Chris Thomas is a Baltimore resident and highly respected figure in the mixed martial arts community. He has been involved in MMA since its infancy and is one of the few individuals given "all access" to MMA fighters and promoters. Currently, he co-hosts "Fight Club" on Sirius Satellite Radio. I was able to talk to Chris at length and get his insight into the current state of MMA, where he sees the sport going and what the future holds for MMA in Baltimore.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: How did you first become involved in Mixed Martial Arts?

THOMAS: In 1993 I was sitting with my karate instructor and class of students and we watched the first UFC. As I watched Royce Gracie beat everyone I thought to myself, "That's what I want to do." I became obsessed with the sport and I become known as "Chris the MMA guy."

I had a nutrition business, which I sold and started an MMA Web site. It was one of the first media outlets covering MMA. I met guys like Dana White, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and Pat Miletich. 

I went to my first event in Rome, Georgia in 2000. It was in the middle of nowhere with about three thousand fans. On the card were Jens Pulver, Matt Hughes, Jeremy Horn and Rodrigo Nogueira. All these guys who became superstars of MMA. And these guys are amazing people. They could do anything. MMA is the triathlon of sports. If you ever go and see an event live, you will see something more impressive than any NBA Finals or Super Bowl.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: How did the show on Sirius come about?

THOMAS: I did a radio show in New Jersey for an IFL show. I met a guy there who worked for Sirius. He introduced me to some people and I initially ended up going on the show as a guest.  Within a couple shows, I became the co-host. We’re on every Tuesday and Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. We're doing well and look for us to be on more days as soon as the merger with XM goes through, whenever that happens. 

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: What is your take on the Affliction event and its significance in the MMA world? 

THOMAS: Here is how I look at MMA – I think MMA is similar to NASCAR in that each individual promotion is their own car with their own budget, drivers, etc. The UFC is one car. Affliction is one car, EliteXC is one car, etc. Right now the UFC is lapping everyone because they’re constantly on.  Dana White wanted to be on free TV and he came through with his promise. The guys at Affliction had their clothing company and they started sponsoring a lot of top-notch fighters. I interviewed Randy Couture recently and he felt that the UFC basically banned Affliction because they wanted to affect him (editor's note: Affliction runs Randy’s Xtreme Couture clothing line). Affliction is on a different level when it comes to the heavyweight division. They have some great heavyweights and, of course, Fedor Emelianenko. Fedor is a different type of fighter. He is liquid in motion. His transitions are flawless and he is an economy of motion. Watching him is exactly what MMA is supposed to look like. 

I hope Affliction sticks around. They need more exposure. Donald Trump Jr. has been on my show and those guys are working hard to help the promotion and they seem to be about more than just the money. I hope Affliction makes it. It's good for the sport. It's good for the UFC and EliteXC.  This sport has proven that if you promote and put the fights people want to see, people will come. 

EliteXC was recently on CBS again and the UFC put on a re-run of UFC 84: Ill Will. Ill Will drew three million fans. Two million [fans] watched CBS, which proved established MMA can kick the ass of the networks. I think that was a watershed moment for the UFC showing their brand. EliteXC still got two million fans and the decrease was likely from not having Kimbo Slice or Gina Carano on the card. 

The UFC is just one version of what the sport looks like. The people that are new to the sport only see one version. There are other versions and people need to see other products. Let's face it, everyone talked about what they could do -- Dana White was the one guy who actually went to the Fertitta brothers and made it happen. Imagine going to your quarterly meetings and you lost $17 million. They lost $44 million until they turned it around. Not many people would continue to commit to that. But the car was already built -- Zuffa and Dana came along and put gas in that car and made it supercharged. Now Donald Trump has gotten involved and he's not a newcomer, he loves MMA and he has for a while. 

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: You mentioned Randy Couture earlier. What is your opinion of his current legal situation with the UFC? Do you think he was justified in making some of the comments he’s made regarding his lack of pay and respect?

