Here is a preview of what to look forward to from Rolando Cespedes when he takes on Calgary fighter Wolfgang Janssen at HK32 on April 26th, 2013.  Cespedes trains out of Team Tompkins in Las Vegas, NV.  Also, check out the HK32 Fight card as we have made some additions to the card, which is shaping up to a GREAT night of fights!

Yesterday, Official Weigh-Ins for HK 31 took place at Spectra Place in Estevan, SK.  Results are as follows:

Fighter	Weigh class	Weigh in
Kevin Lagasse	205	204.8	Title Fight
Devon Smith	205	203	Title Fight
David Swanson	155	154.2	Title Fight
Chris Chapman	155	154.5	Title Fight
Lee Ruff	195	191.8
Josh Heinz	195	195.8
Felix Jimenez	HWT	234.8
Leroy Johnson	HWT	251
Zachery Atkinson	155	156
Travis Heibert	155	156
Travis Triskle	185	184.8
Randell Martell	185	192
Jordy Correia	155	151
Tyler Traub	155	152.4
Harold Brun	155	156
David Dalrymple	155	154.4
Danny Mayham	170	168
Greg Alberts	170	168.8
Andy Jack	150	149.8
Ethan Cornect	150	150.4
Damon Steadman	HWT	264
Austin Smith	HWT	263
Mike Keating	185	173
Eric Gedak	185	185.6
Mike Geib	205	202
Jordan Jones	205	204.6

MMA personality, entrepreneur, and former UFC fighter Nate “Rock” Quarry was nice enough to answer some questions for me, leading up to HK31.  Shortly after the release of Jon Fitch from the UFC, (which has been controversial to say the least), Nate, among other people across the MMA community, voiced their opinion about it.  There are cries of favouritism, poor judgement on the part of UFC brass, and some blaming some sort of personal vendetta for the release.  UFC President Dana White has stated it is simply a matter of trimming the fat off of an inflated fighter roster, apparently over 100 fighters too big for the payroll.  He has also stated there will be more blood spilt, so watch for the cuts to come.  I personally never said to anyone “I gotta watch that event this weekend, because Fitch is fighting.” He’s personally not my favourite style of fighter to watch.  However, he was effective, and turned out an impressive record considering he was only fighting top tier fighters for the mainstay of his UFC career.

Nate shares some opinions on this, advice for up-and-coming fighters, and insight into his MMA and personal life, which I hope at least one HK fighter finds useful or intriguing.  Here’s the Interview:

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HK:  Nate, thanks for taking a moment to answer some questions for me.  Everybody in the MMA community knows you from Ultimate Fighter, UFC, and MMA Uncensored Live.  What has been keeping you busy lately?

Nate: It seems like if I get 5 minutes to breathe I’m overwhelmed with boredom, so I always have to be working on new things. One of the big things is working as a patient ambassador with the medical device company that gave me my life back 7 years ago. In working with Nuvasive we’ve formed a patient support group called The Better Way Back.  My goal is really just to reach out to people that are suffering and give them hope. I’m not a doctor and I don’t even attempt to diagnose anyone. I just share my story and let people know that the days of big open procedures are over, minimally invasive back surgeries are now available, and you can get back to living your life on your terms. On top of that I’ve got my clothing line and comic book, ZombieCageFighter. Throw in being a single father and my days are pretty full.

 HK: Recently you were on an episode of Comic Book Men, where you gave Jay & Silent Bob a lesson in MMA.  How fun was that?  Do you often visit MMA Clubs as a guest trainer or speaker?

 Nate: In the past I’ve just been too busy. I live in Oregon, and MMA Uncensored was filmed in NYC every Thursday, so the with all the travel when I’m home I really try to focus on being the best father I can be. That means passing on some coaching and training opportunities, but I think in the long run it’s more than worth it.

 HK:  A post you wrote on Facebook was what prompted me to ask you for this interview.  You were talking about Jon Fitch’s recent release from the UFC, despite his impressive record against the Elite fighters in the division.  You said it was something about entertainment.  could you elaborate on that?

