jason black & michael Johnson Extreme force mixed martial arts fighter interview

Jason Black is just the coolest. With an amazing display of speed and technical prowess he secured a quick win over the highly rated Michael Johnson. Black impressed everyone that day, not just with his physical skills but his friendly, humble personality. We really hope he'll be back again. Soon.

Interviews by Ashley Webb

AW: Well Jason, welcome to the UK

Jason Black : Thanks

AW: Do you know much about your opponent Michael Johnson?

Jason Black : I know a little bit, I’ve seen him at the weigh-in. He’s pretty well built, it looks like he’s real fast and that’s what I’ve been told - he’s got real light hands, just ‘bop bop bop’ *throws jab out*. Uh, that’s about all I know. He’s supposed to be pretty good on the ground but nothin’ real dangerous, he defends well.

AW: As MMA is so strong in the States we in the UK are always gonna know a lot more about you guys in the US than you know about us. I guess this is a problem for you when coming to fight here?

Jason Black : Yeah it is for sure

AW: Whats been your toughest fight to date?

Jason Black : Toughest fight to date would have to be Alessio, just cos he ran so much. If he would have stood in there it would have been done a lot sooner, and probably wouldn’t have been my toughest (fight). I was challenged the whole way through, it just sucks to get up for a fight like that and then not have it go the way you want it, you know?. It was a tough fight only because he made it (tough) by runnin’. But congratulations to him for sticking with his game plan and all — it almost worked for him.

Monte Cox: Yeah, congratulations but thanks for the belt!

Jason Black : Yeah, it wasn’t hard in the way that, you know, it was challenging physically and everything. I mean, he got away when I got him on the ground and stuff, but I was never in danger, it was just, you know, a case of putting on some shoes and chasing him down. But that’s fighting, you know. If that’s what a guys good at then you’ve got to be ready for it.

AW: I guess you can’t pick the styles of fighter that you fight

Jason Black : Yeah, but it would never happen again, I wouldn’t chase him all over. I might just hang in the corner and sit down and wait for him to come over.

AW: You could just go the other way around the ring then you’d meet

Jason Black : (Laughs) I don’t think I’ll waste my energy, I’ll just go sit down and wait for him to come over.

AW: Sure. Are you completely cool with the time difference involved in fighting here?

Jason Black : Yeah, its not that big a deal because I never really sleep that good three days before a fight anyhow so it doesn’t matter.

AW: Have you been able to train here since you’ve arrived in the UK, and if so where?

Jason Black : Yeah we went over to the guy’s place that’s doing the fight

AW: London Shoot?

Jason Black : Yeah, it’s a nice place

AW: No frills

Jason Black : Maybe its not the greatest location but its neat

AW: Yeah, it’s a good place to sweat. I’d imagine that compared to where you guys train (Miletich) its not got the same level of equipment?

Jason Black : Where we used to train before (the current Miletich gym) was, not to put it down, not the nicest of facilities, but a lot of guys in this sport kinda like and want that you know? They don’t want to be catered to.

Monte Cox: Yeah, no valet parking!

AW: So back to basics is good yeah?

Jason Black : Absolutely

AW: OK Jason, thanks for your time, and best of luck for the fight tonight

Jason Black : Thanks a lot

Jason Black post-fight interview, Extreme Force, 13^th July 2003

AW: Congratulations on your win tonight. The way things turned out, it looked like it was ‘all in a night’s work’ for you, was it as simple as it looked?

Jason Black : It was pretty close to as simple as it looked. No disrespect towards him (Michael Johnson), he hit me with a jab and I backed up, not because it hurt but I knew it was too clean and I knew I wasn’t moving my head right so I took a step back to reset myself you know?, so I didn’t go back in and have it happen again. To tell you the truth I don’t remember even shooting.

AW: Do all the guys at your gym shoot as fast as that?

Jason Black : Matt Hughes does

AW: That was an awesome shoot

Jason Black : Thanks, its just something that’s learnt. Like I say, I don’t remember doing it just because its instinct. If you remember doin’ stuff then it was probably too slow. I drill this stuff all the time. I got him on the ground and he had quick hips, he wasn’t very strong at all, I thought he’d be mad strong but he wasn’t, but he had quick hips which is just as important as being strong so he made up for it. I got the North-South choke, and I didn’t want to use it, I almost backed up and didn’t use it because I knew if I got it it was gonna be over, and I was so pumped up that I just wanted to thrash him you know? But you can’t pass up anything because we could’ve got stood back up and I could’ve lost and I would have committed suicide because I passed it (the North South choke) up, so you gotta take a win when you can get it - never take anything for granted.

AW: What did you think of some of the other fights on the card tonight, maybe Murray vs Pele?

Jason Black: Pele was doing really good man, he had the nicest takedown I’ve ever seen.

AW: Yeah it was good wasn’t it?

Jason Black : Yeah, Lee was kneeing him and man, it was a lightning fast trip, it was amazing. Pele, to be honest, is one of the best fighters in the world. He’s not just good at this or good at that, he’s just, when he’s ‘on’ he fights with reckless abandon you know, but sometimes he don’t and he gets hurt. Tonight he was fighting good, he just got knocked the sfuk out.

AW: You can’t legislate for that kinda knockout right?

Jason Black : No, Lee is a very tough opponent and he’s got great hands too. Its like you know, I had to take that choke because if we’d got stood back up that might have been me laying out there like happened to Pele. I mean I don’t think that anybody would say that Lee was winning the fight up until that point - he wasn’t, but the fight’s not over until the end of the last round. Things can happen at any time - there was a couple of times tonight where the guy who was losing the fight at the time ended up winning. That’s the great thing about fighting, there don’t have to be any points or non of that shit, when its over its over you know?

AW: So whats next for you?

Jason Black : I would love to come back over here. I love fighting over here.

AW: Well you’ve definitely made a lot of fans here tonight

Jason Black : The fans here are great you know, I don’t want to bring up a different country but Canada is a lot like this except these guys (in the UK) actually speak English!. You don’t have to need a fuckin’ interpreter or nothin’!. Everybody is absolutely wonderful over here. I would come back in a heartbeat. The guys who put on the event (London Shootfighters) have been really nice too. They treated us great, nothin’ but the greatest treatment you know. It was like it was one of my own guys putting on the event. If you needed somethin’ you got it. We got put up in a great place, there was a stove and sink and everything, we didn’t use it but we could have. It was great.

AW: So when are we going to see you in the UFC?

Jason Black : Probably never I have to say

AW: Whys that?

Jason Black : Because they got Matt (Hughes) and they got Robbie (Lawler) you know. Robbie’s twenty one and Matt’s the world champion. If Matt wasn’t the world champion you probably wouldn’t see him either to be honest, cos they (UFC) love Robbie and they’re grooming him. He’s not the best right now but they’re grooming him. So when Matt’s ready to retire Robbie’s gonna be there to step up so they don’t need me you know as I’d be competition for him.

AW: So where does that leave your career?

Jason Black : You’d have to talk to the fat guy! (Monte Cox). Fighting for great shows like this you know. I’m not in it for the money, I mean I am in it for the money but its mainly the competition, but I need the money so I don’t fight for nothing you know. I’m just hoping that Japan starts getting smaller fighters. I don’t really want to fight over there too bad because of the language, I like to be comfortable when I go somewhere. But if I get to bring a couple of guys along then that makes up for it because I’m not gonna talk to a stranger anyway.

AW: Very wise, don’t talk to strangers

Jason Black: I just hope it (MMA) catches on, its so much better than boxing. I hope that people who are not yet fans can be open minded to this sport. I mean its awesome, its my favourite sport to watch, its between this and K1.

AW: You’re performance tonight was short but absolutely sweet, and really played its part in what has been a great event don’t you think?

Jason Black: Thanks. I would say they had a lot of bad experiences with this event. They had three fights go to hell on them you know. This card would have been up there with the best outside of Pride and the UFC. It would have been one of the best shows ever put on. It was just bad luck with injuries and stuff, but maybe they got it all out of their system and for the next show they won’t have a thing go wrong. But as much as they had go wrong it was still an awesome show so I hope they didn’t get a bad taste in their mouth.

AW: So hopefully we’ll see you back to defend your belt at the next Extreme Force?

Jason Black : I’d be back in a heartbeat to defend my belt

AW: Well its been great talking with you, well done, thanks a lot

Jason Black : Thankyou

Michael Johnson post-fight interview, Extreme Force, 13^th July 2003

Michael Johnson was absolutely gutted after his fight with Jason Black, not so much because of the end result, but because he didn't get to "show what he can do". He'd trained harder than ever, with his coaches at London Shootfighters bringing in world class wrestlers to train him up for the threat of Black's wrestling talent. Johnson had worked with a new boxing coach and his hands were according to his sparring partners, 'lethal'. They had even drilled escapes from the choke that he was finally caught with. Michael shook his head and said, "nobody catches me with that, not Alexis, not Rob (Sulski - ADCC competitor)....it wasn't even on". When asked why he tapped, MJ just shrugged and said he's just got to get right back. Fighting and winning. According to his coaches, Johnson is one of the talented individuals they have ever trained with (and they have trained with A LOT). We expect him to be back and better.

AW: Michael, Thanks for taking a moment to speak to SFUK. Obviously not a good night for you tonight. Was it just one of those things, how do you sum it up in your head?

Michael Johnson : Jason is a top guy you know, but theres still no excuse to lose to him. I’ve been out for nine months, and as soon as I’ve got back to training I had this fight on. I feel completely sharp and everything, I know he’s a top guy. At the end of the day he’s proved that bit more experienced than me. But also I can tell you that he didn’t, how can I put this, I thought he was in my reach to beat - his strength was the same as my strength, I could mostly defend his takedowns, his stand up wasn’t that good. When I spoke with Monte (Cox) he said Jason was very nervous about taking this fight. But you know, hopefully I’ll just get back winning again and see what happens.

AW: I spoke with Alexis a little earlier about your fight with Jason tonight, and he said that he would make the match another ten times because he felt that tonight was just like a little ‘spanner in the works’ for you. Do you feel the same way?

Michael Johnson : Yeah, I mean, Jason is a cool guy, and at the end of the day, he’s really really cool. I’d love to have the opportunity to rematch him after a couple more fights. I don’t know if that will be possible but we’ll see what happens.

AW: I think all the people who know you know you’re capable of a million times more than you showed tonight. All your team believe it was just a bad day at the office you know?

Michael Johnson : Well, I feel comfortable with stand-up, I feel comfortable on the ground. Even when I got took to the ground tonight I felt calm and in control you know? I just kept hittin’ him hittin’ him, hittin’ him. Every one shot he was giving me I was giving him five back. These things happen, the experience will pay off in the end.

AW: Well, I know your team mate Gaz (Roriston) has experienced these times where he’s seemed to be feeling good on the night and he’s also lost, but tonight things came together right for him. Hopefully things will go better next time out for you?

Michael Johnson : Tonight was a big opportunity for me, but theres more than one way to skin a cat you know.

AW: Absolutely. You gotta bounce back from these things. Thanks Mike.

Michael Johnson : No problem

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