Gracie spoke with Five Ounces of Pain about becoming the latest in a long line of his family members to fight in Asia, his anguish at being cut by the UFC after only one fight, and how excited he is to be a part of the fastest growing mixed martial arts organization in the world.

Bob Sapp is 100 pounds bigger than you and you are naturally a heavyweight, not a super heavyweight. Did you have any doubts about taking this fight?

Gracie: No, none whatsoever. To me there is no difference between heavyweight and super heavyweight. Its just a number after it gets to the point where you are more than 100 kilograms – you should be ready fight everybody.

I respect Sapp as an opponent. I respect every opponent I fight. You have to give respect to anybody who steps inside the cage and Bob Sapp is no different.  he has a history in the sport, he has beaten so many people, he is massive, and so you have to give him respect.

Sapp’s strength is his striking and he has competed in K-1 and beaten Ernesto Hoost. Do you feel like this is a dangerous match up because his strengths are your weaknesses?

Gracie: It’s a challenge. The power behind his punches is huge so he is definitely dangerous and if I blink I might wake up on my back with people looking down at me. I give him respect and that’s why I trained hard and am ready to do my job. I had a couple of big guys to train with but not as heavy as him. I don’t know how much he even weighs. I think it is between 340lbs and 370 lbs and I had a couple of guys who were 300 lbs so not as big as him but close.

Does having such a large opponent make you more reluctant to shoot for the takedown in case he ends up on top of you?

Gracie: I’m comfortable on my back. It doesn’t matter who is on top of me. I am comfortable it doesn’t make a difference who they are. I am confident in my guard and think I can pull off submissions or sweeps from there.

I’m ready to go three rounds with him if I have to. People say that he is gonna’ gas quick but I didn’t base my camp on that. I am ready to go five rounds if I have to. I trained as if he isn’t ever going to get tired.

Have you focused your training more on striking and MMA, or do you still train BJJ with a gi?

Gracie: I always train with a gi but once it gets close to the fight, like six weeks away, I won’t put the gi on unless I have had a really hard day and just want to do some free rolling. Then I put my gi on and go and roll with my students.

I focus on everything but I cannot forget where I come from or what brought me here which is BJJ so I can’t make the mistake of not training BJJ. I train BJJ and I train the other things like wrestling and boxing.

Sapp fought Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who also has very good BJJ, at a PRIDE event back in 2002. Have you watched that fight again recently?

Gracie: I watched Sapp’s fight with Nogueira. It was an epic. Hopefully my fight won’t be like that but that was a fight which I watched a lot and I could see things I could work on for strategy but the fight happened ten years ago and both him and Noguiera have improved a lot since then so I can’t base too much on that.

You cornered Gregor Gracie at the first ONE FC show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last September. What did you think of that?
The first ONE FC show was awesome, I liked it so much I wanted to fight on the next one. It was a great show and the One FC guys do everything right, they take really good care of the fighters, they put on shows in sold out arenas, it’s awesome.

Gracie: I have been waiting for something like this and the time has come. I’m ready to represent and to put on a show for the Asian fans. My whole family has fought in Asia, not just Renzo Gracie, and this is my third time fighting in Asia and I like the crowd here. It’s the birthplace of martial arts and I think Asia is like where the majority of martial arts were born it’s in people’s DNA to understand martial arts and they love it a lot. It’s a different crowd.

Your only loss came against Joey Beltran in your UFC debut. Did you learn a lot from that experience?

Gracie: I couldn’t prepare the way I wanted and I couldn’t perform the way I wanted. It wasn’t the greatest thing to happen to my career, I would never call a loss a great thing, but I learned a lot from that and it made me change my training and made me think.

I was so excited to fight for the UFC, my last fight was like six months before and I didn’t want to put it off and wait another three months to fight again but the right thing would have been to pull out and get another show.

How disappointed were you to get cut by the UFC after only one fight?

Gracie: I was very disappointed to get cut by the UFC because they knew I was injured and wasn’t 100% but I did the fight anyway and then they didn’t give me another shot . It wasn’t me performing but to be honest I didn’t think I performed that bad. I out-struck Beltra, I took him down, and I mounted him. But my cardio was bad and he was only able to take advantage of me after I ran out of gas and that’s something I can fix. All I had to do was step up my cardio.

Would you ever consider fighting for the UFC again?

Gracie: If they call me I will see but I am happy where I am right now. I’m happy to fight for ONE FC. That’s all I’m thinking of.

Joey Beltran just got cut by the UFC. Would you be interested in a rematch if ONE FC decided to sign him up?