 Nate: Well, what I was saying is that now more than ever, fighting is a form of entertainment. People want to see finishes and lacking that, they want to see fighters attempting to finish the fight the entire time. But another element that people forget about is giving people a personality they can remember and root for or against. To compare a couple of fighters who’s fighting style is almost a mirror image to one another, Chael and Jon Fitch. What’s the difference between the two fighters? Fitch finishes more fights and Chael talks more trash. It’s true. Since making it to the UFC Fitch has finished 4 fights, Chael has finished 1 fight in the UFC and WEC combined. Fitch went the distance against GSP in his title fight after an 8-fight win streak in the UFC, won another 5 fights in a row, and never made it back to a title shot. Chael won 3 fights, all by decision, lost his title fight by submission, won two more fights, and got another shot at the title in which he lost in the second round. His very next fight after losing the second title shot will be another title shot at a heavier weight class. It doesn’t really make much sense does it? Except from a monetary stand point. Chael has shown he knows how to sell a fight. He’s adopted a pro wrestling persona, even directly quoting pro wrestlers in his post fight speeches, and gives the fans something to remember and root for or against. Ask yourself this question, why is pro-wrestling so popular? It combines sports, which everyone loves, with stories, which everyone loves. Another example is Phil Baroni. With a UFC record of 3 wins and 7 losses you have to look beyond his record to see why he continued to get fights in the UFC. A few reasons, he comes to fight every time and can deliver brutal knock outs. But even more so, man, can he talk some trash. Everyone always wants to see if the trash talker can deliver or if he’ll get his ass kicked. You have to give the fans something to remember and root either for or against you. In the business of entertainment you have to either be loved or hated. If the fans are indifferent, then they don’t care if you’re fighting or not. And quite honestly, it’s a lot easier to be hated than loved. If you’re going to be loved, that’s a 24 hour a day job. To be hated you just have to insult someone once and it’s never forgotten.

HK:  Hard Knocks has an event coming up March 2nd, which is an All Amateur event.  What advice do you have for up-and-coming Amateur MMA Athletes, as far as training and advancement through their career?

Nate: You have to love the sport, absolutely LOVE fighting, otherwise it’s just too hard of a job to try and fight for other reasons. But as much as you love it, remember that at the end of the day it’s a business. Your coach has rent to pay. Your promoter has a venue to fill. I got some advice a while back when I took a contract I had been given to my lawyer to read it through. The contract basically said I get nothing and the person giving me the contract gets everything. I was so angry that someone would try to take advantage of me like this. My lawyer laughed. “What don’t you understand? Their job is to make money. Your job is to not be stupid.” I wish I had heard that at the beginning of my career. Like with Team Quest. I would make appearances for them at their gym at no charge, I would corner fighters at no charge, I even put the Team Quest logo on my shorts all because I wanted to see my friends be successful. But when it came down to helping me when I was in need, then it was all a business. But that’s the way many places are, “Hey help us out because you want to see your friends succeed but we can’t cut you a break because this is a business.” Would I have still done all those things? Probably. But then I would have known not to ask for anything in return.

HK: What memory of your early MMA career do you still remember to this day?  Any hard life lessons learned, big moments or turning points, or words from a mentor that are engrained in your memory?

Nate: There are so many little things that changed my direction so many times. One of my first coaches, Tom Oberhue, asking me to be on the Straight Blast Gym competition team. I said no, those guys were too tough for me to even think about fighting. But he believed in me and encouraged me to give it a shot. That one conversation changed my whole future. Then later a different coach at SBG who took pleasure in trying to knock everyone out flat out told me that I was, “no good and you never will be.” At the moment having a coach tell you something like that was devastating but looking back on it now, I should send him a thank you card. That one sentence pushed me out the door and off to train with Randy who was a real fighter and was able to help me get to the next level. I guess it comes with years of experience, you can see what people’s motivations truly are, and you learn to be with the right coach at the right time. I’ve had so many training partners and coaches that have given me so much that I don’t think I could ever repay them. People stepping up when I needed them. That’s the true spirit of martial arts.

 HK:  Canada has been supplying some great MMA talent over the years and the numbers are growing.  What career advice would you give to Pro fighters that are on the cusp of getting noticed and making it big in MMA? “Do’s or Don’ts” so to speak.

