10 Questions With Carlos Condit (3/20/2009)

[DarrickPatrick]

10 Questions With Carlos Condit (by Darrick Patrick)

Carlos "Natural Born Killer" Condit is a professional mixed martial artist who has competed in organizations such as World Extreme Cagefighting, Pancrase, King Of The Cage, Extreme Wars, Rumble On The Rock, Fightworld, Ring Of Fire, Professional No Rules Fighting, Triple Threat Fight Night, Reality Fighting Championships, and Aztec Challenge. He is also the final WEC Welterweight Champion since that weight class has recently been removed from World Extreme Cagefighting. At the time of this interview, his next scheduled match is against Martin Kampmann in the Ultimate Fighting Championship at UFC Fight Night 18: Condit vs. Kampmann on April 1st, 2009.

Darrick: What was the path that led you to professional mixed martial arts competition?

Carlos: I really feel like I was meant to be a warrior. Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a prize fighter. I always wanted to fight, wrestle, or tackle the other kids. Needless to say, that got me into trouble sometimes. When I was fifteen, I began to train in kickboxing and grappling. Right away I knew that's what I wanted to do.

Darrick: Who is someone in the sport that you highly respect?

Carlos: I have a lot of respect for guys like Jens Pulver, who use their status to reach and inspire younger people.

Darrick: Do you have any words of advice for other individuals looking to compete in MMA?

Carlos: Become as well-rounded as you can. My success is a direct result of training my stand-up and ground equally from the very start.

Darrick: Your next scheduled match is against Martin Kampmann on April 1st. What are your thoughts about this upcoming fight?

Carlos: This is a huge fight for me, but that goes without saying. Kampmann is a very tough test for my UFC debut. He's really well-rounded and experienced. That being said, I feel like I have fought guys at least as tough as him - if not tougher. I'm expecting a war. I think this will be the fight of the night.

Darrick: Who is someone that greatly influenced you while growing up?

Carlos: My dad was one of the biggest influences for sure. He started me off in sports when I was very young. He was supportive without pushing me too hard, letting me find what I liked to do. I'm sure he was pleased that I chose combat sports though, with him having been a wrestler and a bit of a tough guy in his younger days.

Darrick: What brings you the most fulfillment out of martial arts?

Carlos: I really like the fact that I am in a position to be a source of inspiration for kids.

Darrick: Outside of MMA, what are your other interests?

Carlos: I like to watch documentaries on pretty much anything. Anthropology, military history, animals, anything. I also like to fish and hike - I enjoy being outdoors quite a bit.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

Carlos: My mom had made oatmeal with butter and brown sugar, and I remember thinking my toy lion was the same color as my oatmeal. Brown and yellow. It's weird the things you remember.

Darrick: Tell us something about you that most people don't know.

Carlos: Aside from the whole "cage fighting, natural born killer" thing, I'm really a big softie. Especially when it comes to animals. Eventually I want to have a place with a lot of land so I can have all sorts of creatures. It's going to be like Ace Ventura's house.

Darrick: What moment in your life have you been proudest of so far?

Carlos: Probably winning the WEC title. Ask me again in a couple of years and I might have a better answer like climbing a mountain, having kids, or something.

FOR OTHER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS BY DARRICK PATRICK:

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=4974388&blogID=343519835

You can also check out Carlos Condit in the following places:

Official Carlos Condit Website:

http://www.carloscondit.net

Official Carlos Condit MySpace Profile:

http://www.myspace.com/carloscondit

Carlos Condit on Fight Finder:

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Carlos-Condit-6765

Carlos Condit Photo Gallery at Sherdog.com:

http://www.sherdog.com/pictures/gallery/fighter/6765