MMA Authority Blog Exclusive: Houston Alexander Interview

AB: This is Kalin Johnston from “MMA Authority” here with the always exciting, hard hitting, Houston “The Assassin” Alexander. Houston, how are you doing?

Houston: Ah man, I’m great man, it’s beautiful weather in Omaha, Nebraska right now, we’re up to seventy-five degrees.

AB: You have a fight coming up this May at UFC 98 against Andre Gusmao, how are you preparing to go up against a Brazilian Jujitsu fighter like him?

Houston: You know what, nothing has really changed with the way I’ve been training, except we have better partners and we have a great addition to our team, Jeremy Horn. So with Jeremy on, he brings a lot of jujitsu to the team, so nothing has changed except we have brought in another guy.

AB: You had an impressive winning streak going for quite sometime, but you have now lost your last three, how motivated are you to pick up the victory and get back to your winning ways?

Houston: 08 was garbage, it was a learning experience, and now hopefully in 09 we’ll be back on track, I got the experience and know the business, and we really do want to get back on track this following year here.

AB: You were a big underdog going into your fight against Keith Jardine, what was the first thing to go through your head when you knocked him out in the first minute of the first round?

Houston: It was an incredible feeling man, the first thing that went through my head was all the pain and suffering that I had training for the fight. It was grueling man, the training it was grueling, all the pain and suffering was gone, so it was a great feeling. The coaches, the team, they stepped up to the plate. I was happy for the coaches, I was happy for the family, I was just happy for the MMA world.

AB: Growing up, what inspired you to be a professional fighter?

Houston: Actually, I got into being a professional fighter on a dare. A friend of mine dared me to get in the ring with a guy some years ago because she knew that I wrestled and I boxed a little bit. So it was a friend who got me started into MMA, into professional fighting, I was sucked in, I was hooked ever since.

AB: If you could fight anyone in MMA, who would be your dream match up?

Houston: Ah man, I would love to fight Anderson.

AB: How do you see that fight going?

Houston: It would be a D*** good fight, both guys pretty good skilled guys standing up, I just think it would be a really good fight.

AB: You have donated one of your kidneys to your daughter, has that drawn you two closer, and does it affect your performance as a fighter?

Houston: It doesn’t affect my performance at all, and I’ve always been close to my daughter. Even an organ does not even bring us closer cause we have been close from day one. And it was just a blessing that I just happened to be a match for her.

AB: Which do you enjoy more, fighting or dj’ing?

Houston: Both give me a rush, but it would have to be fighting. You know, I love fighting, it’s more of a rush. Both give me a rush, but fighting just gives me more of a bigger rush.

AB: Over your years as a graffiti artist, what has been your favorite piece of work?

Houston: My favorite piece of work was probably my first painting that I did back in 87. It was a picture, it was a mural, she had a quote above her that said it was the pride that makes you strong. And it was for my community, and on the scroll it said it’s the pride that makes you stronger, and it was my first mural back in 87.

AB: From going around and speaking at different places, do you have any neat experiences from different students that you have had the chance to talk to about life?

Houston: Well you know what, I’m a motivational speaker every where, so I get to go to a lot of elementary, middle schools, high schools, colleges, community organizations, so I meet a lot of people because of that fact. So all the experiences are worth something to me.

AB: What’s your prediction for the upcoming title fight between Rashad and Lyoto?

Houston: You know what, that’s going to be a great fight because both guys move well, both guys know how to use the ring, it’s hard for me to pick one guy, but if I had to pick today it would be Rashad because Rashad probably hits just a tad bit harder.

AB: Thank you for taking the time for this interview, do you have any closing statements for your fans?

Houston: Tell the fans that I appreciate the fans, the fans are the one that pay the bills so I appreciate anything and everything that the fans do.