 Nate: It’s simple, make them want you. Don’t beg to be in the big show. Make them beg you. Looking again at Jon Fitch, ask yourself this question, are you better than Fitch? If you are, great. If not, then you really need to look at what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. Because if you think you can make it to the UFC and have a long career when you gain fame and fortune and yet Jon Fitch would wipe the floor with you, you need to make some changes. It’s like turning pro, once you go pro you can’t go back. Stay amateur as long as you can. When you’ve crushed everyone out there, then think about it. And when you go pro, have someone that cares about your success. Get a real manager. This I can’t stress enough, ask yourself, how does your manager pay his bills? Back at Quest my managers and coaches paid their bills with the students that trained at the gym and by fighting themselves. As a starting pro I would make maybe $500 a fight. So the split to the 3 owners would be around $25 each. If you’re fighting for half a million or getting 10k a month from students, how much time are you going to dedicate to earning that $25? I met with Monty Cox while I was in the middle of my split with Quest, I’ll never forget what he told me. “Look at how many champions I manage. Do you think that’s a coincidence? Hell no. I MAKE champions.” And he was right. He’d put on shows and build up his guys, Franklin, Hughes and many others. That’s why when they’d make it to the UFC they’d have ten times as many fights as your average guy. A manager should be greedy. The more money he makes, the more you make.

 HK:  As a Father, you know what it is like to train and compete with young children at home.  How do you recommend fighters stay balanced between training and personal life?  Or is that even possible when you have to train for a big fight?

Nate: It’s brutal. And I’m in a special situation. I’m a single father and my daughter lives with me. I’m up every morning at 6:50am and I’m home at 3pm when my daughter gets back. Now that I’m retired that’s not that big of a deal but when you’re training doubles and have a big fight coming up, man, that’s tough. But here’s the thing, it’s worth it. How many celebrities have you seen that have just messed up family lives? Over and over you see the kids of celebrities OD’ing on drugs or just getting into trouble. It’s such a fine line as a parent because an athlete has to be selfish. It has to be all about me when I’m training and fighting. But that leads to problems later on. I decided a long time ago that being short term selfish wasn’t worth the long term consequences. I didn’t want to turn around and be 60 and wonder where my daughter was and why she didn’t want to spend time with me. So I live in Oregon where I don’t want to be because it’s the best place for her. Her mother and relatives live up here, and the school system and activities are great up here. So I don’t get to just selfishly do what I want all the time. But that’s what being a parent is all about.

HK:  Finally, What’s next for Nate Quarry?  Do you have any plans or offers on the table you would like to tell us about?

Nate: I’ve go some more stuff in the works with Spike. Spike has been such a great place to work with, such genuinely friendly people. And of course ZombieCageFighter. Go to www.zombiecagefighter.com and check out the comic book and t-shirts I have. It’s underground cool right now so get them before I completely sell out and everyone talks about how down to earth I USED to be

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Thanks taking some time out for us Nate, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.  You can follow Nate on Facebook , and his Twitter handle is @NateRockQuarry .  You can also visit his website at www.nathanquarry.com
Be sure to have a look at Nate’s post-apocalyptic inspired vision, Zombie Cage Fighter, where you can become part of “The Horde” or just buy some cool Tees.

Shane @ Hard Knocks Fighting

School of Hard Knocks 31
Estevan, SK
SATURDAY, March 2, 2013 – 7:00pm
Spectra Place
Doors open at 6:00pm
ALL AMATEUR EVENT
In Support of the Estevan Jr. Bruins
Official Weigh-Ins: Please Join us for the official weigh-ins at Spectra Place FRIDAY March 1st, 2013 @ 5:00pm.  Open to the public.

School of Hard Knocks 31 will be taking place Saturday, March 2nd, at Spectra Place in Estevan, SK.  This is an All Amateur card, in support of the Estevan Junior Bruins.  The event will be action packed, and we have 2 titles on the line to highlight the show.  Fighters will be coming from Provinces across Canada to showcase their talents, including Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and a good number of fighters from Saskatchewan, who will have the support of the home crowd.  These include local Estevan fighters Mike Geib, Travis Heibert, Tyler Traub, Greg Alberts, Michael Keating, and Eric Gedak.