THOMAS: You have to realize that Randy wasn’t expected to win. They put him in as a sacrificial lamb and he surprised everyone and won. Nobody expected it. Randy deserves everything he gets. So does everyone -- including Tito Ortiz and other guys. They deserve to make at least what Dana White makes. They made the sport what it is. That's why I think Fedor is worth the money he made and ten times more. He is the guy these professional athletes look up to. At the Affliction show, if you look close, you will see boxing champion Zab Judah at the fight looking in awe at Fedor in the fight. 

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS:  What type of future do you see for MMA in Baltimore?

THOMAS: Baltimore is three years behind the sport right now. They're behind the curve and I don't know that Baltimore will ever be a big market. Can they be? I don't know. They haven't proven that promoters would want to be here. I'm cautiously optimistic. I work in New York, but I live in Baltimore and I would love to see the sport flourish here. I see us continuing to promote MMA in general and I believe I can be part of bringing the MMA community here together. I'm shooting a pilot TV show that's filmed in Maryland. It's an MMA variety show with John Rallo (editor's note: Rallo owns the mixed martial arts academy "Ground Control" in Baltimore) and myself.   

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS:  What do you see on the horizon for MMA in general?

THOMAS: I've already seen an evolution of the sport and I think that will continue. Imagine someone like Cung Le, who grew up in the traditional martial arts world and his first exposure. He was seeing karate guys get beat up. Now he is flourishing. We’re seeing the sport develop and grow constantly. The sport is not about violence. Honor is two athletes training their entire lives to compete against each other at the highest level. Most of these guys don’t hate each other and it’s a close community.

The state of New York right now is looking at the approval process to get MMA legalized in New York. I think we’ll see MMA at Madison Square Garden in 2009. That being said, the major companies really haven’t even jumped into the sport yet. I want to help continue to promote the sport at the highest level and be a face and name for the sport.

* Demian Maia looked very good in submitting Jason MacDonald. There are a lot of people who only enjoy the standing and banging of a fight but this was technical and exciting at the same time.

* Kenny Florian did exactly what people expected him to do against Roger Huerta. He was more experienced and more technical and just a better all-around fighter. I really like Huerta and I hope he can get his contract worked out with the UFC, but Florian was the smarter fighter and the more well-rounded fighter.

* Cheick Kongo destroyed the random brawler he was given. Big shock there. I think the only surprise among the group I watched with was why they even put that fight into the main card. I know the fight before it lasted less than 30 seconds, but put it at the end if needed.

* Georges St. Pierre put together another dominant performance against Jon Fitch. I knew St. Pierre was a gifted fighter and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport but I thought Fitch would give him more trouble than he did. I still think Fitch is the No. 2 welterweight in the world but GSP showed he, like Anderson Silva, is in a class of his own. Fitch had a ton of heart and it was amazing at how quickly he recovered from some of St. Pierre’s strikes, but he couldn’t generate much offense. GSP is simply the better fighter in all areas, which led to a convincing all-around victory. His future match with B.J. Penn should be one for the ages.

* Brock ... freaking ... Lesnar. I picked him to win the fight but I was still floored with how he manhandled Heath Herring. Herring is a good fighter who has a ton of experience and has faced some of the best heavyweights in the sports history. Still, the rookie Lesnar destroyed him. Brock Lesnar is just a freak of nature. His upper body is scary. I think Lesnar’s conditioning wasn’t where it needed to be as he seemed to slow considerably in the second half of the fight but he did more than enough to pound out the win. I was shocked Herring wasn’t knocked out as Lesnar delivered some tremendous blows. The right hand from Lesnar to start the fight looked like a wrestling move after Herring fell backwards into a somersault. Lesnar still has some noticeable holes in his game but is rapidly climbing the depth chart in the heavyweight division.

CBS Sports has their experts pick the card.

The good people at Five Ounces of Pain analyze the fights.

