Ryan Bader is considered one of the top up-and-coming light heavyweights in the sport today, largely based on winning Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter.
What many people fail to remember is that as the collection of contestants was assembled and began to fight their way into the house, Antwain Britt was one of the favorites.
But Britt broke his hand (on his opponent’s head) and never set foot in the house, starting an MMA odyssey that saw him fight nine times in an 18-month span, culminating in a dominant win over previously undefeated Scott Lighty at Strikeforce: Evolution.
Heavy.com caught up with the 31-year-old Virginia native to talk about fighting in the YAMMA Pit, Marvel comic book characters, and what the future holds for one of the sport’s top light heavyweight prospects.
Heavy.com: Thanks for doing this. Good Christmas?
Antwain Britt: Oh yeah – I got pretty much everything I wanted for the holidays, and a Strikeforce win on top of that doesn’t hurt at all.
Heavy.com: Congratulations on your big win at Strikeforce: Evolution. Was there any point during that round where you thought the ref might jump in and stop the fight?
Antwain Britt: Actually the first flurry; I caught him with a left hook, right cross combo and dropped him up against the cage and kind of took him down from there. I was just pounding him from the side, and I thought the ref was going to stop it. Josh Rosenthal is a great ref. I kind of like when refs let it go a little bit longer, because some guys take more punishment than others, but I thought it was going to be over. He took a lot of unanswered shots on the bottom, but Josh kind of let him compose up a little bit and he got through that flurry.
Heavy.com: He got through that one and made it to the end of the round. Did you have a feeling (Scott) Lighty wouldn’t be able to continue when you got back to your corner? What was your team saying to you?
Antwain Britt: I had a good idea that he was done. As soon as I sat down on my side of the cage, my coach Buck Grant came in and he says, “He’s done. He can’t go on. He’s taken way too much damage.” That first flurry I threw, I looked in his eyes and all the fight was gone. I’m actually surprised he made it out of that round.
Heavy.com: By knocking off an undefeated fighter in your debut with the company, where do you think this puts you in the Strikeforce light heavyweight division?
Antwain Britt: In all actuality, I think it puts me pretty high up there. Strikeforce has done a really good job here lately in the light heavyweight division, and Lighty was an up-and-comer. He was one of their rising stars and someone they put a lot into to be a title contender. Actually, I was reading a post before the fight where he was talking about if he won this fight he wanted a title fight.
The pre-fight predictions weren’t really in my favor at all; a lot of the websites had Lighty kicking my ass, so for me to go in and get a performance like that against a guy who is supposed to be a contender really feels good. You’ve got guys like (Kevin) Randleman and (Rafael) “Feijao” (Cavalcante), and of course the champ, (Gegard) Mousasi. I think I can go in there and compete against any of those guys, and do pretty well.
I’m just hoping Strikeforce gives me good fights and I’ll take any fight they give me. I’m trying to go through people. Lighty was just the beginning for “The Juggernaut.”
Heavy.com: You’ve got to get on them (Strikeforce) to get you on the website then. There is no Antwain Britt on the Strikeforce website. Another guy in the division that is getting some attention – at least partially because he does a great job of promoting himself – is Mo Lawal. What did you think of Mo’s debut? He’s in the division, and is a guy that you could meet somewhere down the line? What were your impressions?
Antwain Britt: I think Mo is a really well-rounded guy. I think he brings a lot to the table. He’s an explosive fighter. I think we have a lot of the same attributes, coming from a wrestling background, being able to crossover and develop our game a lot. We’re both really athletic, explosive guys.
I think a fight between myself and Mo would be great. I think it would be really great for the fans, it’d be a high-amped fight and I think people would really come and spend their money to see a fight like that. I would love to get a fight like that. It kind of puts you on the top of the heap as far as contenders are concerned. In the light heavyweight division right now, you have the “A Players” and then you have the “C, D, and E Players;” there is no in between right now.
