10 Questions With Eric Lawson (3/24/2009)

[DarrickPatrick]

10 Questions With Eric Lawson (by Darrick Patrick)

Eric Lawson is a professional mixed martial artist who has competed in the Strikeforce organization at events such as Destruction, Melendez vs. Thomson, Playboy Mansion II, and Four Men Enter, One Man Survives. He has also appeared in various Gladiator Challenge shows, including Chaos at Kezar, Battle Ground, Season's Beatings, and Proving Grounds. At the time of this interview, his next scheduled match was originally intended to be with Richard Montoya, but will now be against Waylon Kennell at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz on April 11th, 2009.

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

Eric: My dad started my brother and I in wrestling when I was nine, so having wrestled most of my life, making the transistion into fighting was inevitable due to my thrill-seeking personality and because it didn't require me to go too far out of my comfort zone.

Darrick: Who are some of the people that greatly influenced you while growing up?

Eric: Probably my parents and definitely my older brother. I think having an older brother made me grow up faster because when he experienced something new, I experienced the same thing or learned about it as well. Except I got the benefit of learning it a few year's earlier, which I think contributes to learning life's lessons faster and thus being able to better grow as a person.

Darrick: Your next scheduled match is against Waylon Kennell on April 11th. What are your thoughts about this upcoming fight?

Eric: Waylon's a tough and athletic opponent, so I think this is going to be an explosive fight with lots of action. From what I've seen, he likes to bang and mix it up on the ground, so the fight could go anywhere which is always entertaining. I'm confident having stepped up my training a lot, so I know that I'm going to be a monster in the cage for this bout. Expect good things.

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

Eric: Just be willing to put in time and be sure to train in all aspects of the sport. Put more time into things that you're not good at because that's where you'll get caught in a fight. Ask lots of questions from those who know more than you and try to surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed. Support from your team really helps.

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

Eric: Setting difficult, challenging, and intimidating goals that I sometimes question and perhaps occasionally regret. Then finding the discipline to grind through it and do it well. The more difficult the goal, the more rewarding achieving it is. That's the fulfillment I get from MMA.

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

Eric: I really respect Randy Couture for being the underdog so many times and then shocking everyone with the unexpected win. It just goes to show that if you want something bad enough and are willing to put in the work, you can make anything happen.

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

Eric: I'm pretty much an adrenaline junkie. When I'm not fighting, I'm riding BMX bikes, snowboarding, wakeboarding, sky diving, or anything daredevilish. I like partying on the weekends with my friends and hitting up the club/bar scene.

Darrick: When you're no longer amongst the living, how would you most like to be remembered?

Eric: I'd like to be remembered as a positive, happy person who made the lives of those around him entertaining and meaningful.

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

Eric: I have a degree in Economics and I've been a suit and tie guy by day as a mortgage planner for the last five years.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

Eric: Hunting for lizards in the woods around my grandparent's house when I was around five or six years old. It was the most exciting thing to me at the time and has always stood out in my mind.

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 Eric Lawson in the following places:

Official Eric Lawson MySpace Profile:

http://www.myspace.com/dfghomeloans

Official Eric Lawson Lending Website:

http://www.ericlawsonlending.com

Eric Lawson on Fight Finder:

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Eric-Lawson-9745

Eric Lawson Photo Gallery at Sherdog.com:

http://www.sherdog.com/pictures/gallery/fighter/9745