Gracie: I truly believe I can beat Beltran. I think if we fight ten times I’m going to beat him nine. The only time he is going to beat me happened already. I can beat him any area, a grappling match, a wrestling match, a kickboxing match.

So you are confident in your stand up?

Gracie: I am very confident in my stand up, just because I don’t show my striking much doesn’t mean I don’t have striking. I have great striking partners and if I feel if I cannot take somebody down I am happy to use my striking, but if I can take them down I will.

Would you like to be the first ever ONE FC heavyweight champion?

I want to win the ONE FC heavyweight belt. I wanted them to make this fight a championship match but I know they are working on their belts and this is only the second edition of the show but I am looking forward to having that belt. My manager is talking to Victor Cui about future opponents and future shows. I had a great experience with Gregor here and I am ready to embrace this project.

How important to you think it is for there to be a show in Asia which fans all over the world can enjoy instead of just watching the UFC?

Gracie: I don’t believe in monopoly. The more shows we have the better. If you only think about one or two shows you are not really thinking about the sport. The initiative which Cui is doing, partnering up with smaller shows in Asia, is great because it is going to create opportunities for more fighters. If you have only one show how many fighters can you have on your roster? It’s great and this is going to be one of the best shows in the world.

Is there anything else you want to add?

Gracie: I want to thank everyone from Renzo’s team, guys from Fuji gis and Tokyo Fight Brand.

The ONE FC undercard will stream for free starting at about 8:00 AM EST on Saturday morning with the main card available for $9.99. Check out the organization’s website or Facebook Page for more info.

Sapp, who lost in the first round of the tournament to Ikuhisa Minowa, will be stepping in to face Rameau Thierry Sokodjou on October 6 during Dream 11 according to a recent report by MMAWeekly.com.

Mousasi was forced to pull out due to an injury earlier this week.

“Sokoudjou’s a great fighter,” said Sapp. “Without question, he’s ready to go. He’s kind of on his winning (ways), while I’m on the opposite end, on a losing streak. So I definitely would like to push forward and rebound back.”

Sapp has compiled a 10-5-1 record fighting in numerous organizations such as Pride, K1, and Strikeforce. He recently lost by submission due to punches in the first round against quickly rising heavyweight prospect Bobby Lashey during Ultimate Chaos in June after being submitted at the hands of Ikuhisa Minowa in the opening round of the “Super Hulk” tournament.

Ikuhisa Minowa faces Hong Man Choi in the other “Super Hulk” semifinal set for Dream 11, and the winners of both semifinal bouts will meet at the Dynamite! event on New Year’s Eve.

The two faced off as the headlining bout of “Ultimate Chaos” that took place in Biloxi, Mississippi.

There was no question as to what Lashley’s intentions were as he immediately started the fight out with a successful double leg takedown which he followed with a steady stream of punches that forced the eventual tapout with just 1:42 remaining in the first round.

When asked about his gameplan following the bout, Lashley said he knew there would be other bouts in the future that he would be able to showcase some of his other skills, but with Sapp he just wanted to “Go in there and ground and pound, get a quick win, and get out of there.”

The bout with Sapp was Lashley’s fourth in about six months and his second in the just over a month with his last bout being a lightning quick 24 second guillotine choke over Mike Cook at MFC 21 on May 15.

Lashley will collide with K-1 powerhouse Bob Sapp in the main event of “Ultimate Chaos” which is scheduled to take place at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The bout between the two has been dubbed as “The Battle of the Giants” by none other than Lashley himself in a press release issued earlier this afternoon.

“Most heavyweights (in MMA) weigh 230-240 and that’s the size of guys I’ve fought,” Lashley was quoted as saying in the release. “But I’m fighting a huge opponent in this coming fight. This guy must have weighed 370 at the press conference. Even if he gets down to 340, he’ll still outweighs me by around 85 pounds. Sapp’s really aggressive and I know he’s going to come out hard. He won’t be able to go through me, though. He’s strong but his weakness is in the gas tank, even though I know he’s training hard for this fight. It’s going to be a good fight.

“We liked this fight when it was first offered. When I fight there’s always been a ‘but’ after it. It was a good fight but …….fill in the blank. Well, I’m fighting a bigger guy who’s popular overseas. I don’t think this fight will go long. It certainly won’t be a long, drawn-out fight. There will be a lot of heavy blows, lots of banging – ‘Battle of the Giants!’ I’m training right now back home in Colorado. I like working in the altitude but I’ll probably make a brief trip to train (with the American Top Team) in Florida where there are a lot of big guys at our fight club. I may have to stack three guys up (to simulate Sapp, Bobby jokingly said). I have some big guys here I’m training with. They not be quite as big as Sapp, but they’re big, very strong and have heavy hands like Bob.”