I think the guy who can come out on top in a fight like that – me and Mo, myself and possibly Dan Henderson, myself and possibly Babalu – just really let’s you know who is truly a number one contender for the title.
Heavy.com: I would be down with seeing any of those fights.
Antwain Britt: Ah, dude.
Heavy.com: As I’m sure you would be down with taking any of those fights. So Scott Coker, if you’re reading this, hook up Antwain Britt with something nice in 2010. One of the things with Mo and part of what actually drew us together for this interview was a Facebook status update you made of all things, seeking PR people and marketing people. What is it about that B and C level that you mentioned that makes it so difficult for fighters like yourself to get your name out there and get that exposure? What’s lacking in the industry right now to help a fighter like you who has more experience in the ring get out there and get those opportunities?
Antwain Britt: That’s a really good question. I think there are a lot of opportunities for MMA fighters to go and crossover into other media outlets. It’s really hard right now with MMA still in its infancy to push an MMA fighter in any other outlet.
We’ve seen some fighters – Randy Couture, Rampage – they’ve been able to cross over into other outlets because of their status in the sport, but you realize, those guys are like a “Michael Jordan of MMA.” The sport hasn’t reach the status yet to where we can cross over to other media outlets, take a virtually unknown guy and make him into a household name.
I think [that time] is coming. I think organizations like Strikeforce and the UFC are making a lot of power moves to help make that happen, with things like shutting down certain sponsors. It gives MMA fighters the opportunities to cross over to the Coca-Colas and the Gatorades.
It all comes to an agent being able to go back and forth between the MMA media and the mainstream media, and being able to sell a fighter as more than just a mixed martial artist. As professional fighters, we work on a daily basis to keep our skills sharp, to keep our physique toned.
A guy like Cheick Kongo, ideally, is what you would look for on the cover of Health & Fitness or Men’s Health or something like that. Why not? Why not have a mixed martial artist be able to cross over to a medium like that and have other opportunities for himself?
Like I said, I think [that time] is coming, and we as fighters just have to put ourselves out there so the mainstream media are aware of us and want to put us on the cover of their magazines and in commercials and get that crossover.
Heavy.com: Is there any level of frustration in that you’ve spent a number of years building your record and get a spot on the preliminary card, while “King Mo” makes his debut, has five fights in his career and gets a spot on Showtime? Is there animosity there – and not specifically directed at Mo or anything like that necessarily – or do you simply use it as a motivational tool to push yourself?
Antwain Britt: Oh it’s definitely motivation. You know, a guy like Mo, he’s a self-proclaimed “paper chaser” and I’m all for that. We all know these careers are short and you need to make the most of it while you’re here, so if he can go out there, sell himself and turn that into money for him, I’m all for it.
It is a lot of motivation though, to have a fighter come in who has a lot less experience than me and who has fought a lesser tier of fighter than me get put on the main card and have that media backing. It’s definitely motivation, but no animosity though.
We all know from the seasons of The Ultimate Fighter that the most popular fighter doesn’t always mean the best fighter. You make yourself successful by any means necessary – be it by selling yourself to the crowd or winning quality fights. I’m no discrediting Mo as a fighter, but I definitely think most of the reason people watch him is because of the entertainment aspect.
Take Kimbo for instance. We all know and have seen Kimbo fight that he’s not the best fighter out there, but he sells tickets. I’m looking to go out there and build my name and have people watch me because I’m a good fighter, and people know that when I step into the cage, they’re going to bring 100% and there is going to be fireworks.
That’s what I’m looking for, so yeah, it is very motivating to go out there and get the job done.
Heavy.com: A couple things you mentioned in there serve as a great lead into what I had up next because you bring up Kimbo and The Ultimate Fighter. Evolution was your introduction to a number of people, but had it not been for a broken hand, we would have learned all about Antwain Britt a year-and-a-half ago through Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter. First, what was that feeling like, knowing that an injury was preventing you from moving forward with such a tremendous opportunity?
