fun! I’m an adrenaline junky. Oh, the funnest thing I’ve done in a while is riding motorcycles. Thats where its at!

8.) What are some bands/groups that are on your iPOD right now? or just name a few of your favorites.

actually I just got an ipod and dont even have anything on my computer. I just let my brother fill it up with music. I dont really listen to it much and dont have any favorites.

9.) Are there any other sports besides MMA that you enjoy watching playing??

I like watching football, baseball, REAL WRESTLING like college or international competition. not a crazy sports fan, but I love playing sports. Unfortunately I’ve had to put all the physical ones on hold for now since I fight for a living and have to keep my body healthy. I’ve played every sport known to man growing up and played baseball til I was 20. used to play football everything thanksgiving but had to cut that out too.

10.) What is it what got you into MMA, and when?

Dave Terrell is the one that got me into mma 2003. I met him after dropping out of junior college and wanting a place to do some wrestling and get back in shape. He invited me to train with him at Cesar’s one day and I loved the challenge and combination of martial arts. Not only that I realized I could make a living and stop breaking my back everyday doing construction.

11.) Do you have any heroes/idols?

Just one really, my mom! she’s the reason I am where I am today and I cant thank her enough for what she’s done for me and our family.

12.) Who do you want to fight most?

No one…i dont ask for fights or take any of them personal. I just love to compete and want to compete against the best. Who ever gets put in front of will get 110% of what I have to offer.

13.) What advice do you have to give someone who want to get into MMA?

Train hard and be patient, thats what I did.

Thanks again for your time Tyson! Feel free to use the extra space to say anything else you’d like to your fans. Feel free to plug your sponsors as well.

your welcome! Thanks to all my fans for supporting me and believing in me. To all the fans, lets keep the lightweights in the UFC for good this time. I cant thank my sponsor enough for doing what they do…North Bay Firearms, Consolidated Capitol Mortgage and Ground and Pound Fightgear, Thanks!