UFC 136

Speaking out on ClinchGear Radio, the 21-2 Herman explained he’d tested positive for marijuana use even though he doesn’t smoke and had initially been told by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation that his original sample had been lost.

“I went in to get my drug test and a week later they called and said they lost my urine specimen and I had to come in and redo it. That was last week and I went back in that day. Then today they said I failed. I’m like, uh, that’s impossible,” said Herman of the circumstances.

Clearly, however unfortunate it may be for Herman, the positive hit was possible and has left the rising star in a bit of limbo career-wise. Whether or not it will affect his status in the UFC remains to be seen. He is 1-0 in the Octagon with a “Fight of the Night” performance in his debut against Jon Olav Einemo in June at UFC 131.

As mentioned earlier, with Herman’s scheduled scrap with Mike Russow postponed, 145-pounders Phan and Garcia will have a chance to shine on the PPV stage in a re-telling of their controversial December 2010 bout where Garcia was awarded a highly-questionable decision. In fact, the scoring was so bad UFC President Dana White opted to pay Phan his contracted win bonus as well even though he technically picked up a loss as the actual outcome.

UFC 136 takes place October 8 in Houston, Texas and is headlined by a pair of title fights including phenomenal featherweight Jose Aldo defending his gold against former 155-pound contender Kenny Florian and Frank Edgar putting his lightweight belt on the line for a second-straight time against undefeated Gray Maynard.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the match-up was recently revealed through the UFC’s website.

“Pee Wee” Herman lived up to the buzz surrounding his signing earlier this year by helping deliver a “Fight of the Night” performance in his triumphant promotional debut last month at UFC 131 against Jon Olav Einemo. The 21-2 finisher scored the fifteenth TKO of his career at the event and has five submissions under his belt as well.

While Herman’s opponent may not have the same hype he’s certainly been as successful as the 26-year old over the past few years. Russow, who also works as a Chicago cop, has gone 14-1 in his career and won his last ten fights. Of his three consecutive victories in the Octagon he is best known by fans for an incredible comeback knockout of Todd Duffee at UFC 114.

Though an official lineup for UFC 136 is still forthcoming the October 8 show is rumored to feature undefeated champion Cain Velasquez defending his heavyweight belt against heavy-handed striker Junior dos Santos in addition to legitimate American hero Brian Stann battling aggressive grappler Chael Sonnen.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Einemo will now face another athlete taking to the Octagon for the first time in his career, as the UFC announced Dave Herman will no longer see action against Joey Beltran at the event and will serve as Carwin’s replacement against the submission savvy heavyweight.

“Pee Wee” Herman is considered to be one of the top prospects in the division with an overall record of 20-2, including a DQ defeat, and has finished nineteen of the twenty total in-ring adversaries he’s emerged victorious against.

Additionally, Beltran has been booked against journeyman 16-3 Aaron Rosa, a veteran competitor with experience in EliteXC, Bellator, and Strikeforce. The 27-year old Texan was last seen picking up a fourth consecutive win this past March after choking Abe Wagner out in the second round of their bout at Titan FC 17.

Set for Vancouver and, in addition to the revised trio of big-boy battles, UFC 131 will also feature Ken Florian’s featherweight unveiling against 16-1 Diego Nunes, rivals Donald Cerrone and Mac Danzig mixing it up, and accomplished wrestler Mark Munoz attempting to avoid the slick submissions of dynamic BJJ blackbelt Demian Maia.

According to the UFC, Herman has verbally agreed to mix it up with Joey Beltran at UFC 131 on June 11 in Vancouver, British Columbia as part of a card already headlined by a pair of battle-savvy behemoths in the form of Brock Lesnar’s highly-anticipated bout against Junior dos Santos.

Considered one of the top heavyweight prospects in MMA, Herman is 20-2 in his career and has remarkably finished nineteen of the twenty foes he’s felled. The 26-year old has had his hands raised in five of his last six fights with the lone exception being a DQ loss after landing an illegal knee. Among his wins are victories over Jim York, Ron Waterman, and Don Frye.

In the 12-5 Beltran he will face an individual with ten of his twelve wins coming by way of TKO including strike-based success against Rolles Gracie and Houston Alexander. However, “The Mexicutioner” has struggled as of late dropping a pair of decisions in his previous outings against Pat Barry and Matt Mitrione meaning he has the added incentive of fighting for a spot on the roster and will likely throw caution to the wind inside the cage as far as procuring a victory.