Independant fighter Felix Jimenez out of Estevan, SK will be squaring off against Team Tompkins Affiliate Leeroy Johnson from London, ON in a Heavyweight tilt that is sure to please.  Jimenez has won his last 2 fights, and Johnson is coming off a submission-due-to-strikes victory.  Our Co-Main Event of the evening is for the Hard Knocks Amateur Lightweight Title, which will see Chris Chapman face off against David Swanson for the belt.  Chapman, who hails from Red Deer, AB and trains out of Arashido, is currently on a 4 fight win streak.  His opponent Swanson trains out of Winnipeg  Academy of MMA, who won his last fight via Decision.  To finish the night, we have the Amateur Light-Heavyweight Title up for grabs between Devon Smith of Laronge, SK and Kevin Legasse out of Medicine Hat, AB.  Devon “The Giant Killer” Smith is on a 4-fight tear; all 4 were finishes, 3 via Strikes in the 1st Round.  Legasse is no slouch himself, currently on a 3 fight win streak, the last of which he secured the Middleweight Title for another promotion.  The further Legasse can make it past the first round with the heavy-handed Smith, the better his chances are to take the belt.

Come out to the show to support your local fighters and the Estevan Junior Bruins on March 2nd and enjoy this great card.  For VIP Table availability, please contact Ari Taub by email ari@hardknocksfighting.com .

Tickets are available at the following locations:

hardknocksfighting.com (on the HK31 Event page)
Bruins Office
Hender’s Drugs
Tap House
XS IV Gear
Brawn & Body (Regina, SK)
Ice Factory / Beef Bar

It was a great night of action tonight at Century Casino, Calgary.  HK30 provided knockouts, submissions and some gruelling decisions.  All of the fights were great, and some defining moments of the night included:
-Zach Snyder defeats Randy Chung to win the Amateur 145 lbs. Title, via Decision after 5 rounds.  During his Interview after the fight, Snyder says the belt represents “Hard Work”.  Congratulations go to Zach, and a great effort from Randy Chung.
- A viscious First Round KO from Dale Tallman.  He likes the small gloves apparently, since transitioning from Boxing to MMA.
-An impressive debut from Rob Nelson against Keegan Oliver.  It was a great back-and-forth match with some great wrestling and grappling.   Even though Nelson was up to the challenge, Keegan Oliver improved his record to 5-0 via Decision.

-Jeff Porter got his hand raised, but could hardly stand for his post fight interview, after rolling with Josh Griffin for 3 exhausting rounds to secure the Decision Win.

-In the Main Event of the evening, Michael Madrid took a Split Decision win over Ryan Machan in a tilt between two very experienced Mixed Martial Artists.

Full results are as follows:

MICHAEL MADRID def. RYAN MACHAN by Split Decision

AARON GALLANT def. JOE KEESICK by Unanimous Decision

JEFF PORTER def. JOSH GRIFFIN at 4:52 of 3rd Round via Submission (arm bar)

MATT KRAYCO def. CURTIS BLACKMORE due to unanswered blows (TKO) at 3:00 of 1st Round

ZACH SNYDER def. RANDY CHUNG by Unanimous Decision (after 5 rounds)

KEEGAN OLIVER def. ROB NELSON by Unanimous Decision

GURDIP RANGI def. SCOTT MacDONALD at 2:57 into Rnd 2 via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)

ZACH MANYWOUNDS def. ANDREW VANDERVELDEN by Split Decision

JAMES NANASCA def. JUSTIN BUXTON 0:56 in the 1st Round via Submission (Armbar)

DALE TALLMAN def. DEZ RYLAND by KO at 0:31 in the first Round

LOUIE GROVER def. BLAKE SIGVALDASON at 0:55 of Rnd 2 via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)

ANTON TOKARCHUK def KURT ELKE by KO at 1:12 in the 1st Round

An Interview with Zach Snyder and Randy Chung, Amateur Featherweight Title Contenders who will be facing off for the Belt at HK30 This Friday February 8th, at Century Casino in Calgary.

