Interview with the alternate for Hammill fight at 68
Matt Hammill's opponent for 68, David Heath, pulled out. Rex Holman is replacing him. Here's a recent interview. Sorry for the length, I couldn't get the link to work for some reason.
UFCj: You got into the UFC after just five professional MMA fights. Fans are obviously going to wonder why. What would be your argument?
Holman: Well, it’s actually pretty simple. David Heath pulled out of the fight because of an injury. There was an opening at 205 pounds to fight Matt Hamill. The event’s in Columbus, which is where I am. My manager Mike Camp got in touch with Joe Silva, the UFC’s matchmaker, and said, “Hey, here’s Rex Holman. He’s hungry. He was a national champ at Ohio State. Give him a shot.” I was booked the next day.
I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity. I had made a commitment that I was would fight one or two times per month until I got signed. After my first two fights, though, I knew I needed to take some time off and improve and learn the sport better. I picked it up again, and I said I would really hit it hard January through March this year. But then I found out I’d be fighting in the UFC.
UFCj: Let’s talk about your wrestling background. You were quite successful at Ohio State. Honestly, what’s it like to win a national championship?
Holman: It’s just a goal like anything else. It’s something you set out to accomplish. It worked out that year (1993) because of a lot of hard and effort. It was nice to see it come to fruition.
UFC: How did you first get started in wrestling?
Holman: I started in fourth grade. My dad got me involved in a program in Upper Arlington (near Columbus). I was hooked, and it was something I really enjoyed, so I stuck with it.
UFCj: A lot of MMA fans know your name simply from your wrestling background. Does winning a national championship give you some instant fame?
Holman: It earned my some credibility in wrestling and that transitioned well into MMA. But since I started with MMA, I’ve had to become a fighter rather than just a wrestler. That’s a big transition, but there’s some common ground you can build from.
UFCj: How did you first get into MMA?
Holman: Basically, I was frustrated with wrestling. It was getting to a point where I wanted to compete with new skills, and MMA seemed like a good idea at the time. I knew there was going to be a learning curve. But like anything, if you want it bad enough, you can make it happen.
I was competing really hard after college up until 2001. I had some injuries, and with a job and wife and kid, my time became limited. But when I first joined the Army, I was part of the World Class Athlete Program (which only accepts Olympic-potential athletes). That kept me competing.
When I got out of the Army, I set my sites on being an EMT. I became a firefighter/EMT, but I felt a need for competition and felt I had some free time to pursue something like MMA.
UFCj: You train with UFCjunkie.com’s own Sean Salmon. What’s that like?
Holman: Sean’s great. I’ve known him since freshman year of college. I saw him go from a wrestler to a good fighter.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be here without him. He’s a great training partner and helped me get to a new level in my fighting. He’s so motivated, it wears off on me. There’s a mutual respect.
UFCj: Did you guys encourage each other to get into MMA? From what I’ve heard from the two of you, you each blame the other for getting you interested.
Holman: Yeah, I guess we’re busted. I did a little fighting before him, and then I asked him if he was interested. But I think we each kind of had it in our minds we were in it for the other one.
UFCj: Like Sean, your career began about 16 to 18 months ago. Are you surprised with how quickly everything came together? Was it part of your plan to be in the UFC this quickly?
Holman: I thought I would need a record of 10-1 or 12-1 to get any real consideration from the UFC. That’s why I had a lot of fights lined up for January through March this year. Obviously, I was a little surprised when the UFC came through with an offer. It was almost like the world was conspiring to make me successful.
UFCj: Are you training full-time now?
Holman: I’m holding down a job. I’m a full-time firefighter/EMT in Upper Arlington. Include my working out, and there’s all my freaking time.
I put more energy into it when a big event is coming up, though. I tear down other obligations and focus on the task at hand. It’s what being a fighter requires.
UFCj: It always interesting to hear the story behind it. So how exactly did you find out you had been signed by the UFC?
Holman: I was getting ready to go do a workout. It was in January. I was ready to head out with a group of guys for a workout. I decided to answer the phone for some reason. Usually I wouldn’t have, but for whatever reason, I picked it up and it was Mike Camp.
Here’s the short version. I was supposed to be on a Legends of Fighting event on Dec. 31 and got bumped from it. I was pissed. They said they’d get me on the Jan. 23 card instead. He said, “Hey, I’ve got some bad news. We had to pull you off that card too.”
By then, I was dropping f-bombs. I was calling him an MF and telling him he sucked and his organization sucked and that I was going to blow up. But then he told me why I was pulled from the Legends card — because the UFC was sending over a contract so I could fight at UFC 68. We all got a pretty good laugh out of it.
UFCj: What do you know about your opponent Matt Hamill? I know you’re both pretty well known in wrestling circles.
Holman: I know who Matt is. I remember when he was a high school wrestler at Loveland (High School). I remember meeting him down there. He’s a solid wrestler at Purdue and later at RIT, which I heard was a better fit for him. I wrestled with him before at the Olympic center. He’s a good guy.
UFCj: It’s an odd question but is worth asking. Have you given any thought to his disability? Are there any special precautions you have to take when your opponent is deaf?
Holman: The only thing with a deaf wrestler is that you have to keep going through the whistle. He’ll fight right through it, so you have to do the same. We’re both not going to stop. The ref will have to stop the action between the rounds. But other than that, there’s not too much to worry about it. It’ll be a normal fight.
UFCj: Can you tell me about your game plan for this fight? Or maybe just tell me some things you need to take into consideration? Matt’s obviously newer to MMA, but if you look at guys with just two career fights, he’s probably one of the best.
Holman: Is that all? Well, it doesn’t matter. He’s with a good camp, and Tito (Ortiz) has taken him under his wing. He’s obviously a good wrestler. He’s probably been working on his standup. I’ll go 15 minutes if that’s what it takes, though. I’ll fight my fight, whether I need to standup or start wrestling and rely on ground and pound.
UFCj: If this becomes a wrestling battle, who’s got the edge?
Holman: I’m going to say me, obviously. If it’s wrestling, it’s wrestling. That’s why I think it might stalemate and why we’ll have to start trading shots. People are going to see two wrestlers and assume the worst, but we’re going to want to put on a good show.
UFCj: You’re making your UFC debut in your hometown. What’s that like? Could you have scripted it any better?
Holman: I couldn’t ask for more. To get this opportunity — I mean, I don’t even know how to answer that. This is where it all started for me. I’ve been fighting in the smaller shows here and am now training for the UFC here. It’s special.
It’s always exciting to fight in front of people who know you.
UFCj: Are you going to have a lot of family and friends there watching?
Holman: Yeah, sort of. I’ve got my immediate family and a pretty close-knit group of friends. The guys I hang out with the most, though, are actually going to be the guys in my corner — Sean, B.J., Mark, Sean. Those are the guys I spend all my free time with.
My wife isn’t a fight fan — yet. My dad will be there. A lot of other friends. So yeah, I’ll have a support system there.
UFCj: Your one loss was to Matt Masterson at a King of the Cage event. What happened there — and what do you take away from that?
Holman: Technically, I learned a lot. He’s a tough guy and a good fighter. He’s got good solid skills. He hurt me right way. I had my stance all wrong, and before I figured it out, he popped me with some uppercuts.
It opened my eyes as to what it takes to be successful. I realized right then you have to put in the time to be successful, or you might as well walk away.
UFCj: How old are you now, 37? How much longer do you see yourself competing in MMA?
Holman: I plan on doing it until I’m 40. I said 40 all along. I gave myself four years to be the best I could be.
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Last edited by Noob; 02-21-2007 at 11:06 PM.
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