Coming up Monday - UFC Fighter Interview

UFC Fighter Soa "The Hulk" Palelei will battle Eddie "The Manic Hispanic" Sanchez on December 29 in Las Vegas.

The interview with The Hulk will be up on Monday.

In Depth Interview with Dominance Fight Gear

With so many MMA clothing/gear companies sprouting up these days, it is hard to separate one company from the next. A MMA clothing company that is standing out is Dominance Fight Gear (DFG). Check out this very informative and interesting interview with the guys from DFG as they talk about their company's interesting philosphy, how they stand out from other MMA clothing companies, and the popularity of the UFC.

How did you guys get started as a company?
Basically, as rabid fans, we just wanted to be closer to the sport. Not being of the age or talent level that most shows look for regarding fighters, we thought a clothing/gear company would be a great option. We literally came up with the idea at a UFC event at Mandalay Bay. The following Monday we were filing for permits and licenses.

There are so many MMA clothing companies out there right now. What seperates Dominance Fight Gear from the others?
GREAT question! Early on, we recognized the fact that MMA based clothing wasn't an original idea. We needed to stand out, and be different so we decided that we would only sponsor fighters that have won three fights in a row, or are champions of their weight class. We came up with the criteria after extensive research and discussion. It is by no means perfect, but what it does represent is that when you see a fighter walking to or stepping into the cage wearing the DFG logo, they're bringing their "A" game. We run ads in all the big trade publications promoting our philosophy and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The downside to our philosophy is that we have to drop a fighter when they lose a fight. Sometimes this is a VERY difficult thing to do.

Dropping fighters if they lose is quite interesting since there are so many upsets in MMA lately. It is very bold of DFG to have that policy. How have fighters reacted to your policy?
You know, it's funny... the fighter that meets the criteria is literally honored to wear the DFG logo into the cage. They know not just anyone can be sponsored by us. The fighter that does not meet the criteria sometimes express frustration when they are rejected by us. Ironically, when they do qualify for sponsorship, we get a call the next day... literally! On numerous occasions, we have gotten phone calls from an excited fighter or manager 12 hours after the fighter's third consecutive win. We'll ask them where is the next fight and who they will be fighting, etc. They won't have the answer to these questions yet, but they want to wear the Dominance name. It really is a badge of honor. Also, the fighters we sponsor know the deal going in. Sooner or later, most fighters and sponsors part ways. With DFG, you know the deal when you sign the contract. We continue to renew sponsorships with all of our fighters who keep their victory streak alive. To date, we have not dropped a fighter "just because."

Who are some of the fighters that you have sponsored and are currently sponsoring?
Currently we sponsor Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez, Carlos Condit, Clay French, and Alex Karalexis. We just signed a kid named Brian Bowles out of Athens,GA. He is just 3-0, but very strong with an incredible heart. He fights for the WEC in December. Some of our past sponsorships include Brock Larson, Joe Doerksen, Micah Miller, and Jeff Bedard to name a few. We are working on several others, and we'll post the news on our website when we have confirmation. We update the "News" portion of the website every other day.

Where can fans buy your clothing and gear?
Dominancefightgear.com is our home base. We're out of Las Vegas. We are in numerous retail locations as well as in Las Vegas at Xtreme Couture, The Squared Circle, and Fight Club. You can also find our clothing at Hit and Submit Fight Shop in Upland,CA, The Octagon in Medford,OR, Extreme Fight Gear in Longview,TX, and Damage Inc Fight Wear in Corpus Christi,TX. Lately it seems like we have been adding a new retailer every couple weeks or so. We have many more that we're in discussions with. Stay tuned! We also do 6-10 shows a year in which we set up a booth and sell DFG.

Can you tell us about the hot model featured on the website?

Vanessa Raia... great girl... making a long story short, we saw her at the gym one day. I remember thinking she would be great as our new Dominance Girl, but I didn't do anything about it. As the shoot date moved closer, we couldn't find that perfect model that we were looking for. I figured I would keep my eyes peeled at the gym the next day, and approach the previously mentioned girl if she was there. No luck. I went home afterwards and got on Myspace to look for a model. Eventually, I found a girl with the perfect look and exactly what we were looking for. As I scrolled through her photos, I thought she looked familiar. It was the girl from the gym! It turns out she actually was a professional model so I sent her an email... and here we are.

