10 Questions With Mike Hayes (7/23/2010)

[DarrickPatrick]

10 Questions With Mike Hayes (by Darrick Patrick)

Mike "300" Hayes is a professional mixed martial artist who has appeared in organizations such as Strikeforce, Bellator Fighting Championships, Rumble On The Ridge, SportFight, Palace Fighting Championship, CageSport, Fight Night, Alliance Fights, Carnage At The Creek, Genesis Fights, and Ring Sports United. At the time of this interview, his next scheduled match is against Hae Joon Yang in Bellator Fighting Championships at BFC 26 on August 26th, 2010.

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

Mike: I was a fan of the sport way before I ever started training or competing. I would always watch fights with my friends and comment on how I could beat both of the guys in the cage. Finally, my friends told me to quit talking and just do it. So I am...and my respect for fighters has grown considerably since I've started training and putting in the real work myself.

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

Mike: My dad was probably the person who influenced me the most. He is definitely a workaholic, usually putting in 70 to 80-hour work weeks to raise our family. And while I've never been one to want a "normal" job, I think his work ethic has been passed down to me in my training.

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

Mike: I would advise people to not just rush into the sport. Take your time, learn the fundamentals, and then start taking fights. That's not at all the way I did it, but I wish that I had. I've seen too many talented and athletic guys who tried to jump in too fast, only to get knocked out or submitted. For a lot of guys, those losses are not very easy to turn into learning experiences. They lose once and then you never see them again.

Darrick: Your next scheduled match is against Hae Joon Yang on August 26th. What are your thoughts about this upcoming fight?

Mike: I'm very excited for this next fight. I feel like I'm very well-prepared and that I match up extremely well with Hae Joon Yang. He's shorter than me by quite a bit and I'm stronger than I've ever been since I started fighting pro.

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

Mike: I get the most fulfillment from just doing something physical, stressful, and challenging with my body. I always wanted to be an athlete and I thought I missed my chance by being lazy for too long. Mixed martial arts though has given me the opportunity to really test my limits and push myself to my full potential.

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

Mike: One person in particular is Dan Henderson, simply for the way he handled that whole Bisping situation. He completely held back the trash talk for longer than anyone should be capable of holding back and then he shut Bisping up in the cage. Very impressive. Another person is Jon Jones. He's a very respectful and humble guy, who can smash people but never talks about it. I also admire how outspoken he is about his faith...something that is hard to do in this day and age.

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

Mike: I'm big on being outdoors. I backcountry ski in the winter and wakeboard during the summer. That pretty much sums up what I do outside of training and being a dad.

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

Mike: Not many people know that I was a very lazy teenager. I always played sports, but was never really committed. The high school football coaches begged me to play football. My response was, "Do I have to practice?" When they said yes, I'd tell them I wasn't interested. If I had half the drive back then that I have today, I'd probably be a millionaire still playing in the NFL.

Darrick: If you had superpowers, what would they be?

Mike: I would be able to fly. I know everybody says that, but I'm serious. I try to fly all the time anyways...cliff jumping in water, cliff jumping on skis, going big while wakeboarding and always crashing. Yeah, it would definitely be to fly and see the world from a completely different perspective.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

Mike: My oldest memory was from being on my grandpa's boat. My whole family was there. My sister was in one of those baby seats that clips to the table (they probably don't make them anymore). I was playing under the table, messing with her seat. All of a sudden, she fell back and cracked her head open on the wood stove. She had to get a bunch of stitches and nobody knew it was me that caused it until about two years ago.

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 Mike Hayes in the following places:

Official Mike Hayes Website:

http://www.mike300haze.webs.com

Official Mike Hayes Facebook Site:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1564173337

Mike Hayes on Fight Finder:

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Mike-Hayes-29144

Mike Hayes Photo Gallery at Sherdog.com:

http://www.sherdog.com/pictures/gallery/fighter/29144