In addition to a number of other notable match-ups UFC 131 is also set to feature fights between decorated wrestler Mark Munoz and submission expert Demian Maia, rivals Mac Danzig and Donald Cerrone, and former lightweight Ken Florian making his 145-pound debut against Diego Nunes in hopes of landing a title-shot.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of Herman’s signing was reported by MMAWeekly where it was also mentioned the 26-year old’s opponent at the June event is believed to be Brit Rob Broughton.

Broughton is currently riding a five-fight win streak including a third round submission of Vinicius Kappke de Queiroz in his promotional debut at UFC 120 this past October. The Wolfslair product holds an overall record of 15-5-1 including seven TKOs and five submissions.

Comparably, Herman is 20-2 and has beaten five of the last six adversaries he’s faced with the lone exception being a disqualification loss to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou resulting from an illegal knee. He holds past victories over Don Frye and Ron Waterman in his career and is coming off scorecard-based success against Yoshishiro “Kiss” Nakao on December 30 at “SRC – Soul of Fight”.

PHOTO CREDIT – SHOWTIME

It took heavyweight knockout artist Dave “Pee Wee” Herman all of one minute into the opening round to leave MMA legend Don “The Predator” Frye battered and bruised with a volley of punches that ultimately forced the stoppage.

The two squared off in the main event of Shark Fights 6: Stars and Stripes, which was held in Amarillo, Texas.

Herman improved his record to 15-1, with twelve stoppages due to either KO or TKO, and 3 wins due to submission (although two of the subs were from strikes).  Herman has yet to go to the scorecards in his sixteen fight career.

Also on the card, TUF 7 cast member Gerald Harris blasted UFC and WEC veteran Nissen Osterneck with a big punch just shy of the one minute mark in their middleweight match-up to earn himself the Shark Fight title for the division.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has recently been able to confirm the news of the bout through sources close to the fight.

Of course Frye recently pulled out of his scheduled August 28 match-up against Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal at “M-1 Global: Breakthrough” citing the change of venue from California to Kansas as the reason for his withdrawal.

Herman has established himself as a finishing machine in the heavyweight division, with every one of his victories ending on his own terms. Eleven knockouts and three submission make up Herman’s fourteen victories as a professional, compiling wins over the likes of Mario Rinaldi, “Meat Truck” Kerry Schall and Ron Waterman along the way. He recently bounced back from his first defeat as a professional at the hands of Choi Mu Bae in January by TKO’ing a game Josh Barnes at Bellator 5 in May.

Frye has gone 2-2 in his last four fights, notching wins over Bryan Pardoe and Rich Moss while dropping bouts to James Thompson and Ikihusa Minowa. Frye also recently made a small appearance in the motion picture blockbuster “Public Enemies”.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has recently learned from sources close to the Indiana based knockout artist that he will be competing on September 12 at “Shark Fights 4” from Amarillo, Texas. His opponent has yet to be named.

Herman is a massive and rangy heavyweight that stands at 6’5″, and weighs in around the 240 pound mark. He has put together an impressive record of 14-1 during his professional career, with 11 of his victories coming by way of knockout.

Herman’s last trip to the cage saw him stop Josh Barnes by TKO in the first round at Bellator 5 in May of 2009.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has confirmed the news of the bout from a source close to Dave Herman.

The bout with Sanchez will undoubtedly mark the toughest test in Herman’s fifteen fight career. Of his fourteen victories, every single one of them he has finished on his own terms. Herman suffered the first defeat of his professional career at a Sengoku event in January of this year to Choi Mu Bae but recently bounced back with an impressive TKO stoppage of Josh Barnes at Bellator 5 on the first of May.

Sanchez put together a winning record of 4-3 during his career with the UFC before recently being released by the organization. It took him only ten seconds to make his first win since being released by the UFC an impressive one as he shut down Jay White by TKO at Bellator 7.

The up and coming heavyweight destroyer recently confirmed in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com that he has finally began to train at a professional mixed martial arts gym following his very first career loss at the hands of Choi Mu Bae at Sengoku in January. Not just training, but training twice a day, like an animal.

Just from speaking with Herman you have a sense that he is ready to debut an all new version of himself when he faces off with Josh Barnes in his Bellator debut on May 1. ‘My stand-up was terrible’, ‘The only thing I was really decent at was wrestling’, said the towering 240 pounder about his past performances in the cage, hinting that he is extremely confident hat he has grown tremendously since his previous defeat in Japan.