Also expected for the card is a heavyweight slugfest between Gilbert Yvel and Pedro Rizzo with notable talent such as Chris Horodecki, Din Thomas and Affliction VP Tom Atencio rounding out the star studded card.

A full list of bouts expected for the event are listed below:

Bobby Lashley vs. Bob Sapp
Gilbert Yvel vs. Pedro Rizzo
Din Thomas vs. Javier Vazquez
Chris Horodecki vs. William Sriyapai
Tom Atencio vs. Randy Hedderick
Brett Cooper vs. Waachiim Spiritwolf
Danny Abbadi vs. Lance Thompson
Colby McMahan vs. James Orso
Eric Bradley vs. Colin McKee
Drew Wallace vs. Eric Graham
Greg Maher vs. Wes Shivers
Mark Kergosien vs. Shawn Hayes
Shilo Pisarich vs. Jonathon Mackles
Weldon Galle vs. Trent Billiot
Jacob Leckich vs. Jim McLemore

“We needed a main event that appealed to the average fight fans, something that would attract the casual person that just likes to be entertained by an intriguing match…It [Lashley’s WWE fame] will definitely help,” promoter Ricky Derouen said in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com. “Anything that draws the attention of ‘other’ fans is a positive thing because it exposes MMA to a different group of people and gives them a little taste of what it’s all about. Let me tell you, if Tiger Woods started competing in MMA, every single golf fan in the world would start watching and take an interest.”

Derouen comes from a family of boxers and promoted shows for years on the Gulf Coast. But like many boxing aficionados, he saw a bright future in MMA. In 2007 he stopped running boxing and toughman cards to concentrate on MMA. He and his brothers used their vehicles for collateral and started putting on events for the rabid local fans. Fourteen shows later and Fight Force International feels confident that they are ready for the big time.

“We have promoted 14 events in South Mississippi with 7 of them being at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum,” Derouen said. “We have entertained over 50,000 fans during those events. That is something I am very proud of. I was born and raised in Biloxi. I went to my very first concert in that building in 1978 and now we are bringing the biggest MMA event and first Pay-Per-View event ever to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. I can’t describe how that feels!”

This PPV is more than a one-fight show. A solid semi-main event features former PRIDE and RINGS standout Gilbert Yvel duking it out with former UFC title contender Pedro Rizzo. It’s an interesting contrast in styles. Yvel is one of the sport’s most aggressive fighters, sometimes aggressive to the point of breaking rules and assaulting officials. Rizzo is a notoriously cautious counter puncher. Matchmaker Russell Schenk is confident that Yvel pressing forward into Rizzo’s devastating counter attack will make for an exciting action fight.

“I think Yvel will bring it and Rizzo will give it right back,” Derouen said. “These are two of the best strikers of all time in MMA history. Yvel is a veteran of Pride with 35 victories and 30 of those were by knockout. Rizzo has knocked out an impressive list of some of the biggest names in the sport. I asked Russell [Schenk] what his thoughts were on this fight, he just grinned, shook his head and said ‘It’s gonna be fireworks!’”

The undercard includes former UFC star Din Thomas and IFL wunderkind Chris Horodecki, but the most talked about fight will feature an outspoken MMA executive trading the boardroom for the training room. Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio will battle Randy Hedderick, a matchup that has led many to speculate that Affliction is co-promoting the show.

“Affliction has no involvement in this event as a promoter. This is a co-promotion between Fight Force International and Prize Fight MMA,” Derouen said. “Tom is passionate about this sport, you can hear it in his voice when he speaks. He truly loves MMA and just wants to train and compete and this is his opportunity. How many people are sitting around talking about doing something and they never do it. I have much respect for Tom and for anybody that steps in the cage.”

Although Sapp and Lashley have each headlined successful MMA shows, they are both coming off of disappointing performances. In March, Lashley went to a decision against lightly regarded journeyman Jason Guida, quieting comparisons with fellow WWE refugee Brock Lesnar. Sapp’s American MMA debut last year saw him last less than a minute against handpicked opponent Jan Nortje. Lashley realizes he needs to prove he can do more than rack up victories. To be a success financially in MMA, he has to entertain as well as win.

“I’m going to try and be good this time,” Lashley said. “Let’s be honest, this fight is going to be a train wreck. It’s two guys going out there to bang and it’s not going to take three rounds to do it, either. One, maybe two. The fans are going to get what they want.”

Not only will Lashley continue to compete in MMA, but sources have informed FiveOuncesOfPain.com that the former NAIA amateur wrestling champion is currently in negotiations to face former PRIDE and K-1 star Bob Sapp in a super heavyweight attraction.

