On FEB. 18TH 2012, Back Alley Promotions in association with Corona bring to you Xtreme Knockout 14 (XKO Professional MMA Fights) and the top Pro MMA fighters in Texas. XKO will be filming in HD for their Xtreme Knockout television show. Back Alley Promotions has produced over 1,000 “live” events including a reality show featured on the Discovery Channel. THE GYM Combative Sports Training Facility (and location of XKO 14) is also the home of “TEAM TAKEDOWN” the Next Generation of Fighters including Jonhy Hendricks, Jake and Jared Rosholt and Shane Roller!

Xtreme Knockout, Back Alley Promotions in association with Corona bring Pro Mixed Martial Arts fights to Arlington! Pre-Fight Party from 6-8pm. Belltime 8pm.Pre-Fight party includes: MMA & Sports Vendors

10 professional cage fights, meet and greet with fighters, celebrity guest appearances, Bikini contest, live music and DJ! Television Taping for the TV show “Xtreme Knockout”.

(Card Subject to change)
Ciprian Hangan vs Jose Sanchez
Brad Cox vs Hayward Charles
Donnie Bell vs Keith Miner
Eli Tamez vs Nelson Salas
Burt McDonald vs Jonathan Wise
Aldo Davila vs Andrew Parker
Victor Reyna vs Andre Kavanaugh
Casey Hudson vs Klayton Mai
Aaron Culpepper vs Antuan Williams

185lbs Ciprian Hangan (2-0 DallasMMA300- 2011 XKO “Knockout of the Year” winner) vs Jay Jay Sanchez (2-0) This is a highly anticipated matchup between 2 of the fastest rising superstars in XKO! Ciprian Hangan has definitely made a HUGE impact in the 185 division with 2 devastating Knockouts (Steve Hess, Chris Collins) in his first 2 appearances in XKO! The man that plans on stopping Ciprian is Jay Jay Sanchez an undefeated fighter who is best known for the perfectly timed “Knee” to end the fight against top MMA fighter JJ Holmes! This is a fight you don’t want to miss! “I knock people out, that’s what I do” – Ciprian Hangan

155lbs Donnie Bell (3-1 Metroflex MMA) vs Keith Miner (4-2 Mohlers MMA) Donnie Bell makes his return to the XKO cage to face XKO newcomer Keith Miner. With a perfect record in XKO Bell is a crowd favorite! Bell is one of XKO’s featured fighters with a strong wrestling background and knockout power!

180lbs Brad Cox (2-0 Fitness Fight Factory) vs Hayward “The Hybrid” Charles (3-2 Ironside/pur-fit and Genesis) It’s hard to describe the excitement for this fight! Brad Cox is one of the most well known fighters in the area with a reputation for dominating fights! He steps into the cage against one of the top fighters in XKO – Hayward “The Hybrid” Charles! Hayward is coming off an impressive victory over XKO newcomer Andre Kavanaugh with a :43 sec triangle choke submission. Known for his Jiu Jitsu Hayward is arguably the best Jiu Jitsu specialist in the company! A great match-up that will bring fireworks! “I don’t care who you put in front of me, I’ll fight them because I want to be at the top” – Hayward Charles

170lbs Aaron Culpepper (1-0 The Gym Arlington, TX) vs Antuan Williams (0-2) Aaron Culpepper’s pro-debut at XKO 13 was what fight fans talked about for weeks after he got the victory and “Fight of the Night” honors! Aaron is a powerful striker, aggressive but yet calm in the cage! He takes on XKO newcomer Antwan Williams, a former training partner and current striking coach who knows the striking game and is not afraid to trade punches! You can expect this fight to be a striking battle with someone ending the fight with a KO or TKO!

170lbs Andrew Parker (1-0 Octagon MMA) vs Aldo Davila (pro-debut The Gym) Andrew Parker made his pro-debut at XKO and took “Fight of the Night” honors. Andrew is a well rounded fighter who can take the fight almost anywhere he wants. Parker will be taking on Aldo Devila an exciting fighter making his pro-debut! Also is coming off an impressive amateur career and looks to continue his success at the pro level! This has “Fight of the Night” written all over it!

135lbs Eli Tamez (3-0 Octagon MMA) vs Nelson Salas (2-0 Texas Fighting Syndicate) When XKO asked Eli and Nelson about this fight both fighters did not hesitate to sign the contract! This is not the first time the fighters have faced each other, both fighters crossed paths as amateurs with Eli getting the win by submission. Both Eli and Nelson are fast and explosive. This will be a fast paced fight for the fight fan and a good matchup that will not disappoint.

185lbs Victor Reyna (pro-debut The Gym) vs Andre Kavanaugh (2-2 Austin, TX) Andre Kavanaugh is known for is heavy hands and brawler type of style. With a split record Andre looks to get his first win in XKO. He will be taking on Victor Reyna a solid striker who can finish the fight at any given moment! Victor has only had 1 defeat as a amateur and believes he is ready for the pro level. We are excited to see new faces in XKO and see what happens in this fight!

150lbs Burt McDonald (1-2 Texas Fighting Syndicate) vs Johnathan Wise (1-2 Garland Police Boxing Gym) When it comes to Burt McDonald the first thing you think about is… “what a class act”. Burt is a “Fight of the Night” recipient and has faced 2 of the top 155ers in the XKO division (Chris Pecero and Donnie Bell). Training out of Texas Fighting Syndicate Burt is well known in the MMA community! With a boxing background Burt wants to keep his fights striking! At XKO 14 Burt will match up with the perfect opponent with an identical record and fighting style. Johnathan Wise makes his XKO Debut out of Garland Police Boxing Academy and looks to make a statement against the XKO veteran McDonald. I see this fight going 3 rounds and possibly “Fight of the Night”!

145lbs Casey Hudson (Pro-debut Fitness Fight Factory) vs Klayton Mai (1-0 Octagon MMA) Both fighters are new to XKO! This fight will come down to pure skill. Both fighters are aggressive and strong. Fighting out the two top schools in DFW both fighters will come prepared! Don’t blink during this fight because anything can happen!

Houston, TX — At UFC 136, middleweight Mike Massenzio made his Team Palooka debut with a gutsy, come-from-behind victory against former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Steve Cantwell. The win represented what Team Palooka is all about: heart, determination, and a “never say die” attitude. The Massenzio-Cantwell bout kicked off the night, and definitely got the crowd going. Both fighters headed into the bout desperately needing a big win in order to keep their position with the UFC, and the New Jersey-based Massenzio came away with the “W.”

Copyright © 2011 PALOOKA, LLC · Joe Palooka™

“Winning this fight, it’s a great feeling…one of the greatest feelings of my life,” says Massenzio. “I’ve been through a lot over the last few years, and I’ve been through a lot in my career already. After a fast start, I got hit with some major injuries. I came back against Brian Stann, which was a very tough first fight, and we got ‘Fight of the Night.’ The Soszynski fight was tough, too. Against Cantwell, I took a little bit from him in the first round, then he caught me good, and I had to deal with that. But I was able to hang with it, and I came back. It was a great experience.”

While waiting for his next bout, the 185-pounder will continue to train with his team at AMA Fight Club in New Jersey. As far as who is next on his list, Massenzio is leaving that in the capable hands of the organization.

“I’ll fight whoever the UFC gets me. I feel good about being able to be in there with some of the best and hang. To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. So whatever they decide to do, I’ll go with it. I’m all about heart, and I’m always going to go out there and fight with everything I’ve got, every fight.”

While we don’t know who Massenzio will face next in the Octagon, we do know what is next for him outside the cage. This Thursday, 10/13 and Sunday, 10/16, Mike will be appearing at the Team Palooka booth (#349) at the New York Comic Con. He’ll be there in order to sign autographs, interact with the fans, and promote the new “Joe Palooka” comics being released!

“It’s an honor that Team Palooka wants to have me as part of what they’re doing. It’s great that they have interest in my career. I’m hoping that as they rise, I rise at the same time. And I’m really looking forward to being with the fans at Comic-Con. Come on out and come say hi…it’s going to be awesome!”

The news MMA comic book fans have been waiting for was recently announced: the comic series made its world premiere with its first issue last week when “Joe Palooka” issues #1 & #2 became available for purchase for the first time anywhere. Fans can get their hands on the comic at http://www.Palooka.com/, and hard copies of the issue will follow in early 2012.

A special 13-page FREE-VIEW is also available simply for signing up with an email address on http://www.Palooka.com/, and fans can also take advantage of a unique offer on “Joe Palooka” issues #1 and #2, which are available together for the low price of only $1.99.

The “Joe Palooka” comic series tells the story of Joe Palooka, an MMA fighter who competes in “Legion of Combat,” which is a sister comic publication. “Legion of Combat” will feature Joe Palooka and top MMA stars including “Suga” Rashad Evans, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, the Blackzilians, Brendan Schaub, and the Miller brothers in team matches between fighters representing countries such as the U.S., the U.K., Brazil, Russia, Japan, China, and other nations.

Copyright © 2011 PALOOKA, LLC · Joe Palooka™

About Team Palooka

“Joe Palooka” and “Legion of Combat” are MMA comic books that feature action adventure stories as well as compelling MMA fight action. Created by professional ring announcer Joe Antonacci, the books are being written and drawn by an all-star team of talent known as Team Palooka. The team includes Mike Bullock as the chief writer and Fernando Perniche (both of “The Phantom fame”), who are bringing the exciting stories of Palooka and the LOC to life.

For more information on “Joe Palooka” and “Legion of Combat,” please visit http://www.palooka.com/.

You can also “like” the Palooka Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/TeamPalooka

Follow Joe Palooka on Twitter @TeamPalooka

Roufusport is proud to announce that it has been named America’s Top MMA Gym by Versus.com. Chosen by the fans, Roufusport beat out the well-respected Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in the finals for the honor. The Milwaukee-based fight gym also topped Grudge Training Center and American Top Team en route to capturing the title.

The other gyms considered included Black House Team, American Kickboxing Academy, Xtreme Couture, Team Quest, Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts, Nova Uniao, Renzo Gracie Academy, and Tristar Gym.

Roufusport is home to MMA fighters such as UFC heavyweight star Pat “HD” Barry, UFC lightweight title contender Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, rising UFC featherweight star Erik Koch, and UFC featherweight prospect Daniel “Danny Boy” Downes.

Roufusport head trainer Duke Roufus had this to say regarding the accolade: “We were very proud just to be considered amongst the best gyms in America, so to be named the best…it’s quite an honor. Congratulations are definitely order to all the gyms in the contest.”

For more information on Roufusport, please visit milwaukeemma.com

About Roufusport
Roufusport is run by famed kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and his business partner Scott Joffe. It is a world class brand that includes a state-of-the-art training facility, fight team, and MMA promotion, the North American Fighting Championship. Roufus is one of the most recognizable striking and MMA coaches in North America, and is considered to be one of the top trainers of Muay Thai kickboxing outside of Thailand. Roufus is the head coach of the Roufusport Fight Club team, which includes UFC stars Alan Belcher, Pat “HD” Barry, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, Erik Koch, and “Danny Boy” Downes. Former students include former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, The Ultimate Fighter season one star Stephan Bonnar, and UFC veterans Ben Rothwell, Matt Mitrione, and Eric “Red” Schafer. Roufus and Joffe operate the Roufusport Martial Arts Academy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Ran into Alexander “Pulga” Pimentel @ marrajj.com here in San Antonio, TX. With 9 victories in MMA all coming from events in South America, he’s bound to be a force to be reckoned with in the States… Interview coming soon… sPidA

photo courtesy of sherdog

Brett Rogers is no joke, he might even be able to beat a lot of the UFC’s Heavyweights, but he has only fought one UFC level fighter and that is Andrei Arlovski. Brett beat him by KO and no one can take that away from him. Andrei is an ex-UFC Champion and Brett knocked him out in 22 seconds. That is where Brett’s record begins and ends though, all of the rest of his competition would be happy to make it on the Ultimate Fighter. What you can take from Brett’s past fights are how quick he is and how devastating his punch combination’s are. One thing that has not been tested in recent fights is Brett’s ground game and his chin, but that is because all but one of his opponents did not get past the first round. Another thing about Rogers is that he did spend some time with Josh Barnett, who was supposed to be Fedor’s last opponent and has a very strong ground game. I do not think Rogers will go at this fight like Barnett would but some pointers from a veteran are always helpful. This was a positive sign from Rogers because he has been with his current fight camp all of his career. It is nice that he is loyal and he might be comfortable with them but he is fighting the best Heavyweight in the world and should be training as such in order to be the best Brett Rogers walking into the cage on Saturday. If Brett was fighting any other fighter besides Fedor then I would give him a chance. Fedor has proved time and time again through technique under pressure and confidence in his own skill that he will not be defeated by another human being. Only an experienced Brock Lesner could have the strength and talent to possibly control Fedor.

Fedor is not like many champions, out to prove that he is the best or that he can exchange blows with anybody. Fedor stills fights in Combat Sambo Tournaments in Russia, for fun I guess. Fedor has fought Worldclass kickboxers with knockout power, strong wrestlers that could takedown anybody and submission artists that seemed unstoppable and even people twice the size of him. Fedor has always found a way to win and in most instances found a way to finish them. Fedor is always calm before, during and after his fights and it makes it possible for him to take hard punches, wrestling slams and submission attempts and remember how to use everything to his advantage and win the fight. Nothing could display this better than when Kevin Randleman picked him up in the air and dropped him on his neck, watch it on YouTube and you will start to understand what Fedor is capable of. This fight is no different and he is facing a less experienced, more one-sided fighter than most of his fights in the past. Fedor will do what he’s done to all the others, he will come in, land a few strikes to daze Brett and then do a backward Russia Bear hug and choke Brett out.
One interesting fact about this fight that makes it especially interesting is that this is Fedor’s first fight in a cage instead of a ring. 31 fights over 9 years and 5 fight organizations and Fedor has never fought in a cage. The only way this will hurt his game is that he has used the ring ropes to his advantage in a few fights. The fight where this made the most difference was when he fought Matt Lindland in Bodog Fight and he slid the rope into his armpit and not only prevented Lindland from taking him down but reversed the situation and ended up taking Lindland down. For the fight with Rogers I do not see it being an issue, I do not think Rogers will try and take Fedor down. If that is true, cages are a decent amount bigger than rings and have no corners like in a boxing ring and Fedor could use it to slip away if Rogers rocks him with big punches or Fedor can use it to feel Rogers out early in order to figure out Rogers’ punching range and quickness.

In this day and age when the hype is built up just to get you to visit the local bar to buy an overpriced drink, Fedor still cannot be hyped enough because he truly is the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion or the World.

“All Elbows caught up with “Mayhem” Miller during his training for the upcoming Strikeforce Middleweight Title fight versus Jake Shields in Chicago this Saturday (on CBS!). Miller has spent a lot of time in the spotlight for Bully Beatdown on MTV and perhaps a lot of fans forgot he is a real MMA fighter too. Mayhem discusses that and how this fight is the most important of his career, culminating after ten years of training and mental preparation.“ via allelbows.com

~Complete Interview~

Texas Fighting: So how’s Pete Doing these days?

Pete Spratt: I’m doing good man, I can’t complain. I’m just training, training hard trying to get prepared for my fight this Friday. I’m having a lot of fun, just trying to reinvent myself and I’m having a lot of fun. I’m making my second run for the title, whether it be MFC or whatever organization – I’m going to have fun doing it. I enjoy having fun training with my guys and doing all the other stuff that I’m doing as far as teaching, managing, training my guys and all that good stuff.

Texas Fighting: You’ve been around and done that, is this fight just for fun – what motivates you to fight these days?

Pete Spratt: Well my motivation these days is to get back to the top. I was at the top in 2003 when I beat Robbie Lawler and that’s my motivation to get back to the top and seeing where I can go in the later stages of my career. For me, my record is 1-0, starting from now. The official second half of my career started in June when I won by submission so for me – I’m 1-0 and I’m just looking to get better.

Texas Fighting: Congratulations on the win! Who did you fight in June?

Pete Spratt: I fought Alan Woods at Steel Cage MMA.

Texas Fighting: Your next fight, is it in Canada?

Pete Spratt: Yes, it’s in Canada at the Maximum Fighting Championships (MFC). It’s a stacked card, you’ve got myself, Travis Lutter, Jason MacDonald, Luigi Fioravanti, John Alessio, Carlo Prater, Antonio McKee, I mean the card is stacked with a lot of events.

Texas Fighting: Who are you fighting?

Pete Spratt: I’m fighting a guy named Nathan Gunn. He’s from Canada so we’ll see what happens. It’s another one of those situations where I’m fighting one of their up and coming guys who’s trying to use my name to be a stepping stone but you know, we’ll see what happens.

Texas Fighting: Well you look good, what does your training consist of these days?

Pete Spratt: Well my training really consisted of a lot of rehab being that I had knee surgery 7 weeks ago. I’ve been trying to get my knee ready and get prepared to fight. Up until my surgery, I was still training, lifting weights and all that good stuff so I feel pretty good where I am. My cardio is great, I feel really good right now.

Texas Fighting: So lately you’ve just been focusing on this fight or do you have some other projects you’re working on?

Pete Spratt: Naw that’s it, just preparing for this fight. This is my next step, the evolution of my new career, that’s been the main focus, preparing for this fight.

Texas Fighting: You’ve got quite a bit of experience, how many fights have you been in during your professional career?

Pete Spratt: Total fights, probably about 60. Mixed Martial Arts, I’d say about 36 or 37 fights MMA. I’ve had 18 Kickboxing fights and 10 amateur boxing fights… (chuckles) I’ve had quite a few fights.

Texas Fighting: So when are you headed up to Canada?

Pete Spratt: I’m leaving Wednesday night.

Texas Fighting: Are you excited?

Pete Spratt: Oh yeah. I’m excited to get back in there, I’m excited to redeem myself from my last showing I had at the MFC with the whole Ryan Ford debacle. I’m looking at wiping my slate clean and getting that bad taste out of my mouth and seeing what I can do for the MFC.

Texas Fighting: Well I know you have quite a few fans so for an upcoming Mixed Martial Artist, do you have any tips and advice for them to make it to where you’re at?

Pete Spratt: The only thing I can say is just to train hard. Be sure to surround yourself with the right people and train hard.

Texas Fighting: I watched a video not too long ago where GSP (George St. Pierre) said that you’re the hardest kicker he’s ever fought. How would one train to get leg kicks like you?

Pete Spratt: Practice. It’s hours upon hours of perfecting that one particular technique. I’ve spent a lot of time learning how to kick with my Thai trainer and he’s trained me quite well on how to kick. You know, it’s just been good for me and that’s quite a complement that came from GSP but it wasn’t anything I didn’t already know. At the same time it’s not that big of a deal but everyone makes it a big deal because it was “GSP” who said it but everybody in the gym can tell you that my left kick is not something that you want to taste. And they get to taste that quite a bit here at the gym. It’s nothing new for the people that know me and the people that are from around here but everybody else makes a big deal about it. It’s really not that big of a deal.

Texas Fighting: What kind of an upbringing did you have as a kid?

Pete Spratt: I wouldn’t necessarily say I had a rough upbringing but I would say that I’ve experienced things that a lot of people probably hadn’t experienced but at the same time, I can’t really say that I was deprived or had to fight all the time as a kid. Although I had my fair share but for the most part I had a good life bro. I did use to get kicked out of school a lot and was a pretty bad kid up until high school until I got under my coaches wing. He put me on varsity track so he could kinda keep an eye on me while I was in high school but other than that It’s been good overall. I was a troubled kid a little bit, you know my grandfather died when I was in 2nd grade so I think that messed with me mentally and of course growing up we all had our trials and tribulations as kids trying to find ourselves but I think I did quite well for myself.

Texas Fighting: I stumbled upon some of your music, do you have any more coming out or is that something you just play with here and there?

Pete Spratt: It’s just something I play with here and there, I’ve got a couple friends in town that I may eventually start doing something with but that won’t be until after the fight. Fighting is what pays the bills and puts food on the tabl. Music is something I like to do on the side and if it blows up it blows up but if not I enjoyed it and had fun doing it.

Texas Fighting: Do you have any sponsors for this fight that you’d like to give thanks to?

Pete Spratt: Awe man yeah, I’ve got to say thanks to Full Tilt for jumping on board in the last minute, I’ve got Performance MMA, Trigger Point Therapy, Alamo Cross Fit, Sprawl of course for giving me my shorts, Affliction, man I’ve got a lot of sponsors for this fight, ToeZup Fight Gear, BTX Fight Gear. Oh and I can’t forget, ever since I started wearing my hair balled, I got HeadBlades as a sponsor and I can’t forget them for sure. I think that’s about it.

Texas Fighting: Anybody else that you’d like to give a special thanks to?

Pete Spratt: Of course my team mates, I’ve got Aaron Rosa who fights in Strike Force, Isaias Martinez, Rodrigo Pinheiro, Diego Sierra, all the guys here at Rodrigo Pinheiro Brazilian Jujitsu, of course my manager Sven Bean, also the guy that does all my sponsorships Oren Hodak out of Dallas. There’s quite a few people that are behind me but of course my family, my wife and my daughters.

Texas Fighting: You’re also training guys right?

Pete Spratt: Yeah.

Texas Fighting: Do you have anyone that’s going to be fighting soon?

Pete Spratt: Rodrigo is supposed to be fighting pretty soon, Diego should be fighting pretty soon, I’ve also trained Ryan Larson, he’s suppose to be fighting soon, Isaias Martinez, he’ll be fighting soon. Just about all the competitive guys in my gym will be fighting. Aaron Rosa will be fighting in Strike Force either November 7th or November 20th so we’ve got him getting ready for that fight as well.

Texas Fighting: Well awesome, I appreciate your time Pete.

Pete Spratt: Sure thing, no problem!

~Interview End~

Check out the latest on Pete “Secret Weapon” Spratt by visiting his website at TheRealPeteSpratt.com

The other day I had the privilege of interviewing Billy Buch of the Gladiators Academy.  Billy is an up and coming fighter who has a growing fan base in his home town of New Braunfels, Texas.  Enjoy the interview!

~Interview Start~

Texas Fighting:  Where are you from?

Billy Buch:  New Braunfels, Texas – born and raised.

Texas Fighting:  What do you do for a living?

Billy Buch:  I’m a Ninja… seriously.

Texas Fighting:  How long have you been involved in Martial Arts and what is your martial arts background based in?

Billy Buch:  I started out doing Karate when I was 6 and have always done some sort of combat sport.  Later on I joined Soryu Karate/ Kickboxing. I’ve been involved in martial arts most of my life.

Texas Fighting:  Where do you train?

Billy Buch:  The Gladiators Academy in New Braunfels Texas with Kyle Cress and Jeff Bonugli. Come on by and check it out!

Texas Fighting:  What weight class are you in?

Billy Buch:  I’m a bantamweight fighter at 135

Texas Fighting:  What’s your fight record?

Billy Buch:  3-0 MMA.

Texas Fighting:  Have you fought in any other fights?

Billy Buch:  Some Kickboxing matches and Jujitsu tournaments.

Texas Fighting:  Did you get promoted to a new belt recently?

Billy Buch:  In Soryu Karate/ Kickboxing I’m a black belt. Just because you get a black belt in something doesn’t mean you stop. Belts to me, basically mean nothing. I mean it’s nice to be recognized and all but just because you have a certain rank in any discipline doesn’t mean you ever stop being a student. You should always be learning. Anyone can wear a belt but can you compete and win. That’s what really matters.

Texas Fighting:  Did you have to do a lot of forms in Soryu Karate/ Kickboxing?

Billy Buch:  We strayed away from the katas and forms and focused more on Muay Thai style kickboxing. Eventually I trained in a Muay Thai academy then ran into Kyle Cress and trained on the ground. The sport of Mixed Martial Arts has evolved so much that you can’t just be trained in one thing. You can’t just be a stand up guy or just a ground guy or even a wrestler.  You have to be trained in all three. It’s a basic triangle of martial arts that you have to have. MMA is a mix of everything. Even if you don’t like submitting people you have to know it. To be great you have to learn all three aspects of the game. As a fighter you can’t be great at one thing anymore, you have to be great at everything – well rounded.

Texas Fighting:  Do you consider yourself a well rounded fighter?

Billy Buch:  Yes, I think I’m pretty well rounded. My stand up is there, my ground game is there. We train in everything and we train hard.

Texas Fighting:  As an amateur you’re obviously not paid so what motivates you to want to fight?

Billy Buch:  I like to compete – bottom-line. This is basically the most competitive sport out there, you don’t rely on anyone else but yourself. It’s one human being vs another human being to see who’s the best fighter that day. I believe that’s the best competition you can get.

Texas Fighting:  What does your workout consist of and how many days and hours do you work out?

Billy Buch:  I usually work out Monday-Saturday for 3 hours a day. Come close to fight time, I’ll usually do two 3 hour classes and head out to the football field to run sprints. I do a lot of cardio and sparring.

Texas Fighting:  Who do you train with?

Billy Buch:  Mostly I train with Kyle Cress of the Gladiators Academy.  I also train at Rodrigo Pinheiro Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Pete Spratt at his place. Mike Rangel of kNOw Pain Mixed Martial Arts. It’s also fun to do drop ins at other schools. Great way to pick up some new techniques.

Texas Fighting:  What are your thoughts on the future of MMA?

Billy Buch:  It’s definitely growing fast. I’m pretty sure it’s overtaken boxing. Most people that train in some sort of a combat sport don’t just train in one style, they train for Mixed Martial Arts, which has become a style of it’s own.

Texas Fighting:  What are your goals in MMA?

Billy Buch:  I’d like to take it as far as I can take it. I don’t see myself quitting anytime soon. I’m 28 now so I’ll go as long as I can compete.

Texas Fighting:  Do you think you’ll ever become a full-time trainer?

Billy Buch:  Eventually yes. I already do a little now here and there. I would love to be able to make a life out of this but I will always be a student. There is never a top spot. You can be a black belt at whatever but there is always something to learn from someone else. When it’s my time to give back full-time to the sport then it’s my time to give back.

Texas Fighting:  Do you have any advice for young kids wanting to be Mixed Martial Artist?

Billy Buch:  I would have to say, start as early as you can. 6-7 years old is a good time to start in Collegiate  Wrestling or a Jujitsu class. Maybe around 12 is a good age to start for stand up. Get a good base in Jujitsu or wrestling. Anything is definitely possible.

Texas Fighting:  What do you think of women in Mixed Martial Arts?

Billy Buch:  There are some good girls who are top athletes competing now, so good for them.  I don’t mind women fighting, some may say they are against it but if they want it and put in the effort, why not?

Texas Fighting:  What are your thoughts on drinking and smoking?

Billy Buch:  Close to fight time I wouldn’t recommend any drinking or partying. In Mixed Martial Arts, cardio is everything. Smoking is definitely out of the question.

Texas Fighting:  How much does weight lifting play a part in your training routine?

Billy Buch:  Personally I don’t do a whole lot of weight lifting. I’ll do a few weight exercises with kettlebells and dumbbells but mainly a lot of combat training like running, sprints, caring other peoples body weight, hammer drills. Then again I fight at a lighter weight class so I do my best to stay lean by doing lots of cardio.

Texas Fighting:  With your experience as a fighter in the ring, do you find yourself getting into fights on the street as well?

Billy Buch:  No comment.

Texas Fighting:  What is your favorite way to finish a fight?

Billy Buch:  I don’t like the straight brawler crazy style. I like to use technique as much as possible. If I’m going to go for a submission I don’t want it to be a boring submission, I want to use nice technical stuff that people haven’t seen. On the flip side, who doesn’t like a good head kick knockout.

Texas Fighting:  Who’s your favorite Pro Fighter?

Billy Buch:  I’m definitely a BJ Penn fan, Miguel Torres and Nick Diaz.

Texas Fighting:  Do you have any sponsors?

Billy Buch:  MMAOverload.com, 210 Fight Gear, Honor Fight Gear, Kingpin Fight Gear, and Mr. Lucky’s Tattoos.

Texas Fighting:  Any shout outs or thanks to anybody? Anyone you’d like to give credit to?

Billy Buch:  Anyone that’s helped me or trained me. Chris Lopez, Jeff Bonugli, my trainers, NSC, people that have been there to support me. My friends and family.

~Interview End~