Now that Herman seems to have gotten his act together it’s going to be fascinating to watch as his blossoming career as a heavyweight continues to progress.

Cory Brady for FiveOuncesOfPain.com: While you were growing up, were you the type of kid that got into a fair amount of scraps?

Dave Herman: No, not since I was like four or five. In elementary school and high school I don’t think I got into a single fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: I know you wrestled in college, do you feel like it was just a natural choice for you to pursue a career in mixed martial arts once your wrestling days were over?

Dave Herman: Yeah, you know unless you’re going to wrestle in the Olympics, there really isn’t anything else to do. I just really loved wrestling and I’ve always loved competing.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: You didn’t look like your normal self in your last bout at Sengoku. What are your thoughts looking back on your performance?

Dave Herman: Basically I just wasn’t in shape. I wasn’t in the kind of shape that I could have or should have been, but I’m kind of glad that things went the way they did.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So you think it will be one of those situations where you will take the loss as a learning experience that will help you develop in the future?

Dave Herman: Oh yeah. I’m at a gym now where I’m training actual fighting as opposed to just screwing around and doing my own thing. I feel like I’ve already improved a lot.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Right, I know you’ve traditionally been a very self motivated guy that does a good amount of his training on his own. What gym have you been training at since your loss to Choi Mu Bae at Sengoku?

Dave Herman: I’ve been training at Ed Clay’s Nashville MMA since then.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How are you feeling physically heading into your fight with Josh Barnes?

Dave Herman: I’m feeling really good. In all of my fights prior to this one I had probably sparred like once while preparing for the bout. I would probably wrestle a couple times, spar once and other than that, just work on my conditioning. Right now I’m definitely feeling a lot more comfortable in different positions.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So you’ve been noticing some significant improvements since finally training at a real MMA gym?

Dave Herman: Yeah, but I haven’t really had a chance to see where I’m at in a fight yet and it’s something that I’m really looking forward to doing. I mean, I was here for like two weeks and I noticed that I was able to do a lot of different stuff. I’ve been picking things up pretty quickly. I mean before, in Jiu-Jitsu, I don’t think I ever submitted anybody, but nobody ever showed me how though.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So up until just recently, how have you been preparing for your fights? Was it just lifting weights and wrestling around with your buddies in the living room? What did your training really consist of?

Dave Herman: Well I was still able to go in and wrestle at Northern Illinois University, but yeah, pretty much it was just lifting weights, staying in shape and conditioning.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What are some of the key areas you have been focusing on in the gym since your last fight?

Dave Herman: Everything, just everything. Honestly, I pretty much needed a lot of work on everything. As far as technique and everything else, I was just winging it. Usually I came out on top, but that only lasts for so long.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So you feel like even though you already have fourteen fights under your belt that there is still plenty left to learn and room for you to develop?

Dave Herman: Yeah, well my stand-up was terrible. The only thing that I was even really decent at was wrestling, and then I still didn’t even take anybody down.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: It seems like your striking has been getting the job done. You’ve knocked out nearly everyone you’ve come across so far.

Dave Herman: Yeah, but I mean, if you just go in there and swing away you can get the job done, but my chin was always up, bad form and my hands never seemed to stay near my face.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What do you know about Josh Barnes and how do you feel you guys match up?

Dave Herman: I heard that he wrestled and that he was pretty good at striking. I actually met him once and he seemed pretty nice.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Are you going to be looking to make a statement in this fight with Barnes to show that you are back?

Dave Herman: It would be nice. I really don’t know what to expect because this is my first fight where I have actually trained seriously so hopefully things go well for me.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So you’re just kind of looking forward to getting back in there and showcase what you’ve been working on after this recent break?

Dave Herman: Yeah, I think especially with doing all of this new training, getting in there and fighting will actually help me in my training after that too. Training is great but there’s nothing like the real thing. It will help me assess where I’m at and figure out what I have to work on from there.

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

Dave Herman: I’d like to thank Ed Clay for taking me under his wing and helping me become a better fighter.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com confirmed the news on Thursday morning with Herman’s manager, Mike Camp of F1 Management.

Choi, 7-3, is a veteran of PRIDE, K-1 HERO’s, and Pancrase. He made his Sengoku debut at Sengoku 3 this past June where he was submitted by Marcio “Pe de Pano” Cruz in the first round following an arm triangle.

