The 6-foot-3, 27-year-old St. Preux notched a unanimous three-round decision over Antwain “The Juggernaut’’ Britt during a “Strikeforce Challengers” event at Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss. on Nov. 19.

Before going the distance with Britt, St. Preux, who fights out of Knoxville, Tennessee, had won all four of his fights this year in the first round in a total elapsed time of 7:10. He called it a night after demolishing tough UFC veteran, Jason “Dooms’’ Day, with a single punch in just eight seconds on July 24.

This will be unquestionably the toughest assignment for St. Preux, who won his Strikeforce debut with a 0:47, first-round TKO over Chris Hawk last April.

St. Preux played for the Vols from 2001-2004. He made history on February 20, 2009, by not only competing in Tennessee’s first sanctioned MMA event, but also by recording the first knockout there.

The heavy-handed Radach, a UFC and IFL veteran, will be making his first start since losing by dramatic third-round knockout to Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith on April 11, 2009. The epic, see-saw battle with Smith was one of the most memorable fights of the year.

In his outing before last, the rugged Radach registered an exciting second-round TKO (punches) over Murilo “Ninja” Rua live on The CBS Television Network. Radach has scored knockouts in 17 of his 19 career triumphs.

Outside the cage, Radach is remembered for foiling a 2006 armed-robbery attempt in Vancouver, Wash., by physically disarming a gunman who was trying to hold up the restaurant that Radach was patronizing.

In the main event of the star-studded Strikeforce fight card, legendary MMA superstar Dan Henderson (25-8) will clash with former Strikeforce light heavyweight world champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) in a rematch between world-class 205-pounders.

Other televised fights: Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (25-9-2) of Nottingham, England, confronts Scott “Hands Of Steel” Smith (17-7, 1 NC), of Elk Grove, Calif., in a matchup of power-punching welterweights (170 pounds), former world champion and exciting local favorite “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-6, 1 NC), of Granite City, Ill., goes up against 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-7) of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight (185 pounds) bout and former heavyweight world champion Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva (14-2) of Coconut Creek, Fla., by way of Brazil takes on streaking star Mike “Mak’’ Kyle (18-7), of San Jose, Calif.

Radach has never made it a secret as to his intentions in the cage, he’s trying to knock your head off. In this exclusive interview with FiveOuncesPain.com, Radach confirmed that his upcoming Strikeforce debut will be no exception to the rule. He’s coming out swinging for the fences.

The 29 year old former IFL fighter may as well keep the slugfest streak going. His last bout was an all out war waged between himself and Murilo “Ninja” Rua at EliteXC: Heat in October. The fight saw both men dropped in the first round, only for Radach to battle back for the knockout in the second. It was one of the more electrifying MMA contests in recent history.

Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz is going to be stacked to the ceiling with talent, but if there was one fight that had “Fight of the Night” written all over it, it would have to be this one.

Cory Brady for FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What have you been doing to keep busy since your last fight with Ninja?

Benji Radach: I’ve definitely been working a lot. I work full time at LA Boxing. So I’ve just been working a lot during the day and training at night, trying to get ready for this fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Have you just been dying to get back in there?

Benji Radach:Well I wasn’t really hurting financially like a lot of the other guys that don’t have other jobs. A bunch of the guys that were stuck in their contracts with EliteXC were hating life, but I had job that kept me afloat.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Outside of the financial side of things, were you hungry to get back in the cage and mix it up again? It seemed like you left on such a high note with your win over Ninja.

Benji Radach: Yes and no. When I work so much, it kind of takes the focus on training away a little. I can’t really focus on training as much as I’d like to, but I’ve just been kind of training for fun and not really for a career. I want to take it to that next level, but I can’t really do it while I’m working full time right now.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com:How are you feeling physically heading into your fight withScott Smith?

Benji Radach: I’m definitely feeling good right now. I’m starting to peak and training has been going really well, so I think things are going to turn out great.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Who are some of the key people that have been helping you to prepare for this one?

Benji Radach:I’ve been training a lot with Mo Lawal, Dan Henderson, and Mayhem Miller. I’ve also been training a lot with the Gazze Academy out in Huntington Beach, California.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com:I remember you telling me about Mo before he made his debut in Sengoku. Is he a good training partner for you?

Benji Radach: Oh yeah. We just scrap, we really beat the tar out of each other. We’re pretty good for each other. I don’t let him get away with things that he gets away with, with other people and he does the same for me.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Just keeping each other honest.