And, the new fightticker.com has its panel predictions up, including one expert (me) who is simply brilliant.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson made his first public appearance at the UFC 87 press conference. It sounds like he’ll be back in action soon, but I think that could be a mistake. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him face Wanderlei Silva in December. It would be awesome, Silva would win, but I just hope Jackson is ready. If he’s not, I hope they give him someone easier to deal with.

Moving on to my biggest pet peeve when Brock Lesnar fights...

Brock Lesnar’s participation in the UFC has been a hot issue for a lot of media types and for fans. I realize he’s a former professional wrestler and he will probably never escape that. I also realize that many people aren’t happy with the push Lesnar has been given without “paying his dues.” I've talked to two such fighters -- Tim Sylvia and Brandon Vera -- who were unhappy with it. I also realize Lesnar is a huge draw, will help the event break attendance records (since it’s his homecoming) and will bring in a lot of pay-per-view buys.

Still, how much longer will we have to put up with things like this?

Here is an interview from SI.com with Lesnar. Most of it is fine, until you get to this brilliant question.

SI: How important is it that you and MMA don't head down the pro wrestling road and, instead, keep it real?

Yep. How important is it that you keep your sport legit instead of fabricating the action. Like Dana White is going to walk in one day and say to Chuck Liddell:

“Listen, this fight thing has been OK, but here’s how we take it to the next level. During your fight with Rashad Evans, I’m going to have one of the ring girls distract the official. It should be easy because he is so unprofessional that the mere sight of a female in skimpy clothing will command 100 percent of his attention. At that point, I’m going to enter the octagon and hit Evans in the face with a steel chair. Then, after the fight, I’m going to come in and raise your hand while people shower us with pop bottles and other garbage.”

Lesnar handled the question like a pro and I’m sure he has been asked stupid questions before, but how could anyone at a real media outlet pose that question?

Is anyone asking Gary Bettman questions like, "how important is it for hockey to be played on ice? Is it important to keep the game on ice instead of on a field and played no sticks and a ball instead of a puck?"

Lesnar will ultimately be good for the UFC, especially with the heavyweight division falling apart, but this type of thing gets old very fast.

Actually, I'm going with the three favorites. I've never picked three favorites in a row because things just don't shake down that way. I could see any of these fights going the other way, but it's uncomfortable to sit on the fence forever. 

Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch: A lot of people seem to be buying stock in GSP these days and it’s not without merit. However, we’ve seen him overlook opponents before (well, once). And I think Fitch is the best fighter Rush has faced since B.J. Penn. He does a lot of things well and is great on the ground. After all of that, I just can’t see Fitch winning this fight. I’ve tried to convince myself for awhile now, but St. Pierre is just too well-rounded and too focused on Fitch. Fitch was an outstanding collegiate wrestler, but we’ve seen St. Pierre handle that before without much trouble (Josh Koscheck). I’ll take St. Pierre in a third-round submission.

Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta: I really like Kenny Florian. I think he’s got the superior jiu-jitsu and the better stand-up. I like Huerta’s power, but I feel that Florian is the better fighter. This could very well be the fight of the night and if it goes the distance, I think Florian takes it. Huerta’s best chance is to go for the knockout. Huerta is never out of a fight though, which is why this should be a great one. I’m taking Florian in a unanimous decision, partly in hope that we’ll get to see several great rounds of action.

Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring: This is the hardest fight to pick, mainly because we have no idea of what Lesnar is capable of. We’ve seen only a few seconds of him against good competition. He should be able to take down Herring at will and Lesnar has power. Lesnar’s exceptional wrestling doesn’t help Herring as he’s shown problems on the ground against wrestlers worse than Lesnar. Still, Herring is a very experienced fighter who has faced some of the top fighters in the world. He hasn’t beaten any of them, but experience counts for something. Herring isn’t a guy that will go down quickly either -- he’ll last awhile. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lesnar gassed halfway through the fight as his cardio is another question. He looked fine in 36 seconds, but hopefully we’ll get more this time around. I don’t think Herring is nearly as big an underdog as Vegas makes him, but I’ll give the nod to Lesnar in a second-round TKO.