Herman, 13-0, is contracted to EliteXC but has been fighting outside of the promotion while the company attempts to find a buyer. The former Indiana-Bloomington wrestling standout recorded win number 13 during a King of Kombat card in Austin, Texas on Nov. 22.

Facing former International Fighting Organization heavyweight champion Chris Guillen, Herman was declared the victor following a TKO stoppage due to punches at just 1:32 of round 1. The win marked the twelfth time in thirteen fights in which Herman’s opposition had failed to make it out of the third round against him.

Herman will be joined on the card by another EliteXC-contracted heavyweight, as EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva is set to make his Sengoku debut on the same card against Yoshihiro Nakao. By agreeing to the bout, Silva will risk having his license revoked by the California State Athletic Commission, which suspended him for a year this past August after the commission claimed he failed a test for steroids.

Sengoku 7 will be taking place in Saitama, Japan at the Saitama Super Arena and in addition to separate heavyweight tilts featuring Herman and Silva, the card will also feature Kazuo Misaki taking on Jorge Santiago for the vacant Sengoku middleweight title and Takanori Gomi facing Satoru Kitaoka for the vacant Sengoku lightweight title. Hidehiko Yoshida will also be headlining the card against Sanae Kikuta.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the news early Wednesday morning from Herman’s manager, Mike Camp of F1 Management.

According to camp, Herman’s opponent for the event has not been determined.

Herman, 13-0, is contracted to EliteXC but has been fighting outside of the promotion while the company attempts to find a buyer. The former Indiana-Bloomington wrestling standout recorded win number 13 during a King of Kombat card in Austin, Texas on Nov. 22.

Facing former International Fighting Organization heavyweight champion Chris Guillen, Herman was declared the victor following a TKO stoppage due to punches at just 1:32 of round 1. The win marked the twelfth time in thirteen fights in which Herman’s opposition had failed to make it out of the third round against him.

Herman will be joined on the card by another EliteXC-contracted heavyweight, as EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva is set to make his Sengoku debut on the same card against Yoshihiro Nakao. By agreeing to the bout, Silva will risk having his license revoked by the California State Athletic Commission, which suspended him for a year this past August after the commission claimed he failed a test for steroids.

Sengoku 7 will be taking place in Saitama, Japan at the Saitama Super Arena and in addition to separate heavyweight tilts featuring Herman and Silva, the card will also feature Kazuo Misaki taking on Jorge Santiago for the vacant Sengoku middleweight title and Takanori Gomi facing Satoru Kitaoka for the vacant Sengoku lightweight title. Hidehiko Yoshida will also be headlining the card against Sanae Kikuta.

Guillen, who reportedly was originally set to face former UFC veteran Sam Hoger, was TKO’d by Herman just one minute and 32 seconds into the face after the referee called a stop to the fight while Herman was delivering unanswered strikes.

The win improved Herman’s record to 13-0 with twelve of his victories coming by the way of finishes in the first round. After feasting on unproven competition in the Midwest, Herman taken a step up in competition in 2008 and is primed for a big campaign in 2009.

Making his EliteXC debut this past February in Miami during the promotion’s “Street Certified” event, Herman TKO’d former BodogFIGHT veteran and current American Top Team heavyweight Mario Rinaldi.

The former Indiana University-Bloomington wrestling product returned to the cage during EliteXC’s “Return of the King” event in Hawaii this past June. Facing former UFC and PRIDE competitor Ron Waterman, Herman needed just two minutes and 19 seconds to record a first round TKO over the veteran.

Herman then headlined a ShoXC event on Oct. 10 against season two veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Kerry Schall. In what could go down in the final match in EliteXC history, Herman utilized a combination of punches and knees to record a TKO victory over Schall in just one minute and six seconds.

By adding Guillen to his resume of defeated opponents, Herman could be positioning himself for a strong offer from a major national promotion such as the UFC, Affliction, or Strikeforce, in the event that he is granted free agency.

Back in the day if you wanted to train MMA, often times the only real option for an aspiring fighter was to drive 1-2 hours away and train in a neighborhood in which you needed to wear a bullet proof vest. To say things have changed would be an understatement. These days, MMA gyms are popping up everywhere at a rate that is almost surreal.

