CONFERENCE CALL QUOTES
KJ NOONS AND YVES EDWARDS,
NICK DIAZ AND MUHSIN CORBBREY,
ELITEXC HEAD OF FIGHT OPERATIONS,
JEREMY LAPPEN,
DIAZ’ COACH, CESAR GRACIE
In an eagerly-awaited, pick ‘em matchup, EliteXC lightweight champion and former Big Island resident, KJ Noons (6-2) of San Diego, Calif., will defend against rejuvenated Yves Edwards (33-13-1) of Coconut, Creek, Fla., in the main event this Saturday on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
In the co-feature, world-class Cesar Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt Nick Diaz (16-7) of Stockton , Calif. , faces dangerous, up-and-coming ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series alum Muhsin Corbbrey (7-2) of Hilton Head, S.C.
The Diaz-Corbbrey winner could be facing the Noons-Edwards survivor in the near future.
Tickets for June 14 start at $25 and are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com, at the Blaisdell Arena and at all Times supermarkets. Doors open at 2:30. The first live fight is at 3 p.m. The SHOWTIME portion of the card begins at 4 p.m. Hawaiian time.
Also on the live SHOWTIME telecast, former EliteXC 185-pound champ Murilo “Ninja” Rua (15-8-1) of Brazil will meet Australian Tony Bonello (16-0-1, 1 NC) in a compelling matchup at 185; Brazil’s highly regarded Rafael Feijao (5-1) meets Wayne Cole (11-6) of Oklahoma City, Okla., at 205 pounds and heavyweight prospect Dave “Pee Wee” Herman (10-0) of Indiana takes on Ron Waterman (15-5-2) of Greeley , Colo.
Opening Comments:
Jeremy Lappen: Thanks everybody for coming on the call. Just wanted to say we’re very excited about this event. It’s another great card. We’re very excited about it.
(A reminder that ) Following the SHOWTIME event, the undercard fights will be streamed on the internet at ProElite.com. It’s a great undercard with some terrific local fighters. Kaleo Kwan is fighting Mike Aina; Mark Oshiro, the ICON champion at 140 pounds, will be fighting Chris “Red Bull” Willems. ICON champion Kala Kolohe will also be on the undercard at ProElite.com.
The opening fight of the night (on SHOWTIME) is Rafael Feijao, who comes out of a great camp. (He) trains with (some really good fighters) and is in against Wayne Cole, who you probably saw on the Cung Le and Frank Shamrock card - dispatched Mike Kyle in about 30 seconds. That should be a great match‑up.
Dave “Pee Wee” Herman, an undefeated heavyweight at 10‑0, an up‑and‑coming guy that we’re high on, is taking on Ron Waterman, so that will give us a gauge where he’s at. “Ninja” Rua, our former champion, is taking on an undefeated fighter, Tony Bonello. Nick Diaz and Muhsin Corbbrey should be a terrific fight along with KJ Noons and Edwards.
So we’re very excited about the entire upcoming card. Thanks for being on the call.
Noons: I just want to say thanks for having me on. Thanks to my team, City Boxing, that helped me get prepared for this fight. Thanks to EliteXC and their whole crew and SHOWTIME. I also want to thank my opponent, Yves, for coming up and fighting and all the fighters on the card.
It takes a lot, you know, to get in there and actually fight. A lot of people talk a lot of stuff, but it’s a lot harder to actually train and get up there in front of people and fight. On top of that, (you fight on) TV, so I’ve got a lot of respect for everybody on the card.
I’m really excited about the undercard, the whole card in general. This is a dream for me to be fighting the main event, especially back in my hometown. This (Hawaii) is where I started my MMA career and now I’m defending my title there.
I’m really excited to be home in front of my family and my friends and to be fighting somebody ‑‑ a fighter of such high caliber as Yves Edwards who has so much talent and has been in this game so long.
Yves and I go back. We used to work out a little bit like nine years ago. This is a guy I used to look up to. It’s funny how things work out. I stick to my dream and now I have the title and defending against him.
So it says a lot about his character, too. You know, never giving up. Coming back after losses and winning. Now he’s in title contention.
I think our styles are going to make for a very exciting fight. I’m glad to have this opportunity with only (a record of) 5‑1, 5 knockouts, 1 loss by knockout. So every single fight I’ve had is exciting, and don’t expect anything different for this fight. I’m super excited, and I think it’s going to be a great fight. Thanks.
Edwards: I’m really excited about this fight also. I want my teammates and everybody on American Top Team for helping me get prepared for this and EliteXC for giving me the opportunity to fight for the belt.
But I’m looking at this fight as a really tough one. I’ve heard things, and you get on the internet and you hear, ‘oh, Yves will kill this guy,’ or ‘KJ destroyed this guy, ‘you know. KJ beat up Nick Diaz, man.
So for anybody that doesn’t have faith in KJ, you know, that still stands. That still holds true. He beat up Nick Diaz. So that’s a guy that I have to fear for.
I think I’ve been focused a lot on this fight. I’m prepared for it. I agree with KJ that this should be a really good fight.
