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Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:45 pm EDT

Lashley content with the slow road

By Steve Cofield

Bobby Lashley is in an interesting spot. Because of a name developed in pro wrestling and a scary looking physique, the 255-pound MMA heavyweight prospect is getting pressure to jump into the big leagues immediately. He just smashed out a big name in Bob Sapp but he remains very grounded. Lashley is sticking to the gameplan of training hard, adding to his game and building his resume with wins over different types of opponents. If he keeps winning the rest of this year, his stock will only rise with organizations like Strikeforce and the UFC:

"When I go over there I want to be a top, top level guy," Lashley told ProMMARadio. "I want talks of me fighting the champ when I get over there. I want them to say this guy's really good."

But Lashley is 32 years old and faces a bit of a time crunch:

"I see the GSPs, the Anderson Silvas, Lyoto Machida ... wow these guys are incredible. These guys are 15-20 matches into it. because they had the opportunity before."

Lashley points to someone like Nate Marquardt,who he wrestled with Marquardt years ago. Lashley said Marquardt's improvement over several years is clear. Lashley is hoping for another fight in August or September and would like to face someone who is a standup fighter, willing to bang it out.

Lashley shows a growing knowledge of the sport when he speaks early in the interview about where to position himself on top of Sapp. He chose not to go to side control or mount Sapp because he felt working out of half guard was a less risky way of controlling the 322-pound giant. 

Lashley also addresses The Ultimate Fighter 10 rumors (6:25 mark). He was asked about Kimbo Slice and said it's a pretty risky move. When asked about how he would do against Kimbo, Lashley said he crush him anyway he wanted in the first round via TKO.

Pepe turned to Lashley's pro wrestling career later in the interview. It sounds like Lashley is a virtual lock to sign with TNA wrestling. He mentioned that he'll only have to put in four days a month for TNA and make enough money to bankroll his developing MMA career. Listen here for the entire interview.

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39 Comments

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  1. Darkness!
    1. Posted by Darkness! Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:58 pm EDT

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    sounds like Lashley is not your typical pro wrestler or mma fighter- or your typical pro athlete, for that matter. He actually sounds like he has half a brain muscle as well as gigantic arms/shoulders/chest/back and legs. This guy is really grounded, humble- confident in his potential, but also knows he has plenty of room to improve. This is what a mixed martial artist's attitude and demeanor should be- I'm officially a fan. His plan to work part-time w/ TNA even sounds intelligent, IF he can keep up both schedules. Extra publicity w/ tna to bolster his mma career and LOTS of extra $$$ from Universal (which owns TNA Wrestling), which will likely lead to roles in action movies w/ Universal later on= even more $$$, and gradually become a top level mma HvyWt. at the same time? Awesome, Lashley... good plan.
  2. Kowe
    2. Posted by Kowe Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:26 pm EDT

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    He has a good head on those massive shoulders. I really hope he does well. Good to know that he knows his role and rank in the sport. All the best to him.
  3. nigron
    3. Posted by nigron Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:33 pm EDT

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    seems like a cool dude.hope to see him in the ufc someday,or anywhere else for that matter
  4. Matt M
    4. Posted by Matt M Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:44 pm EDT

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    Yeah, Lashley seems to have the right mindset. He has a long way to go before he can be considered to have good standup (even in mma terms) and a good submission/ground game. But he knows this, and wants to take time to really work on his skills. I like his attitude.
    And yes, Sapp is not a big name in terms of skills. He is below mediocre.
  5. Patrón
    5. Posted by Patrón Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:51 pm EDT

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    He seems to understand things well, hopefully he has some good trainers. Overall a good dude, I'll be pulling for him
  6. JoePiervincenti
    6. Posted by JoePiervincenti Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:08 pm EDT

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    funny that an "anonymous" poster is who makes the most insulting comments... what a coincidence!
  7. GREY WOLF
    7. Posted by GREY WOLF Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:23 pm EDT