FIGHT! October 2008

Growing up in the quiet suburb of Jenkintown, PA, the idea of a world class jiu-jitsu black belt opening up a first-rate gym 10 minutes from my house seemed unfathomable. But that’s exactly what happened last summer when Jared Weiner, the first-ever person promoted to black belt by Lloyd Irvin, moved his school, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu United from a crummy area in Northeast Philadelphia into Jenkintown’s high-rent business district.

There are so many MMA gyms opening up that in this day and age if you live more than 45 minutes from a gym that teaches MMA, chances are you live in Montana. But the thing is, just because a gym has the initials “MMA” on their signage it doesn’t mean they are qualified to teach mixed martial arts.

In order to practice law, you need to pass the bar; in order to be a stock broker, you need to pass a Series 7 test; and if you want to be a doctor then you need to graduate med school. However, there is no law that prevents someone from opening an MMA gym.

I live just outside of Philadelphia, which has become a hot bed for the sport. I’m very fortunate in that I have the option of training at multiple top-notch gyms that are all within sixty minutes of my home. The problem is that there are also an additional six gyms within the same distance that have no business being in operation. If you’re looking to take up training, you have to be careful no matter how excited you are about getting involved.

You do not run to the nearest MMA gym with cash in hand. If you were going to buy a car, would you just go to the lot and choose whatever looked nice and was available? Or, would you go online and research the safety record of the models you’re looking at? Would you not look at other dealerships in order to get comparative pricing? You need to adopt a similar approach when searching for the right gym for you. Granted, it’s a lot cheaper to train MMA than it is to buy a new car, but training in a martial art is not inexpensive. Most gyms are going to require that you make an extended commitment of at least six months and possibly more. You don’t want to walk into a gym and sign on the dotted line right away simply because you got excited by seeing someone throw an amazing high kick.

The reality is that a lot of people out there are being ripped off. There are instructors out there who claim they are black belts in jiu-jitsu when they are not. There are former Karate instructors who claim they can help people become pro fighters even though they’ve never fought or trained MMA. Simply put, you need to be careful of wannabes with false credentials or credentials that are meaningless in MMA. A lot of people see the sport and are excited by it. They see how much money can be made and instead of starting over and paying their dues in a new martial art, they believe they can actually teach you something they aren’t qualified to teach.

Right about now you’re probably asking about how you can determine whether a gym is legit or a joke. Here are some important things to look for when choosing a place to train.

1. Are the people willing to answer questions – If you’re talking to an owner at a prospective school or a head trainer and they are put out that you are asking questions, that’s a red flag. They are running a business and you are a customer. You have every right to want to know what you’re getting yourself into. If an instructor is running a legitimate gym, then he or she has nothing to hide and should relish the opportunity to tell you about what the gym has to offer.

2. Does it look reputable - You can’t always judge a book by its cover, but you can tell a lot about a martial arts gym by its appearance. Is the gym in a well-lit area? Is it in its own space or does it lease a smaller space within an existing business, such as a fitness gym? Are there windows so that people from the outside can see inside? Have they put money into redecorating? If a gym doesn’t even feel a need to put money into their surroundings, there’s a chance they don’t feel a need to put money into their staff. Do they have newer heavy bags and clean mats? If you’re at a gym that resembles a shack or a garage, chances are that’s the level of instruction you’re going to get.

3. Price - In martial arts, just because you spend a lot of money, you aren’t guaranteed to get good training. However, it’s a rule that if you buy cheap, you get cheap. The only exception I’ve seen in regards to this rule is the Philadelphia Fight Factory (home to Eddie Alvarez, Tara LaRosa, and Stephen Haigh), which only charges $99 a month.

Most people suffer sticker shock when they see the cost of training. A legitimate fight gym located in a major metropolitan area is going to cost you between $125-to-$250 per month for a full MMA program. You can train for less at most gyms if you’re only interested in Muay Thai or just jiu-jitsu, but you need to be careful about a full MMA program that is less than $125 a month.

If you have no aspirations of competing and are simply looking to get into shape, then you can get away with training at a cheap gym so long as it’s being operated in a professional manner. But if you want quality training, you’re going to have to pay for it.

4. Be sure to inquire about the MMA credentials of the instructors - After brainwashing their students for years that MMA was just a fad, many Karate, Kung Fu, and Taekwondo schools are closing up shop and re-opening as MMA schools. Some of these former traditional martial arts schools are no more qualified to teach MMA than I am, and I suck. You want to train under someone who has either one or more of the following: certification from a widely recognized MMA school; fights professionally in MMA; is a top-level competitor in Muay Thai or jiu-jitsu; or has trained for a significant period of time in MMA.

