Q&A with UWC's Mike Easton
There’s a very cool event this weekend at the Patriot Center at George Mason. The UWC has put together an entertaining card Saturday at 7:30 p.m., headlined by Mike Easton against Chase Beebe. If you’re into women’s mixed martial arts, Felice Herrig will be fighting against Iman Achhal.
It should be a fun show, and I spoke with Easton earlier this week about it.
MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: For fans who aren’t familiar with you, how would you describe yourself?
MIKE EASTON: An exciting fighter who loves the stand-up game. Also, I’m very versatile on the ground, and I have a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I like to push the pace.
MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: What’s the key to your fight Saturday?
MIKE EASTON: Just being in shape, that’s the main thing. Pushing the action, pushing the pace and just putting him in situations he’s never been in before. The game plan is to make it an exciting fight. I feel unbelievable, I’m ready.
MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: What’s one thing you want fans to know about you as a person?
MIKE EASTON: You can just come up and talk to me. I like to have fun, and I’m always smiling and joking around. I have a son that’s about to turn 2-years-old in May and an 8-year-old stepdaughter and a beautiful fiancee. I’m a family-oriented guy, and I love being in the gym.
MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: What do you like most about MMA?
MIKE EASTON: The art. You have to work on your striking skills, grappling skills, wrestling skills, and conditioning. There’s just so many aspects of the game you have to practice and work on, which makes it so beautiful.
MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: How did you get involved in MMA?
MIKE EASTON: I’m a black belt in tae kwan do, and I bought a UFC tape -- one of the early ones with Dan Severn -- and then I saw their New Year’s special. Once I saw that I said, "Man, that’s what I want to do." Tae kwan do wasn’t enough contact for me.
MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: What’s your ultimate goal in this sport?
MIKE EASTON: To sit on top of the bantamweight division and to get MMA big in the mid-Atlantic and [Washington] D.C. area. I just want to show everyone that my city and my area has some of the best fighters in the world. I want to be one of the first guys to put Maryland, Virginia and Baltimore on the map. People talk bad about this area sometimes and how things are going wrong, and I want people to look at things differently and say, "These guys are awesome, they are good people and good athletes and do great things." I want to give kids in our area more role models.
Kevin Richardson has been a fan of mixed martial arts competition ever since UFC 3, when 600-pound sumo wrestler Emmanuel Yarborough was beaten by Keith Hackney. Kevin will cover the world of MMA — in Baltimore, nationally and internationally. He plans to take readers into the locker rooms and MMA schools, where they'll hear from local fighters and trainers. If you have a news tip or suggestions for the blog, please 
Comments
That's awesome that this sounds like a local guy trying to get this area involved with MMA. Am I right to assume this? Is he from Baltimore? My brother and I talk constantly about how great it would be to actually go to an event, but not sure if it'll happen. Help from guys like this will definitely make it more possible though. For those who have been to an event, how is it? Do you think it'd be hard to see if you weren't pretty close up? I'd love to hear someone do a write up on their experience going to an event. Seems like it would be as exciting or more than other sporting events. It's hard to top Raven's football, but I'd like to hear if the excitement level is in the same echelon. Thanks!
Posted by: Nick Sadaka | February 20, 2009 10:36 AM