Click here for a photo gallery of UFC 87 fighters.
 

Kye Stephenson

After Forrest Griffin’s systematic defeat of Rampage Jackson for the light-heavyweight championship, many questions remain in that division.  At the forefront is the question of whether we will see the pay-per-view extravaganza of Liddell vs. Griffin.  Some MMA fans feel it is already a foregone conclusion that the UFC couldn’t pass up the revenue they would generate from matching up two of the most recognizable names in all of MMA. That is a very valid point and we all know that without PPV buys the UFC can’t survive.  But I’m not sold on the worthiness of Liddell getting a shot.  

Granted, with an impending fight against Rashad Evans on the horizon, this may become a moot point if he loses.  However, assuming he wins, should he be first in line to fight for the title?  In my opinion, even with a decisive victory over Evans, it’s still debatable. And not so much because of Liddell's last few fights, more so the fact that there are other fighters in the division that have stepped up.  For instance, Lyoto Machida seems to be on the top of everyone’s list these days when considering title contenders.  On the contrary, it can be said that Machida’s recent victories (over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Tito Ortiz) don’t weigh as heavily as Liddell's overall track record of dominance in the division.  Instead of the “what have you done for me lately” thinking, the UFC may instead be looking at Liddell's previous victories over number one contenders and also what he’s meant to the UFC over the years.   Regardless, now that Machida is scheduled to fight another top contender in Thiago Silva, we should certainly have some questions answered about both fighters.  

In my eyes, now that both Machida and Liddell have top opponents before them, there should be a solid plan in place.  I think a Jackson-Griffin rematch should have been the first order of business.  But that might not be possible considering Jackson's recent arrest.  With Jackson doubtful, I think the winner of Liddell-Evans fights the winner of Silva-Machida.  If the stars align, we’ll see Machida fight Liddell and the winner going on to fight Griffin at the end of the year.

-Personally, if we’re going to have Machida and Liddell fight once more after their current bouts before getting a title shot, I think we have to have Quinton Jackson in the equation. He shouldn’t get an immediate rematch, especially after his episode, but if he can get his head together he should at least get a chance to be in that Machida-Liddell match. I think maybe Silva vs. Jackson again and then if Machida loses to Silva or Liddell loses to Evans, the winner of Wanderlei Silva-Quinton Jackson can step into that match to see who faces Griffin. At least, that’s how I would like to see it -- Mark

It was a fairly decent show, actually. Adam Morgan from FiveOucnesofPain.com has a good writeup on the nitty/gritty from the show, which included some enjoyable bouts. Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith played out pretty much how I anticipated it. Cris Cyborg looked impressive and Jake Shields also had a strong showing. The problem was drawing an audience.

MMA Payout has more on the numbers and what they mean, but it looks like the show will garner close to a 2.0 rating. That means the ratings were down almost 40% from the first show. The next big card on CBS will be in October and will feature Slice and Carano again, but if the ratings don’t improve considerably, that may signal the end of EliteXC and CBS. This makes it all that much more important to keep up the facade of Kimbo Slice, when it’s revealed how important he is to developing an audience. They need Slice to keep dropping mediocre competition because one loss will shatter the allure around him.

If you managed to catch it, what did you think of Unfinished Business?

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: How did you get started in martial arts?

GEORGES ST. PIERRE: I fought karate first. I was 7 years old. I was a big van of Jean Claude van Damme in the movies and I saw all the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies and I always wanted to be a martial artist. I didn't know what I wanted to do for living but when I saw the first UFC with Royce Gracie I knew that's what I wanted to do. I've been very inspired by Royce Gracie and I knew the sport was going to be big.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: How tough was it to get started in mixed martial arts?

ST. PIERRE: Well I was a karate guy first but then my teacher of karate died at about the same time so I decided to do Brazilian jiu-jistsu and from there I started wrestling and boxing and then I became more well-rounded and fought complete.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: Did you have to work in other areas when you got started or was fighting enough to pay the bills?