According to sources, the proposed Lashley vs. Sapp fight would headline a June 27 show at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi for a brand new startup promotion. Five Ounces of Pain reported Monday that Chris Horodecki is slated to compete on the show against King of the Cage veteran William Sriyapai.

All indications are that Sapp and Lashley have both verbally agreed to the matchup and the only thing preventing the fight from being announced officially is final confirmation.

Sapp is 10-3-1 in MMA and was once one of Japan’s biggest stars earlier in the decade. A former offensive lineman with the Chicago Bears, Sapp first made a name for himself in combat sports as a kickboxer while competing under the K-1 banner.

He is perhaps known best to the MMA community for his second round armbar submission loss to former PRIDE and interim UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira during PRIDE’s “Shockwave” event in August of 2002.

Sapp’s last MMA fight was against the masked Akihito Tanaka during FEG’s “K-1 Dynamite!!” event this past New Year’s Eve. Tanaka was a former pro wrestler competing under the assumed identity of a Japanese anime’ character.

Lashley is 2-0 since making his MMA debut this past December against Joshua Franklin during a Mixed Fighting Alliance event in Florida. The former ECW heavyweight champion required just 41 seconds to earn a TKO victory over Franklin. He then returned to the cage in March during Square Ring Promotions’ “March Badness” PPV event and defeated Jason Guida via unanimous decision.

Maybe I am alone in thinking this, but I’ve felt for a long time now that Ross would have (and still could me) a very strong MMA play-by-play announcer. I’d be shocked if he’s never been approached about an MMA job.

Ross recently switched from WWE Monday Night Raw to WWE Friday Night Smackdown. He also owns his own barbeque joint in his native Oklahoma, which has a website that includes a personal blog. J.R. watched UFC 86 with his son-in-law this past weekend and blogged about it today. I found his perspective to be extremely interesting…

Ross on the Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson matchup…

“Griffin’s win via decision did not surprise me once I saw the fight but I certainly thought that the Memphis native, Jackson, would win the contest going in. Jackson is a long time fan of Jerry Lawler and even seemed to channel the late Junkyard Dog with Jackson’s howling and his wearing of a dog chain a la JYD way back in the day. Griffin’s kicks were startlingly effective and had to impress the judges along with Griffin’s constant, aggressive nature. A re-match is naturally a guaranteed deal.”

Ross on Josh Koscheck…

“Josh Koscheck should learn to utilize the fact that, seemingly, most fans don’t like him for whatever reason and go with it. Fans pay big money to watch people get their asses whipped, just ask the WWE’s Edge, and a great antagonist is money in the bank for any promoter. Nice to hear “Ironman” used as  entrance music for one entrance during the show as it took me back to the Road Warrior days.”

Ross appears to be a big Tyson Griffin fan…

“Young Tyson Griffin seems to be on his way to stardom as the UFC seems to have another future box office fighter evolving.”

On the commentary and post-fight interviews…

“Joe Rogan is an excellent announcer and I hope the people making the decisions at the UFC know how valuable Rogan is to the UFC viewers. I am not overly unbiased as you would assume especially considering my on air role, but often times the announcing of specific events are overlooked or taken for granted. On the production side of things, the UFC could use a 3rd voice, and this person doesn’t’ have to be seen, to read the sponsor billboards and other such info to enhance the overall production values. This is no big deal but might make the presentation slicker. PXP talent Mike Goldberg is informed and prepared which yours truly certainly respects. Goldberg was once give the opportunity to sit in the PXP chair on Monday Night  Raw. Some of the post match interviews come off as bush league with the fighters simply wanting to plug their sponsors and they are not as smooth at it as NASCAR drivers. I would rather, as a fan, hear more about the just completed fight than someone’s new website or clothing line or where every one is going to go to drink after the show.”

On the colorful metaphors that Griffin utilized in his post-fight interview…

“For the UFC to be accepted more universally, language used by Griffin needs to be addressed as it doesn’t’ send out a classy message to a mass audience even though young males may think it was cool. I mean to take nothing away from Forrest Griffin who is one tough son of a gun and is a guy that I will pay to watch fight again but coarse language won’t attract big time sponsors or enhance the building of a brand that is one of the most exciting new sports in the world.”

On Bruce Buffer…

“Another guy that might want to consider a Sanka is right announcer Bruce Buffer who seems to be a little over dramatic at times. I know that I couldn’t do Buffer’s job and I do like the fact that the younger Buffer is a Texas Hold ‘Em aficionado.”

To read Ross’ entire blog, just click here.