First of all, let’s look at a map of Long Island. Where are you from and where do you live now?
I’m from Blue Point and I live in Long Beach now.
Nice. So why kickboxing?
I started doing Shaolin Kempo when I was about 15 and those guys – the senseis there – started training in Bellmore with Chris Cardona, so I went to him to see what it was like. In Kempo, it was points sparring, and I wanted more full contact sparring. I had an amateur fight out of Shaolin and really liked training with Chris, so I ended up just going to Chris. I had an amateur fight with Chris, turned pro, had a pro fight, and then actually moved away for four years. I came back, fought for another two years and took another two years off. And here we are.
Why the two-year layoff?
I had surgery on my nose – I had three fractures and 90% deviation – and then after that I just called it quits because I didn’t want it to happen again. But after two years I just got the itch to fight again. I got bored.
Peter Kaljavic is your next opponent. Is this a title fight?
I don’t believe it’s a title fight.
What have you seen from him? What’s the scouting report?
From what I’ve seen and heard, he’s very relaxed and comfortable, very tough, and a strong kicker.
What makes him a unique opponent for you?
He’s very tough and he’s a lot more experienced than the guys I’ve fought before. I think he has close to a hundred fights, I’ve heard.
What are you looking to do in this fight?
I want to be a lot more aggressive than I was in my last fight. I used to fight more aggressively, but I was very conservative in my last fight. This fight, I want to turn it up a little more – hopefully go for the knockout.
With the belt not on the line, do you feel like maybe you have some more leeway to be aggressive?
No, not at all. [The belt] wasn’t the reason I fought the way I did in the last fight. I think it was that I hadn’t fought in two years. It was my first fight back and I was overly cautious. I was a lot more nervous for that fight than I had been in the past.
I’ve seen some videos of you knocking the dogshit out of Cruz and Nesbitt and some guy in black pants, and you seem very composed before and after. In terms of your mental preparation, do psyche yourself up for a sport or for a fight?
It’s definitely a sport. I never have to get myself pumped up or angry at an opponent. It’s a fight, and the other guy’s definitely trying to hurt you, but I look at it like a basketball game or any other sport. The more clear-headed and composed you are, the better you are because you can think better and are not acting completely out of instinct like you do when you get mad and let your adrenaline go.
What do you feel is the stronger motivator: the thrill of winning or the despair of losing?What fuels you more?
Definitely the thrill of winning, but you always have the fear of losing because you have a lot of people there and you’ve put in so much work. My trainer Chris – he puts in so much work with me, and losing is a really big let down. The thrill of winning, the thrill of knocking someone out is what motivates me.
What’s the most underappreciated part of fighting at a competitive level?
I think the feeling of being in there, just you and your opponent; there’s no team, nobody to help you out, and when you lose, it’s all on you. You’ve got so many people who come see you that you want to make it worth their while. You want to win.
If your career were to end today for whatever reason, what’s the one moment that stands out, the indelible image burned into your brain of your life as a fighter?
The one moment that would stick out to me is my loss. It was my only loss, and the fight was such a tough fight. I was knocked down four times; I knocked him down three. I never thought I would actually lose, and the feeling of losing always sticks out in my mind. I looked out and saw my parents, and it was a real bad feeling, but I’m glad it happened.
Now on to the important stuff. What do you look for in walk-out music?
I want something that I really could get into, something to keep my mind off the walk to the ring, something I like to listen to. For a lot of my fights, I came out to “Shipping Up to Boston” just because I came out to it once, I liked it, and I stayed with that for about four fights. My first fight, the DJ actually played Brittney Spears’s “I’m a Slave for You,” so the music is not that important.
Wow. The thin line between god and great is the nickname. Do you have a nickname?
I do not have a nickname.
Do you want a nickname?
I don’t have a nickname because I never really did this full time and never tried to make a career out of it. I never found a nickname I really love, so it would be silly for me.
If you find one you love, you can’t give yourself the nickname, right? Isn’t that the rule?
I’ve heard of people giving themselves a nickname.
I have several nicknames – that I gave myself – and when someone says, “Oh, that’s an awesome nickname,” I lie and say someone else gave it to me. So if you find one you like, email me, and I’ll start calling you by it. That way, you keep your dignity.
If I think of one, I’ll email you.
Not too many of you Bellmore Kickboxing guys have nicknames. Let’s look at the team for a while. I’ll give you a category – high school yearbook style – and you tell me who comes to mind.
Most likely to win a dance competition: Chris Algieri
Most likely to be cast on the Jersey Shore: Chris Cardona. Just kidding…
Most likely to release a rap album: Sick Vic
Most likely to next collect a championship belt: Jordan Carroll, and then Bobby Campbell in the rematch
Most likely to succeed as a morning news anchor: Hmm…Chris Algieri
What do you do when you’re not fighting?
I’m a CPA in Manhattan. I do that five days a week, sometimes on weekends. In Long Beach, I go to the beach a lot and play volleyball. I have a good time on the weekends going out, not within a month of a fight, though. I’m a big beach guy.
Cool. We shall now finish with The Lighting Round. I say something, you respond immediately. Very simple. Here goes:
Your best weapon: Right hand
Peter Kaljevic: Kicker
Does it matter that his MMA record is 1-10?: No
Rear naked choke: Tap
Polar Bear Plunge: Fun
Ward or Gatti: Gatti
The cooler Foley – Mick or Matt: Matt Foley
Suncreen or tanning oil: Screen
Pickle chips at Swingbelly’s: awesome
I’m thinking of a color: Blue
Absolutely correct. I was thinking of navy, so yes.
The best interview you did this week: Definitely with you.
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