There have been many fighters lately that have been suspended for illegal substances such as steriods and marijuana. If a sponsored fighter was suspended for these types of drugs, would you consider dropping them?
In our sponsorship contracts with each fighter, there is a paragraph that gives us the option to back out based on questionable behavior. It really has to be a case by case thing. Unlike our "three consecutive wins" philosophy, there is much more ambiguity under these types of circumstances. The whole Sean Sherk situation has become a mess. It would be difficult to drop a guy like Sean as he is an incredible athlete, a great ambassador for the sport, has a work ethic second to none, and he emphatically denies the allegations. We know they just delayed the hearing, but hope they clean it up quick.

Do you guys attend all the UFC and WEC fights when they are in town?
Yes, Zuffa gives us free tickets to all their events! (laughs). We have attended all the WEC events since Zuffa brought them to Vegas primarily because we sponsor a lot of fighters in the WEC. We attend most of the UFC events that take place in Las Vegas unless we throw a party for our friends and staff at the DFG headquarters.

What has been the best fight you seen in person?
The best fight in person? Well, we did see the first Griffin vs Bonnar fight. That was pretty incredible. Also, UFC 52 where Matt Hughes came back from almost being knocked out and choked out Frank Trigg. Those two come immediately to mind.

Do you think the UFC can hold on to its current popularity after losing out on Fedor and now losing Randy Couture as well? Chuck Liddell isn't getting any younger, Tito Ortiz is doing reality TV shows, and Rich Franklin is no longer a contender for the title. Is the UFC ship about to sink?
In order for the UFC to stay on top, they have to continually bring in fresh talent that people care about. Forget about several of their recent Pride signings for a second. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) has worked as such an incredible tool for them. Let's pretend TUF never happened... albeit difficult to do, imagine the UFC without the Griffin vs Bonnar fight, Keith Jardine, Diego Sanchez, Josh Koschek, Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping, Chris Leben, and let's not forget Matt Serra and the feud he created with Matt Hughes. The UFC could not have dreamt up a better marketing tool. Boxing has become "yesterday's news" because there is no fresh talent that people care about. Name a boxer who wasn't around five years ago. Anyone come to mind? No. I believe the UFC will always be to MMA what Las Vegas is to gambling. There will be other fight leagues out there , and other cities to gamble in, and they 'll have a draw but like it or not, the UFC isn't going anywhere nor is Las Vegas!

Of all the new MMA promotions out theres such as the IFL, Pro Elite, Strike Force, and M-1 Global, which one do you think has the best chance to compete with the UFC and give them a run for their money as the #1 MMA company in this country?
They all have the potential of doing well, but I don't think anyone is really going to compete with the UFC for years. Most of it comes down to marketing the talent you have. Name 10, or even five fighters who fight in each league you mentioned. Many MMA fans can tell you 10 guys in the welterweight division of UFC alone! That's the difference. You can't underestimate the UFC's depth. Given the ranting, it probably sounds like we have ties to Zuffa, but we don't. Just calling it how we see it.

What are the future plans for DFG and what is coming up?
Tons of stuff. Like most businesses, we have to continually evolve to stay competitive. We just started doing giveaways and updating the "News" portion of the website regularly. We do this every other day. We ask a trivia question, you respond first with the right answer, you win a prize. We continue to expand our retail distribution every month, and we'll be in some major chains soon. We have no fewer than 10 new items in the works that will be available on the website as early as November 6. We just submitted our Holiday ad campaign to all the major publications, and we're stocking up for the Holiday season. We are in talks with a half dozen big name fighters regarding potential sponsorship deals, and we're starting to prepare for the two shows we are doing in December. Short answer; Expand, Expand, Expand!

Thanks for your time and I look foward to seeing more products from DFG and also seeing which fighters you guys sponsor in the future.
Thanks for having us on. If any of your readers place an order on our website for $20 or more, and mention " D Wizzle's World", we'll throw in a free beanie!

New Interview with Dominance Fight Gear Coming Soon

D Wizzle's World had a very good interview with Dominance Fight Gear recently and it will be posted on here this week.

Interview with The Ultimate Fighter Star Gabe Ruediger

D Wizzle is back with a new interview and this time it is with MMA fighter and Team Quest member Gabe "Godzilla" Ruediger. Ruediger, as most know, was the star of last season's The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) TV show. His antics on the show caused major controversy among both fans and fighters alike. Weather you like this controversial fighter or not, no can deny that he made TUF 5 more entertaining to watch for the viewers. With the show being over, Gabe is looking forward to the future and getting his career back on track. Instead of just being known as the outrageous character that he was portrayed as on the show, Gabe wants to be known as a talented fighter. Check out this very interesting and informative interview.

You fought about two weeks ago. Can you tell the fans how you did?
I won in the first round by choke. I initially was mounted in the first minute and went for an armbar. My opponent (George Kassimatis) and I both went threw the ropes and we were stood up. In a little less than three minutes, he tapped out. It wasn't my best performance, and I had some ring rust, but I walked out unscathed and ready to fight again.

The fight was in a ring. Do you prefer fighting in a cage or a ring? Any big difference?
That was my first time in a ring. I actually prefer the cage. The action stays constant regardless of the position you are in. Being my first fight in a ring, it might have just been about getting a feel for it, but I prefer the cage.

What is your entrance song when you walk to the cage and why did you pick that particular song?
The Song is a Godzilla Remix of "Turn to Ghosts" by Damnation A.D. I've actually known members of the band for a long time and they were kind enough to do a remix. As far as the reason, it's a great song and there are Godzilla roars.

What did you think of the Hendo/Rampage fight?
I hated the outcome, obviously. I trained in the room with Dan and he looked great in preparation. I really felt the fight could have been a draw - rounds one and two to Dan, three and four to Jackson, and the last round a draw. I'd love to see a rematch.

Who did you think won the Bisping/Hamill fight?
Hamill hands down. It makes the sport and the UFC officials look bad to have such a blatant robbery. One judge gave ALL rounds to Bisping, which was worse than the decision.

Tell me something the fans might not know about you.
I own more than one suit, but haven't worn any of them in a long time.


What's next for you?
To keep fighting. I'm in negotiations with a few organizations and I'm looking for the proper home. My last fight gave me more incentive to improve and keep pushing on.

I heard that you will be fighting Gabe Rivas at the Cow Palace in San Francisco on October 20. Is this true?
Yeah, I signed to fight, but I haven't heard anything since.

Many fans have ripped on you for your actions on The Ultimate Fighter. You wanted to seperate yourself from the other fighters and distinguish yourself and you clearly did that. Do you have any regrets from the show? I think that if people were asked to name a fighter from that season, your name would likely come up first or second.
Yeah, I did a good job of being recognized! (Laughs) I would have taken the fighting portion of the show more seriously. I lost track of that and of all the things, that is my biggest regret. I realize I was painted in a poor light and it might have still came off that way, but I lost track of what I've based my life around for the past five years.

What do you think of the use of steroids and other illegal substances in MMA and have you ever had the temptation to take anything like that?
It's difficult to say. Some of the illegal substances are not of enhancement nature, but I suppose you have to have a zero tolerance policy. This is a professional sport and enhancements are going to be prevalent in it. As far as taking steriods, I have a hard enough time maintaining my weight without that stuff! (Laughs)

How did you get the nickname "Godzilla"? It's a story I've told in many interviews. Come on man, you were doing so good!(Laughs)

Sorry, but I had to ask you that since I have not seen you answer to that in other interviews. Many fans have asked me to ask you this question as well.
Okay, I was training in Japan with a really small Japanese guy. Some of my Japanese friends were sitting there and laughing. When I got done training, I asked "What's so funny?" They pointed at my arm which has a dragon tattoo on it and said "Godzilla, Godzilla!" I tried explaining that it was a dragon, but they found it amusing and everytime I would go train, they would call me Godzilla. I told the story when I got home and the nickname stuck.

Here are some questions that I got from fans.

What is your favorite dessert?
Not sure... I guess ice cream.

Do you have a girlfriend?
Nope

What kind of girls do you like?
It depends. Is this an interview for a dating site ?

What are your favorite TV shows?
I don't watch a lot of TV. If my TV is on, it's for background noise and most likely a movie.

Why do you continue to entertain the negative attention you get about the cake episode and the "Burger Boy" nickname?

I don't get this question at all. The cake episode was beyond retarded and I've explained only about 5000 times. I did not eat the cake before cutting weight!!!! It was a week or more prior!!!! As far as "Burger Boy" as a nickname, that's a first and it's as stupid as the constant cake comments.

How has sacrificing who you are to gain TV time affect your life?
Can you answer that question? How does it seem to affect my life? Besides my contract with the UFC being canceled, and the really stupid jokes about cake on the Internet, everything is going really well.

Where do you see yourself a year from now personally, relationship wise ,and in this sport?

Weird dating question again. Personally, I'm hoping to be doing whatever is making me happy and enjoying myself like I have been. Relationship - wise , I' m hoping to at the very least have a puppy... literally not figuratively. Career- wise... hopefully back to fighting tough competition and pushing forward.

Thanks for the time Gabe. Do you have any final words for the fans?
I'd like to give a thank you to those that have supported me and the true fans. It's great that you have been there regardless of the crazy way this last year has turned out. My sponsors deserve thanks as well. Fairtex, TapouT, Sinister Brand, Forty Thieves Clothing, and On The Mat. Also, check out gabegodzilla.com for more and up to date info.

UFC 74 Preview and Predictions

Tonight is UFC 74 "Respect" at the Mandelay Bay in Las Vegas. UFC 73 was called "Stacked" but the card did not live up to its title as the co-main events were both boring and slow. I believe tonight's card is much more stacked than last month's show in Sacramento. Tonight's undercard should be just as good as the live card on pay per view. Unless the main event ends quickly, the fans might not be able to see any of the undercard matches.

Clay Guida vs Marcos Aurelio should be a great fight. Aurelio makes his debut in the UFC Octagon tonight after previously fighting in Pride. Guida thinks he has the advantage because Aurelio has not fought in almost 8 months. Aurelio has fought and beaten the best in the world such as Takanori Gomi. Guida's last fight ended in a decision loss to Tyson Griffin. Aurelio has a great ground game which we should see tonight. I wil go with Aurelio in this one.

Ryan Jensen from Team Quest is fighting Thales Leites. Both only have one loss to their record. Leites has been very impressive in the cage. Jensen plans to stuff his takedowns and keep it standing. Leites was a last minute replacement for Travis Lutter who had to pull out due to injury. Leites predicts that he will finish off Jensen by the second round. My bet is on Leites by TKO in the second round.

Frank Mir will be taking on kickboxer Antoni Hardonk in a heavyweight clash. Hardonk was last seen losing to Team Punishment's Justin McCully on Spike Tv a few months ago. Mir is attempting to come back from a loss to Brandon Vera. Mir plans to take it to the ground and use his jiu-jitsu and wrestling skills to defeat Hardonk. Hardonk, on the other hand, needs to keep the match standing up and use his punches to set up his powerful leg kicks. This match is very important to both since they are both coming off losses. I will have to go with Mir as Hardonk needs to prove he can fight on the ground.

Renato Sobral, better known to MMA fans as Babalu, will be taking on David Heath in another undercard battle. Heath had a unimpressive performance against Lyoto Machida in his last fight while Sobral's last fight in the UFC was a TKO loss to Jason Lambert. Heath will try to keep the fight standing up but Sobral plans to take it the ground and gain a submission victory. I will go with Babalu by submission although there is a chance Heath can knock out Babalu if he displays more sloppy stand-up.

In the live card that will be shown on pay per view, the first fight will be Patrick Cote vs Kendall Grove. Cote says he feels relaxed, and claims to have had the best training camp ever to prepare for this fight. He trained with taller sparring partners in order to prepare for the 6'6 Grove. Cote was working muay thai with guys in Boston and Canada. He plans to stop Grove before the third round. Grove knows that Cote is a tough competitor and expects a war. This match could be a stand-up war but if it goes to the ground, Grove will end up victorious. I must go with Grove in this one as Cote does not have a great win-loss record.

Alberto Crane, from New Mexico, will be taking on Roger Huerta. Crane is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist. Huerta has been working with Dave Menne on the ground. Huerta perfers to keep the fight standing up while Crane wants the opposite. Crane believes Huerta is aggressive but sloppy and plans to catch Huerta when he makes a mistake. If Huerta wins this fight, I hope UFC matchmaker Joe Silva gives him a higher profile opponent in his next match. Fans are tired of seeing Huerta defeat no-named opponents. Huerta is the obvious choice here.

