To future fighters:

Michael · Posted On: 11/18/2002 6:34pm

You know I've debated for a while on whether I want to take this forum serioiusly or not. In general I haven't. Once in a while I see posts from guys like Judo-kid that get me thinking though. So I thought I would start being a little serious and possibly lend some advice for the future fighters out their and sharing some anecdotes.

Get a Good Manager;
Back in 1999 I accepted a fight for a heavyweight belt. It was the main event and I was offered a lot more money than I'd ever been offered before (hell I turned down the UFC a few years before because they only offered me $500 to step in the ring with Ruas). I figured what the hell I've been fighting pro for the past 6 years and this was a new belt. Should be easy. I had been managing myself the entire time. I started training with a gentleman named Mike Lemke, who was actually one of Chuck Lidells training partners and friends. I used to go down to his gym and he would proceed to beat the crap out of me. When I told him who I was fighting he did some investigation behind my back but didn't tell him who this guy really was. 1 month before the fight he told me condition until you puke. I did. I showed up to the fight without Mike. He couldn't make it for some odd reason. So I had to scramble to get a corner man. Fortunately I found one. I saw who my opponnent was and said to myself "what the **** have I gotten myself into".

This guy was about my height and looked like a pro body builder. He weighed in above weight(11pounds) but I said I'd fight him anyway. I brought a friend of mine too who wanted to fight. His opponent was bigger than mine and trained with my opponnent, but my friend was in fantastic shape too. I believe they weighed in the same weight. This was going to be a battle between my gym and there's. My friend went first and was knocked unconscious in the first 43 seconds of the fight. I was next.

For some odd reason I was extremely calm for the fight. Told myself I could do this. My referee was Cecil Peoples (for those who have seen him on ESPN for K-1). There were celeberties watching, we were the main event, and I was so much the underdog it was ridiculous. To this day I don't know why I wasn't nervous. The fight started and the last thing I remember was being knocked out of the ring ropes holding on for dear life. This guy hit like a Mac Truck. He had broken my jaw in the first round, but I survived. In the second round I managed to fend him off even throwing him twice. My confidence was starting to secure. My corner was asking me why I wasn't throwing more punches. I said to myself "I'm not throwing punchs?"

In the third round I figured what my corner was talking about. This guys was starting to gas and his hands dropped right before he punched. I figured I was already losing the fight so I might as well bring it to him. One punch, to this day I can't figure it out, but one punch later I was declared the winner by KO. The crowd was chanting "your the man, your the man", my wife was crying and I had 3 reporters trying to interview me. My former opponnent came over gave me a hug, I could see he was disgruntled but was a great sport about it. I won the belt which still hangs up in the middle of my studio. Most people can't believe who I fought for it.

I came home and presented my belt to Mike who smiled and said "I knew you could do it".

I said did you know who this guys was? He said yeah, and threw down a paper with the guys name, gym and current fight record. He said he didn't want to make me nervous so he didn't tell me who I was fighting. I'm glad he didn't. The guys is a mid carder in the UFC now. My friend/trainer Mike died a year later by a freak accident. After a few more fight my wife convinced me to retire and now I manage and train fighters. Oh, and I never got paid for figting that guy.

A good manager and trainer will make sure you get paid. You are fighting the right level of fighter. And make sure you're ready to fight.

I'll share more in the future.

**J-kid** · Posted On: 11/18/2002 10:12pm

Which k-1 or ufc fight was this and where. I am training hard and think that i will be ready do some ufc when i hit 18. I train with John Holms and my boxing coach. I also talked to matt humm at the last pankration fight think it was nov 9 in everrt Washington.

Michael · Posted On: 11/18/2002 10:20pm

K-1 and UFC? Cecil Peoples is a Referee in K-1 and UFC, and the fighter I fought currently fights in the UFC.

**Dorje** · Posted On: 11/18/2002 11:07pm

it be fun to know the name of the guy you fought, so i can have a look at him, and imagine what it would feel like to dicover him in the opposite corner :)

Michael · Posted On: 11/18/2002 11:37pm

Eugene Jackson......Tim Lacjik was the guy who knocked out my friend.

**yanewbs** · Posted On: 11/19/2002 12:05am

Michael - here is a link to Eugene Jackson's stats from 1998 forward:

http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/displayfighter.cfm?fighterid=222

The only loss I see (where he was submitted by punches) was by Vanderlei Silva.

Are you Vanderlei ;-)

Edited by - yanewbs on November 19 2002 00:06:17

**LAWPILOT** · Posted On: 11/19/2002 12:08am

Good post.....This board is alot of fun but I'm finding it useful for making me think and for gathering ideas and information I can use to help myself or someone else in the future.

"I figured I was already losing the fight so I might as well bring it to him".......I like that!!! It's about mindset and attitude. Many times it will pull you through a situation when pure physical skill won't.

**Dorje** · Posted On: 11/19/2002 12:21am

hmm, looks strong, bet he can hug you unconfortanly hard. ;)

**Carbon** · Posted On: 11/19/2002 3:35am

I think most of the people on this board are full of ****.

Judo-Kid when you fight in UFC if you ever get signed, let me know so I can watch you get your ass kicked.