ST. PIERRE: Oh yeah. There was a time when I started my career that I was working three jobs at the same time. I was also studying at school and I was training for my fights and I was living in a very bad apartment. I didn't have a lot of money but those days are finished. I'm glad when I think about it because it was a very tough time for me but I knew at the time the hard work would pay off.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: What types of jobs did you have to work?

ST. PIERRE: I did a lot of jobs. First, just to give you an example, to pay for my study I didn't have a lot of money so to pay for my studies, my books and everything for the university, I became a garbage man for six months because it's a lot of money. So I worked full-time and I was training really hard and then I started studying and then switched to other jobs. I was working as a bouncer at a night club on the weekend and teaching government programs and I was working in recovery at a store and it was very tough.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: How did those struggles help you?

ST. PIERRE: When I see some people in the sport say "Oh, I don't have time to do this" and they complain and not only in the sport but in their life I laugh because I know I've done a lot. When you want something, you can go get it, you just have to use the tools and sometimes it's hard and you need to struggle hard for a couple months or a couple years sometimes like I did, but at some point if you do it well and keep going you will see the light at the end of the tunnel.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: Did you look up to any fighters when you first go into the sport? Do you look up to any now?

ST. PIERRE: Gracie is the best one. I really look up to many people. Royce Grace, Matt Hughes I used to look up to Randy Couture. Right now, I really like Houston Alexander.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: You mention Matt Hughes; how much do you think he has left in him?

ST. PIERRE: It all depends on Matt Hughes. No one else can answer that but Matt himself. If he wants to keep doing this for a long time he knows what he has to do. If he wants it and if he is still hungry and will sacrifice I think he will be very dangerous.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: What's the game plan for Jon Fitch?

ST. PIERRE: When you play cards, you don't want to show your hand. I have a great game plan but I think he's the best fighter that I've fought so far and it's a great challenge for me.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: There's a rumor of a potential fight with B.J. Penn on the horizon. Is that something you would be interested in?

ST. PIERRE: Of course, but right now all my focus is on Fitch because he's the most dangerous man right now.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: If you could fight anyone in the sport, who would it be?

ST. PIERRE: I think I would like to fight Jon Fitch, because he's the No. 1 guy for me. He's the guy to beat and after Fitch, I don't know.  Maybe we'll see what happens depending on the outcome of all the other fights.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: Have you ever had any crazy interactions with fans?

ST. PIERRE: Well, there are always some crazy fans. Something will happen where you see a fan who has been drinking or stuff like that sometimes, it's a little bit different and they ask you weird stuff. One guy asked me to hit him as hard as I could and I said no, you could sue me. I don't think it was a bright thing to do but he really insisted and wanted me to punch him.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: What's been the highlight of your career so far?

ST. PIERRE: Winning the belt in Montreal. That was my No. 1. I was fighting in front of my hometown fans for a world title. I couldn't have wished for a better scenario. Hopefully it's not the last time I get to fight there.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: Where do you have the most fans? Is it in Canada or the U.S.?

ST. PIERRE: The biggest fan base I have is probably the West Coast of the United States.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: What was the most frustrating part of your career?

ST. PIERRE: When I lost to Matt Serra. I was humiliated and it was the worst moment of my life but I think I went true like a man and it made me a better fighter and a better person, too.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: How long did it take you to get over that fight?

ST. PIERRE: I was fighting on a Saturday night, I came back Sunday and Monday morning I was in the gym pissed off. I didn't want to talk to nobody. For a couple days I wasn't in zone but then I thought about it and said you know what, it;s just a step back and let’s move forward and I put all the puzzle together and was better off for it and have been doing very well since then.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: How important is it for you to be recognized as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters?

ST. PIERRE: It's important for me. I want to be recognized as the best before I retire but for now I focus on my fights as the most important thing. I don't have a lack of challenge right now so I don't have to think much about what I need to do, there are so many challengers and I love it.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: Would you ever consider moving up to middleweight and going after both titles?