 At School of Hard Knocks 30, Contenders Zach Snyder and Randy Chung will square off to see who will claim the vacated Amateur Featherweight Title.  This is a classic match-up of differing styles, and these two Mixed Martial Artists have 2 different views as to how this is going to go down, and we are about to find out.  Both fight out of Calgary, so there should be some good support for both fighters from the hometown crowd.

 I asked these two amateur pugilists some personal questions, and some questions about this fight, the biggest of their MMA careers so far.  What does it mean to them professionally?  What does it mean personally? How will getting the belt change how they progress their MMA career? Let’s find out:

HK:  Congratulations on getting selected to fight for this belt.  How did you react when you found out you were a top contender for a shot at the vacant HK Amateur Featherweight Title?

Zach: Thank you. I was happy HK chose me to compete for the title with Randy Chung. I have worked and fought very hard to get here, and I believe my record isn’t a good indicator of how skilled I really am.  I always put on a good show and fight as hard as I can.

Randy:  Winning an amateur title was my goal since coming back from a couple of years off to repair and recover from a bad knee injury I incurred in 2009.  I am happy that I am being acknowledged for my success at this level, and I am excited for the opportunity to accomplish what I was set out to do.

HK: Do you plan on turning Pro?  Will winning this belt affect that decision?

Zach: This will probably be my last, or one of my last, amateur fights.  We will see how things go. Right now I am just focused on defeating Randy Chung, and I would be silly to look past this fight.

Randy:  I get that question a lot and my thoughts are before I even consider competing as a professional I want to see if I’m any good at the amateur level first.  If I can win this belt then I can’t be bad right?  So yes it will affect my decision going forward.

HK:  Question for Zach:  Randy Chung is an excellent submission artist, but you should have a strong edge  in the stand-up department.  How have you changed your training for this opponent?

Zach: I obviously have been honing my submission and take down defense.  But more than that, I have been focused on turning myself into a “super’ athlete, and I have been adding many more weapons to my game.

HK:  Question for Randy: Zach Snyder has good striking skills.  How have you changed your training for this opponent?

Randy:  From watching his last couple of matches he seemed quite disciplined with his strikes, keeping them nice and straight, with some good combinations and movement.  I don’t think he wants to be too aggressive with a proficient grappler, so I’m guessing he wants to keep it on the outside.  I’ve been working on dealing with his reach.

HK: Question for Zach: Randy Chung was able to come to a draw with Patrick Ward, where Ward defeated you.  What do you have to say to people that are using that as a measuring stick for how this fight will end?  What improvements have you made since then?

Zach: I don’t think comparisons between our respective fights with Ward are relevant at all. Every fight is a new challenge. Also, when I fought Patrick, it was only my second fight.  I was very young and inexperienced.  I did well in that fight, but just got caught with the overhand.  It happens, but I am a completely different fighter now from the fighter I was then, and I am here to prove it.

HK: For Randy:  You were able to come to a draw with Patrick Ward, where Ward defeated Zach Snyder.  You have won all of your MMA fights besides that one, and you are undefeated.  How have you been working at improving yourself since your last fight to maintain your undefeated status?

Randy:  I learned a lot with my match with Patrick Ward.  He is a former HK Amateur Bantamweight Title Challenger who is a very tough and fierce competitor.  Technically, I’ve been working on my movement standing and transitioning on the ground.  I’ve changed up my conditioning program to be more personalized and sport specific, over the trending “CrossFit” style approach.

HK:  Tell us about your respective clubs, and tell us who has been helping you prepare for this fight?

 Zach: Canuckles is a great club to train at, lead by instructor Max Marin.  I would like to thank Max for all the time and dedication he has given me.  I would also like to thank all of my training partners for getting me ready for this fight!

