10 Questions With Bill Smallwood (by Darrick Patrick)
Bill Smallwood is a professional mixed martial artist who has appeared in different organizations such as SE Vale Tudo, Cage Of Fire, and Extreme Full Contact.
Darrick: What was the journey that led you to professional mixed martial arts?
Bill: I have always been an elite amateur wrestler since I was four years old out of Oklahoma where the kid program to the college level is in contention of winning a national title every year - as we do hold the record for the most gold medalists and national championships. For example, Frank Trigg and Randy Couture are wrestlers from that state.
Darrick: Who are some of the people that greatly influenced you while growing up?
Bill: OSU head wrestling coach John Smith, OSU 1996 gold medalist Kendall Cross, and gold medalist Kenny Monday.
Darrick: What does a "normal" training session for you consist of?
Bill: After warming up and stretching really well, I start with jabs and crosses with five pound weights for a five minute period - followed by five minutes with the jump rope. Then, it’s one-on-one pairing mitts combinations for ten minutes, a one minute rest interval, and then a ten minute round of Thai pads. Next, there is a ten minute round combination of push kicks, leg kicks, mixing up hands, and leg kicks to head kicks.
A five minute period of defense catching leg kicks, five minutes of Muay Thai clinch and moving to takedown using elbow strikes, and ten minutes of ground and pound. Followed by twenty minutes of submission wrestling, passing guard, and working from the back. Lots of abdominal and oblique work.
Darrick: You’re also involved in a website called MMA-Underground.com - what’s the scoop on that?
Bill: Out of the blue, I had read some really great blogs and articles from the same guy, and he seemed to have his own spin. Knowing the sport and competing for the last twenty-two years of my life at elite schools - I was like, "This guy gets it." So, I did my homework on the guy (JP Berube) and found out that he is a web developer for the Los Angeles Times. I constantly network and my friend was needing a web developer. I’m thinking, "we all do nightclub and event promoting in San Diego. My boy Tim at A07 Entertainment is shopping around, why not have the best?"
I have recently been working my way into Mark Cuban’s network at HDNet Fights and as I’m speaking to JP Berube (he’s not pitching me, we’re just casually having a conversation), I told him he needed to link up with them for his goals. I’m not really sure when, but soon after I started seeing his vision and saw that it matched mine with getting to the next level. What better way is there to plug in all that you know financially and talent wise than to contribute to the sport in and outside of the cage/ring?
Currently we’ve had the website for about a week and dropped time/energy into two days of marketing. Just the response in traffic is absolutely wonderful and let’s me know with content that I didn’t make a mistake with signing on. I have magazine articles, clothing, and products ready to hook up (probably because of my business partners), but I’m glad to share them because dealing with JP has been absolutely so smooth and a great transistion. We both respect our boundaries - I’m the "hustle/get revenue and marketing guy", he’s the "tech and web guy".
Darrick: What brings you the most fulfillment out of martial arts?
Bill: I constantly do business, training, or fighting and I am addicted to what I consider to be "THE NEXT LEVEL". So, I’ve set aside volunteered hours in the week to train beginners at MMA and I have also taken on two new guys to mentor in business to market themselves and their brands better. So honestly, I would have to be thankful that I can humble myself enough to crawl out of the money scheming/hustling and take time out to be a part of someone’s success with no attachments or obligations.
Darrick: Any words of advice for younger individuals looking to compete in the sport?
Bill: This is an easy sport. If you complicate it, give yourself hurdles and excuses in any realm of fighting (or life), you don’t stand a chance for success. However, if you say, "Yeah, it’s easy - I can do it", and then just jump in and do it - you stand a chance. Also, attach yourself to someone whose heart is really in it. I mean someone who is so addicted to training that they would sleep in a gym with their four ounce gloves on if they could, or possibly already do. (Laughs)
Darrick: Outside of mixed martial arts, what are your other interests?
Bill: Wow, where do I start? I’m a fan of high-end fashion and in one year I want to do a launch of my own brand. It will be inspired by Tommy Bahama collections, Indigo Palms, and Island Soft. Also, a few other interests are nightclub and event promotion.
I would like to get more into surfing and possibly start learning how to sail a boat, and get into watercraft like yachts and understanding that stuff. My next goal is to get some decks and have my boys in San Diego teach me how to be a disc jockey.
Darrick: If you lost one of your senses, which could you stand to be without?
Bill: Taste - being from the country has ruined me. I love meat and potatoes, and I tried to be all upscale when I lived in Miami and San Diego by eating sushi and escargot. Even my trainer is an upscale chef - he’s like, "you have to train your taste buds." I’m like, "if I have to train my buds, then I really don’t like them." It’s like a pre-arranged marriage - if I don’t like her, then I’m not doing it. Ya’ feel me?
Darrick: What is your oldest memory?
Bill: A lot of successful young men and women in the entertainment business (such as Usher, Kanye West, and many others) had one mean ass parent, usually their momma’, and I was no different. They try to live vicariously through you. I remember my mother being on the fringe of crazy when I would lose as a little kid. I have come to grips with that, and realize that I have more drive and tougher skin than most when it comes to adversity.
Darrick: Tell us something about you that most people don’t know.
Bill: Every Tuesday I watch a Ninja Parade, but never see anything. (Laughs) Hmmm...I don’t think there is anything that people don’t know. I’ve always lived under a microscope of attention and whether good or bad, it generally comes out.
I will say that most of my immediate family (mom, sister, nephews) are Native American and we all have year-round tans. My mom was adopted - so when you see pictures of our family growing up, they are brown, blonde-headed, and the tanning bed wasn’t much of a craze then, so pale white skin was what all the "cool kids" were doing. I guess after awhile, I grasped more of that culture by experiencing what real Native Americans do like sweat lodges, pow wows, sun dances, etc. - I know some of that stuff now.
Anyhow, I have a fight reality show coming soon to tape that has been sold to Fox Network, so check it out this fall. Any girls or guys - hit me up at myspace.com/IceFighterOU.
FOR OTHER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS BY DARRICK PATRICK:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=4974388&blogID=343519835
You can also check out Bill Smallwood in the following places:
Official Bill Smallwood MySpace Profile:
http://www.myspace.com/IceFighterOU
MMA-Underground.com:
http://www.mma-underground.com
Bill Smallwood on Fight Finder:
http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=23033
Tags: Bill Smallwood Darrick Patrick Interview Interviews Mma Mixed Martial Arts
