Matt Lindland Interview
Interview with Matt Lindland as he prepares for his May 21st Strikeforce Challengers main event with Kevin Casey
Matt “The Law” Lindland has been quite an influential person in the growth of Mixed Martial Arts in the United States. After his time on the U.S. World Greco Roman Wrestling Team with Randy Couture and Dan Henderson, the three started Team Quest Fight Club in 1999. Based out of Gresham, Oregon, Team Quest as a brand has continued to grow and the three men have each made a name for themselves in the MMA world. Lindland went 8-3 in 11 fights with the UFC from 2000-2005 and lost via submission to Mario Bustamante in his UFC Middleweight title shot at UFC 37. Since parting ways with the UFC, Lindland has fought for a variety of MMA promotions including the now defunct Affliction. At 21-7 with fights against many of the top names in MMA history, Lindland now fights for the San Jose-based Strikeforce promotion. He will make his second fight for Strikeforce on Friday, May 21st at Strikeforce Challengers VIII where he will face Kevin Casey at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. Senior MMA Writer Nick Russell spoke with Lindland as he prepares for the fight with Casey.
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NR - You wrestled collegiately and also claimed a silver medal in the Olympics, so the transition to MMA was natural. My question is what keeps you so involved in the sport?
ML - I really enjoy the sport, and I think it is an honorable endeavor. I think more men, especially young men, should do hand-to-hand combat in one form or another growing up. They should teach wrestling in school and require that young men take it in gym class as well as teach martial arts.
NR - You fought most of your fights at 185, but you have competed against light heavyweights and heavyweights. What prompts you to not hesitate and fight anyone in any weight class?
ML - I’ll fight anybody for a purse; I think that is what this sport is about. It's prize fighting and we’re fighting for the biggest prize. If I’m offered a fight against Mike Van Arsdale for 30,000 or Anderson Silva at 185 for 10,000, I’m going to take the 30,000 against Van Arsdale at 205 any day.
NR - Matt, I know that you are a coach as much as you are a fighter. How do you deal with being a full time coach and fighter at the same time?
ML - Right after I got out of college, my first job was coaching and one of my first students was Chael Sonnen. I coached at his high school when he was a sophomore. I then got invited to move out to the US Training Center and be a part of the resident athlete program and lived there for about 3½ years and we really lived in poverty environment, living hand-of-mouth every day. I got offered a job at the University of Nebraska that I couldn’t turn down. But, what my coach offered me there was an opportunity to train and have access to the mat, the University’s athletic facilities, coaches, and anytime I needed a training partner, no matter where he was from, he would get me him. When I was in town, I was coaching and the method that I always go by was, lead by example. If you do that, they will follow you. Once you have their trust and respect, then they’ll listen to you. I have a lot to share with these guys. I always love to give back to the guys that leave it out there for you. It’s a lot of fun to see their success.
NR - I’m guessing that this is pretty special to fight in this type of show in your town of Portland, OR?
ML - I love it, yeah. I think that the Rose Garden is scaled to fit around 6,500. This should be a similar size crowd.
NR - Tell me about Kevin Casey.
ML - Well, when I went to find some fight footage on the internet, instead I found this ridiculous rap video. He should be embarrassed about that thing. He should also be embarrassed about that clown he hangs out with (Spencer Pratt). He is not doing his buddy any favors, because I’m going to have to take it out on Kevin.
What I did find on him is that he is a very good jiu-jitsu player. He has made the transition into MMA and is an incredible athlete. He is quick, muscular guy and uses a lot of strength. Kind of like a Quinton Jackson, he is one of these guys that pick up and slam them down and uses his submission skills a lot with his strength and power. So, I think that it is going to be a good match-up. I think he is a young guy, with a lot to prove, especially coming into my hometown.
NR - I know that you work with a lot of wrestlers, but, did you bring anyone in to try and imitate Kevin Casey?
ML - I recently had Ken Hahn out here. He is not well known but most know him after he worked with Frank Mir when preparing for his fight with Nogueira. He was out here for a week. Dennis Hallman is always up in our room. He has a wealth of knowledge, bringing us new stuff all the time, especially on the submission side. I also have the #2 middleweight (Chael Sonnen) in the world, who has been my student for 17 years, so I’m fortunate there. We really don’t have to go outside of the team to get good training partners and coaches, the only reason I do that is to get a different look.
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NR - If I’m correct, you are in the second fight of a three fight Strikeforce contract?
ML - Yeah, but I don’t exactly know how this one works because it’s a Challengers card, so it’s kind of out of my contract. This is not exactly part of my Strikeforce contract, they separate that and the Challengers somehow.
NR - Do you see Strikeforce as a solid organization? And, where do you see yourself fitting into the big picture?
ML - I think that they are doing well. They have their growing pains that they are dealing with, but Strikeforce has always put on a good product and we are grateful for Showtime to be our broadcast partner and CBS is just icing on the cake.
I think that the middleweight division in Strikeforce is deeper than any other organization. I mean in the UFC, you have Chael and Anderson, and depending on what week it is, you have Vitor if he is healthy. Besides that, they don’t really have any depth. I hear rumors that they may be trying to steal Jake Shields, the Strikeforce champion, which would be very unfortunate. He is a talent that I would hate to see Strikeforce lose. Even with him gone, there still is a lot of depth in the middleweight division.
NR - Being just a couple of days out from your fight with Casey, where do you go from here up until fight time?
ML - Well, right now, I’m at home drinking my smoothie, and going to get some sleep. I'll cut some weight tomorrow.
NR - You still look pretty fresh at 40 years old, how long can we expect to see you in the cage fighting?
ML - I don’t know, time will tell, for sure. At some point I'll be done and know that this is not for me anymore. But, for right now, it’s something that I enjoy. I enjoy the training, the comradely, and the competition. I have a great lifestyle. I’m in the gym 6 hours a day, and, even when I’m not training, I’m doing the business side of it and coaching guys. It’s a good lifestyle.
NR - Last question, I know that politics is something that you have been involved in the past. Is that something that you want to do more of, or is it on the back burner for now?
ML - Definitely on the back burner for now. With the country the way it is and everybody wanting to raise taxes, I have to earn some more money.
If this machine keeps going the way it is, it’s going to get out of control. If that’s the case, I hope that maybe someday, I can get into office and make some changes.
NR - Well, I’d like to thank you for your time so close to your bout and wish you good luck with your fight this Friday.
By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer