The Interrogation is a regular feature where The MMA Manifesto interrogates some of the world’s best MMA fighters. Next up is undefeated Strikeforce heavyweight Bobby Lashley, who discusses his pro wrestling career, training with Kimbo Slice, a possible future matchup with Fedor Emelianenko and his upcoming fight versus Yohan Banks.
The MMA Manifesto: Why did you get involved with MMA?
Bobby Lashley: I’ve wrestled so long – I just wanted to get back into that competitive field where I can go out there and display my martial art which is wrestling (Lashley was a standout collegiate wrestler before becoming a professional wrestler since 2004).
MM: Are you done with pro wrestling now?
BL: No, I’m still doing some stuff with TNA. Right now it’s looking like it could be ok but as I keep fighting and competition gets stiffer and stiffer I might have to spend a little time away so that I can get more training in and really concentrate on my fights. But right now everything is going cool – it’s going alright.
MM: Do these pursuits (MMA and pro wrestling) cut into each other’s prepartion time?
BL: No, not at all.
MM: How long have you known that Yohan Banks will be your opponent at Strikeforce: Miami?
BL: I actually found out last night (Sunday). There was a few names that were tossed around. But I’ve been training hard, man, it really didn’t matter who it was going to be.
MM: So not knowing who your opponent was going to be until the last minute didn’t change your training approach at all?
BL: No, because of the names that they gave me, our game plan would have been kind of similar on all of them. But, like I said I’ve been training really hard – working a lot on my stand up and then a lot of ground work. We’ve been working on everything pretty hard.
MM: What aspect of your game needs the most work – your stand up?
BL: I wouldn’t say the most work – I’d say the experience – I just need to fight. I feel pretty confident doing everything. I’ve been sparring a lot lately – my sparring has been going real well. And then my jiu-jitsu’s been going very, very well. And wrestling is my background so I feel confident in every aspect of the game. I just want more fights.
MM: You’ve stated that you are looking for six or seven fights this year.
BL: Yeah, hopefully if I can get it. I told him (Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker) I want to stay active. If he gives me six fights this year, seven fights this year – whatever he gives me I’m going to be ready for.
MM: I guess it depends on you coming out of fights unscathed and not banged up.
BL: You have tougher fights in training than anything else. Practice is just as tough as anything else.
MM: Are you training at American Top Team’s main gym in Coconut Creek (Florida)?
BL: Yes.
MM: What other big name guys are there working out with you?
BL: There’s a lot of guys down here right now. Hector Lombard – he’s a little bit smaller but he’s a good training partner. Carmelo Marrero. Melvin Manhoef. Bigfoot (Antonio Silva) will be here. Mario Rinaldi. And then I roll and do jiu-jitsu with Dan Lambert. And I’ve been working personally with (Ricardo) Liborio and Conan (Marcus Silveira)
MM: Is Kimbo Slice down there training still?
BL: I worked out with him last Friday.
MM: Do the sparks fly when you two go at it?
BL: We were doing some ground work.
MM: How is his ground game looking?
BL: He’ll get better. His background is getting up there banging – kind of brawling. He’s been learning a lot on the ground – he’s been working with Liborio. He’s been putting in the extra work. He’s a good guy and hope the best for him.
MM: For readers who haven’t seen you fight, what is your style?
BL: What I’m going to do this time – I don’t know if it’s different from what I’ve done in the past – but I’m just going to bring a very aggressive, straightforward kind of approach. My cardio is great right now and I’ve been training in everything so it’s going to be kind of like a relentless fighting style.
MM: So you’re looking to end your next fight quick?
BL: It’s going to be a pressure cooker. I’m going to try to break his spirit.
MM: Do you pattern your fighting style after anyone?
BL: No, I do my own thing. Everybody has their own style. I just like to put a lot of pressure on people. The old wrestling style of keeping the pressure on him, keeping the pressure on him and see if he can keep up with you.
MM: That’s a unique approach for a heavyweight – usually you see that with the lighter fighters. So you’re looking to gas your opponent out?
BL: If he can keep up the tempo that I have it’s going to be skill for skill and I’m going to be bringing a lot of skill at him also. I’ve been loading my room up with heavyweights and I’ve been just rotating through on them and having them come and push me and push me and push me. So I can be ready for that, so I can be used to that kind of relentlessly too.
MM: Is there a guy out there you have your eye on – Fedor Emelianenko maybe?
BL: Of course coming into MMA you want to go after the best – the best right now is Fedor so when I signed my contract that was something we talked about – further down the line, after maybe two or three fights we’re going to look at going after Fedor. That’s why I’m in this business.
MM: So you’re in no rush then? You’re more interested in improving before you fight Fedor?
BL: And improving could be (after) two fights, it could be (after) three fights, it can be my next fight. You never know how you are going to feel when you get into the cage until you get out of the cage. Out of the cage you kind of know where you’re at – you can look at tapes and see how you were moving, see how you were fighting, see if there was some holes in your game. And once you start filling all these holes up then we’re going to look at bigger and better opponents.
MM: Why did you choose to sign with Strikeforce? Did you have a lot of suitors?
BL: I don’t really deal with that – I let my manager deal with the talking and all that stuff. It was a good offer – I talked with Scott Coker – he seemed like a really cool guy and he really wanted to see some good things out of me so I made the move.
MM: Was the UFC interested in signing you?
BL: I know we’ve had some talks. We’ve had some talks before. They knew what I was trying to do – they knew I was trying to build and hone all my skills. I didn’t want to go to the UFC and learn jiu-jitsu versus Frank Mir. Learn stand up versus Cheick Kongo. I wanted to feel comfortable before going in there and taking on some of these tougher guys and tougher competition.
MM: Not to disrespect Strikeforce, but is the UFC your ultimate goal?
BL: Right now Strikeforce is treating me real well so I’m not even looking past Strikeforce right now. If there was some separation between the two or if I left Strikeforce then of course I’d want to go to the UFC. But right now Strikeforce is doing real well. They have a good thing going – a lot of great fighters. So, I’m content where I’m at.
Previous MMA Manifesto interviews: Roy Nelson
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