ST. PIERRE: Maybe one day, yeah, if it's good. But for right now, I'd never fight and my friend Patrick Cote is going for the title. If the way is clear and the timing is good, I would do it.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: How do you think Cote will fare against Anderson Silva?

ST. PIERRE: I think people will be surprised. He's very, very good and he's a way, way better version of what he was the last time he lost. He's an amazing fighter and I'm very glad he came from far. He didn't have an easy time but I'm glad all the hard work he's done has paid off and I'm very happy as a training partner and friend. It couldn't happen to a better person.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: What do you like most about the sport?

ST. PIERRE: I like the sport in general. It's like a chess game. It's very technical, you need to use all your tools and that's what I like.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: If you could change one thing, what would it be?

ST. PIERRE: I don't know. Maybe I would not put any rounds, it would be like 25 minutes or a time limit but no rounds. I'd also allow knees on the floor and that's pretty much it.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: What's one thing you want people to know about you that they might not already know?

ST. PIERRE: Fighting is not my life. Fighting is what I like to do in my life and it's part of my life, but it's not my whole life.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: What do you like to do away from fighting?

ST. PIERRE: I'm a very intellectual guy. I like to study about things like philosophy, archaeology and things like that. I'm a big fan of movies, too. I go to movie theater every week, sometimes twice a week.

MMA STOMPING GROUNDS: Who is  your favorite actor?

ST. PIERRE: It's … damn, what's his name? Forrest Gump … Tom Hanks. That's it.

I'm going with the underdog, Sylvia. Before you laugh and scoff, I'm 2-2 with my main event predictions since I've taken over this blog. Both were underdogs. Sylvia looked much better in his most recent fight (even if he did lose), which gives me hope in this one. I also heard a rumor from an MMA writer today that the UFC let Sylvia go just so he would knock off Fedor and then re-sign with the UFC. I think that rumor is hilarious and I want to believe it’s true (it’s not) so that’s another reason I’m going with Sylvia.

I don’t think he will knock him out, but he will get the decision and he will deserve it (no controversy here). I don’t know what Fedor is capable of anymore and Sylvia showed me enough last time out to think he can do just enough to win here.

Anderson Silva over James Irvin by first-round TKO. In the other big fight of the night, it means one thing if you pick Irvin -- you are not good at life. This is the easiest fight to pick, ever. Now, I understand why you may be hesitant. Irvin isn’t the type of fighter that throws down with Kimbo Slice on national television. He is actually a professional fighter. And, he’s decent.

Still, Silva is at the top of his game. His fights always end early and this one won’t go beyond the first round. Silva will knock Irvin around for awhile and will pick up the first-round TKO. When a fighter is in his prime, it's hard to pick against him. Of course, I did exactly that last time (Griffin over Rampage), but that’s because I’m brilliant. And because Griffin is underrated and is a major contender.

Irvin is alright, but he’s not that good. There’s a reason this fight is on free TV. It's partly to counter Affliction: Banned and partly to show off the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter to millions of potential new fans.

I’ll have much more on the two big Saturday events -- UFC's and Affliction's "Banned" -- in the next few days but Silva is the hottest name in the sport right now and is widely regarded as the top fighter in the world, so I figured this Q&A should take precedence. I also spoke with Georges St. Pierre late last week and will post that Q&A sometime next week. Again, the responses below are from Silva, as translated by Soares.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Has the UFC approached you about any more fights at the light heavyweight level?

Ed Soares, translating for Anderson Silva: You know what, right now in his career, what’s going on is he’s the 185-pound champion and he’s got two to three years left in him to fight. What he wants to do is create fights the world wants to see and the fans want to see, so basically if it happens to be at 205, then we’ll fight at 205. If it happens at 185, then we’ll fight there too -- nothing's speculated and nothing's in front of us, but we’ll take the challenges as they come.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you could pick anyone in the sport to fight, who would it be?

Soares (Silva): He said no one in particular. He trains to fight against the best so whoever the best is at that time, that’s who he’d like to fight.

MMA Stomping Grounds: How do you feel about James Irvin’s comments that he’s going to win Saturday?

