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May 07, 2010
Interview with Evan Chan
By Evan Chan

www.boxingcinema.com

Recently MMA fighter Denis Kang was training at a gym out in Abbotsford, BC. He was kind enough to do an interview for the Boxing Cinema where he talks about his training methods, his passion for the sport, UFC 115 in Vancouver and much more.

Evan Chan: Denis thanks for doing this interview for the Boxing Cinema. First thing I want to ask is what is the latest news on your fighting career?

Denis Kang: Well I'm currently preparing for a main event fight on June 19th in Montreal. It will be for Warrior-1 Promotions against Kim Dae Won of Korea.

EC: Good to hear that you're fighting again. I understand that you were cut from the UFC recently, can you comment on what happened?

DK: Well we parted ways, and it was an amicable split. I'm enjoying being a free agent now, and freedom is the best feeling there is.

EC: How did you first get involved with the world of MMA?

DK: Since I can remember, I always loved everything about martial arts. So when I first saw the UFC in ‘95 I immediately fell in love with it. I thought that it was the greatest thing in the world couldn’t understand how anyone could NOT like it. Gradually I started to train more and more and one day I realized that I was fighting in Pride....

EC: Now how long did you have to train, and how much time and dedication did you have to put into your training before you were able to get signed by a professional organization?

DK: When I first realized that I was signing a contract with an organization that I could rely on for steady fights, was with Spirit MC in Korea. They were very professional and treated me with the same respect.

EC: And how many years did you have to work in the gym before that happened? How were you discovered by Spirit MC?

DK: MMA was not very well known in Korea then. So when I heard about this SMC holding events in Seoul, I got my management to contact them.

I had already been fighting pro for about six years when I signed with Spirit, but I had never had a multi-fight deal with any organization. This made me feel like the company cared about me and wanted to invest in me.

EC: Some people would say that MMA is a very barbaric sport, how did your parents feel about it when you first showed interest in going to the gym and being a competitor?

DK: My mom was a little worried at first, but she'd seen me heavily involved in martial arts and other sports my whole life so she was always supportive. She just saw how much passion I had for it. After fights she wants to know if I'm OK and that I didn’t hurt my opponent too bad....

EC: With so many violent tragedies surrounding fighters outside of the ring, people have speculated that a lot of it has to do with the blows they sustain to their head during matches, which causes them to become different people. As an active competitor how do you feel about those beliefs?

DK: I don’t think that this is necessarily true in saying that it is our sport which is responsible for these unfortunate tragedies. Sometimes these things can happen to any athlete or person involved in showbiz. The pressure of being in the spotlight, big losses, even bigger wins can change your lifestyle and persona dramatically and bring along vices that often result in fatalities. Look at Heath Ledger, Corey Haim, both actors and both died tragic deaths but nobody is saying that dramatic acting leads to drugs.

EC: That's a very good point! However do you ever worry, as a competitor, about the long-term effects that being involved with contact sports can give you? How do you handle any fear as a fighter?

DK: It has crossed my mind but I firmly believe that the amount of blows to the head taken in MMA are small compared to boxing and pro-wrestling. Unless one trains like a boxer there should be little chance of long-term brain trauma.

EC: A friend of mine has a couple questions for you. The first question is:

"There were a lot of difficulties getting UFC 115 sanctioned in Vancouver. What do you think drives such opposition? Were there any discussions about giving you a fight in your hometown?"

DK: I really don’t get this city sometimes. Drug addicts can find safe places to inject and smoke, yet city hall will not sanction a legitimate sporting event. I find it insulting that the sport for which I have so much passion, is being portrayed as an attraction for street thugs. Movies like Donnie Brasco, Scarface etc., are magnets for people who live this lifestyle but nobody is attacking an entire film genre. MMA is being made a scapegoat for the cities own incompetence at dealing with crime.

EC: This leads us to my friend's other question. He asks:

"Your fellow middleweights have been the center of controversy recently. Anderson Silva showboated and disrespected Maia for much of a five round fight, while Jason Mayhem Miller and the Cesar Gracie camp engaged in a post fight brawl on network television. What are your thoughts on these occurrences and do you think it hurts the perception of MMA?"

DK: Again, people are making too big of an issue out of this by singling it as an MMA occurrence only. You can see brawls happen in baseball, boxing, hockey etc. I don’t think any fans are going to boycott watching Strikeforce simply because they saw a post-fight melee.

EC: The other week when I saw you training at the gym, you were very hands-on with helping new fighters develop. What advice would you give to people who are up and coming in the sport, or people who are interested in getting into MMA?

DK: Always seek improvement and listen to your coach.

EC: What is life like for you when you are in preparation for a fight? What are some things you do to help give yourself the advantage in the ring?

DK: Before a fight, life becomes a monotonous routine of training, and resting so you can train some more. I try to maximize my recovery time by having a protein shake loaded with carbs and amino acids immediately after the workout. I then eat another medium healthy meal and go have a nap. Sometimes the nap comes naturally because I'm so tired, sometimes I end up thinking too much and I just lay down with my eyes closed or read a book. Either way my phone is off and I make sure that nothing disturbs me so it gives me a good recharge before the second and final session.

I have a scheduled massage appointment every week with a guy that a few fighters from the gym go to. Once or twice a week we also go do hot/cold bathing and saunas/steams at this Norwegian spa.

EC: What is your career goal in MMA?

DK: I really want to achieve the highest level that I can and be a role model for the future generation of MMA athletes.

EC: What can your fans expect from you on June 19th?

DK: PAIN!!!!!!! Just kidding, in case you didn’t notice that was a line from Clubber Lang in Rocky 3. June 19th I'm in to get the job done. I'm fighting at home, I'm defending MY house. Gonna be a hard night for him.

EC: (laugh) I love the Rocky series! But yeah I look forward to seeing your fight! Is there anything else you want to say to your fans or the MMA fans before we wrap up this interview?

DK: No that's it. Thanks!

EC: Thanks again for taking the time out to do this interview, and I wish you all the best at your next fight!

DK: No problem!

For more interviews, please visit the Boxing Cinema’s news section.