Benji Radach: Exactly, exactly.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How do you feel you match up with Scott?

Benji Radach:I feel pretty good. You never know until you get in there, but I’m feeling pretty confident about this fight. I wish I could train a little more, and be in a little better shape, but once I get in there, I should be pretty fired up for this one, so it’s going to be good. It’s definitely going to be a different goal in this fight, as far as the strategy goes compared to my last fight. When I fought Murilo “Ninja” Rua my goal was mainly to keep him on his heels so he couldn’t do any damage. In this fight I’m going to be a lot more technical. I think it’s going to be good, I’m feeling really confident.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Do you think your wrestling is going to be one of the major advantages you may have over Scott?

Benji Radach: Yeah, but I really think it’s going to end up being a stand up fight. I don’t really think he’ll be shooting at all. I don’t really think that his wrestling is top notch. I think he wants to slug it out, and that’s his best chance to beat me, to catch me with a big shot.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What would be the perfect ending to this fight for you?

Benji Radach: I’m always looking for the knockout. A knockout is always the best possible way for me to win. That’s always been my thing, and that can go for Scott as well. It creates an exciting fight and it makes it exciting for the fans to watch it, because somebody is going to get knocked out. This is one of those fights where it could be him catching me the first time, or me catching him the first time it’s just a matter of who captures who.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: If it’s anything like your last fight with Ninja, I think everyone is going to end up very happy.

Benji Radach: Yeah, that fight was really fun. It was a fun fight for me to fight, and a really fun fight for me to watch afterwords. I was just so tired going into the second round because we went at it so hard in the first round. The first round was like a five minute sprint.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com:Is it safe to say that you have your eyes on the Strikeforce 185 pound title right now?

Benji Radach:Yeah, I really do. Cung Le is just an animal so it would be an honor to fight him, but I could deal with him. He’s definitely a top level opponent and it would be a great opportunity to fight him.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com:What do you think about Strikforce’s current middleweight roster and where you fit into it?

Benji Radach:I definitely think that Strikeforce has one of the toughest 185 pound divisions in the world. We have a pretty damn stacked middleweight division. There’s Cung Le, Frank Shamrock, Joey Villesanor, Robbie Lawler, myself, Scott Smith, it’s just stacked. That’s really my goal in fighting, is getting up there and fighting top level guys, and I think there are plenty of guys in Strikeforce to keep me happy, so it’s great.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Benji Radach:Yeah, I want to thank TapouT. They helped me out with my last fight, and they’re going to help me out with this one too, which is really cool. I want to thank RockStar Energy Drink, Full Tilt Poker, Dan Lambert, and all the guys at MMAAgents. Also a big thanks to American Top Team, because without them, I wouldn’t be where I am now.

This is one of the best middleweight fights you will ever see outside of the UFC. These two 185lbers are some of the most exciting stand up fighters in MMA. We have a fighter on the comeback trail to elite status versus another on a quest to reclaim his title belt. Both have slick striking with knockout power and cement chins. This has potential to be fight of the night and steal the show.

Benji Radach was a highly touted prospect early in his career who started off on a nine fight winning streak. He took the step up in competition to the UFC and did well, taking his first loss on a hard fought bout with Sean Sherk that ended with a cut. Not losing any luster off his promising status, Radach moved forward and continued to win at smaller shows. Then his life changed when he took a fight with Chris Leben in 2004. Leben shattered Radach’s jaw which managed to start a chain reaction of injuries that kept Radach out of MMA for almost 3 years. A broken jaw, a herniated disc that caused partial paralysis, a spider bite that created a large hole in his leg, a torn meniscus that required knee surgery, and a staph infection from hell that almost caused his arm to be amputated. They all helped to keep him sidelined until Bas Rutten and the IFL came a calling in 2007. He rattled off five straight wins in the IFL until his championship loss to Matt Horwich last December.

Radach is an excellent wrestler but an even better boxer. He has fantastic hands, but it was his devastating knockout power that put Radach on the map. He has since turn into a pretty good all-around kickboxer with decent ground skills. His wrestling enables Radach to stay out of trouble on the ground and he wins most scrambles for position. His guard is strictly defensive, he will not threaten to many submissions from his back. He also uses his wrestling in reverse to prevent the takedown and keep the fight standing.

