MMA Discussions

Interviewed by Michelle of MMA Discussions

1) Tell us what got you into the MMA?

training in the army infantry got me into mma

2) Who are your sponcers?

streetwise fight wear, triggonomics, and head blade are the main sposors but i have more

3) What town do you hale from?

i hale from a small town called massena ny population 20,000

4) When is your next fight?

next fight is set for around the 25 of nov

5) What is your signature move?

i would have to say any type of arm bar i love them

6) What do you think of the blow up in the MMA world today?

i love it and think its about time mma hit the main stage

7) What Music are you into atm?

all kinds i kinda like country most but love all music gues its just cause i am a country boy from the middle of no where
Tell us about gogetforum.com/mmafightersofth?

its a new forum site made to help new fighters get in contact with other fighters old and new plus there is a place for promoters and all so come show some love but we want everyone that loves mma to come show there support i will be in there everyday so you can talk to me direct and then you may get to see some others that i am trying to bring along so come register

9) One place youd rather be right now is?

no where i am about to go take pictures of my kids for their halloween party at school nothing better than my kidslove all 6 of them

10) The one move that makes you jump outta your seat like a big spider just jummed in your lap?

any type of arm bar cause i can see it coming from a mile away when i am watching the fights

11) Tell us something that makes you bashful?

not sure my mom says nothing makes a french boy bashful i guess growing up in my family there was nothing that could embarass us boys

12) What 3 things do you focus on while in training?

right now i am concentrating on cardio, stand up, and takedowns everyday

13) How does your family feel about your fighting?

my older kids love it cause they think its cool their dad is a pro fighter and all their friends think its cool but then again the oldest is the talk of the school he is 11 and the only one in school with a pro athlete for a dad loll my mom hates it but supports me cause its what i want to do every one else thinks its great cause they know i lovce it and am good at it even my grandmother wears one of my sponsors shirts lol

by the way thanks for taking the time to look at my life here!!!!!!!

the 20th installment of 13 Q’s with an MMA FAN is with Matthew from Illinois.

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

Looking forward to the Bushido card coming up at the beginning of the month. Very stoked about the lineup.

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

I had caught wind of what, in grade school, was classified by my friends as cage fighting in the early UFCs but at the time I was more fascinated with the violence aspect of it than anything. Certainly not enough to appreciate it. Years later, I had caught some smaller Shooto sponsored events, and got drawn into Japanese MMA. Discovered Kazushi Sakuraba and I was stuck.

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

I’ve never trained full on MMA, nor would I ever plan on it. I’m not in the kind of shape where I feel I could hang with anybody realistically. I prefer to be a spectator and train for my own physical benefit. Big fan of practicing jiu-jitsu though.

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

For the same reasons as stated above, I’m in no place to take any sort of combat to a competitive level. I’ll leave that to the people who are good at it.

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

The Raveonettes, Type O Negative, Silversun Pickups.

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

Kazushi Sakuraba will always be my favorite because of what he did for MMA. He always fought with heart, and he always brought it for the fans. Fedor Emelianenko for the same reasons. There has never been a better fighter than Fedor and it’s hard to imagine there will be for quite some time. For different reasons, guys like Wanderlei Silva are great to watch because of their intensity and fighting spirit. Carlos Newton because he’s a genius on the ground and he is one of the nicest cats you’ll ever meet. Shinya Aoki, too, because he is a beast and a pleasure to watch.

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

Carlos Newton vs Kazushi Sakuraba was one of the most memorable fights I’ve seen because that was a total chess match and a great ground display. More recently Caol Uno vs Joachim Hansen in Hero’s. It was non-stop, they’re amazing fighters, and the finish was crazy.

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

I am, above all else, a fan of PRIDE and Shooto. The UFC to me has come off as more of a spectacle and lacks the integrity of PRIDE shows, both in the presentation and the fighting itself. It’s no disrespect to the UFC fighters, because they are making a living doing what they do, and in most cases for very good reason. It’s strictly a matter of presentation and quality. Shooto because it is a very strong organization. I enjoy the lower weight classes, and a lot of the heart that is generally on display in the fights. I am a fan of all MMA though.

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

I have not, but I have been fortunate enough to meet fighters such as Pat Miletich, Bas Rutten, Carlos Newton, Renzo Gracie, Alex Schoenhauer (sp?), Jay Hieron, etc. at their seminars.

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

It’s great to see how big MMA has been getting. Mainstream exposure is great for any sport, but it really helps to show the public that there is more than just brutality. It’ll be a while before it’s really truly accepted, but I feel that the publicity is definitely taking a big step toward that. The UFCs future expansion across the border and eventually overseas as well as PRIDE coming to the US are both great things to see.

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

I would love to travel to Brazil one day for many reasons. There is a rhythm that comes with that country and you can see it in a lot of their fighters and you can see it in a lot of their athletes.

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

I am a big fan of football, baseball, and soccer. Being from Chicago I love the Bears and the Cubs. Soccer-wise i’m all about Ryan Giggs and Manchester United.

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

As cliche as this is: Sakuraba vs Rickson. Dream match. There it is.

More reaslitically Fedor vs Sylvia, for entertainment reasons.