Randy:  I am so grateful for all the people that have been involved in my development as a martial artist, and as a human being.  First of all, without the support of my wife Giuliana, none of this would be possible.  We recently welcomed our first child to this world.  Her name is Maya-Isabella.  With all the things that are going on in my life, she helps me keep things together.  I promised her there will be more family time at home after this fight!  Family is so important.  My mom, dad, brother (who is also a training partner), sister, God-parents, sister-in-law.  They’ve all been supporting me through this journey in their own way.  Gracie Barra Calgary (GBC) is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Academy run by Professor Josh Russell.  I’ve been training there since February 2007.  We mainly train in the gi, which we pride ourselves of.  I am currently a two stripe purple belt.  Josh has helped me transition my grappling skills into mixed martial arts competition.  I have a wide variety of training partners, from veteran grappling tournament participants, amateur and professional mixed martial arts fighters, to the recreational mat ninjas. I get turned into a pretzel on a regular basis here and it constantly humbles me, and helps me strive to become a stronger grappler!  I train my stand-up skills at Mizong Luohan Sanda (迷蹤羅漢散打) with 4 time Canadian National Champion, and World Championship Team Canada Member, Sifu (師父) Bruce Tran.  Sanda (散打) also known as Sanshou (散手), is a combative sport from the People’s Republic of China. It combines techniques from the most effective and sport applicable punching and kicking techniques from traditional Chinese martial arts, western boxing, and Shuaijiao (摔跤) which is a Chinese folk wrestling style.  I think it really compliments my Jiu-jitsu in mixed martial arts.  I also train my boxing with my long-time friend and training partner Louis Tang out of our basement set up.  My crew at the Penn West Fitness Centre Bernard Bigornia, Tyler Mah (BSc Kin, CPT) and Roxanna Churko (BSc Kin, CEP, RHN) have helped me with my strength, conditioning and nutrition. Chancey Fongsamouth, Holistic Practitioner and owner of Touch of Wellness, has helped me keep my body together through bouts of vigorous training with her treatments over the past year.  Dr. Corey Fiske at 5th Avenue Place Chiropractic has helped me keep good posture and has kept me able to perform at an optimal level.  Rogie Jubran, owner of Arjay Fight Gear, has been supplying me with training equipment to help me prepare for the fight.  I also want to give a shout out to Felipe Costa in Brazil, and Khathasit Ta Jaisuedee in Thailand, for their lessons not only in martial arts, but also lessons in life when I was training in their respective countries.

HK:  Why did you get involved in MMA?  Who is your inspiration, either idol or mentor?

Zach: I just felt like it was the thing for me to do at the time, it was calling me. I truly believe things happen for a reason whether good or bad.  I still remember my first class when I was 14, and to this day I have never looked back since.

Randy:  I have been into martial arts since I was a kid.  Son Goku, from Dragon Ball, was my idol.  When I first got into mixed martial arts, I wanted to test my skills on a fully resisting opponent.  One thing lead to another, and the opponents kept on getting tougher and tougher, and here I am!  I would say Professor Josh Russell is my mentor.  He is a great example of a person who is living their life to the fullest.  I would like to be a great teacher one day!  I draw inspiration from many people but just to name a few:
Grappling -Demian Maia, Marcelo Garcia, Ronaldo Souza.
Sanda (散打) – Cung Le, Pat Barry.
Traditional Martial Arts – Lyoto Machida.
Kickboxing – Andy Souwer.

HK:  How do you see yourself finishing this fight? How and in what Round?

 Zach: Could be a first round TKO, or even 5 RND decision. I am ready for the 5 rounds, but I would like to get a impressive finish.

Randy:   First or second round technical knock out or submission.

HK:  Do you have a message for each other before the fight this Friday?

Zach: Let’s put on a show for the fans who pay good money to come see us SCRAP!

Randy:  Let’s have a great fight and put on a show!

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­______________________

On behalf of Hard Knocks Fighting, I would like to thank Zach and Randy for answering my questions and taking part in this interview.  I wish you both the best of luck in your HK Amateur Featherweight Title Fight.  Looks like you are both prepared to put on a show for the fans!  I hope everyone who reads this comes out to show their support for these fighters this coming Friday, February 8th, at Century Casino in Calgary.  Links to buy tickets are provided on the fight card page for this event on our website hardknocksfighting.com

Enjoy the fights everybody!

Shane @ Hard Knocks Fighting