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    Good to see a promising fighter speak up and actually speak his own mind. I know there were sounds of relief in the UFC HVY division when he said he was going to take his time, or was it the sucking sound of Cornfield,(cofield) pulling his lips off the UFCs butt again.
    Im hoping Lashley gets about another three fights and roars into AFFLICTION, and whips the Hvys they have(except one of course) and forces Dana to pay him some good moola to fight for the ufc. I mean after all, the ufc is going to need SOMEONE, to take on Fedor.
  8. Kowe
    8. Posted by Kowe Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:25 pm EDT

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    Would've been great for him if he started his mma career a little earlier. not every former wwe wrestler who starts his mma career at the age of 30 something gets a title shot after 3 fights...
  9. roman b
    9. Posted by roman b Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:31 pm EDT

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    you got to give it up to him he could easly do what brock did and sign a big contract and gamble his carrer or do it the right way and compete with the best. and age is not an issue if randy can compete in his forties lashly will be ok in his lower thirties
  10. xmptd
    10. Posted by xmptd Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:41 pm EDT

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    lashley is a cool dude.. i hope he keeps progressing so we can see him fight some top comp eventually. give him 4 more cans and then after that hes got to step it up in terms of opposition .
  11. PM
    11. Posted by PM Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:48 pm EDT

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    really like this guy's attitude
    @ Troy
    I get what you're saying about gaining additional exposure by doing pro wrestling while under the UFC banner. But I see at as too high of a risk to get injured. The majority of pro athletes have stipulations in their contracts saying they can't ride motorcycles or go skiing etc. If I was investing money in a guy like Lashley, I'm not sure the benefit of the extra exposure would be worth the risk of him getting injured in some way.
  12. Catalyst
    12. Posted by Catalyst Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:56 pm EDT

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    @PM
    I don't think that the details of his contract with TNA have been finalized. It might be that he isn't doing wrestling at all but going to be a posterboy of sorts. Maybe..... I doubt it personally, but maybe.
  13. Big Daddy
    13. Posted by Big Daddy Tue Jun 30, 2009 3:43 pm EDT

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    Bobby Lashley, Brock Lesner.......Hmmmmmmmm.
    Does anyone else see the largest PPV audience in history somewhere in the horizon?
    If nothing else, the hype will be great, even if the greats such as St. Pierre and Brown are stuck wondering why they aren't part of it.
  14. D rok
    14. Posted by D rok Tue Jun 30, 2009 3:52 pm EDT

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    It is really nice to see a guy that could literally buy any opportunity he wants in sports willing to admit his struggles and his under-development. You don't see this kind of humility everyday. Here's a guy who's willing to work hard, take on competition equal to his level, and step it up with each win, learning his faults and successes along the way. I completely agree that if he keeps doing what he's doing, and continues to push himself and really put in the effort it takes to become an MMA Fighter, he will be a force to be reckoned with when he hits the big leagues.
    If you want something, you usually have to work for it. Lashley understands that, and I applaud him for it.
  15. qpopand1
    15. Posted by qpopand1 Tue Jun 30, 2009 3:52 pm EDT

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    Lashley said he can stand up with Kimbo. Dont know if Lashley can stand up and go toe to toe with Kimbo, but havent seen him fight either so not gonna judge. I do believe that Dana is just paying Kimbo to be on there to bring in ratings. Hope he doesnt get did in and then there be no point in watching other then if Evans and Jackson get into it. I dont know why they dont let the judges just give us a quick match.
  16. Darkness!
    16. Posted by Darkness! Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:01 pm EDT

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    Troy McClure said:
    "any contract that a fighter signs with UFC is very one sided, and favours the UFC very, very strongly."
    yeah- they favor the UFC very very strongly. Especially when u consider that if they weren't fighting for six figures in the UFC, most of these poor, "underpaid" fighters would be working blue collar jobs for about $10/hr. (at best), and the only fighting they'd be doing would be when they get thrown out of bars @ 3 a.m. or practicing their ground & pound on their wives back home at the trailer (just ask Junie Browning and Matt Hughes).
    : p
    But instead, they make hundreds of thousands a yr. to fight every 3-4 mths, while a billion other martial artists do the same thing for practically (if not for) nothing, and in most cases- actually pay for their training, in addition to working aforementioned regular jobs for about $10/hr (if they're lucky). Poor UFC fighters, with their top notch training, huge cribs-style homes, $100,000 plus cars, and all the UFC groupies they can handle- they sure have it rough...
  17. Darkness!
    17. Posted by Darkness! Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:01 pm EDT

