JH: Wait a minute. You fought brothers (laughs)? Was that in a tournament or how did that happen?
DS: Well I fought Dave Saches earlier in the evening and John’s opponent didn’t show up. I told the promoter if I felt ok after the first bout, I would fight his brother later. So I did. And I beat them both.
JH: I see from your record that you favor submissions.
DS: Yes, I like arm bars and armlocks.
JH: I know you have a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background so that comes as no surprise but have you trained anything else.
DS: Yes. I have 15 years of wrestling with over 500 bouts experience. I also have 12 years of boxing and won the Pennsylvania Golden Gloves in ’92 and ’93. And I’ve been training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 4 years.
JH: What is your rank in BJJ?
DS: I am a blue belt and a certified Roy Harris instructor.
JH: How did you get involved with him?
DS: I studied on my own for a while. Unfortunately there was no one in 200 miles of Eire Pennsylvania who trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I started training from the Gracie instructional tapes and I looked into the BJJ associations. I also found some Roy Harris instructional tapes and I thought those were even better than the Gracie ones I started with. His tapes were more detailed and he explained why the technique worked rather than just going through it. I still felt I really needed to train with someone good and when I checked out the BJJ associations, I came across Kyle Saunders in Rochester, New York. I went to visit him for some time and he really opened eyes. He is a student and instructor under Roy Harris. Mr. Harris currently trains with (UFC 8 & 14 veteran) Joe Morreira and originally trained with Rorion Gracie.
JH: Tell me about your nickname, “The Pennsylvania Hitman”.
DS: I got into a lot of fights when I was younger. I know a lot of guys say that but people here know I have had like 100 street fights. I was really small in high school, like 110 lbs, and I wouldn’t put up with anybody’s crap. I could usually finish it in 2 or 3 punches. So they started calling me “The Hitman” and when I fought outside the state, it just naturally turned into “The Pennsylvania Hitman”.
JH: I take it the need for street fights have subsided?
DS: Oh yeah. I try to steer clear of street fights now. I’ve always enjoyed fighting and always thought I could be one of the toughest guys in the world at my weight. The problem was how do you prove something like that?
JH: Through competition. Do you usually fight at 152 lbs?
DS: No, I’m naturally around 135-140. I have fought heavier guys though. I fought Nate McCabe and he was 180lbs.
JH: How did you wind up fighting him at that weight?
DS: I took it as a personal challenge. The competition I was facing at my weight was easier so I felt I could move up.
JH: So tell me who else is on “Team DNA”.
DS: There are five of us right now. Art Covel, Kory Kilburn, Scott Schelatz and John Ticcone.
JH: How did you get the bout at XFO against Jeff Curran in the headliner?
DS: I have known Monte Cox for quite a while and I fought in a few Extreme Challenge events. I kept fighting and stayed in contact with him from there. I think he knows what kind of fighter I am and that I’m a man of my work.
JH: Yes, he had good things to say about you when he game me your information. What do you expect from Jeff Curran on March 13th?
DS: I am hoping to keep it on the feet. I’m known for his tough chin and Jeff has been told he can’t knock me out. As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, I know his strength is on the ground. I feel I’m well rounded and can go to the ground with him but my strength is standing.
JH: Jeff’s stand-up game is pretty solid too. He has a Muay Thai background in addition to his BJJ and gave Matt Serra everything he could handle on the feet in the UFC. You’ve already had a good 2004 so far haven’t you?
DS: Yes, I fought 3 times in 8 days (laughs)! I won all three bouts by submission.
JH: People are going to start calling you the lightweight Travis Fulton (laughs).
DS: Yeah but I train too (laughs loud)! I certainly wouldn’t mind being compared with Travis because he’s known as “The Iron Man” and fight more than anyone but I want people know I train all the time and I’m constantly trying to improve my technique. I just love to fight. Even if I am successful on the pro level in a major organization, I will continue to fight on the smaller shows. I love the sport and for me it’s not all about the money. Everyone needs money but I enjoy the competition and as long as I feel I’m being treated fairly and shown respect, I’ll fight on anyone’s show.
JH: Is there anything else you’d like to mention before we wrap up?
DS: Well I wanted to mention that I am now using Zack Brennan as my manager.
JH: Is that (UFC and Pride veteran) Chris Brennan’s brother?
DS: Yes. Hopefully he will help me get fights out of the country.
JH: You might do well in Shooto, where they cater to the smaller weight classes. Maybe even Pride Bushido if they stick to their original game plan.
DS: Yeah I think Zack will be a big help. He’ll work on bouts outside the U.S. for me and I’ll look into things here at home.
JH: Well thanks for taking the time and good luck against Jeff in the XFO show.
DS: Thank you. And thanks for the interview.