In a battle of lightweights, "Daddy" Joe Stevenson will be taking on Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino. This match is a" fight of the night" candidate. Whoever wins this fight could be in line for a title shot. Pellegrino trains with Hermes Franca while Stevenson trains with Marc Laimon. My prediction is Pellegrino in an upset by submission.

Georges St-Pierre will be taking on Josh Koscheck in a highly anticipated battle. The winner will get a title shot against the winner of the Matt Hughes vs Matt Serra fight which will happen in the fall. St-Pierre is now training with the highly respected Greg Jackson and his Team Jackson camp. He switched managers and trainers after his last fight, the loss to current champion, Matt Serra. Just like his teammate, Patrick Cote, St-Pierre says he is in the best shape of his life and ready fo the three round war. Koscheck, a highly decorated amateur wrestler, is one of the most athletic fighters in the UFC. His fights are known to be very boring and dull. While I hope for a great battle between the two, I don't plan on seeing it. Until Koscheck might be capable of a great fight, I won't believe it until I see it. So far, his fights are as exciting as watching PBS on a Friday night. St-Pierre has seen a pyschologist to help him with his mental game. He has all the physical tools but his mental game has been called weak by many, including Koscheck. I will go with Koscheck by decision as I think his wrestling is too strong for St-Pierre.

The main event is a heavyweight title clash between the champion, Randy "The Natural" Couture and challenger, Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga. Gonzaga impressively defeated legendary MMA fighter Mirko Cro Cop to get his title shot. Couture became champion by defeating Tim Sylvia. Gonzaga should win as he is younger and bigger than Couture. Couture is 15 years his senior. Gonzaga has not shown many weaknesses in the cage. Couture will have to have a solid game plan to defeat the talented and hungry Brazilian. My prediction is Gonzaga by TKO in the third round.

Tonight's card is stacked and I expect a great night for the UFC and its fans.

Exclusive Interview with UFC ring girl Ali Sonoma

Street Fighting Secrets!
D Wizzle's World's Hottie of the Week is UFC ring girl Ali Sonoma. Ali is currently a UFC ring girl and also a model. With her natural blonde hair and gorgeous smile, Ali Sonoma is the quintessential All- American girl. What separates her from other models is her great personality, energy, and charisma. She represents the UFC very well and D Wizzle looks forward to seeing more of her in her upcoming projects. After reading this interview, you can't help but like Ali Sonoma. This girl is definitely going places!


Being a UFC ring girl, you have had the
opportunity to travel to many different cities and countries. What has been your favorite place to visit so far and why?

One of the perks of being a UFC ring girl is traveling to all these cool places. I think one of the coolest places I have been was London. We were promoting UFC 75, which will be Sept 9th, and we stayed in the city. I saw a bunch of sights such as Buckingham Palace, Big Bend, and a haunted castle. London is very fast paced, very busy, great shopping, and was a great time. I am excited to return!

Name one person that you want to get in the Octagon and fight with?!

I would love to get in the Octagon and beat the shit out of Josh Koscheck and it's not because of Diego (Ali's boyfriend and UFC welterweight contender Diego Sanchez). We were in London working together and he said he wanted to fight me! HA!



What are your favorite exercises or workouts to do to stay in such great shape?

My favorite exercises are running, yoga, pilates, rollerblading, biking, and kickboxing. I have to constantly switch the routine up or I'll get bored. There are so many things to do to stay in great shape. You just gotta find what you enjoy.

How funny is Joe Rogan?

Joe Rogan is the man!!! He is a really good buddy of mine, we hang out, and we are always laughing. I go to his comedy shows a lot and my stomach hurts when I leave. He is super intelligent too and freakin' hilarious even when he's not trying to be. He just is. And he keeps it real.

Who are your favorite music artists?

I like all kinds of music but mostly techno and reggae. Bob Marley is my idol. He is the greatest lyricist ever! For techno, I'm really digging Deep Dish, Sharam Dubai, Tiesto, and Paul Oakenfold but I don't go a day without listening to Bob Marley!

