Lesnar, Shields Excited for EliteXC/K1
Andy Cotterill May 19, 2007
Brock Lesnar (Pictures) is glad that his professional
introduction to mixed martial arts is almost here. Lesnar, the 2000
NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion and former professional
wrestler, says that he's been a fan of MMA since watching the very
first Ultimate Fighting Championship, and he knows that this is
something he'd want to do for a long time.
"I'm very excited to show the world I can fight," Lesnar said Friday during a teleconference to discuss his MMA debut against South Korea's Hong-Man Choi at the upcoming K-1 "Dynamite!!" on June 2.
He said he has been preparing for almost a full year.
"I feel confident as an MMA fighter," expressed Lesnar. "This will be a very good fight and I feel I'll be victorious."
"I don't think it'll be an easy fight," he said, "but one thing I have control of is my conditioning, and training for a year has given me plenty of time to prepare."
Those preparations included extensive striking training with sparring, and an expansion of his already formidable ground skills by learning jiu-jitsu from Greg Nelson at the Minnesota Martial Arts academy.
"He's a great teacher," Lesnar said of Nelson. "My jiu-jitsu flowed real well. I want to get the fight on the ground and submit him."
Preparing for a seven-foot tall opponent poses some unique challenges, but Lesnar knows what he has to do.
"It's very obvious, to get inside and create angles for hands and takedowns," he added. "The game plan is to try to get this guy on the ground and smother him."
On his opponent Hong-Man Choi, Lesnar remarked, "He is very agile for a big guy, but hopefully not as agile as everyone thinks. If he's got any brains in him he won't underestimate me. I want to set a fast paced fight for this guy, one that I know he won't be able to keep up."
Even though Lesnar plans on coming into this fight at 270 pounds, he'll still be giving up nearly 100 pounds to Choi.
"I've had guys (training partners) come in 6' 8", but you just don't find seven-foot guys that can throw hands."
Several times during the call Lesnar politely answered pro-wrestling related questions from some press, but made it clear that that's not what he wanted to talk about.
"I've talked about pro wrestling so much I'm sick of it," he said.
One related question that he didn't mind answering though was whether or not he'd be interested in meeting Kurt Angle in an MMA match.
"I'd really like to fight Kurt," Lesnar said. "If someone will promote this, I'm all for it. I think Kurt has done enough jaw-jacking. It's time to put up or shut up.
"I'm all for it if Kurt's got enough balls to do it."
When asked about his future in his new sport, Lesnar stated: "I've come leaps and bounds, and I am prepared for this fight. I'm curious to know how I'm going to react, and I definitely want to make a career out of being a fighter.
"I'm jumping into the deep end. I don't know any other way to do it."
Shields ready for EliteXC debut
Jake Shields (Pictures) had just woken up for his meeting with the press, but seemed genuinely happy about discussing his upcoming EliteXC match against Ido Pariente.
The 28-yea- old member of Cesar Gracie (Pictures)'s team in San Francisco confessed that this could prove to be a difficult fight, and that he has no real strategy planned considering that he doesn't know too much about his opponent.
"It's more difficult to fight someone when it's hard to see tape on them," he said, adding that there's more pressure since to win since he's considered the favorite.
Shields is starting a three-fight non-exclusive deal with EliteXC, meaning that he can fight in other promotions as long as he keeps his obligations to them.
Bodog immediately comes to mind, and on his previous experience with them Shields said, "The Bodog experience was great. Seven to 10 days in Costa Rica, fighting only in front of the other fighters; it's definitely something I'd do again."
He confessed, though, that hopping around between promotions could be a disadvantage, but added, "Maybe I could take all the belts?"
Before that time comes, he must first meet Pariente in two weeks, and in a nod to his improving stand-up game Shields mused, "Hopefully I'll get my first knockout June 2nd."
"I'm very excited to show the world I can fight," Lesnar said Friday during a teleconference to discuss his MMA debut against South Korea's Hong-Man Choi at the upcoming K-1 "Dynamite!!" on June 2.
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"I feel confident as an MMA fighter," expressed Lesnar. "This will be a very good fight and I feel I'll be victorious."
Lesnar isn't taking a victory for granted though.
"I don't think it'll be an easy fight," he said, "but one thing I have control of is my conditioning, and training for a year has given me plenty of time to prepare."
Those preparations included extensive striking training with sparring, and an expansion of his already formidable ground skills by learning jiu-jitsu from Greg Nelson at the Minnesota Martial Arts academy.
"He's a great teacher," Lesnar said of Nelson. "My jiu-jitsu flowed real well. I want to get the fight on the ground and submit him."
Preparing for a seven-foot tall opponent poses some unique challenges, but Lesnar knows what he has to do.
"It's very obvious, to get inside and create angles for hands and takedowns," he added. "The game plan is to try to get this guy on the ground and smother him."
On his opponent Hong-Man Choi, Lesnar remarked, "He is very agile for a big guy, but hopefully not as agile as everyone thinks. If he's got any brains in him he won't underestimate me. I want to set a fast paced fight for this guy, one that I know he won't be able to keep up."
Even though Lesnar plans on coming into this fight at 270 pounds, he'll still be giving up nearly 100 pounds to Choi.
"I've had guys (training partners) come in 6' 8", but you just don't find seven-foot guys that can throw hands."
Several times during the call Lesnar politely answered pro-wrestling related questions from some press, but made it clear that that's not what he wanted to talk about.
"I've talked about pro wrestling so much I'm sick of it," he said.
One related question that he didn't mind answering though was whether or not he'd be interested in meeting Kurt Angle in an MMA match.
"I'd really like to fight Kurt," Lesnar said. "If someone will promote this, I'm all for it. I think Kurt has done enough jaw-jacking. It's time to put up or shut up.
"I'm all for it if Kurt's got enough balls to do it."
When asked about his future in his new sport, Lesnar stated: "I've come leaps and bounds, and I am prepared for this fight. I'm curious to know how I'm going to react, and I definitely want to make a career out of being a fighter.
"I'm jumping into the deep end. I don't know any other way to do it."
Shields ready for EliteXC debut
Jake Shields (Pictures) had just woken up for his meeting with the press, but seemed genuinely happy about discussing his upcoming EliteXC match against Ido Pariente.
The 28-yea- old member of Cesar Gracie (Pictures)'s team in San Francisco confessed that this could prove to be a difficult fight, and that he has no real strategy planned considering that he doesn't know too much about his opponent.
"It's more difficult to fight someone when it's hard to see tape on them," he said, adding that there's more pressure since to win since he's considered the favorite.
Shields is starting a three-fight non-exclusive deal with EliteXC, meaning that he can fight in other promotions as long as he keeps his obligations to them.
Bodog immediately comes to mind, and on his previous experience with them Shields said, "The Bodog experience was great. Seven to 10 days in Costa Rica, fighting only in front of the other fighters; it's definitely something I'd do again."
He confessed, though, that hopping around between promotions could be a disadvantage, but added, "Maybe I could take all the belts?"
Before that time comes, he must first meet Pariente in two weeks, and in a nod to his improving stand-up game Shields mused, "Hopefully I'll get my first knockout June 2nd."
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