We did workout back in the day. But I don’t think either one of us is going back to that time and thinking, you know, I need to key in on these things from that time. It was too long ago.
But I’ve still got a lot of respect for KJ. This is the one fight I want him to lose. In everything else, I want him to do well. I like the kid a lot. I’m just really excited about this fight.
I’m glad to be fighting again in Hawaii . I’ve fought there twice before. I love the place. It’s awesome. I’m an island boy myself being from the Bahamas. Going across the mainland and fighting on the other side; it’s a whole lot of fun to be fighting for the islanders.
(Some of) You guys don’t understand. Islanders love fights. They’re like the best fans to fight in front of. So I’m just looking forward to this. This is an opportunity for me to fight for a world title, a quality world title. And I’m looking for my chance to grab it, man.
I’m just ready to go. I’m kind of antsy right now. I’m moving around on my feet right now just excited about the fight. I think this is going to be a good one. You guys better not blink because you’ve got two explosive guys in there and you just never know what can happen.
Q. Muhsin, is the biggest fight of your career and what are your thoughts going into it?
Corbbrey: I think, definitely. First of all, I want to say thank you for having me here. Thanks to coach John Blanken and all the guys that helped me prepare and helped with my game plan for what I have to do on Saturday.
It’s an honor to be on the call with these guys. All these guys are tough. Yves is somebody I’ve looked up to, so it’s going to be great to be on the card with him. KJ is tough as nails and Nick is one of the toughest fighters out there. So it’s an honor to be grouped in with these guys and have the chance to show what I can do against these guys.
I have nothing but respect for all of them. I can’t wait for Saturday night. Hopefully, we’ll all put on a great show for the fans.
Q. Muhsin, who have been on a roll since 2006 when you lost. What did you take from that fight?
Corbbrey: The biggest thing I learned is never take anything for granted and to train hard for any fight.
I cut down to 145 for that fight, and I shouldn’t have. I’m too big for that. On top of that, my son was due that day, the day I fought. So my head wasn’t there, and I shouldn’t have taken the fight.
I learned a lot about training and preparing for fights. (I learned to) Never come into a fight unless I’m at my full potential. It was a great learning experience for me
Q. You were supposed to fight Diaz earlier this year; what happened with that fight?
Corbbrey: I think the card just fell through. You know, that was a little too early of notice for me to move up and fight. So luckily everything fell back into place and we’re able to do it this weekend.
Q. KJ, there was talk you were intended for the CBS card, but it didn’t happen. Can you clear the air as to if you were intended for that card and what happened? There seems to be some rumblings about negotiations and such. If you could just clear why there was a seven‑month layoff for you?
Noons: I think there were a bit of contract issues as far as they wanted to extend my contract to be on the card. You know, I didn’t want to do that. I just wanted to do what’s best in my favor, you know what I mean? I felt that if I held off, you know, I didn’t want to sign an extension just yet. So the CBS card happened, and I’m glad. I’m glad I’m fighting on SHOWTIME and defending my title.
As far as (the seven-month layoff), I think we were scheduled for April 26, I believe. I think we were supposed to fight. That also got pushed back because of the CBS event and now we’re fighting June 14.
This is the longest I’ve ever trained for a fight. (But) I’m in top shape and I’m just really ready to get in there and mix it up.
Q. Have the contract issues you had, have they been resolved? Did it put a strain between you and the promotion? Is there any lingering problem with that or do you feel everything’s been satisfied?
Noons: I don’t think there’s any strain. All it was was they wanted most of the fighters they have on a long-term extension. I’m on a three‑fight deal. This is my first of my three fights. They wanted me to extend the time with CBS; I declined. They said they had no problem.
It turned out better for me. Now I’m headlining on a SHOWTIME card. So I’m not on the undercard. I’m fighting a very well‑versed opponent, Yves Edwards, and I’m very excited for the whole card. There are a lot of great guys on the whole card. I think it’s going to be a great card.
Q. You said this is the longest you’ve trained for a fight. How did you handle that? Did you have to stop or restart your schedule? How did you handle the seven‑month layoff in general?
Noons: Usually, I start about eight weeks before a fight. So eight weeks before April 26 I started training. That got pushed back and I just didn’t stop. You know, a lot of people think you can overtrain. You’ve just got to watch yourself, and I just trained all the way through four months. This is my job, that’s what I do. It was fun and I’m glad I’m taking a break finally.
I learned a lot for this fight, too. With only six MMA fights, I’m still learning a lot. So I’m just getting better, and I just want to be all around good for whenever the fight goes to make it exciting for the fans.
Jeremy Lappen: I also can speak to that. The reason KJ was not on the CBS card (was not because) of a contractual issue. When we looked at all the different events we had lined up, when we were talking about the CBS card and our first date, one of the dates that we were actually looking at was April 26 in Hawaii. And that’s when we discussed it with KJ.
(But when that didn’t happen) We needed a headliner for our next SHOWTIME show. And with it being in Hawaii, and KJ being from Hawaii and being our champion, than KJ‑Yves was the perfect battle for that. That’s actually why KJ wasn’t on the CBS card.
