Wilson Reis Interview

Wilson Reis, born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is the current EliteXC Bantamweight Champion. He is a black belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practioner and has started his mma career undefeated at 6-0. His latest victory was for the EliteXC Bantamweight title, against KOTC champion, Abel Cullam. He and Abel went the distance in the 5 round battle, which Wilson dominated, mainly showcasing his great ground skill. With the future of ProElite looking very bleak and fighters trying to get out of their contracts, expect Wilson Reis to emerge once again eary next year for one of the bigger organizations out there, most likely scenarios being with Strikeforce or WEC. A young and very good spirited fighter, expect to see more accomplishments from Wilson in the not so distant future.

Darrick Patrick recently had an interview with this fighter, here is that interview...

Darrick: What was the journey that led you to professional mixed martial arts competition?

Wilson: A few years ago, I saw all of my friends from Brazil and really good Jiu-Jitsu fighters take the next step and get into MMA. I talked to my friends about doing MMA and it was Brad Daddis who pushed me for my first fight, and of course myself because I was really excited to take this sport to the next level.

Darrick: Do you have any words of advice for other individuals looking to compete in MMA?

Wilson: I think that if a person has a goal or a dream, then they should definitely go for it. When I was a kid, I had a dream and I followed it. With the right gym and coach, I made my dream happen. And the same thing can happen for anyone who wants to compete in MMA.

Darrick: Who are some of the people that greatly influenced you while growing up?

Wilson: A lot of fighters that I know personally, the coach that was coaching me as a teenager, Roberto Godói, and Jorge Macaco. Also, my family played an important role as well.

Darrick: What brings you the most fulfillment out of martial arts?

Wilson: I love the whole process of training and getting ready for a fight or even a Jiu-Jitsu match. Also, the whole lifestyle of the sport and being able to make my family back home and teammates happy and proud of me.

Darrick: Who are a few of the people in the sport that you highly respect?

Wilson: I respect Minotauro because as a person he is a great individual and as an athlete he is just all-around amazing. I also like Kenny Florian, Eddie Alvarez, Anderson Silva, and B.J. Penn. Really though, there are so many good fighters out there.

Darrick: What does a typical training session for you consist of?

Wilson: Two workouts a day and teaching classes. Conditioning in the morning, boxing or MMA in the afternoon, and class at night. Every day is different though, so it really depends on the day.

Darrick: Outside of MMA, what are your other interests?

Wilson: I love going for coffee, and catching up with my family and friends. And I can't get enough of Jiu-Jitsu.

Darrick: Tell us something about you that most people don't know.

Wilson: People don't know that I'm not good with spicy food and I like Hip Hop music.

Darrick: If you had superpowers, what would they be?

Wilson: I would be able to point my finger at people and make them happy and full of life. Especially the poor people.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

Wilson: When I was two years old, my grandfather threw a rock at a rooster so that it would move out of my playing area - he missed and hit me on accident. I now have a scar above my lip to show for this past event. Also, in closing I would like to thank my coaches, family, and sponsors (Bad Boy, FightPlanet.ca, P90X, and FightMA.com)

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Cyrille "The Snake" Diabate Interview

Cyrille Diabate, the 34 year old French mixed martial artist, recently made his U.S. debut for ProElite's ShoXC branded event. He garnered a 3 round unanimous decision victory of American Jaime Fletcher. He hopes to work his way up the ProElite ranks and get featured on the EliteXC brand. The contenders in the light heavyweight division is developing nicely for EliteXC, with the likes Rajael "Feijao" Cavalcante, Jared Hamman, Paoi Sugunuma and possibly Justin Eilers, who may go down to light heavyweight. He's amassed a record of 12-6-1, predominately fighting in Europe and Japan. At 6'6, he has the height advantage against most of his opponents, but the great height advantage hasn't translated to big wins against the bigger names of the sport. Originally developed as a kickboxer and shootboxer, he now tries to establish himself as one of the premiere light heavyweights in ProElite's stable of fighters.

He recently had an interview with Darrick Patrick, here is that interview...

Darrick: What was the road that led you to competing in professional mixed martial arts?

Cyrille: Long story! In short, like a lot of my fellow fighters, it started with a tough childhood. I had a lot of anger and energy to express. I started to train and fight in Muay Thai, kickboxing, and Savate - and I fell in love with those arts. MMA was the next logical step.

Darrick: Any words of advice for other individuals looking to train in MMA?

Cyrille: Take your time and choose wisely who your trainer is going to be. They will have a great impact on what kind of martial artist you become.

Darrick: What personally brings you the most fulfillment out of martial arts?

Cyrille: A sense of achievement and the feeling that I've become a better person.

Darrick: Who are some of the people that greatly influenced you while growing up?

Cyrille: My mother and grandfather. They both passed away when I was young and both stayed strong until the end, never complaining.

Darrick: What does a typical training session for you consist of?

Cyrille: There's not really a typical training session anymore. I've been training and fighting for seventeen years and if I get bored, I don't train as well! The length, content, and intensity varies a lot depending on my schedule and needs. I rely a lot more on experience and steady training than before.

Darrick: Who are a few of the people in the sport that you highly respect?

Cyrille: There are a lot and for different reasons. Fedor is one of them. When I see him fight and read his interviews, I am as equally impressed by both. He's down-to-earth, effective, and humble. He has those qualities in large proportions! I also respect Genki Sudo - I saw a great documentary on him once. He's a great fighter and showman, and is a really interesting person.

Darrick: Outside of competitive fighting, what are your other interests?

Cyrille: Movies, reading, video games, traveling, and nice restaurants.

Darrick: What moment in your life have you been proudest of so far?

Cyrille: My first major win in an international tournament. I was twenty-three and I had won my three fights by knockout to win the tournament. It felt great!

Darrick: Tell us something about you that most people don't know.

Cyrille: I draw well and take good pictures.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

Cyrille: Riding my bike as a kid.

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