Look, there’s nothing wrong if an instructor has a background in traditional martial arts. Chances are that any instructor over 30 got his or her start in traditional martial arts before transitioning to MMA. Pat Miletich, one of the greatest MMA trainers of all-time, holds a black belt in Karate. But he’s also boxed, wrestled, and trained jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai. You only need to be concerned about an instructor if the only thing they have to fall back on is their traditional martial arts background.

Almost as bad as schools closing and re-opening with a new identity is that some traditional martial arts schools are simply adding the initials “MMA” to their signage. These gyms are trying to pass off Karate as a contemporary MMA striking technique while simply going out and getting a blue belt to head their jiu-jitsu program.

I’ve trained at strip mall Karate dojos so I speak from some first-hand experience. And my experience has been that most McDojos are bad and I’m alarmed that some of them are now claiming they can teach people MMA. A lot of them have already watered down traditional martial arts so what reason do we have to believe they’re not going to do the same to MMA?

So don’t be afraid to ask for credentials. And once you get the credentials of the instructors, be sure to check them out. We live in the information age. If someone makes a claim that you can’t verify through a routine Google search, there’s a chance they are telling you a tall tale. If someone says they’ve fought in the UFC, their name should show up on Sherdog’s fight finder. If someone is telling you they have won big-time grappling tournaments in the past, you should see something when you enter their name into a search engine.

5. Read a contract before you sign it - You’d be surprised how many times people sign something without reading it. Some gyms have straight-forward contracts that were downloaded from a template site. Others are extremely litigious and put you in a situation where you are signing away basic rights. The reality is that just because you sign something doesn’t mean it’s binding (a contract still has to be within the law) but chances are you will require the services of a lawyer to get out of a ridiculous contract even if it’s not legally enforceable. With most gym contracts I’ve signed, it’s the gym’s position that they cannot be found liable for anything — not even if someone were to spar while tripping their face off and beating the piss out of you in the process.

So read contracts and know what you’re getting into ahead of time. Most gyms are either not insured or under-insured, which is insane considering that injury is inherent to combat sports simply by sheer nature. You shouldn’t just assume everything is going to be okay if you get caught in a kneebar and you tear ligaments because someone didn’t let go in time. And if you have health insurance, it might not be a bad idea to review the terms of your policy. Chances are the typical HMO isn’t going to cover martial arts injuries.

6. Ask if pro fighters train out of the gym - The odds of becoming a pro fighter are already against you unless you’re a former NCAA Division I competitor; a standout Muay Thai fighter; or a jiu-jitsu prodigy. Even if you have a strong pedigree, success in MMA is still not a guarantee. No matter how much respect you have for the sport, it’s still ten times harder than it looks on television. But if you have pro aspirations, your chances of developing into a pro-caliber fighter are depressed further if you are training at a gym that either has no current pros or has never produced a pro.

7. Observe the demeanor of the student body - Whether you’re training during a free trial period or just observing a class, be mindful of how the students act. There are a lot of knuckleheads that try and train martial arts. MMA is attracting a lot of people who are insecure with their place in life. These are the types of people who think they are a bad ass just because they gave someone a black eye while sparring.

The gym I train at, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu United, is knucklehead-free because the owner of the school, Jared Weiner, would rather run a clean program than to allow people to get away with murder simply because he wants their money. Any school worth its salt has ways of weeding out undesirable students from their population. While weeding out methods can vary greatly, legitimate gyms do not allow assholes to run the risk of soiling their gym’s reputation just so they can get an additional $150 a month.

If there is no policing method in place at a gym, that’s a sign that unprofessional conduct is tolerated and you do not want to waste your time at such a place.

8. Take advantage of any trial offers and then trust your gut instinct – You should never commit to a gym until going through a free trial period. There is no better way to determine if a gym is right for you than to go through a trial period. After that trial period is up, you should have a good idea of whether the gym is right for you. If you find that there are a lot of unanswered questions and too many red flags, take that as a sign that you should probably keep looking for a gym that feels like a better fit.

Adam Morgan: You’re a newer face to a lot of people in MMA so tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into MMA.

Dave Herman: Well I wrestled in college and one of my friends wanted to watch a fight once, I thought it would be fun to give it a try. That’s about it.

