"Big" John Hawk Interview
Rising MMA star John Hawk discusses his upcoming fight, cutting weight & his desire to be a ring boy
John Hawk is one of the up and comers of mixed martial arts that can be found rising through the ranks of the NAAFS. Hawk is the NAAFS Pro Series Heavyweight champion, and also competes in the light heavyweight division. Hawk suffered the first loss of his career in his last fight against Doug Sparks, but looks to get back on track against Dan Spohn at the upcoming NAAFS event Rock n Rumble on August 28th. John took some time out of his busy training schedule to sit down with ProFighting-fans.com Northeast Ohio MMA Correspondent Curt Heinrichs for an interview:
CH - First things first, what inspired the wildly-colored hair?
JH - Switching to Strong Style (from Evolve MMA), I felt like I was switching teams so I should become a different fighter. Also, I am sponsored by Clinch Gear, so I want to match my hair color to whatever color of trunks they send me for the fight.
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John Hawk, the reigning NAAFS Heavyweight Champion, will fight Dan Spohn on Saturday night in his second fight at 205 pounds. |
CH - You have fought as a heavyweight, a light heavyweight, and you have appeared as a cornerman (at War on the Shore for a victorious Rachel Dovidio). Do you have any more talents in the world of MMA that we have yet to see? Ring announcer perhaps (*my sincerest apologies to NAAFS Ring Announcer, Jake Digman. Jake, I am not trying to give your job away!)?
JH - I knew Rachel from when we boxed together under Lorenzo Scott. She is a good friend of mine and when she didn’t have a corner, she asked me. I was happy to do it and she ended up winning the fight.
It is funny you mention other talents, because I have jokingly suggested to Greg Kalikas that I could be the ring boy for the Eve of Destruction (the first ever all-female MMA card in Ohio set for September 18 in Akron). I could put on boy shorts and parade around with the round card. I figured if the fights are all girls, they don’t want to see some girl in a bikini with the ring card, they’d rather see a guy all tatted up and ripped. Greg (Kalikas) wasn’t having it, though.
CH - What is your martial arts background and what led you to make a living in mixed martial arts?
JH - I wrestled my whole life. I wrestled at Kent State and then I took some time off. Afterwards, I took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu and then muay thai. When it comes down to it, wrestling is my bread and butter. I can always go to that in a pinch because it is like second nature to me. At Strong Style, I work really hard on my striking. I am trying to become the most well-balanced fighter that I can be.
CH - You train with the well-known Strong Style Gym just outside of Cleveland. Who is your toughest teammate when it comes to the practice room?
JH - Stipe Miocic, of course.
CH - Much has been mentioned on message boards about you abandoning your title in the NAAFS heavyweight division. Do you plan to defend your title soon or will you make a permanent switch to light heavyweight?
JH - That’s up in the air. In my contract, I have one year to defend my title, so I have until February to decide, I guess. I am trying to stay active and take whatever fights the NAAFS will give me. I would like to hold both belts (light heavyweight and heavyweight) so I need to keep working hard and taking what fights they give me. I have until February to make up my mind and see what I want to do next.
CH - There are those out there that suggest you fight teammate Stipe Miocic for your Heavyweight belt. Do you have any problem fighting a teammate and training partner?
JH - I do. My thought is why risk losing a great training partner that I work with 6 days a week? We are still just fighting on the local scene. Maybe if the stakes were higher, like if we were fighting for the championship of The Ultimate Fighter or something, then I would want to fight him. Since we are local right now and money is not a huge factor, I don’t want to risk it. He is actually a good buddy of mine and we are always pushing each other at Strong Style. I always tell people, “If you want to see us fight, come down to Strong Style.” We are always going at it and it is probably a good show.
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CH - As I mentioned, you have fought at light heavyweight as well as holding the NAAFS title in the Heavyweight division. What is your average weight in between fights and do you have a hard time taking off and putting on weight for a fight? What is the hardest meal to give up when you are cutting down to 205?
JH - Right now, I am walking around at about 205, and the most I have been is 225 lately. I was drained for my last fight because I had to lose about 40 lbs. in a month. That last training camp was all about weight loss and not so much training. This time around, I am being smart about my cut, knowing my body and what I can handle. I am trying to lose weight comfortably and not lose muscle.
My diet is always pretty clean and I watch what I eat. The toughest thing for me to give up would have to be pizza. I love pizza. I can eat a whole box of pizza. I am really not a big junk eater, but pizza is tough to cut back on.
CH - In your last NAAFS fight, you fought Doug Sparks at light heavyweight and you were defeated late in the fight by submission. What have you taken from that fight to make you become a better fighter?
JH - That fight brought the hunger back. I was undefeated and going in undefeated, you take things for granted. I was not mentally focused. After losing, I am more mentally focused and I am taking nothing for granted. I always worked hard in the gym, but now my focus is back.
CH - Your upcoming fight at NAAFS Rock n Rumble is against Dan Spohn. What do you know about Spohn and how do you envision the fight going?
JH - I have seen his last fight and I think he is primarily a grappler. I want to stand and bang it out with him. I am more ready than ever for this fight. I think he will try to shoot, but that’s okay for me. I am a wrestler so I am comfortable with that. I feel like I am the better striker, so I have the advantage.
CH - Thanks for spending some time with us here at ProFighting-fans.com, John. Is there anyone out there you would like to thank?
JH - Yeah, I want to thank Marcus (Marinelli), Pablo, Leo, Joel, and Joe from Strong Style. I also want to thank my sponsors, Clinch Gear, John P. Lennon, Intimidation Clothing, and AKI MMA.
By Curt Heinrichs
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer