MMA Ring Report has had the opportunity to have some pretty creative and eclectic interview candidates--none, quite so frank and creative as Phil Baroni. In fact, thanks to Phil’s exciting personality, I felt it would be a waste to turn this into a story of my own, simply from a writer’s perspective. Phil is definitely someone you don’t want to cut off when he’s in the middle of a thought process or just expressing his opinions. He is extremely passionate about his opinions, thoughts, and feelings on several matters, and I felt that they best be expressed (verbatim) from Baroni himself--uncut and unedited. Trust me, I think fight fans will appreciate this tough, somewhat brass knuckled New Yorker a lot more. So, think of this interview as the MMA Ring Report’s "Unplugged," cause that’s exactly what you’re going to get. Hold on to your seat fight fans and let Phil Baroni take you for a ride as we get in his mind and pick his brains on the world of MMA.

MMARR: Amar Suloev lost to Chuck Liddell and it was a stand-up war. You’ve probably watched and studied his tapes. Do you respect him as a fighter? What do you honestly think about him?

PB: I think he has some decent stand-up. He has a good high-kick but I wonder about his will to win. He should’ve known that he was behind on the score card. I think I’ll bring a hard fight to him. I think I’ll be able to break him. I just don’t think that he has that extra drive--that will to win. I think that he’s happy just to survive and I’m not going to let him survive. I’m going to put him away.

MMARR: In your mind, what is your detailed prediction of your match against him?

PB: I’m going to bring it and attack him for 15 minutes if it goes that far. I doubt it will. Chuck Liddell lit him up a couple times, he’s kind of a "pick your shots" kind of a fighter. I’m not going to let him off the hook. When I get him hurt, I’m going to finish him. I’m looking for a knockout or a submission.

MMARR: Do you feel pressured to win because if you lose you might get dropped by the UFC? Or, do you bring something to the table as far as hype and excitement with your personality that other organizations would want?

PB: Of course I bring a lot to the table. I am "Mr. Excitement." It’s their loss. If I lose this fight and they drop me, it’s their loss. I’m the most marketable fighter the UFC has right now, especially with Tito out. I’m the only other "bad boy" left in the UFC and he’s from New York. They should think twice about cutting me but I’m not going to give them the opportunity cause I’m going to knock this guy out.

MMARR: What part of New York are you from, originally?

PB: I’m from Long Island, New York.

MMARR: Do you have some tension with Renzo Gracie and his camp? And if so, why?

PB: I don’t know Renzo Gracie personally. I don’t have no beef with him, maybe with some of the guys in his camp. They seem to be like the bad guys from the "Karate Kid" the "Cobra Kai’s." You know, like the bad guys from that local tournament thing. We’re all from the same general area in New York. I offered to work out with them because I was looking to get some jiu jitsu training and trade some jiu jitsu training for wrestling but they didn’t take it and look what happened.

MMARR: What’s your martial arts background?

PB: I don’t consider myself a martial artist. I consider myself a professional fighter. I wrestled since the 7th grade and I’m a two time All-American collegiate wrestler. I’m 10-0 in boxing with 10 knockouts, 7-0 in kickboxing with 7 knockouts, and in MMA, I’m 4-1. I’ve lost a fight in MMA but I was never beaten. I’ve never stopped, never been submitted. And if you’ve seen the fight, like most people have, they feel I won. I wrestled at Hofstrau in Central Michigan. It’s a division one top 20 College when I was there. We were 5th and 7th in the Nation. We beat out teams like Michigan and Iowa--real good teams.

MMARR: Is there any chance in hell that you might get an opportunity to fight Renzo Gracie in the UFC?

PB: I’d love to fight him. Any Gracie. I’m looking to beat any Gracie or Frank Shamrock. After he beat out Tito Ortiz, he retired and said that there was no one out there that could give him a challenge. Well, that’s what I’m looking to be. The person to get him out of retirement, take him out and breed my stock. I’d like to fight the Gracie’s cause they have a name. I tell people that I fight in NHB and they have no idea that the sport has evolved so it’s always "what about the Gracie’s." It’s not jiu jitsu anymore, but being able to beat one of those guys and having them on my win list would be good for me.

MMARR: You have an openness to express your opinions and not care what anyone thinks. Some people take offense to that or don’t know how to react towards such plain honesty. So, some people might have some tension with you. Who do you feel you have the biggest beef with because of this and why?

PB: I have the biggest beef with people who are closed-minded and conservative fans and people. I am who I am and I’m not going to change who I am and not say what I feel just cause I like people. I’m not phony. I’m me and some people might not like that but I think that people should respect me for that. I’m not afraid to voice my opinion. I consider myself to be an intelligent person and I think my opinions, if you sit down and think about them, are usually on the money.

MMARR: Give me your thoughts on these fighters and be as detailed as you want: Alex Steibling, Murilo Bustamante, Dave Menne, Pele.

PB: Steibling is a decent fighter. I think he’s pretty tough. He hangs in there. I don’t think that he’s that great of a fighter. I’d like to fight him but I don’t think it’ll be that tough of a fight. I think he has some ground skills. He has no stand up and his wrestling is just okay. I’d like to beat him up cause there’s a lot of hype surrounding him right now. He said something on the Underground about wanting to fight me. I think he should stick to fighting Brazilian’s cause I don’t think he wants none of this.

PB: Bustamante is also, a tough guy who’s been around for a while. He’s got great jiu jitsu. That’s his game and he’s also improved his boxing. That knockout of Dave Menne, I think was more of lightening striking. I don’t think he’s a big threat standing up and that’s why I’d like to beat him on my feet, knock him out. I’d fight him basically the way Chuck Liddell did. I’m a lot more aggressive than Chuck Liddell and Chuck seems to pick his shots one, two shots at a time and I put my punches together a little better. If I burst on him, I think I’ll be able to put him away. I’m not afraid to be on the ground with him. I don’t think it was a lucky punch. Dave Menne didn’t look like the Dave Menne I’ve seen fight before. And I think he caught him right between transition. I think Dave Menne was focusing more on what he was going to do instead of just really blowing at Murilo, and he caught him.

PB: Dave Menne--I think he’s a warrior. I think he’s well rounded. He’s a tough fighter. He comes from a wrestling background like me, so he’s hard-nosed and gritty. I think we’re similar. I think I have better hands. I think I’m more explosive. And I think I could be compared to a Dave Menne with a turbo.

PB: Pele is an exciting fighter. He’s pretty good. He looks like he got better on the ground even though he got submitted by Carlos Newton. He’s explosive. His knees and kicks are good. I don’t like the way he throws his punches. I would definitely trade with him and I think that I could knock him out. I don’t dip my head. I won’t get kneed in the head. I’m not worried about how he kicks.

MMARR: You’ve jumped from the East Coast to Tito’s team in Huntington Beach to Las Vegas. How come you’ve moved so much and why have you settled in Las Vegas?

PB: I was looking for a team and a place to train. I was on Tito’s team but not really. I trained with Tito for two weeks for my fight with Eugene Jackson. The fight fell apart then, I never got to train with the team at all for my fight with Matt Lindland. Part of the reason was because of 911 and so I couldn’t get out to Huntington Beach. I was supposed to train with Ricco Rodriguez, who’s part of the team for this fight, but Ricco seemed to have his own agenda and left me hanging. So, I had to do what I had to do and I was lucky enough to meet up with Ricardo Pires, Frank Mir, and Don House, who is the boxing coach for Tito and Ricco. He’s taken me under his wing and I’m about 50% better than I was the last time for sure.

MMARR: What fighters do you respect the most in the sport aside from yourself?

PB: (Laughs). I respect all the fighters that get in there and put it on the line. It takes a lot of courage and commitment. People don’t realize what it takes to get in there and do what we’re doing. I respect a lot of fighters but for a lot for reasons. Like, I respect Tito for where he’s come from and his background for where he is now, and how he’s marketing himself, and how he’s found his game and is sticking to it. He has his own clothing line and what not. I respect that a lot. I respect Vanderlei Silva who’s a fighter who always goes to win. He’s not afraid to take chances. He goes for the finish. He’s tough. He’s gritty. And he wants to trade with people and bang it out. I also respect Carlos Newton. He’s a good fighter also going for submissions, not afraid to take a shot, mixing it up with guys. I respect the fighters the most that aren’t afraid to mix it up and take a shot to give a shot.

MMARR: You’ve said that you’d rather fight in the UFC for less money than do pro-wrestling and/or fight in Pride for more money, why?

PB: Don’t get me wrong, I want to fight for more money. My goal is to be a main event fighter, the highest paid MM artist. That’s why I’m looking to beat Frank Shamrock or one of the Gracie’s, just a big name to be a main event fighter. Once you’re a main event fighter, you’re always a main event fighter. I’m looking for a name to make me that. For example, me and Bustamante, it’ll just be me promoting the fight. Or, me versus Menne, he’s a great champion and a great fighter but he doesn’t have that much charisma as much as I do. So, another fighter with that kind of charisma or name recognition will make me a top fighter. My goal is to make a lot of money but I’d rather fight in the UFC and fight the best fighters in the world cause I have something to prove to myself, and something to prove to everybody actually--that I am for real and that I can do this. What does it mean to beat a Pro Wrestler? It’s just a guy that has been beaten by everyone else, like a Matsui.

MMARR: Do you know something about the UFC that no one else does and that’s why you’re sticking with them, because it seems as if fighters will make their name, and get their claim to fame, and then leave them, primarily for more money?

PB: I just know that the UFC is the most popular MMA event in America and I’m an American. That’s why I want to be marketed. I don’t think I’ll get a commercial or a movie deal in Japan. I see having the most mainstream publicity with the UFC. People know the UFC. If I talk about Pride, people wouldn’t know what the hell I was talking about.

MMARR: Obviously, Pride is known for and perceived as paying fighters more than the UFC, but the UFC is known for their media exposure and mainstream publicity in the USA. Compare the two organizations.
PB: I would stick with the UFC. They were the ones that gave me my first shot. I’m a loyal kid and I’m lucky to be where I am now. I wouldn’t mind fighting in the Pride World Tournament to prove that I’m the best fighter in the world. Then, I can have a lot of negotiating power too. A tournament like that, I’d definitely like to fight in and win.

MMARR: Do you feel that you’re cocky or confident?

PB: I’m confident. People don’t like me and they might think I’m cocky but I’m not afraid to say what I’m going to do and then go out and do it. I’m not afraid to set high goals and then achieve them.

MMARR: What are the three best words that would best describe you as a person?

PB: Honest, compassionate, and hard-working.

MMARR: What are the three best words that would best describe you as a fighter?

PB: Tough, tenacious, and all-heart.

MMARR: What impact has Ricardo Pires had on you?

PB: He’s had a big impact on me. As far as just helping me out and just being there for me for not knowing me long, is unbelievable. I never thought that I could find that in a trainer. He’s a Brazilian jiu jitsu guy but he’s at all my sparring and all my kickboxing, and boxing. He watches all my training. He’s right there. He takes me where I have to go. He let’s me stay at his house sometimes. He feeds me and he’s helped me in every aspect of the game. He’s helped my mindset and my technique and I really consider him a good friend in the short amount of time that I’ve known him.

MMARR: Are you going to use what you’ve learned from him to defend against submissions or are you going to actively look for them?

PB: Working with Ricardo, I have a lot more confidence. If the submissions are there, I’m definitely going to take it. I’m not going to hesitate or be afraid.

MMARR: Whom do you fear (fighters)?

PB: NOBODY! I don’t fear anyone. I’ll face anybody anytime.

MMARR: What did the loss against Matt Lindland teach you?

PB: It taught me a lot. It taught me not to leave the decision in the judges’ hands. It taught me that I have to be in shape, and that I can’t just beat anybody off of athletic ability and toughness. I mean, I only trained for that fight for two weeks. Not to make any excuses but there was a lot going on in my life, not to mention with 911. I really didn’t train a lot for the fight and it was my fault for underestimating him. He doesn’t look as tough as he his. I learned a lot. I’m in ten times better shape now. I train 10 hours a day for my upcoming fight and I learned that I have to work hard to be the best and beat the best. I learned a lot about myself and I think that I showed a lot of people that I have a lot of heart and that I’m always dangerous in a fight, especially as of late. I think the next time we fight, it won’t get on the ground.

MMARR: Have you and Frank Mir gotten pretty close as training partners?

PB: We’ve gotten really close. We’re opposites in personality and even fighting. He’s more of a grappler and I’m more of a striker. He’s opened me up on a lot of different things and I think I’ve shown him a lot of things, as far as training hard and being more attentive to his training, and realizing what he has in front of him, and what he needs to do to win his matches.

MMARR: What do you think about the UFC 185lb weight class?

PB: I think the UFC is getting tougher in this weight class. When it first opened up, a lot of guys said it was the weakest weight class in the UFC but now, I would say that and 170’s are the toughest weight classes for sure. Amar Suloev who went the distance with Chuck Liddell, where Chuck Liddell is ranked 1-2 so Amar should be ranked 1-5. Pat Miletich is a good fighter but look at what Matt Lindland did to him. Semonov, Bustamante, and Menne--they’re all the top guys and top names.

MMARR: Is there anything you’d like to say to fight fans that’ll be reading this that you feel they should know about you?

PB: Fans should not judge a book by its cover. I’m fighting for fans. I’m doing this for the recognition and respect as well as the other fighter’s recognition and respect. The fans should be a little more supportive of fighters and not be so harsh and judgmental. If anything, I should be a fan favorite cause I work hard. I train hard and put my heart into this and put everything on the line. I look to win exciting fights and get the fans their money’s worth. So, I think they should be a little bit more open-minded. On another note, as far as MMA training goes, the most important skill to have is wrestling but if you only have wrestling, it’s the least effective cause you can’t wrestle someone to death. I can wrestle you all day and never submit or get knocked out but from a striker, I can knock you out or submit you, but if you want to keep the fight where you want it, you need wrestling as far as if you’re a submission guy, you need to take the fight to the ground and if you can’t take the guy down, you won’t be use your best part and if you’re a stand-up guy, you’ll need to be able to avoid the take down. If you can’t avoid the takedown, you won’t be able to knock the guy out. So, wrestling, I think is the base for MMA. If anything, you should have striking and grappling and then, wrestling, cause that’s the base you’ll need to be able to control your fight.

Some people seem to have pre-conceived notions about Phil Baroni. They either like the guy or they don’t. Granted, he is extremely honest and likes to voice his opinions whenever the opportunity presents himself, but since when was that a bad thing--being honest and open? If anything, I don’t see Phil going around trying to do whatever it takes to please people and go out of his way to get them to like him as a person. As a person, he is who he is, but as a fighter--that’s a different story. Baroni merits credit to his hard work and dedication as a fighter. He may not warm the ’cockles of your heart’ but would you expect anything less from a ’bad boy’ fighter from New York? C’mon ladies and gents, he’s got a mission he’s trying to achieve here. I’d say, give him a break and except him for who he is--a bad ass fighter who’s on a mission to be the best he can be.

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