Ninja Rua is a Pride veteran and an original member of the famed Chute Boxe academy in Brazil. Ninja started his career with much ballyhoo and delivered with exciting fights. He was an exciting Muay Thai fighter with amazing cardio and fantastic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. His first loss was a split decision to Dan Henderson, but the fight that really put Ninja on the map was his win over Zen master Mario Sperry. Sperry represented the rival fight team in Brazil, Brazilian Top Team. The fight was not just between to spectacular fighters, but two fight teams and their way of lives. Ninja triumphed in a fantastic decision victory and announced that Rua was the man to beat. But as happened often in his career, every time Rua took a step forward he then took two steps backward. He had several disappointing losses that always seemed to keep him from elite status, but the biggest hit to his mystique was his 15 second knockout loss to Denis Kang. After that fight he ventured from Pride to find his own way. He seemed to finally find the validation he was seeking when he won the middleweight belt in EliteXC by beating Joey Villasenor. But in true ninja fashion he followed one big step forward with a big step backwards in the form of a loss to Robbie Lawler.

Ninja is an excellent kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He is an fantastic improvisational fighter and is wonderful at winning the scrambles. He is a superb grappler and capable of submitting someone from any position in the fight. His biggest advantage might be his conditioning as he can put a pace on a fighter that they cannot hope to rival. His conditioning can also cause his biggest error, and that is over aggressiveness.  He sometimes rushes head first into trouble and can get caught with strikes. He seems to have settled down with age and maturity, but he still seems impatient at times.

This fight is seemingly for the number one contender spot in the middleweight division. Winner most likely will get a shot at Robbie Lawler. As much fun as Ninja is to watch fight, Radach has the power, the patience, and the wrestling to win the scrambles. I see Radach grinding out a decision victory over Rua. Ninja is extremely tough to finish, even with Radach’s power. Rua could catch Radach in a submission, maybe pick off an arm. But this matchup favors Radach and his controlling patient style of fighting. I think the smart move for Rua would be to take the fight to the floor and do the damage from within the guard, but ninja is too aggressive for that. I think he will want to stand and bang with Radach, and that will prove to be his undoing. I think Radach wins this via split decision.

The news comes courtesy of a report on Sherdog, which is quoting Radach as the primary sources for its story. EliteXC and Rua’s camp have yet to confirm the report.

EliteXC apparently spent a significant amount of time recruiting Radach, as sources revealed to FiveOuncesOfPain.com last month that the company was in talks with the former IFL star. He would be the first high-profile ex-IFL fighter to have signed with EliteXC with most of the new-defunct fight promotion’s top fighters having either signed with the UFC, the WEC, or Affliction’s MMA promotion.

Radach is 18-4, according to Sherdog’s fight finder and holds notable wins over Shannon Ritch, Nick Serra, Ryan McGivern, and Gustavo Machado. He holds a lifetime record in the UFC 1-1 with one no contest. His lone UFC win came against Serra at UFC 37.5 in June of 2002 with his only loss coming against Sean Sherk at UFC 39 in September of 2002.

He made his UFC debut in May of 2002 at UFC 37 against Steve Berger in a bout ruled a no contest after it was overturned by the Louisiana State Athletic Commission. Radach was originally ruled the winner via TKO at 0:27 of round 1.

After suffering a serious injury vs. Chris Leben and losing as a result during a Sportfight show in 2004, Radach took a three-year hiatus from competitive MMA before returning in February of 2007 after signing a contract with the IFL. He was one of the promotion’s true success stories, compiling a 5-1 under the IFL banner upon his return.

The next CBS-EliteXC telecast is set to take place in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. at the BankAtlantic Center. Featured bouts include Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson taking on an opponent-to-be-named (believed to be either Brett Rogers or Ken Shamrock), Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobald-Gavin, and Jake Shields defending his EliteXC welterweight title vs. British-import Paul Daley.

Thanks to Houston for taking the time out of his day to sit down and give us his thoughts on a number of topics, including who he might be looking to fight next, his ground game, his thoughts on the online MMA community and much more. Enjoy.

Adam Morgan: You’re a UFC fighter, a radio DJ, a hip hop lecturer and enthusiast, and a single dad of six children. What’s it like balancing all that?

It’s almost military. Everything has to be precise, everything has to be organized and everything has to be time driven, so it’s almost like the military.

