10 Questions With John Alessio (11/17/2010)

[DarrickPatrick]

10 Questions With John Alessio (by Darrick Patrick)

John "The Natural" Alessio is a professional mixed martial artist who has competed in organizations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRIDE, World Extreme Cagefighting, Maximum Fighting Championship, King of the Cage, Tachi Palace Fights, DREAM, Ring of Fire, Pancrase, Warrior-1 MMA, Ultimate Glory, TKO Major League MMA, SuperFights, Banner Promotions, Enter the Beast, World Freestyle Fighting, Icon Sport, SuperBrawl, Neutral Grounds, Extreme Challenge, Bas Rutten Invitational, and Ultimate Battle. At the time of this interview, his next scheduled match is against Phil Collins in Tachi Palace Fights at TPF 7: Deck the Halls on December 2nd, 2010.

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

John: Well, I had no martial arts background. I just rented an early UFC and fell in love with sport. I met my friend Jason Heit and started to train under him back in 1998. I entered a MMA event and won by TKO. From then on I was hooked.

Darrick: Your next scheduled fight is against Phil Collins on December 2nd. What are your thoughts about this upcoming match?

John: Phil Collins is a tough guy with lots to gain from this fight. That's dangerous for me. I am taking this fight very seriously and training extremely hard. It will mean a lot to me to win the Tachi Palace Welterweight title.

Darrick: Who are a few of the people in the sport that you highly respect?

John: I really respect Randy Couture. I always thought that he was such a nice guy who could really fight! He has also done so much for our sport. I was always a big fan of Frank Shamrock back in the day as well.

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

John: I really like seeing my progression as a fighter. It's very satisfying to see myself get better, but that comes down to my hard work and my great trainers.

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

John: Train hard and follow your dream. It takes lots of work and dedication, but anything is possible in life. A positive attitude is a must!

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

John: I have always looked up to my father. He is the hardest working man I have ever met. He worked two full-time jobs for years to support my mom, my sister, and myself.

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

John: I really enjoy traveling and spending time with my family and friends. I love to go camping and fishing in the summer, it's so relaxing to be out in nature.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

John: That's a tough question, I had a great childhood. My parents are great parents and they always tried their hardest to make sure my sister and I were able to do stuff like go camping, have ski trips, attend family functions, etc.

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

John: I have a big imagination. I also love to play SimCity, which to most people is probably the dumbest game around.

Darrick: If you were the last person alive on Earth, what do you think you'd do to entertain yourself?

John: I would probably try to get to Hawaii and live on the beach. There are so many good fruits that grow wild and great fishing. I think it would be an awesome place to live off the land and of course there is lots of fun stuff to do such as surfing and swimming. To be honest though I would be really lonely without my wife and family, not to mention my two dogs.

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 John Alessio in the following places:

Official John Alessio Website:

http://www.john-alessio.com

Official John Alessio Facebook Site:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=752555120

Official John Alessio Twitter Area:

http://www.twitter.com/johnalessio79

John Alessio on Fight Finder:

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/John-Alessio-259

John Alessio Photo Gallery at Sherdog.com:

http://www.sherdog.com/pictures/gallery/fighter/259