MTA: You are fighting Jose Palacios on December 7th, how familiar are you with Jose?
Chris: I know a little about Jose. I know he has heavy hands, & that he has a San Shou background. He does a lot of spin kicks & side kicks. There are a few videos of him on the internet, so I saw those. I know he is a good fighter & has been in the game for awhile.
MTA: Jose is a west coast fighter; do you look at this fight as east vs. west at all?
Chris: With all the talk going around about the East Coast/West Coast rivalry, it’s hard not to acknowledge it. The promoters, the media, everyone is fueling the fire. It’s a good way to sell tickets & create controversy. I like the fight because it mixes the two talent pools, & therefore makes USA Muay Thai stronger, which has always been my motivation. I think we need to see more fights between east & west coast fighters. But I understand why it hasn’t really happened in the past, due to the cost of travel for the fighters & coaches.
MTA: Palacios has a solid reputation out west; do you see this fight as a way for you to cement your reputation out west?
Chris: I always want to challenge myself & fight better opponents as I progress. I think Palacios is a great opponent at this time in my career. He is an excellent North American fighter with a great resume. Being able to fight him will only bring up my game. I guess it may solidify my reputation on the west coast, when I put in a good performance. But I learned a long time ago, not to be too concerned on how others view me, especially in the fight game. As long as I know that I’m doing the right things & that I’m on the right path.
MTA: With the disruption of the original event date due to Hurricane Sandy, did it make anything more difficult preparing for the new rescheduled date of the fight?
Chris: I think when there is any last minute cancellation of an event it affects you mentally. You train to peak mentally & physically on a given date & when that date doesn’t come, there needs to be a release. There is no release similar to a fight, so I just had to deal with it. Starting camp again on the Monday after the cancelled fight date was a bit tough. But like any day that I am not particularly motivated to hit the gym, I just hit it. I had to push myself a bit for the first few days back. After that it was business as usual. I look at myself as more of an optimist, so I welcomed the added training time.
MTA: You went and got blessed for this fight. Is that something you do for every fight and do you feel it helps your in ring performance?
Chris: I get blessed before almost every fight. I also get my gear that I will be fighting in the ring with blessed. I have a few Sak Yant tattoos that were done by monks that are blessed. I think these things help me when I fight. They help me relax, give me confidence, & help me when I need to dig deep.
MTA: Is this going to be your last fight of the year or are you hoping to squeeze one in before the year is over?
Chris: I tend to take it one fight at a time. I will make that decision after the fight. My goal after my surgery was to be a little more active at the end of the year. It’s easier to train when you’re coming into a fight in shape & I like to go back to back with fights, so it’s definitely in the cards.
MTA: Now we heard that regardless if you win or lose you don’t do re-matches, is that true and if so why?
Chris: Yeah, that is true that I do not do rematches. When I first started fighting I was just doing it for the experience of the fight. I still do it for the experience. I like the challenge that the fight brings & the way different fighters have different styles. I feel when it is “go” time, that’s the time to fight. If I can’t get it done, or if my opponent can’t get it done that night, so be it, on to the next one. No reason to do the same dance.
MTA: Any words for your supporters?
Chris: I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support. Without the support of those who buy the tickets or the PPV’s or pay tuition at a gym to learn the art that I’ve grown to love, there wouldn’t be a developed Muay Thai scene in the United States. And without that, USA Muay Thai would not be competing on the international level. It all starts from the ground up.