Adam Morgan: So what is a normal day for Houston Alexander? Do you get up, take the kids to school, or what’s a normal day for Houston?

A normal day for me is waking up at 5 or 5:30 in the morning to go work out first. Go to work out, get a good hour or two hours of training in and that’s the first workout of the day. Then I come back home and take the children to school and then I work out again after I drop them off. In between the kids, I get to work out.

Adam Morgan: So it’s basically just taking care of the kids, training, and then you have the radio show on Sundays?

Yeah, I got the radio program through NRG Media (POWER 106.9 in Omaha, NE) from 7-10 and the show is called Sunday Nite Raw and I play independent music from all over the world, hip hop, and R&B. I also do promotions for the station and I also work with seven other different radio stations throughout the week. They’ve been working with me as far as the time goes, but I enjoy doing radio, so I don’t think I’m going to stop doing that.

Adam Morgan: So you’re saying even if you’re a full time fighter, training full time, radio will always be a part of your life?

Yeah, because I enjoy playing the music and I enjoy playing the music that no one’s heard. I enjoy helping artists out who are, you know, trying to get on and get that help.

Adam Morgan: Now a lot’s been said about your Culture Shock School Tour where you lecture the students about hip hop culture. Is there one underlying theme about hip hop that you stress in those segments?

It’s funny that you ask that because there is one underlying theme that we stress. It’s that hip hop culture is about music, dance, and art. Period. It’s a culture and a lot of people see rap music being set up as the only element in the culture, so we let the kids know that the hip hop culture is about music, dance, and art. It’s not about the gold chains or the trucks or the 22 inch rims or the 30 inch rims or however they’re doing it nowadays. The hip hop culture is about music, dance, and art. It’s not about the commercialized stuff they’re seeing now.

Editor’s note: WATCH some Culture Shock Tour video HERE

Adam Morgan: Right, so it’s not all about the benjamins, it’s about the culture itself.

It is about the culture itself. And if anyone knows anything about the culture, they’ll know that Justin Timberlake is not hip hop. Only MTV wants to categorize him in that situation.

Adam Morgan: Now you’re a graffiti artist as well?

Oh yeah, been a graf artist since I was 12 years old.

Adam Morgan: Do you still do graffiti regularly?

Houston Alexander: Yes, I’m still doing walls and as a matter of fact, about two months ago I did a project for Red Bull. So yeah, I’m still doing walls and I can proudly say that.

Adam Morgan: You’ve got your mixed martial arts career, your radio deal, and your Culture Shock School Tour. These are sort of your jobs on the side and I know you said you’d continue to do radio even if you are a full time fighter, so is it enough to just be getting paid to fight or what’s your take of the fighter pay scale in the UFC?

Houston Alexander: I let my manager handle all that. Right now I’m happy with what I’m getting paid. I have no complaints about what I’m getting paid and I know that being in the UFC and being a rookie, so to speak, I’m going to have to earn my way up just like anyone else, so I’m willing to do that. I’m willing to work and that’s something that a lot of people don’t like doing in some cases. But I like to work, I like to train, and I like to get it done because I like to see the results in the ring. So I have no problem earning my way.

Adam Morgan: Alright Houston, you know I have to ask this, it’s the standard interview question for fighters. Do you have any idea who or when you might be fighting next?

Houston Alexander: And I’m going to give you the standard answer that I’ve been giving everyone else. The UFC can decide whatever they want to decide on that. For me it’s been every three months. I’m thinking over the next month and a half they’ll let me know who it will be.

Adam Morgan: I saw a little interview with Steve Sievert of the Houston Chronicle with you. He mentioned Michael Bisping as someone you might like to fight?

Houston Alexander: I wouldn’t mind fighting Bisping. He seems like a pretty good competitor and he seems pretty fired up about fighting so I wouldn’t mind fighting him. But I wouldn’t mind fighting anyone that’s any type of top caliber. I want to test my skills and see where I stand in the 205 lb. division also, so I wouldn’t mind fighting anyone, but I think that he stands out the most to me. He’s very outspoken like I am.

Adam Morgan: Regarding who you’re going to be fighting next, Forrest Griffin’s come out and said that he can’t fight until maybe next year, so he’s out of the light heavyweight picture and Rampage isn’t fighting until next year because of a wrist injury. So my question to you is, what about Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva? Would you be interested in fighting either of those guys?