Soares (Silva): [Silva] said that’s normal, anyone who has a mouth can say what they want.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What challenges will there be fighting at a weight class different from your last few fights?

Soares (Silva):   Maybe a little bit of strength.

MMA Stomping Grounds: When the UFC asked you to move up to 205 for this fight, did you hesitate at all?

Soares (Silva): Not at all, not at all. As a fighter there was no hesitation, more hesitation by his coaching staff and sparring partners but when they presented the challenge he stepped right up without hesitation to take the fight. He wants to test himself in every fight and he feels moving up right now is the best fight he can have.

MMA Stomping Grounds: How important is the title of the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world to you?

Soares (Silva): He doesn’t feel he’s the No. 1 pound for pound. He feels he won’t be able to say that until he’s retired. While he’s fighting, it’s hard for him to say he’s the best pound for pound.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Who does he think is the top pound-for-pound fighter?

Soares (Silva): He doesn’t feel there is a perfect fighter. He doesn’t know who it would be.

MMA Stomping Grounds: UFC president Dana White claimed you came to him and asked to fight more, is this accurate?

Soares (Silva): Yeah.

MMA Stomping Grounds: How often would you like to fight?

Soares (Silva): He’d like to fight as often as his body will allow him.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What has been the toughest fight in your career?

Soares (Silva): His first Muay Thai fight in his career, the first of his career.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Who has been your toughest opponent in the UFC?

Soares (Silva): Rich Franklin. His game is what he felt the toughest to train for. His striking game was probably the most complex in the UFC.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you could change anything in the sport, what would it be?

Soares (Silva): A few of the rules. He thinks there should be more rounds.

MMA Stomping Grounds: How did you feel after the UFC wouldn’t let you box Roy Jones Jr.?

Soares (Silva): He said he understands their point of view but it’s something on his mind that at one point in his life he would like to do.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Why do you want to box Jones?

Soares (Silva): He likes to challenge himself and there’s no one better to challenge himself in boxing than Roy Jones Jr.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Were you frustrated when the UFC wouldn’t allow it at this time?

Soares (Silva): No, no. He said he wasn’t frustrated. He was a little bummed because he wants this fight to happen but understands their point of view and hopes it happens someday.

MMA Stomping Grounds: How do you think you would do boxing against Jones?

Soares (Silva): He thinks it would be a great fight.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What is one thing most people don’t know about you that you want them to know?

Soares (Silva): You stumped him with this one ... hold on. You know what, he doesn’t think there’s really anything the world doesn’t know about him yet. Everything the world needs to know or wants to know about him, he thinks they know.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What’s your favorite thing to do away from fighting?

Soares (Silva): Play video games and hang out with his family and kids.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What’s your favorite video game?

Soares (Silva): Soccer.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What do you like the most about the UFC?

Soares (Silva): He likes the way he’s treated here.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What excites you the most about the growth of the UFC?

Soares (Silva): He said he’s excited he’s able to demonstrate his technique inside the Octagon and he’s happy the people here in the U.S. are happy to watch him fight. And, he’s excited about going in and making history in fights. ...

MMA Stomping Grounds: How many fights are left on your contract?

Soares (Silva): Six fights.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Are you going to try to organize the boxing match with Jones at the end of that or sign another UFC deal?

Soares (Silva): We take it one fight at a time.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Finally, what’s the game plan for Saturday’s fight with Irvin?

Soares (Silva):  He says he’s going to go in there and do his game. He’s prepared to take the fight wherever it goes and just try to capitalize on Irvin’s errors.

***

Check out photos of UFC Fight Night 14 fighters.

More recent MMA Q&As:

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Brandon Vera: I told the UFC I wanted to fight ASAP. They came in with a whole bunch of different options and I guess you could say I just took it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Did they offer you any other fighters besides Reese Andy?

Brandon Vera: They offered me Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Lyoto Machida and then Reese Andy. I turned down Machida. He’s not someone you take on short notice. You gotta get ready for Machida. The other fighters turned down the other fights so that’s how we came to Reese.

