10 Questions With Leslie Smith (4/25/2012)

[DarrickPatrick]

10 Questions With Leslie Smith (by Darrick Patrick)

Leslie "Peacemaker" Smith is a professional mixed martial artist who has competed in organizations such as Bellator Fighting Championships, Fitetime Entertainment, Blackeye Promotions, and Kickdown MMA. At the time of this interview, her next scheduled match is against Kaitlin Young in the Invicta Fighting Championships at Invicta FC 1 on April 28th, 2012.

Darrick: How did you end up competing professionally in mixed martial arts?

Leslie: I had been working at bars and restaurants. I got sick of seeing people get stupid and fat off the food and drinks I was serving them. I quit the bartending job I had and started working at a nursery, giving plants water to grow instead of giving people alcohol to poison themselves. I didn't make as much money, but I was living a healthier lifestyle. I started hiking more (I lived in Colorado Springs), and I decided I wanted to work somewhere that had a pool so that I could swim. I applied for a janitor position at a Bally Total Fitness and they said I looked pretty fit, asking if I would like to be a trainer.

I was a trainer for a few months when I realized we had a fight team that trained out of the gym. I watched a practice and decided right then I wanted to fight. My first fight couldn't have been scripted to make me love the sport more. The girl sucker punched me and made the crowd love me, so when I knocked her out I got a standing ovation. I was offered a sponsorship for $300 a month backstage immediately and I decided to turn professional as soon as I could. I fought two more amateur fights, which were both wins, and got my chance to go pro less than a year later.

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

Leslie: I have so much respect for Nick and Nathan Diaz, as well as all the rest of Team Graciefighter. I joined this team about three years ago and it was the best decision I ever made. It is so motivational to get to train with those guys and watch them get ready for their fights. I spend a lot of time at the El Niño Training Center in San Francisco, so I get to watch Gilbert Melendez train. He's super supportive and always willing to help.

All of those guys have their own gyms, their own fighters, and it's so dope that they actually made it. I hear stories about their first days around the gym when they weren't the ones on top, about how they got their asses handed to them and decided they wanted to be the ones on top. I see them train all the time and it makes me want to train even more. They are the real deal...and they still have time to help the up-and-comers, like me.

Darrick: Any words of advice for other individuals looking to compete in MMA?

Leslie: If somebody wants to start competing in mixed martial arts, they need to surround themselves with as many super-motivated training partners as they can. Begin separating yourself from bad habits, like drinking or smoking cigarettes. Start training every day. The harder other people see you work, the more they will want to help you.

Darrick: Your next scheduled fight is against Kaitlin Young on April 28th. What are your thoughts about this upcoming match?

Leslie: I have lots of thoughts about this fight, I am really excited about it. I think we are a great match-up for a really interesting fight because we have both favored the stand-up aspects of the sport in our past fights. It should be really exciting.

Darrick: Are there any extra struggles being a female in mixed martial arts or do you believe it to be basically the same difficulty for both genders?

Leslie: I used to think it was way tougher to be a female fighter because guys wouldn't want to roll with me. Also, it always felt like a struggle to get my coaches really interested in helping me as much as I thought they were helping the guys around me. Then, I decided that I was pretty lucky that I could jump into a sport and compete professionally in less than a year.

There is a lot more competition in men's MMA because there are more men. I am lucky that I have been able to improve along the way. As the pool gets deeper, it will be harder and harder for women with no martial arts experience to jump into MMA the way I did. So instead of carrying a big chip on my shoulder, I am just happy for my opportunities and looking to make the most of them. Crying and fixating on extra struggles never won anybody a belt.

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

Leslie: I love the camaraderie you get with your training partners. I love the feeling at the end of a day when you know you left everything on the mat. I love the light bulb that goes off in my head when I finally start to understand a concept. Maybe the best feeling though is when I work with the kids down the street from my house on boxing, they get a combo, and I'm like, "Yeah! That's it! Just like that, that's awesome!" They get all flustered and need a moment because they say I'm making them happy.

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

Leslie: I like gardening, reading, hiking, fishing, and traveling. I also enjoy baking! I make special brownies for some of the clubs here in the Bay Area. I really like being outdoors as well.

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

Leslie: When I finish fighting, I will go back to school to study botany and chemistry. I want to work with simplified hydroponics to help people with limited to nonexistent resources grow their own food.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

Leslie: I don't really remember much from being a kid.

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

Leslie: Probably read a book on the beach, naked, while eating some fish I had caught earlier that day...or maybe some abalone I'd gone diving for. If I was the last person, could I still have my dog around? I hope so.

FOR OTHER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS BY DARRICK PATRICK:

http://www.myspace.com/darrickpatrick/blog/343519835

You can also check out Leslie Smith in the following places:

Official Leslie Smith Facebook Site:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1015014587

Leslie Smith on Fight Finder:

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Leslie-Smith-46542

Leslie Smith Photo Gallery at Sherdog.com:

http://www.sherdog.com/pictures/gallery/fighter/46542