10 Questions With Ray Elbe (by Darrick Patrick)
"Magical" Ray Elbe is a professional mixed martial arts fighter who has battled in organizations such as King Of The Cage, Total Combat, Kickdown, Full Contact Fighting Association, Xtreme Cage Fighter, Over The Edge, Rage In The Cage, Mexico Fight Night, Rumble On The Rock, Party Boy Productions, and King Of The Rockies. He is currently living and training in Thailand.
Darrick: What road did you travel to be a professional mixed martial artist?
Ray: I began training in Arizona under Gladiator Challenge champion Del Hawkins. While with Del, I met BJJ Purple Belt Steve Hochuli and continued learning my ground game. I trained a mixture of boxing and Muay Thai at various gyms before eventually making my way to California. While in southern California, I trained at No Limits - and eventually received my BJJ Purple Belt from 2nd degree BJJ BB Juliano Prado.
I am currently living and training Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand at the Tiger Muay Thai training facility. I have a 20-11 professional MMA record and am now looking to compete internationally. My next fight is November 10th in Russia.
Darrick: Outside of MMA, what are your other interests?
Ray: As a professional fighter, MMA takes up a majority of my time. It is my number one hobby, my job, and where most of my friends exist. I love teaching and actually have a degree in elementary education from Grand Canyon University. I love anything that gives me a chance to have fun with friends.
Darrick: We've established that you're currently living in Thailand. Tell us how the experience has been for you so far.
Ray: Thailand is great. I am learning a new culture and sharpening my Muay Thai skills. I am currently helping to pioneer MMA in a country that has 50,000 professional Muay Thai fighters. It is a unique opportunity to share "my skill" in exchange for theirs.
Darrick: What are the details on the Bangkok grappling tournament you'll be in on October 20th?
Ray: The SouthEast Asian Grappling games (SEAgrappling.com) is the largest grappling tournament in Southeast Asia. The event features grapplers from Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, USA, Taiwan, China, and several other countries. Besides myself competing in the elite division, I also have several other students looking for medals. Tiger Muay Thai (TMT) is going to compete for the tournament team trophy this year.
Darrick: Also, on November 10th you'll be in Russia competing on national television. Tell us about that.
Ray: The event is Russia Vs. The World. It is going to be held in Khabarovsk, Russia. The promotion is called the "Governor's Cup 2007". Besides myself, TMT fighter "Ngoo" will also be competing. He is a Champion Muay Thai fighter transitioning to MMA.
Both of us were selected to represent the Bangkok Fight Club by team organizer and BJJ Purple Belt Alex Berezovik. Alex has one of the most accomplished MMA/grappling programs in Thailand and it is an honor to be hand selected to represent the "World Team" vs. Russia.
Darrick: Who are some of the individuals in the sport that you greatly respect?
Ray: I have trained with many great fighters. To earn my respect, a fighter can not only be a great athlete but they have to be a good person as well. I really respect fighters who train hard everyday and continue to lead in the gym by example.
Darrick: How do you feel right before a fight begins?
Ray: After 30 fights, I've learned to prepare myself mentally for a fight. I train hard and I am in great shape anytime I step into a ring. I really do feel like a rockstar as I walk to the ring - the lights, the cameras, the groupies. As the cage shuts and I hear the bell sound starting the fight, everything blacks out and I get a strange feeling: like I'm playing Tyson's Punchout for Nintendo and I'm just picking the computer apart!
Darrick: What is something most people don't know about you?
Ray: Most people don't know that I am a professional music junkie. I own over 500 CD's ranging from Alice Cooper to BB King - all the way to Erykah Badu and 50 Cent.
Darrick: If you were communicating with aliens from outer space, how would you describe humanity as a whole to them?
Ray: I would draw them an image using color markers and Japanimation pictures.
Darrick: Tell us your oldest memory.
Ray: Oldest memory? My mom picking me up from the babysitter after working all night. She would pick her sleeping 5-year-old up at 6:00 a.m. and take him out to Denny's for breakfast. My mom really struggled when I was younger. I have great memories of her doing the best she could to provide.
Thanks for the interview! I would like to thank my sponsors Cryogel.tv, Buttasmooth Entertainment, MMAphuket.com, and Frisky Bar - Kata, Thailand.
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 Ray Elbe in the following places:
Official Ray Elbe MySpace Site:
http://www.myspace.com/magicalray
Official Tiger Muay Thai Website:
http://www.tigermuaythai.com
Ray Elbe on Fight Finder:
http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=5911
Ray Elbe Photo Gallery at Sherdog.com:
http://www.sherdog.com/news/Picture_gallery.asp?f_id=5911@@Ray%20Elbe
Tags: Ray Elbe Darrick Patrick Interview Interviews Mma Mixed Martial Arts