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    Troy McClure said:
    "any contract that a fighter signs with UFC is very one sided, and favours the UFC very, very strongly."
    yeah- they favor the UFC very very strongly. Especially when u consider that if they weren't fighting for six figures in the UFC, most of these poor, "underpaid" fighters would be working blue collar jobs for about $10/hr. (at best), and the only fighting they'd be doing would be when they get thrown out of bars @ 3 a.m. or practicing their ground & pound on their wives back home at the trailer (just ask Junie Browning and Matt Hughes).
    : p
    But instead, they make hundreds of thousands a yr. to fight every 3-4 mths, while a billion other martial artists do the same thing for practically (if not for) nothing, and in most cases- actually pay for their training, in addition to working aforementioned regular jobs for about $10/hr (if they're lucky). Poor UFC fighters, with their top notch training, huge cribs-style homes, $100,000 plus cars, and all the UFC groupies they can handle- they sure have it rough...
  18. Matt M
    18. Posted by Matt M Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:13 pm EDT

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    Darkness - That only describes some ufc fighters. And if they still don't get health-care benefits, later life will indeed be rough for them.
  19. PM
    19. Posted by PM Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:14 pm EDT

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    @ Catalyst
    I think strictly promo work would be beneficial to everybody. Anything that evolves actually performing in the ring, not so much.
    @ Troy
    I agree the contracts are slanted in favour of the UFC, but with the lack of competition from other organizations they are in a position of power when bargaining. It's what any business would do, so I can't really say anything bad about it.
  20. g e
    20. Posted by g e Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:24 pm EDT

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    No one is being forced against their will to fight in the UFC. If an opening match fighter doesn't like the terms of their contract, there are a thousand other fighters out there who would be willing to take their spot and try to EARN their way to the big money at the top.
  21. E.L
    21. Posted by E.L Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:07 pm EDT

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    @Troy McClure - He's trying to avoid critics like you. You just knocked him for fighting Sapp but yet you say you like that he's humble. What do you want? a fight with Couture? Make up your mind. Lashley is taking the right approach in regards to his MMA career. Sapp was a good choice because he's an experienced fighter. Of course he's not the best but on any given day he could do some damage as well. By slowly taking on better and better opponents Lashley is having the opportunity to measure his skills and improve them. Your post is just silly...
  22. Chris
    22. Posted by Chris Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:18 pm EDT

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    I knew Lashley when he was at Missouri Valley College, and he was a bright, articulate guy then. It was interesting to watch him wrestle; someone who could be quiet, almost professorial, in his demeanor before and after a match could perform with incredible, but controlled, fury on the mat.
    Hope he does well. He's been working hard for many, many years.
  23. Rob R
    23. Posted by Rob R Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:02 pm EDT

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    Got to agree with McClure on this one. Sapp...despite having top position...lost to a man half his size a month or so ago. I like Minowa and all...but there's no way a guy with Sapp's size, strength, and experience should ever lose to someone Minowa's size...especially when you take him down to start the fight.
  24. Jeff S
    24. Posted by Jeff S Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:09 pm EDT

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    Universal does not own TNA Wrestling. TNA just runs there tv tapings and some PPVs out of Universal Studios Orlando. TNA is owned by Panda Energy and up until 2008, did not turn a profit, so don't expect Lashley to make huge money from TNA. It is worlds away from WWE as far as finances go.
  25. E.L
    25. Posted by E.L Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:30 pm EDT

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    @ Troy - "He just smashed out a big name in Bob Sapp but he remains very grounded". He's right in that Bob Sapp is a big name. You can't deny that. Is he a top quality fighter? No way, but as I stated Sapp's experience only strenghtens Lashley's overall skills. Again, what do you want him to do? Fight somebody in the top 10? Maybe you need to read the article more carefully. Again, your post makes no sense...

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