MMAKO-Interviews

Friday, 05 June 2009

Interviews- Dave Huckaba

The Gladiator Challenge heavyweight champion Dave “The Badman” Huckaba is back and his sights are set on the The Heavyweight division. The thirty-three year old 6’2” towering giant with fearsome punching power has the size and strength to pound his opponents into oblivion. People that know Big Dave best would say getting hit by Big Dave is like getting hit by a cannon blast of awesome power. Big Dave sits down with MMA-KO in a Exclusive interview.

MMA-KO: Big Dave!!! Its great to have you back to MMA-KO!!!

Dave Huckaba: Its good to be back ! Its good to be back!!!

MMA-KO Everyone wants to know when are we going to see the return of the Badman and How is the recovery coming along?

Dave Huckaba The recovery has been a little bit slow. I did have some severe problems. I plan to have my come back fight in June with the Gladiador Challenge. I don’t have a positive date yet but when I do I will throw it out there.

MMA-KO Do you have any news on your next bout or whom you may be fighting next ?

Dave Huckaba At this point Jeff in my career it doesn’t really matter. I mean there is a couple fighters out there that I would like to fight. Obviously Chase Gormley you know he has beat two guys that beat me. I would love to get the opportunity to take care of the situation. He is the interim champ right now and he likes to talk so I would love to get a chance.

MMA-KO Now we all know to be the man you have to beat the man and you’re the Gladiator Challenge Heavyweight Champion. How do you feel about the interim Heavyweight Championship Title and the interim Heavyweight Champion Chase Gormley ?

Dave Huckaba Personally I think that the interim belt is kinda a bull shit deal. I honestly do. Anybody that has been in the fight game knows that your not the champ until you beat the champ and its just the way it is. I think Chase Gormley is overwhelmed in his wrestling. Which he is a very one-dimensional fighter. He is a great wrestler but that’s all he is.

MMA-KO Chase Gormley holds two wins over two guys that you lost too. Rick Cheek and Jon Murphy. Looking at Gormley, do you see anything in his arsenal that might give you a problem ?

Dave Huckaba Absolutely not! Like I said Chase Gormley is a one-dimensional fighter. He comes he bullies himself around he will grab you to take you down. The problem is I hit harder and I am faster then both Rick and Jon. Shit happens you lose everybody loses every now and then. If I fight Rick and Jon today I feel in my heart I would beat them. Everyone saw the Showtime fight. I was beating Jon Murphy the whole first round. I got caught it happens. The Rick Cheek fight the truth is I was three fights in to the game. I was to young and I am ready to go now.

MMA-KO You said that there is nothing in Chase Gormley arsenal that concerns you. If you were to fight him how would you approach that fight, what would be your keys to victory?

Dave Huckaba You Laugh, but I love to beat people at their own game man! If Chase thinks that he is going to come in there and take me down and beat me at wrestling, so be it, take me down. But don’t be surprised if I break you're arm in a submission.I have a very good ground game.But I love to knock people out and people love to see people get knocked out. Nobody wants to see two-guys sword fight. I am a promo table fighter. With my career I could probably lose my next 5 fights and my career will still excel because people like to see me knock people out. Chase is going to have a ruff road-taking people down and sword fighting them and no one wants to see that.

MMA-KO Now it's no secret how bad you and Chase Gormley want to fight each other but Is this real Bad Blood between you and Chase?

Dave Huckaba I am more mad at him then any other person I have ever fought. This guy has slandered my name and has talked alot of shit about me. He has shown me no respect.. Personally I would love to talk to Ted Williams I would love to set this fight up. I don’t know if Gladiator will let this happen but we are all going to move up. I also fight with Showtime as well., Its going to happen. I am going to meet him. I don’t know when or where but we are going to meet.

MMA-KO When will we see you next on Showtime?

Dave Huckaba I was suppose to fight in June But Gladiator overseas Showtime so they pushed it back, so maybe August.

MMA-KO Looking at the heavyweight division now, some say that the division is stronger then ever. What are your thoughts on the division?

Dave Huckaba I have been watching the sport for awhile. I just jumped in about two years ago. I would say right now that the heavyweights are the baddest in Gladiator. I think they are the best that Gladiator has ever seen. As far is Rick Cheek myself there is a couple of younger ones coming up that are doing very well. I think that the Gladiator division is in good shape right now. But it all depends on who hangs around and who doesn’t get contracted and leaves to a bigger organization. As long as tough guys like Rick Cheeks, Gormley stay here at Gladiator this division is going to be awesome.

MMA-KO Well what does Dave “The Badman” Huckaba bring to this division?

Dave Huckaba Everyone has seen my fights man. I don’t have to sit up here and bullshit to anybody. I knock people out and people like to watch me fight. I have a lot of fans and alot of friends come watch me fight. The people love what I bring. I think what separates me from the other fighters in Gladiator is that I fight with my heart. I am a very emotional fighter. You have to understand what it looks like in my son and daughters eyes. For me to have the the title around my waist and then be able to go to school and talk about my dad is like John Cena and its just awesome. I am a big family guy. Right now I am coaching my sons basketball team. How many kids do you know can say that the Heavyweight champ of MMA is coaching our basketball team., Its just awesome.

MMA-KO Dave,can you tell us what your childhood was like and how you became the man you are today?

Dave Huckaba My mom didn’t raise me. She had me when she was 16 years old. She was way to young to have kids and back in that time in the 70’s things were alot different then they are today. My grandparents raised me and my grandparents had another son ,my uncle John and he was an alcoholic .He was a great dude he just has an alcoholic problem and he likes to put hands on people. He would always try to test me to fight. As a child I was not going to sit there and snivel and say I was beaten all the time, but I learned to hold my own. I got a solid chin! We never had any heat and air. We would cut firewood and split wood. I just was never scared of work. I was exposed to alot of things as a young boy. I had a drivers license when I was 14 years old. My grandmother had cancer so I had to drive her back and forth. I just grew up different then alot of people.

MMAKO: How did you first get into Gladiator Challenge ?

Dave Huckaba When you go to different towns and people talk about who’s tuff in your town and I was one of the major names. So alot of people would say to me hey Dave why don’t you try cage fighting. Then I went and watched some live events and I was like man this is really awesome. I had a good friend of mine Steve Flake talking to me about how I punch and my speed for a heavyweight and how I would dominate the heavyweight division. So I gave it a try. I went in there in my very first fight and choked him out like in 1:20 in the first round. The adrenaline rush that you get from the fans that’s really what pushes you to the next level. Then I didn’t even want to leave the gym. I didn’t leave the gym for 16 months straight. I wanted to fight.

MMA-KO Tell us about your New company Badman Gear?

Dave Huckaba Well in the fight game as you grow everyone got there little clothing lines with the hats and it's a way to get my name out there. I haven’t got to travel alot and fight. I am a very well known fighter ,but I haven’t got a chance to really get out of state like Vegas and I am really looking forward to it. So what Badman Gear does at www.badmangear.com .It gives people the chance to make your own shirts with my logo on it. You can make your own hats and T-shirts and it's a good way to get my name out there.

MMA-KO Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Dave Huckaba Cliff Hughey he made the Badman song for me he also helps me with the Bandman Gear. A special thanks to Ted Williams. Everything that he has said to me has been golden. Steve Flake and my family and my son. A special thanks to my wife for letting me do it. A major thanks to MMA-KO Jeff Gallion and Mark and Oscar for throwing me like this to all the fans. The fans are what makes all this happen. The fans are number 1.

MMA-KO On behalf of MMA KO, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview.

Dave Huckaba Thanks for having me. It was awesome. Thank you again Jeff.