Adam Morgan: Was your first fight right out of college?

Dave Herman: I was still in college. It was Halloween, my first amateur fight was, and that’s going on almost two years ago.

Adam Morgan: How did you get the nickname “Pee Wee”?

Dave Herman: I kind of did it as a joke. Somebody said something stupid and was like “how about Pee Wee” and I just kind of went with it after that.

Adam Morgan: Have you ever thought about changing it?

Dave Herman: I don’t know. Prior to that I wasn’t actually planning on having a nickname but it’s kind of funny, I like it.

Adam Morgan: You mean you don’t want to change it to “Blueberry Muffin” after your interview with Goldberg?

Dave Herman: Nah, I was just joking. I was just messing around.

Adam Morgan: That seemed like a pretty awkward interview. Was it?

Dave Herman: I dunno, it was…short.

Adam Morgan: Sean McCorkle is always on the UG before your fights talking about how little you train before each fight. Is there any truth to that or is there anything you’d like to say to refute those claims?

Dave Herman: There’s some. My last fight I worked out pretty hard for and did a lot of conditioning. My first five amateur fights I mostly did a lot of drinking.

Adam Morgan: So is McCorkle halfway correct?

Dave Herman: Partially, sure.

Adam Morgan: Okay, so give me an example. For the fight against Mario Rinaldi how much did you train?

Dave Herman: Well, I only knew two weeks ahead of time that I even had the fight. Actually, one week before, the Saturday before we grilled out steaks on the fire and played beer pong all day.

Adam Morgan: And this was one week before the fight?

Dave Herman: Yeah and I actually threw up that night and all the next morning. At night you can’t really see if the steaks are cooked and I think I ate like five raw steaks. That’s what it looked like in the sink in the morning anyways.

Adam Morgan: And then the very next week you came out against Rinaldi and put on a pretty dominant performance?

Dave Herman: Yeah, I was a little tired. I probably could have conditioned a little better but it worked out okay.

Adam Morgan: As far as this upcoming fight what has your training regimen been like?

Dave Herman: I actually just went to Las Vegas to spar with people and do some striking work with Ken Hahn at Striking Unlimited. Other than that I’ve just been working on conditioning.

Adam Morgan: Tell me about your time with Ken Hahn out at Striking Unlimited.

Dave Herman: It was fun, I felt like it would probably be a big help if I had a striking coach for sure. I got along good with Ken and he showed me some stuff. Hopefully I can retain what he showed me (laughs).

Adam Morgan: How did you get hooked up with Ken Hahn?

Dave Herman: One of my managers just asked me if I wanted to fly out to Vegas and I said yes. American Standup actually brought me out to train with Striking Unlimited.

Adam Morgan: And as for the drinking, has that come to a stop?

Dave Herman: Yeah, I quit drinking. I quit drinking before the last fight.

Adam Morgan: You whipped out a crane kick in your last fight. Where did that come from?

Dave Herman: I just kind of made that up. I’ve been working on that since I was like six years old so there it was. When I was six I thought that would be a fun kick to do. That’s the first time I ever did that.

Adam Morgan: What’s your opinion of Kimbo Slice and all the attention he’s getting?

Dave Herman: I don’t know, I don’t really know what to say. He’s only had three pro fights and he’s making a lot more than probably everybody else who is 3-0 besides maybe Brock Lesnar. The UFC is kind of doing the same thing with him that EliteXC is doing with Kimbo. They’re not really getting paid for their fighting skills. There’s other people that are just as talented that don’t get paid anything just because they weren’t already there, you know what I mean?

Adam Morgan: Is it something that is a jealousy thing or more just that Kimbo hasn’t paid his dues and he’s getting paid all this money or what is it?

Dave Herman: I don’t know, if I was in his situation I would do the very same thing so I can’t really say anything bad. I’m just waiting for him to fight somebody good I guess.

Adam Morgan: Do you think there’s any chance that Ken Shamrock will expose him?

Dave Herman: I don’t know. I’m no expert when it comes to critiquing other people but I guess we’ll find out. It looked like he had a little trouble with wrestling so if Shamrock goes out looking to wrestle then he might have some trouble, I don’t know.

Adam Morgan: Has EliteXC ever talked to you about a possible fight with Kimbo?

Dave Herman: Not that I’m aware of.

Adam Morgan: Would you like to fight him?

Dave Herman: I don’t really care. Whoever they put me against is fine with me.

Adam Morgan: Has the UFC ever approached you about fighting for them?

Dave Herman: They’ve never approached me personally. I think they might have said something to my manager but it was after I’d already signed with EliteXC. They never said anything prior to that, no.

Adam Morgan: Are you happy with how EliteXC has treated you so far and how they’re bringing you along?

Dave Herman: Yeah. It’d be nice to get paid a little more but that will come with time.

Adam Morgan: Do you see EliteXC as a long-term contender to be able to compete with UFC?

Dave Herman: Hopefully. Competition is good for everybody, really, especially the fighters.

Adam Morgan: Have you ever given serious thought to joining one of the top MMA teams to hone your skills?

Dave Herman: What, like a gym? Possibly.

Adam Morgan: Who are you training with now?

Dave Herman: Well, I went out to Vegas to work out with Ken Hahn for a week. Other than that I just work out at my house.

Adam Morgan: So you’ve never trained with a team?

Dave Herman: No. I actually just got done wrestling with one of my friends in the living room. Usually I go and wrestle on the wrestling mats in the wrestling room at Indiana University but I didn’t really feel like going all the way over there so we just moved the couch out of the way.

Adam Morgan: Is there any particular reason that you’ve never trained with a team?

Dave Herman: It’s just more convenient. I mean, where’s a good team at that’s close to here?

Adam Morgan: Good point. What does it feel like to be in your first main event on Showtime?

Dave Herman: About the same. I just have to wait longer to fight now.

Adam Morgan: Is there anything in particular that you have to be worried about when facing a guy like Kerry Schall?

Dave Herman: I don’t know, I don’t really know much about him. I might look into a little bit in a week or two.

Adam Morgan: So are you one of these guys that’s holding down a job and then training when you can?

Dave Herman: No, I don’t have a job.

Adam Morgan: Okay, so take me through a regular day in Dave Herman’s world.

Dave Herman: Well, today I got up and ran and then I went and helped out one of my buddies move some stuff. Then I went to the pool for a few hours. What else did I do today? There’s not a whole lot going on over
here. We wrestled in the living room.

Adam Morgan: So you don’t have like a strict training regimen or anything?

Dave Herman: No. Sometimes we go back to the quarries and do some cliff diving and swimming.

Adam Morgan: You’ve never given any serious thought to going balls to the wall and training MMA all day, every day?

Dave Herman: That just sounds terrible, actually. (laughs) But I would like to, with some good coaches, learn some more techniques and stuff.

Adam Morgan: Would you ever consider leaving Indiana to do that?

Dave Herman: Yeah, I’m on a lease here until next August but after that I’m probably going to go somewhere, I don’t know where. This year I’m going to try to travel around, see what my options are, and make a move next year. I’m not in a hurry.

Adam Morgan: Anyone you’d like to thank or anyone you want to give a shout out to?

Dave Herman: American Standup for flying me out to Vegas. It was a good experience, got to meet a lot of top fighters and stuff. That was kind of cool.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com confirmed the news earlier today with both EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw and Herman’s manager, Mike Camp of F1 Management.

Herman is 2-0 since making his EliteXC debut earlier this year and is 11-0 overall. Fighting on the undercard of EliteXC’s “Street Certified” in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. on Feb. 16, Herman TKO’d American Top Team heavyweight Mario Rinaldi at 0:33 of round 3.

He returned on June 14 during the promotion’s “Return of the King” event and needed just 2:19 of round 1 to TKO former UFC and PRIDE veteran Ron Waterman.

In addition to having been involved with TUF 2, Schall has one career UFC bout to his credit. Facing Keith Jardine on the undercard of the live season finale, Schall was TKO’d in the second round due to leg kicks.

Having competed frequently on regional shows throughout the Midwest, Schall has compiled a 21-10 record with notable wins over Wade Hamilton and Brian Ebersole. He also holds the distinction of having lost to WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko in 2001 while competing in Japan’s Rings promotion. In that bout, Schall was forced to tap to an armbar at 1:47 of round 1.

EliteXC’s next ShoXC event is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 26 in Ynez, Calif. at the Chumash Casino & Resort. The event, which will be televised live on SHOWTIME, will feature undefeated Wilson Reis and King of the Cage bantamweight (135 lbs.) champion Abel Cullum fighting for the vacant EliteXC bantamweight (140 lbs.) title.

(Pictured: Dave Herman)