Houston Alexander: Again, man, just like I’ve told everybody else. I will fight anyone at any time. As a matter of fact, I’m used to fighting every week in the smaller shows so a three month layoff is like a killer for me. I’d rather be in the ring on a regular basis, but it is what it is. I wouldn’t mind fighting whoever they put in front of me. If it’s another big name they want to put in front of me then I’m going to do my best to get it done.

Adam Morgan: You’ve said in recent interviews that you’ve fought over 200 times in the past seven years in unsanctioned bouts. Where were these fights usually held?

Houston Alexander: A lot of the time they were in Des Moines, Iowa, Sioux City, Omaha, a lot of fights going on in Illinois. The majority of them were around the area that I stay in. Whether or not people believe me or not? Do I care? No. I know where I’ve been over the past seven years and it’s been fighting in the small shows for lesser amounts of money than I’m getting now. But I enjoy doing it. I enjoy doing it and it pays the bills.

Adam Morgan: Were these non-sanctioned bouts against guys that were more or less street brawlers or were they guys that actually had MMA technique?

Houston Alexander: I’ve fought probably every type of fighter and any type of style of fighter that’s probably ever been laid out. Jiu jitsu style, wrestling style, boxing style. I’ve probably fought every type of style, probably fought every type of weight, and I’ve fought every type of height. Nothing surprises me in the UFC right now. I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen fat, short, tall, toothless. I’ve seen it all, man. As a matter of fact, it’s a pleasant surprise to be in the UFC because I get to actually fight someone who is my actual weight. I’ve been fighting guys that were twice my size for the past seven years. At 205, I’m grinning with glee.

Before I even got into the UFC, I was in Extreme Challenge, one of Monte Cox’s, my manager, one of his events. Two of the guys I had to beat, well John Murphy was 6’3”, 235 lbs. and the last gentleman was 6’3”, 250 lbs., and I’m at a light 207 so I’ve been fighting guys that were twice my size for the past seven years.

Adam Morgan: What’s the funniest or craziest thing that’s ever happened to you in one of these unsanctioned bouts?

Houston Alexander: True story. Des Moines, Iowa, I slammed a guy so hard that I broke the boards in the ring.

Adam Morgan: You slammed the guy through the mat?

Houston Alexander: No, you know how you have boards underneath the ring? I broke the boards in the ring.

Adam Morgan: Are there any big names that you’ve fought in the past? Anybody the casual MMA fan would know?

Houston Alexander: Josh Neer and I fought, but that was more of an exhibition. It was just a fun match, it wasn’t like a major match because at the time he was at around 175 lbs. and I was at about 203 or something like that. It was one of those things that we just kind of did, just for the fans.

Adam Morgan: You’ve been fortunate enough to have your two UFC fights on some pretty high profile shows. You were on the UFC 71 card with the big Chuck Liddell v. Quinton Jackson main event and then UFC 75 on Spike TV. Has there been any stardom that’s come along with knocking out a former Ultimate Fighter guy and competing one one of the biggest stages in mixed martial arts this year?

Houston Alexander: I think I was really freaked out when we went to London and we went to the weigh ins and there were 2-3,000 people there and we received just as much applause as the gentleman that was from there. That freaked me out when they applauded for us and our team is from Nebraska. It was just really interesting and I was really appreciative of that, so that charged me even more to go intO the ring and do what I did.

Adam Morgan: I know you have a background as a boxer and a wrestler and we sort of have yet to see you on the ground in the Octagon. Let’s say in your next fight, guy comes out, shoots a double leg takedown on you and puts you on your back. What does Houston Alexander do from his back?

Houston Alexander: First of all, the guy has to be really fast to get me in a double leg takedown, so that’s gotta happen first. They have to get past my first line of defense. If something weird like that happens, like in the Sakara fight when he grabbed my leg and we went down, my ground game is just as good as anyone in the UFC. I don’t know of anyone that can be stronger than what I am. It’s weird, because I get this question every time someone interviews me. I just haven’t had the chance to do it, so why go there when they can’t get past my first line of defense?

Like I said, I slammed the guy in Des Moines through the floor. I just can’t wait and I’m excited to show the world what type of ground game I have. My ground and pound’s not too bad according to the ref at UFC 75.

Adam Morgan: Are you training any jiu jitsu right now?

Houston Alexander: I’m doing everything. I’m not just concentrating on one thing, I’m doing everything. I’m training in every type of ground game, grappling, jiu jitsu, I’m doing it all.

