10 Questions With Rex Richards (by Darrick Patrick)
Rex Richards is a professional mixed martial artist who has appeared in organizations such as EliteXC, King Of The Cage, Art Of War, Strikeforce, Renegades Extreme Fighting, and Fightfest. He was also a professional football player with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts and the AFL's San Jose Sabrecats.
Darrick: What led you to competing professionally in mixed martial arts?
Rex: I have trained for fighting most of my life - I have been interested in it from day one. I played football and made a living from making quarterbacks and running backs famous. I think the total feeling of victory that MMA brings to the table is a large factor in it.
Darrick: Any words of advice for other individuals looking to train in MMA?
Rex: If you are interested in really becoming a MMA fighter, besides late at night watching UFC at Buffalo Wild Wings, there are things people should know about it. I was a pro football player and that took a lot of sacrifices, but MMA introduces sacrifices that most people aren't ready for. The training is every day, and there is no off season. You usually have to spend tons of your own money to get yourself in the right environment for training - train at a good gym, even if it's twenty-five dollars more than the other gym. It's a serious sport, so buying a cool fight t-shirt and training on Mondays and Wednesdays isn't going to cut it. Take it seriously and you will prosper!
Darrick: What personally brings you the most fulfillment out of martial arts?
Rex: There are great personal accomplishments in martial arts. I found that setting an almost unattainable goal keeps the motor going. Then one day, you will look up and you've done it. I thought I was never going to be able to beat one of my instructors with the Gi on. It took a couple of years, but one day I got mount and slapped on a deep choke - it was an unbelievable feeling.
Darrick: Who are some of the people that greatly influenced you while growing up?
Rex: Growing up, I had tons of people to look up to. MMA wasn't big in the U.S. until the early '90s. Before Tyson lost his mind, if it ever wasn't lost, I used to get so excited to watch him tenaciously knock out his opponents. I loved the Dallas Cowboys of course, I was living in Texas - I was a defensive and offensive lineman, so in the '90s they had a couple of good ones right. Sadly, I even got excited watching WWF wrestlers as a kid - I just knew that wrestling and Santa were real.
Darrick: What does a typical training session for you consist of?
Rex: I grapple with the Gi, and without, every day but Sunday. I work on my Thai boxing three to four days a week. I very rarely lift traditional weights anymore, I don't think I need to bench 515 and squat a house to be good at MMA. I do strength training with kettle bells, bands, and sledgehammer workouts. I want to keep my quickness and speed, so I do tons of sprint intervals and drills - I don't just jog the five miles and call it a day. Even though there are days that I do long distance, I want to keep my fast twitch muscle fibers. I want to be an explosive fighter, not just one that can go at a boring slow pace for several hours.
Darrick: Who are a few of the people in the sport that you highly respect?
Rex: I literally respect every fighter in the business. It take a lot to get under the lights and in the cage. My list is way too long to list, and there are several fighters in the list that I would like to meet in the cage someday.
Darrick: Outside of mixed martial arts, what are your other interests?
Rex: Outside of MMA, my interests are mainly my family. I am away with a job and training, so when that's over I like to go to my sanctuary (my house) and relax. I like to grill out with friends and watch movies - I am a big movie buff. I also love going to rock concerts.
Darrick: If you were the last person alive on Earth, what do you think you'd do to entertain yourself?
Rex: Well, I would probably be bored as HELL. I like to drive motorcycles, and I guess in the winter I would go skiing and teach myself to snowboard - those are both fun things to do alone. I used to love skiing, but once I was a college athlete, I decided the reward wasn't worth the risk. So, right now I probably suck at it.
Darrick: Tell us something about you that most people don't know.
Rex: Most people don't know that I am a medical rep. I get to watch cool back surgeries and occasionally get to see some gore. Human skin getting cauterized, by the way, smells awful.
Darrick: What is your oldest memory?
Rex: My oldest memory from when I was very young was on my back porch. I had a Staffordshire Terrier AKA Pit Bull and it was a hot day in Texas. I was sitting with my dog, sharing an orange popsicle - it was probably a gross thing to do, but I didn't care. I don't know why this memory stuck in there, but it somehow did.
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 Rex Richards in the following places:
Official Rex Richards MySpace Profile:
http://www.myspace.com/rexafl
Rex Richards on Fight Finder:
http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=19452
Rex Richards Photo Gallery at Sherdog.com:
http://www.sherdog.com/news/Picture_gallery.asp?f_id=19452@@Rex%20Richards
Tags: Rex Richards Darrick Patrick Interview Interviews Mma Mixed Martial Arts
