Interview with MMA Lightweight Daniel Strauss

Daniel Strauss prepares to fight for the Interim NAAFS Lightweight Championship

Daniel Strauss has witnessed a lot of bad things in his young life. However, he makes no excuses for his unfortunate situations and refers to his actions as being that of a "knuckle head." Despite a childhood that few can imagine, Strauss bounced back and has found something he is not only very good at but is passionate about as well. Daniel went from being one of the best high school wrestlers in Ohio to serving time in prison, but has now resurrected his career and has a shot at something big. Daniel’s story isn’t about roses and smiles. Instead it personifies persistency and resiliency. Speaking with Daniel is always a treat as he is very open and honest about his mistakes and his goals. He is humble and very well spoken, yet when the cage door is locked his ferocity is unleashed. Keep your eye on the 25 year old Straus who has a chance to be a star.

SD- Speak about your wrestling background and how you fared in high school.

DS- I wrestled throughout high school and ended up being the senior national champ. I wrestled at Sycamore High School in Cincinnati.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Strauss

SD- Explain what took place during your senior year.

DS- My freshmen year I was an alternate for state. My sophomore year I went 2-2 in the state. My junior season I took 3 rd place. My senior season I didn’t end up placing at state because I got kicked out of school. I did beat the guy that won state twice during the season. After that I received a wild card to wrestle at senior nationals and ended up winning it.

SD- For those who are not well versed on wrestling explain the magnitude of competing at the senior nationals.

DS- To this day it still hasn’t hit me yet. It is huge. When it comes to senior nationals you have the best of the best from Ohio to California. You have some tough guys who end up being Division I National Champions. You have big recruits there. It is really intense and a lot of pressure.

SD- Your story is filled with ups and downs. Speak about what happened to you after high school.

DS- When I got out of high school I was a knuckle head and got into a lot of trouble. I ran into the law a lot and ended up getting arrested. Instead of going to college I ended up going to prison. I spent two years there.

SD- You have made an incredible change in your life since you started training in MMA. Speak about the changes that you have made outside of the cage.

DS- Since I started in MMA, like you said my life has changed drastically. Now, I don’t have the time for nonsense in my life. I just spend a lot of time training. It has helped me build a stronger relationship with my girlfriend and a stronger relationship with my friends. My coaches and trainers see a fire in me. The things I have gone through have pushed me to go through the things I’m going through now. It’s a blessing to be where I’m at right now.

SD- Not only are you a different person outside of the cage but you have had tremendous success very quickly inside the cage. Speak about some of the big fights you have had.

DS- Right now I’m 10-3. I’ve had some tough fights against some really tough guys. One of the toughest guys I fought was a guy named Mike Baskis. He was a purple belt in Jiu-Jitsu and was getting looked at by the WEC. I went on to fight a guy named Tim Troxell who is a big name up North and I beat him. I ended up beating Jeff Curran’s cousin, Pat Curran. He was a really tough guy and I lost to him. I fought a UFC veteran named Gideon Ray this past month. I beat him which was a good win for me. It has brought me to a place where I didn’t even think I would get to. The next step for me is to get to the UFC or another big organization.

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SD- Your philosophy on fighting is that you like to be in the cage often. Speak about that.

DS- I am one of those guys who likes to fight a lot. I’m easily distracted. If I’m not fighting that means I’m not training. If I’m not focused on training that could easily lead me into trouble. I like to fight a lot and stay in the gym and keep focused. When it comes time to fight I’m always prepared and ready to fight.

SD- You have a big fight on at the NAAFS February 20 event where you will be competing for the Interim NAAFS Lightweight title. Speak about the fight, the opportunity and your training for the fight.

DS- The guy I’m fighting is Frank Caraballo. He is a tough guy. He has fought at big shows like Bellator and he has very good punching power. This is big for me as I have never competed for a title. If I can walk through him I get to fight Jason Dent who was in the UFC. It’s a huge opportunity for me.

SD- This is certainly a big opportunity for you and represents the turnaround in your life. What are your goals in the next 3-4 years?

DS- My ultimate goal is just to make it. I want to be able to say I did my best at everything. I want people to recognize where I came from and who I am and I think I can be the world champion. In the next five years I think I can be standing at the top of the podium with the belt around my waist.

By Scott Dryden
ProFighting-fans.com Editor-in-Chief