Adam Morgan: Do you train with a gi or no gi?

Houston Alexander: Everything. All you have to say is everything. I won’t get into all that because I am training everything on every level.

Adam Morgan: As far as cardio goes, do you think you have the cardio to go five 5-minute rounds in a championship fight against someone like Quinton Jackson or Dan Henderson?

Houston Alexander: 8-Ball Nutrition has been a sponsor of ours for a while now and those guys got me looking great in the ring. As for my cardio, I haven’t had a chance to use my cardio. They can’t get past that first line of defense, but I can go round upon round upon round and still feel refreshed. I feel fine after every fight, so I can go. Believe me, they’ll find out if it has to get to that. Again, we’ll use that phrase throughout this whole interview: they have to get past the first line of defense.

Adam Morgan: You mentioned the Alessio Sakara fight earlier and I wanted to ask you about a picture of you before UFC 75 with “Sakara’s Gotta Go!” scrawled across your wraps. Is that something you do for every fight and is it always the same message?

Houston Alexander: At the time, my coach and I were sparring and that’s our catch phrase at the gym. They gotta go. When I’m in the ring, those people gotta go. He just kind of drew it on the hand and we thought it would be a cool idea to put it on the site. It’s something I haven’t started doing, but it’s kinda cool.

Adam Morgan: I know you have a good relationship with MMAjunkie.com and I don’t know if you’ve heard Dana White’s recent comments about these “goofy internet sites,” but I just wanted to get your thoughts on the online MMA community and whether or not you think it gives fighters a good chance for exposure.

Houston Alexander: You know what, it does give the fighters a good chance for exposure. Any promotion for me is good promotion, whether it’s good or bad. I understand that the site got started from a fan who just wanted to know information and wanted to get info to everyone across the world. I don’t see anything wrong with it. I don’t see anything wrong with getting the information, wanting to know the information and getting to know the fighters.

Adam Morgan: I do understand where Dana’s coming from to an extent, as some of these sites can get a little out of hand sometimes.

Yeah, but you learn to shift through all that. You learn to shift through all the crap that’s out there and MMAjunkie.com, they’re for real. They’re a legit site for info or I wouldn’t put my name behind it.

Adam Morgan: I notice you have some tattoos on your forearms and various parts of your upper body. Is there one that means the most to you and is there a story behind any of them?

Houston Alexander: I wouldn’t get any type of ink on me without having the stories behind it, but my favorite is the one on my back, it says “The Bringer of War.” “The Bringer of War,” to me, is a symbol of me and my life struggles. The meaning is that I’m going to bring it 110% no matter what I do and I’m going to accomplish everything that I’ve set out to accomplish. A lot of times, maybe nine times out of ten in my life, I’ve accomplished it. As far as the UFC, my accomplishment is to get the belt. That should be everyone’s goal, to reach the highest pick in anything they do. So if I’m gonna do this, my standards are set high. My goal is to get the belt.

The addition of Adam signals the beginning in a major shift in the philosophy of this blog. Up until this point, 5 Oz. has been pretty much a one-man band.

But not anymore.

Due to a major announcement that I might be making later this week, I might not be able to contribute to 5 Oz. with the same frequency as I am now. To address that situation and to also just improve the overall quality of the site, I made the decision to change policy and make 5 Oz. an ensemble cast.

I’ve been a huge fan of Adam’s work at Sprawl-N-Brawl for quite some time and have always enjoyed his cameos on “Any Given Saturday” and FightOpinion.com in the past. In fact, I thought so highly of him I wasn’t even initially on planning to ask him to become a part of the team because I just assumed he’d say no. I was talking about my intentions of bringing in outside contributors with my “Inside the Cage Radio” co-host Matt Cava and Matt suggested Adam. My basic reaction was “Why would Adam want to write for this site?” Matt asked Adam if he’d be interested, and much to my surprise, he was.

So thank you Matt and thank you Adam.

Adam will likely start contributing as early as Wednesday.  He is also just one of up to two more contributors that will be brought into the fold. One has officially agreed to sign on but I want to wait a day or two for the announcement because he deserves his own announcement and not to be just lopped into this one as an afterthought. As for the other guy, I’m just waiting for him to officially agree and then an announcement will follow soon after.

And as for the big announcement that pertains to me, all I can say right now is stay tuned!