You are from St.Louis. Who are your favorite sports teams?

Well, being from St. Louis and all, of course my favorite sports team is the Cardinals. World Series Champions baby!

What do you think of Barry Bonds?
I don't know Barry Bonds that well...don't really follow up on him, don't really care.

You have a Golden Retriever. Michael Vick is in the news due to the dogfighting scandal. What do you think of dogfighting?

Being an animal lover, especially of dogs, I am totally against dogfighting or any form of hurting an animal. I think it's a really cruel form of entertainment and it really disgusts me to think of it. Why watch dogs fight when you can watch the UFC!

Besides being a ring girl and model, you are also branching out into movies? Tell us about that.
Yeah, I was in a local film called Cantina Bar Tales. It was filmed in St. Louis and is supposed to be released this winter. My role was hilarious. I was a European chick, accent and all, who was basically looking for a rich guy but I couldn't speak English well so my character was pretty clueless. I had huge and I am talking HUGE hair with a really ugly outfit. I had the staff rollin'!! Ha ha! I got cast to be in two more movies which I'm not allowed to discuss but that will be in a few months. I plan on moving to L.A. in September and I will get started with my acting coach and taking more acting classes.

One of your dreams is to travel the world. What places and countries do you want to visit in the near future?

There are so many things I want to do, my mind can barely keep up with itself! I want to travel everywhere .For pleasure I would love to go to Paris, Italy, Australia, Brazil, all over Europe, basically everywhere. I really admire Angelina Jolie. She's a great role model. I love what she does for Cambodia. I would like to do something similar but in Africa. There is a lot of disturbance there...many kids are homeless, there are wars going on (www.SaveDarfur.org), many people are sick...I would love to even be a missionary and spread God's word to the children.

Thanks Ali for the interview! I really appreciate it!

Hey, the pleasure is all mine. Thank you! Cheers and God Bless! Oh, also check out www.ufc.com for upcoming fights and www.AliSonoma.us for my personal website and www.myspace.com/alisonoma.

In Depth Interview with Damon Gee from Knoxx

KNOXX spokesmodel Alexia Lei

I recently spoke to Damon Gee from the clothing line KNOXX. Here is the interview. To learn more about KNOXX,check out their official website. KNOXX GEAR

Hardcore Fighting Secrets Revealed!

Damon, Please tell us all about your company, KNOXX.

KNOXX is a design company that markets casual and sport apparel worldwide.. We support and sponsor people that participate in extreme sports and entertainment.

How did KNOXX get started?

There are 3 guys that started KNOXX and each of us have different roles and responsibilities in the company. I train in martial arts also so I knew a lot of people that are in the fight network and industry in Northern California. Everyone I knew always talked about how no one was able to find cool clothing that catered to the fight scene so using my knowledge of marketing and business management, I decided to form KNOXX to create these products for these people. Each partner had different views and backgrounds so our company eventually evolved to also support other sports and entertainment. My partner and artist, Al Calmerin aka Sketch,was heavy into the skateboarding and Hip Hop scene and he had did a lot of work with many skateboarding and street wear brands as well as in the Hip Hop industry. My other partner, Alan Palomares,was the one that was familiar with clothing production and sales of clothing from his previous jobs and also managed music bands. So we basically combined our love and passion of all our interests and decided to put it in our clothing to express that.

Knoxx strongly supports the sport of mixed martial arts. How did that come about and who are some of the fighters that are currently with Knoxx?

We love the sport and using my network in the fight scene, we decided to form KNOXX to help promote the growing sport. We have sponsored a lot of fighters to support them in their careers since we started KNOXX. There are too many to name off but we currently have great relationships with these fighters and we are really supportive of their careers. They are: Josh "The Punk" Thomson, Cung Le, Paul "The Head Hunter" Buentello, Nam Phan, Elaina Maxwell, Sam Spengler, Zachariah "Iron Monkey" Yngojo, James Terry, Jose Palacios, Travis Johnson, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson and Cung Le's USH Fight Team. We seem to be adding and supporting new gyms and upcoming fighters on a monthly basis.

Josh "The Punk" Thomson and Will Lee

Where do you see KNOXX in the next few years?

We want to continue to create appealing designs and increase our worldwide distribution. We will continue branding to the mainstream audience and at the same time hit our current boutique market with limited issues. We will continue to sponsor and support our current fighters and personalities. We also want to continue to sponsor developing fighters and work with select MMA gyms.

Where can we purchase KNOXX clothing?

The best place to purchase KNOXX is at www.knoxxgear.com. We have a new website coming out hopefully within a month and you will see a lot of new products and designs. We are also sold in many gyms, other online stores like www.fightshop.tv, and street wear boutique shops. Our products are in locations that pertain to the styles and designs so it varies a lot. Our KNOXX MMA clothing line is sold in gyms and mma related stores while our KNOXX Lifestyle clothing line is sold in street wear stores and boutiques. We have products that are limited production for certain stores and some of our items are available exclusively online.

Who are your favorite MMA fighters and why?

I really don't have a favorite MMA fighter but I enjoy watching all fighters. I'm also a little biased because my favorite fighters are all the ones that work with KNOXX.


I have seen many of the shirt designs and they look really nice. Who designs the shirts?

I want to first say thank you for the kind words. We love to hear that people like and appreciate our designs and clothing. Our main designer and art director is my partner, Al Calmerin. He has been doing artwork and designs for mainstream brands, smaller underground skateboarding companies, street wear brands and music companies for over 13 years now. There's a very good chance you may have seen his past work already from his past employers and not even know it was designed by him. A lot of those companies and publications have blown up and are now recognized brands. We also work with a select and expanding group of designers. These designers either submit work for review or take an idea for a design on commission. In order for a design to make it into production all three partners have to agree it is worthy. We know everyone has different tastes in clothing so it's impossible to try to cater to everyone but hopefully the different views from the three partners allow us to provide the consumers with something they like.

There are a lot of MMA clothing brands out there. What sets KNOXX apart from other clothing companies such as Tap Out, Sprawl, and Affliction?

We don't consider KNOXX a mma company since we do not manufacture or design leather goods like gloves, kick pads, headgear or any other protective gear. We also do not have GI's, rash guards, hand wraps, ankle supports or a large variety of fight shorts to be considered a mma clothing brand even though any of those mentioned items might be made in the future. We consider ourselves more of a design company that markets casual and sport apparel. All the brands you just mentioned are all very different and unique in their own aspect and if you look at our clothing I think our look is fairly different than theirs.


I heard about Knoxx sponsoring events with the local hip hop station, Wild 94.9 and also with Bay Area DJs, DJ Ajaxx and DJ E Rock. How did that come about?

My partners and I are all music lovers and we listen to all genres of music so we want to support the DJs' that we relate to. We just feel that the DJs' are underrated when it comes to their work in the music industry so we want to be there to promote and support them. We currently support and sponsor four DJs' which are DJ Zhaldee, DJ E-Rock, DJ Ajaxx and DJ J-Boogie from Canada.
As for Wild 94.9, they are one of the radio stations that seem to support mma and they are usually at the local fight events like Strike force to help promote, take pictures ,and provide media coverage for those events. They were referred to us by DJ E-Rock and wanted to support KNOXX because they liked what we are about. We are very fortunate to have such a huge radio media company to support us. KNOXX currently designs their concert tee-shirts, their promo shirts, and their street team jackets and shirts. We also helping DJ E-Rock with his street wear clothing line that is coming out soon called Solid.

DJ E ROCK

How important is it to sponsor fighters?

Right now mma is still a fairly new sport and not everyone is watching it yet or know much about it. They are professional athletes just like football players, baseball players, basketball players, tennis players, golfers or any athlete of any mainstream sport but yet they are still fairly unrecognized or accepted. I think sponsoring a fighter is important because a lot of them are not making the type of money other professional athletes in other sports are making yet. Many of them have a job or numerous jobs while trying to train to become successful in their careers as a professional fighter which makes it really hard for them. KNOXX tries our best to support and sponsor our fighters to help them out in their mma career so they can be the best fighter possible. We also promote and market our fighters to increase their current fan base.

What is coming up for Knoxx?

There are many new things coming up for KNOXX. We are currently revamping our web site which we are hoping to be finished within a month. We are creating new designs and doing some shirts in collaboration with some skateboard companies and street wear companies. We are doing some shirt designs for many gyms in CA and working on marketing and more ways of promotions for KNOXX. There's probably a lot of other things I may have forgotten to mention but just be on the look out for a lot of new things from KNOXX soon. You can check out our photo gallery at http://gallery.knoxxgear.com to see some of the things we are up to.

Tell me about Alexia Lei and KNOXX's relationship with her.

Alexia Lei is a model and go-go dancer who is fairly well known in Southern California. She started her career as a model for the import car industry and because of her exotic beautiful looks, she quickly gained a huge fan base. Her popularity as an import model landed her great paying jobs dancing at clubs to help with the promotions of the venues. I was referred to Alexia Lei by my good friend Cora Linn that owns www.redkisses.com. I told her I was looking for a spokesmodel for KNOXX and I personally thought Alexia Lei was very attractive and I thought she would be perfect to represent KNOXX. KNOXX is also helping her with her own clothing line which will be coming out really soon called Ambition.

You know many MMA fighters and hang out with them often. Do you have a funny story or a story you would like to share with us?

I really don't care to share personal stories about the fighters' private lives. What I can say is that a lot of fighters are really cool down to earth guys. They are just like everyday people just like you and I but they are professional athletes that are paid to fight other people for a living. How the public perceive them inside the cage is probably totally different than how they really are outside the cage.

I know you used to train in Muay Thai. Are you still training in Muay Thai?

I'm currently not training at the moment since I was recovering from a leg injury. I'm pretty much almost all healed now but my hectic schedule is keeping me away from the gym. I know its probably self made excuses and I should get my butt back inside the gym. Its really hard to get back to the old training routine when I have taken such a long time off. I think I should try to get myself back inside the gym and train next week now that you mentioned it.

You have fought in the cage once. How did that come about and how did you do?

I never saw myself as a professional fighter nor did I ever want to be one. I trained for a little while and I just wanted to see how I would do inside the ring so I entered myself in a local event. I also wanted to just experience the feelings that a professional fighter would have when they are competing. Surprising, I did quite well and I loved the excitement and the feeling of the adrenaline rush so much that I started right away to train for my second event. I watched myself in the video of my fight and tried to analyze my mistakes and weaknesses and I trained 3 hours a day, 4-5 days a week. Unfortunately two weeks before my second event I was in a sparring accident that injured me for a pretty long time. So that was the end of that one and soon right after that I decided to start KNOXX and I got way too busy.

Any plans to compete and fight in the cage in the future?

I don't think I have the motivation or the time to train enough to fight again in the future. I think I rather be a spectator now and just enjoy the sport.

Tap Out is a very successful MMA clothing company in the UFC. What makes them such a popular and successful company?

Tap Out has been out for a very long time now. I think they were the first company that supported the sport and they paid their dues. I think Spike's Ultimate Fighter season one finale was what made them popular with the fans.

KNOXX clothing is for the "renegade lifestyle." Please define "renegade lifestyle."

Our clothing is inspired by what we call the Renegade Lifestyle. We
thought about what would still be considered a renegade in our current
society What came to the forefront were fighters, DJs, models, skateboarders, surfers, artists, Go-Go dancers, and extreme sport athletes. All these occupations were frowned upon by our parents which was followed by a slap upside the head.KNOXX creates and designs products for people that want to be
different, dare to stand out, and also look good living life.

How did you come up with the name"KNOXX" for your clothing line?

My partners and I wanted a name that is unique and can be easily found when you type KNOXX on the web search engines. It also resembles the word "knocks" like how a fighter can knock out his opponent or how a DJ makes his beats knock. It really doesn't have a real meaning and its just a name of our brand.

You have been to many mma events. What was your favorite event that you have attended and why?

I personally enjoy a lot of the smaller local fight events in Northern California because you see how the excitement is from the friends and families of the fighters that are competing. I've been to all the Strike Force MMA events and I love them because they put on great shows with great fighters.

What is your prediction for the August 25th UFC championship fight between Randy Couture and Gabriel Gonzaga?

I'm a fan of Randy Couture and I respect him for all the things he has accomplished for himself and the sport. I would go with Couture as my prediction.

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions and giving fans insight and information on KNOXX and mma.

You're welcome. It's been fun and I enjoyed it. Thanks for the support!