Q. Jeremy, so this is not an ICON card? You’re going to have EliteXC and separate ICON cards in Hawaii go back and forth between the two brands?
Jeremy Lappen: Exactly. This is an EliteXC card. But ICON will continue to do shows in Hawaii . Their next show will be in August. ICON is fought in the ring; EliteXC is in the cage.
Q. Muhsin, you had a bit of a professional boxing background before you turned full‑time to MMA. Why did you decide to focus on MMA rather than boxing?
Corbbrey: I’ve been training in martial arts a long time, a little bit of everything. Boxing is great and I still want to continue to pursue it. But at the moment, I have a lot (going in) MMA, so I want to continue in that. I want to accomplish my goals in MMA before I go full tilt to boxing. But I love both sports equally.
Q. Muhsin, having done some professional boxing, what do you think of the level of striking that goes on, and how does it compare in MMA?
Corbbrey: A lot of things work from boxing and a lot of things don’t. If you train in MMA, you know what works and what doesn’t. You can take a lot from every sport, and you just have to make it work for MMA. Boxing is definitely a huge part of MMA, as is wrestling, so you just have to take what works and leave out what doesn’t work.
Q. Have you seen your opponent’s most recent fight, because he did win that in a TKO? He was throwing a lot of punches over the three rounds in that fight.
Corbbrey: He looked good in that fight, man. I have nothing but respect for Nick. I think our styles are going to mesh well in the cage and put on a great fight for everyone. It should be a fun fight for the fans.
Q. Muhsin, you think he’s going to look more for a submission and go that route against you?
Corbbrey: I mean, it’s MMA, and Nick’s a fighter. Wherever he’s comfortable, he’s going to try to make the fight happen. I’ve prepared myself to be ready anywhere.
But like I said, Nick’s a great competitor. He’ll throw down with you on the feet or he’ll grapple with you. It should be a great fight.
Q. For all the fighters: With the number of mixed martial arts organizations around the world, the sport is definitely growing — is that a good or a bad thing? Does it cause confusion for the casual fan? Does it dilute the talents of the different organizations and the champions (so that) no one can see who is really the best?
Noons: I think the more exposure of the sport, the more people are going to get to know about it. I think it’s just good for the sport as it grows. It just gives more awareness to people and lets people know we know the sport and that we train for this and that it’s a great thing to watch.
As far as other organizations and stuff, you know, it’s growing. I’m happy where I’m at and I’m planning on staying with EliteXC.
Edwards: I think the more quality organizations that exist, it’s a good thing. There are a lot of fighters. I don’t think the sport is anything close to what it’s going to be in its true adulthood. I think at that point things will happen such as unification bouts. It could be years away, but I do think it will happen.
Having these different organizations, it allows the younger fighters to get that world class experience. Get that experience on a high level of taking on world class guys and going out there and fighting a guy like KJ or myself or Nick Diaz or Rafael Feijao or Anderson Silva. These guys are world class guys.
You know, you’re going to need these organizations to do that. You’re not going to get high‑level guys all fighting out of their own organizations in their home states and hometowns.
Corbbrey: I agree with Yves 100 percent. I think it’s great for the sport (that they) have options on where they want to go. And getting a chance to see fighters on TV; with the competition that’s out there, it’s a good thing. It can only be good for the sport and I think that it’s going to continue to help our sport grow. So I think it’s awesome.
Q. Yves, how concerned are you that you’ve taken the last few fights on a shorter (notice) than in the past?
Edwards: I’m not concerned about that at all. Actually, I prefer that. I prefer to fight. I don’t like sitting on my butt. Right now, being with American Top Team, it’s great because we’ve always got four or five guys with fights within the next few weeks. So there’s always a lot of training going on, lot of guys trying to get keyed and trying to peak.
That always helps having high‑level guys always preparing and getting ready for something important to them. That keeps you pushing really hard, even when you’re not trying to prepare for something.
But I’ve been lucky that I’ve had those guys around. I like fighting often. I don’t like long layoffs. I’m not that kind of guy. If you look at my record, it would show you that when I do take long layoffs, I seem to have problems.
I don’t like long layoffs. I like to be in the ring. I like to be fighting. I love the challenge of fighting. I love the training, and I love to train hard. So I definitely love taking fights quickly.
Q. What is the biggest change as far as training with ATT instead of when you were out the Third Column jiu-jitsu and training in the Gulf Coast area?
Edwards: The biggest thing is having world class guys all the time every single day. The thing for me with American Top Team, I don’t have to make phone calls and worry about who is going to show up and try to round up a crew to get together for the day.
For a while in Houston , I had that. We had guys go in all the time working out. We had good, high‑level guys working out all the time. But guys started moving away. Guys moved back to Brazil and Louisiana . Guys fell off, and I was kind of left alone.
Moving to American Top Team, we’ve got everybody in the gym every day of the week. That’s been the big difference for me, besides the fact that everybody in there brings something to the table. We have a lot of really good coaches that have helped sharpen my game up quite a bit. It just exposes you to what you’re weak at. (So where) your game is not strong, you can work on getting it stronger at that point.
