Q&A with undefeated UFC fighter/former Michigan State wrestler Gray Maynard

'We know how to scrap'

Maybe there's something in the water in East Lansing. Gray Maynard and Rashad Evans are two former Michigan State wrestlers who now compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a mixed martial arts circuit. On Monday, Maynard (9-0) takes on Nate Diaz (11-4) in a lightweight bout during "UFC Fight Night" in Fairfax, Va. Free Press sports writer Carlos Monarrez recently chatted with Maynard, a three-time All-America wrestler at MSU, about starring in an upcoming movie, knocking out someone in 9 seconds and his chest tattoo.

Q:Is wrestling coach Tom Minkel creating some sort of UFC pipeline at Michigan State?

A:I don't know about that. But I'll tell you what, there was always scraps in the (wrestling) room when it was me, Rashad, Nick Fekete; there was a bunch of guys that wouldn't back down from whoever. So the practice room would get kind of crazy at times.

Q: Do you think mixed martial arts might have a place in college athletics?

A:Boxing? I mean, it’s in college, but it isn’t great, just because there’s a pro sport and it’s hard for a lot of athletes to go to college when there’s a pro sport with the cash. It’s a hard choice. I can go to college and not make squat, or I can go pro now.

Q: What is it about your wrestling background that helps you in MMA?

A:In wrestling, the competition is almost equal. You train for some sort of goal. It helped me with who I am today with how I deal with how I train, how I compete, knowing how to do that.

Q:Your dad, Jan, named you after four-time college champion Gray Simons. When you've got that name, is there any way you're not going to become a wrestler?

A:My dad probably wouldn't have minded either way. He's a great guy. But I was always a kid who got in trouble in school for being too rough. I've been doing it since I was 3. He introduced me. I was young, but I loved it. I came to him like, ‘I want to do two camps at least, I want to do this tournament, I want to do that tournament.’

Q:You knocked out Joe Veras in 9 seconds with the first punch you threw. Did any fans come up and ask you for a refund?

A:A couple sponsors did. I had to tell them, "I think this is going to be on the replay forever, so you'll see my shorts." They said, "We only got 9 seconds of airtime?"

Q: It’s the second-fastest KO in UFC. So what took you so long to knock your guy out?

A:No kidding, huh? I wasn’t even counting on it.

Q: Seriously, how do you knock out someone faster than that? Do you just stare really hard?

A:Just go across the cage and throw a punch, pretty much. Obviously, if it’s a really good guy, that’s not going to happen. They’re gong to be more prepared. I think he was kind of deer caught in the headlights. I just had to capitalize on it and, fortunately, it was the first punch.

Q:You were on an episode of "Supernanny" where you helped a kid take out his anger on the mat instead of with his mom. How was that experience?

A:It was pretty cool. I just got done doing a movie a little while ago that I think releases in February.

Q:What's the movie called?

A:It was called “The Red Canvas,” but I think they’re changing it. I think they’re going to be releasing a couple trailers in January. There was an old trailer that was released when we were doing it a couple years ago. But they redid it, and … They added a guy named Ving Rhames. So he’s in it now and a couple others. It should be good.

Q:If it’s called “The Red Canvas” I can only guess it’s about painting or fighting.

A:No, I’m a painter. A very intellectual movie.

Q:Seriously, what’s it about?

A:Nah, it’s about fighting.

Q:What role do you play?

A:I'm the lead bad guy. It was a pretty cool experience.

Q:You were on “Supernanny,” you’re in this movie, you were on the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter.” Are you going Hollywood or what?

A:No, not at all. It pretty tough to do those 12-hour days and everything. I was kind of like, ‘Man, this is why I train; I don’t want to do 12-hour days like that.’ Nah, it was cool, a chance to try to do stuff, but I’m just concentrating on the sport, of course. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time and kind of had some time in between camps and had a chance to do it.

Q:You're in this movie, and Quinton Jackson is Mr. T. in the new "The A-Team" movie. What's up with UFC stars and Hollywood?

A:I think people started to get on a kick of reality. We want real TV shows, we want real this. Now the movies are actually real, too. We know how to scrap, we really do. So maybe that's it.

Q:You list UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, Olympic champion Tom Brands and real-estate developer Randy Aleman as heroes. That’s an interesting list.

A:It’s part of each part of my life, I guess. … There were the kids who were like “Joe Montana, Bo Jackson, whatever.” I was like, “Tom Brands, Dan Gable.” They were like, “Who the hell is he talking about?” I had posters on my wall. I just loved the sport. That’s all I cared about. That was one part of my life. And then I was trying out for the Olympic team in 2004, and I chose to come home (to Las Vegas) and Randy (Aleman), he has always been there since I was a kid and would pay for tournaments and camps and helped me out all the way through. After I was done, he gave me a job, and he was my role model for the job. … And then as I went into (MMA), I got with Couture, and he was the guy that I looked up to.

Q:Tell me about the tattoo on your chest. It says: "One life, roll the dice." Is that something you got after a really long night in Vegas?

A:That was actually when I was training for the Olympic team in 2004. ... I got a guy up here that did pretty much all my tattoos. I guess I just could have kept it in my mind instead of tattooing it on me. It was the kind of deal where you only have one chance at this whole crazy world and life, and you've got to do what you want and really try to make it work. It’s a dream, and it’s a pretty tough dream, but you only have a chance to do it because, as you grow older, that chance grows littler and littler and littler.

Q:What was the first reaction you got to the tattoo?

A:I think a person told me it was really colorful.

Q:Nate Diaz beat you when you wrestled on “The Ultimate Fighter.” Is it time for a little payback Monday?

A:Yep, yep, always trying to get a little payback. Revenge is sweet, of course. But he’s a tough guy, and I’ll be prepared. I’ve had a great camp, and it’s almost time to do my job.