Submission Fighting UK Interviews: Ian 'The Machine' Freeman

IAN 'The Machine' FREEMAN post UFC XXIV interview!

Oblivious to danger, Scott Adams, Chuck Liddell and Ian Freeman posed for the camera as the ghostly severed fingers gripped Andy Jardine

SFUK: So Ian did you enjoy it?

Ian: Yeah, but to be honest I'm the type of person who thrives on company and like my close friends beside us no matter what I do.

SFUK: Yeah I've seen you fan club lol!

Ian: My wife, she's my training partner. She's my strength behind everything. She's behind my success in everything I do. As you know I was travelling by myself, and I had a 3 hour wait at Manchester airport. I was sitting down and I just wanted to go home. Then Manchester to Chicago. Then to Dallas then to Lake Charles and I got here and I was dead to the world. Kevin Randleman met me at the airport and gave me a nice big hug! He's a really nice guy.

SFUK: It's a pity he bumped his head isn't it. What exactly happened ? Was it all a fix ?

Ian: You've got it from the horses mouth, I was there, seen it, bought the Tshirt. I've seen him lying unconscious on the floor. He stood on rolls of piping, what they made the canopy with, you know when you see cartoons and they leave rollerskate on the floor? He stood on that, legs in the air and he fell down. He was out five or six minutes. We he got up he was walking like a robot. He wanted to carry on fighting, but he started bumping into things so they had to take him to hospital. I've seen him this morning and he was more concerned about my ankle. His eyes were all bloodshot and everything so he took a good whack on the head.

SFUK: So, how do you think the Americans took to you?

Ian: OK to be honest. From what I gather they seemed alright. But I'm upset about some things. I'd liked to think I would have out up a better performance.I'm not taking anything away from Scott, gawww he's good at is legs, really good. I was talking to Tito Ortiz and he says Scott gets him in a leglock everytime. You know John Lober, he said 'be careful of his leglocks, he came down to train with me and he got me with a leglock' . So the guy is really good at them. Where I went wrong was, I got out of the first one, got out of the second one, got out of the third one then I thought f**k it, instead of just getting out of it I'm gonna try to make one. So I exchanged leglocks when I should have just got out of there and stood up. Nah...Trying to exchange leglocks with a leglock merchant. I know know how to fight the guy. I know where I went wrong. I tried to get up into the mount and he slapped the lock on. Scott Adams said to me, he was about to tap before the ref stopped the fight.

SFUK: How's your leg?

Ian: I've got some torn ligaments. No broken bones. I'll got a fibreglass cast to wear for a week, then probably a month before I recover fully.

SFUK:Does it hurt?

Ian: I'm on painkillers man!

SFUK: Mr Kikskin asked me what did you think of his shorts?

Ian: The shorts were fantastic! They were great. Lovely fit, comfortable, the material was great. I wore the Kikskin hat into the ring, SFUK/Kikskin T shirt and SFUK/Kikskin shorts!

SFUK: he'll be really happy to hear that, and thanks for plugging us! So, will they have you back?

Ian: At least now I know what it's all about. John Peretti said it was such a technical fight, fantastic that I went over there on such short notice, he saw that I knew waht I was doing in the ring and he'd love to have me back.

SFUK: Where now from here?

Ian: I'm gonna get my leg back better. I've been invited to train over here with a great team. I'll work me bollix off and come back and shock everybody. I'm still gonna be the gentleman but just have a different attitude to my training that's all. I've done several interviews, TV, autograph sessions.

SFUK: Thanks Ian.

Freeman Interview (prior to UFC)