MMA Stomping Grounds: With you moving down to 205 and with Rich Franklin and Anderson Silva moving up to 205, do you feel more pressure to win knowing this is the most stacked division in the UFC?

Brandon Vera: No, not at all. I’m not worried about it. I don’t succumb to pressure like that at all and don’t think about stuff like that. There are a lot of great fighters I’m excited to fight but I’m not feeling any pressure.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you and Anderson Silva both win, would you be willing to fight him at 205?

Brandon Vera: I would be willing to fight anyone they put in front of me. [The UFC's light heavyweight division] is stacked like you said, for sure, so I’m down to fight any of those guys whenever.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Andy isn’t a household name for a lot of fans, so what can you tell us about him?

Brandon Vera: He’s a three-time All-American wrestler. He’s tough and likes to take people to the ground and pound them. He’s competed in Abu Dhabi a couple times so his grappling level is pretty good. And he’s always in shape.

MMA Stomping Grounds: How important is it for you to get back on the winning track against him?

Brandon Vera: I don’t worry about getting back on the winning track, I just worry about having a good performance and showing what I can do in every fight. It’s just another fight and every fight is equally as important as the last one for me. We’ve been training hard and I took five days off after my last fight and got right back into it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What did you think of the Forrest Griffin-Rampage Jackson fight at UFC 86?

Brandon Vera: Honestly, I didn’t know who won the fight. I thought it was a coin toss. It was so close and I was very disappointed in the judges' unanimous decision, I thought that was [expletive deleted].  I didn’t think Forrest won that [by that] wide [a margin] but I was cool with either fighter winning. It was a great fight. For them to say it was that one-sided and unanimous, I thought that was [expletive deleted].

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you could fight anyone in the sport in your next fight, who would you want?

Brandon Vera: Fabricio Werdum. I lost to him last time because of a [expletive deleted]-call by the ref, so I for sure want to fight him again ASAP.

MMA Stomping Grounds: You beat Frank Mir by technical knockout at UFC 65 -- do you think he earned a title shot after defeating Brock Lesnar at UFC 81?

Brandon Vera: Hell no. It upsets me but you can’t dwell on it. It is what it is. The UFC has given him a title shot, so what can you do? The powers that be I guess.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What do you think about Lesnar?

Brandon Vera: He’s cool. I’m kinda disappointed he’s in the big league so far but I’d like to see him in the second round. He didn’t pay his dues and earn his way into the UFC -- he got in because his name is Brock Lesnar. I can’t hate on the guy, I don’t hate him, I’m happy for him. He’s doing his thing and making money. He’s in the UFC but I don’ t like the situation, how he got in.

MMA Stomping Grounds: With the UFC expanding globally, there’s a lot more opportunities to fight outside the U.S. If you could fight anywhere in the world for your next fight, where would you want to have that card?

Brandon Vera: In the Philippines. I’d want to fight there for sure. I’m Filipino, so I’d have to be on that card. The UFC is pretty good about stuff like that. It would be easy, they would put me on that card.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you could change one thing about the sport, what would it be?

Brandon Vera: I don’t know. There are a lot of things going on I like and a couple things I don’t like. I guess, uh, the scoring and the refereeing. I’d adjust that somehow. There has to be a constant variable and not always a judgment call but then again, it’s MMA, you have to have judgment calls. I don’t know, something with scoring.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What’s it like to have a wife who is also a fighter?

Brandon Vera: It’s really cool that that’s what we do. It makes it easy for training and traveling and stuff.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What’s one thing most people don’t know about you that you think they should?

Brandon Vera: I’m a big geek. I’m a super geek. I have remote-controlled cars, Xboxes, and I watch kung fu flicks all day.

***

More recent MMA Q&As:

> Tim Sylvia

> Brock Lesnar

> Dana White

> CBS announcer Gus Johnson

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I'm talking to him Tuesday so hopefully I'll have more on the situation then.