10 Questions With Micah Bender (1/5/2009)

[DarrickPatrick]

10 Questions With Micah Bender (by Darrick Patrick)

Micah "Mayhem" Bender is a professional mixed martial artist who has competed in organizations such as Fightfest and the International Fighting & Boxing League. At the time of this interview, his next scheduled match is against Mitch Whitesel in the main event at KOTC: Impulse on January 17th, 2009.

Darrick: What was the journey that led you to competing professionally in mixed martial arts?

Micah: I guess it was a combination of things - loving athletics, competition, and just wanting to knock skulls around. I was always in some form of martial arts for as long as I can remember and it seemed that I always got tired of whatever I was doing. I saw a UFC at a friend's house when I was about sixteen and fell in love. I had been boxing for awhile prior to this and after getting the opportunity to fight when I was twenty (with no MMA training), I took it. I've been here ever since!

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

Micah: I would have to say my personal favorite/most respected fighter is GSP due to his work ethic. I admit that I hated the guy for awhile, but when I started reading more into who he is and what he does in preparing for a fight, I couldn't hate him anymore. In my mind, that guy has more heart than any other fighter out there.

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

Micah: The advice I would give to anyone wanting to fight is this...stay out of my way! Ha ha, seriously though - don't make the same mistake that I did. Train your tail off, put in the time, get your conditioning where you need it to be, and don't think just because you can knock out drunk guys at a bar that you're ready to fight. On top of that, get out there and train at different gyms. Go to tournaments, try amateur boxing/kickboxing, and also wrestling tournaments. This game is more about skill than experience. So, don't think you should be in a hurry to fight, get your skills first. Oh, and no steroids!

Darrick: Your next scheduled fight is against Mitch Whitesel on January 17th. What are your thoughts about this upcoming match?

Micah: Honestly, I haven't thought about it much. I've found out that the more I don't think about the fight, the less I psych myself out. (Laughs) Now that I'm thinking about it though, I'm excited. The kid's tough, has a lot of experience, and runs a pretty decent school. All in all, I'm just really excited to fight for KOTC as a main event.

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

Micah: Hitting people in the face - next question. Naw...I love it all. There's so much to learn and gaining all that knowledge just excites me. Yeah, I'm a nerd.

Darrick: Where could you possibly see the future of the sport ten years from now?

Micah: I see it going one out of two ways...it either gets banned by some republican or it grows beyond anything we've seen. I'm hoping for the "growth" idea, seeing as how I still have over ten years left - pending injuries of course. I think as long as there are fighters and drunk fans, we're going to be okay.

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

Micah: I love reading, watching movies, and dating new hot girls. (Smiles) Other than that, I guess anything a 23-year-old likes. Ha! There isn't much in my life right now other than fighting.

Darrick: If you lost one of your senses, which could you stand to be without?

Micah: That's easy - taste. With the crap I eat to make weight, I wouldn't mind losing taste at all.

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

Micah: Hmmm...well, I'm afraid of spiders. (Laughs) Little creepy eight-legged freaks! Gahhh. I seriously just got chills thinking about the hairy ones. You won't tell anyone though, will you? My teammates are punks in the sense that they'll ride me for awhile about that.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

Micah: The earliest I can recall was when I was about six and had temporarily moved to Oklahoma. I remember playing on a swing set with my sister and I got stung by a wasp. I literally watched my forearm swell up like Popeye - but don't worry, I killed the little bastard.

FOR OTHER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS BY DARRICK PATRICK:

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

You can also check out Micah Bender in the following places:

Official Micah Bender MySpace Profile:

http://www.myspace.com/micahmayhem

Micah Bender on Fight Finder:

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Micah-Bender-16147