Antwain Britt: Oh, it was heartbreaking. First of all, it’s so surreal; you’re in there with all these fighters that you watch on TV and guys that you want to pattern your career after. By going in there and fighting Ryan Jimmo, who is a tough guy in his own right, and being predicted as one of the guys who was predicted to win the show, it was real heartbreaking.
I think I could have beaten any of the guys on that season, so it was definitely bittersweet. Going out there and getting to compete against some of the best guys in the world, but then breaking your hand and not being able to go in after that, and believing that the UFC would give me a call to go back and show my stuff and that didn’t happen either…
Yeah, I have a little bitter taste in my mouth and I’m kind of sore over it, but everything happens for a reason, and now I’m with an organization that is willing to push me as a fighter and make my name synonymous with their brand and that’s what I’m looking for.
I’m looking for when you think of Strikeforce, you think, “Wow, that guy Antwain Britt, he’s pretty damn good. I can’t wait ’til he fights again.” That’s what I’m looking for.
Heavy.com: For people who don’t know, Ryan Jimmo is a talented fighter who has rattled off twelve-straight wins and currently competes with MFC. Dude is no joke, and we missed out on Antwain Britt on Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter because he broke his hand on this guy’s head. Did you watch the season at all, and was there a small part of you that was glad to not be forced to deal with all the ridiculousness that took place with that cast?
Antwain Britt: Definitely; it was horrible. I knew a few of those guys before I even went out there. (Dave) Kaplan and I were associates before, Lance Evans and myself were associates. I got a lot of good relationships from it; I’ve seen a lot of those guys since the show, I’ve gotten to train with a lot of those guys since the show, so it was really good to build those relationships.
But dude, I could have done without being in that house, and I’m so glad because they were actin’ a fool in that house, and that’s not what we’re here for. We here to make our mark in this sport and some of those guys… it is what it is for entertainment value. You kind of expect some of those guys to act a certain way, but in some cases it was really extreme and I’m glad I wasn’t a part of it.
Heavy.com: Fair enough. It is becoming more of a marketing tool than a breeding ground for new fighters in my opinion. I don’t know if you feel the same way.
Antwain Britt: I do. I feel the exact same way. This past heavyweight season, myself and Brendan Schaub had met before and he was a really great guy, and Roy Nelson is a really great fighter, but this season was really lacking. Really lacking. I could have went in there and destroyed any of the heavyweights on that show.
Heavy.com: You mentioned that there was no contact following the injury from the UFC, was there any after the fact, when you were still a free agent or were Strikeforce the only people knocking on the door?
Antwain Britt: There were a couple smaller organizations – I had a negotiation period with M-1 and with DREAM – and they just weren’t offering what I was looking for. I don’t want to go overseas and be big. I’d do it for financial reasons, but the biggest reason I do this is because I love it. I represent my area very well – I’m from Hampton Roads, Virginia – and I just love being a representative for this area, and for me to go over to Japan would be great, but I want to stay here and bring it home. It wasn’t what I was looking for at the time.
I met Pat Miletich three years ago at the IFL tryouts, and as soon as I walked through the door he was interested in my skill level. He had heard about me, and my wrestling background and being able to crossover to striking really well. We kept in touch and one day he called and said, “Strikeforce is really interested. Would you be interested in talking to them?” and I said, “Yes sir.” Two weeks later, I had a multiple fight deal and it was what I wanted, so it just took off from there.
Heavy.com: You certainly lived up to your nickname coming out of that situation with The Ultimate Fighter, needing just 82 seconds to win your next two fights. I’m guessing the name “The Juggernaut” comes from the Marvel comic book character who is said to be unstoppable once in motion?
Antwain Britt: About my third amateur fight, my coach Buck Grant said, “You’re unstoppable. You know once you get going, nobody can stop you, just remember that. Once you get confident and impose your will, there is no one in this game that can stop you.” One of the other guys was like, “The Juggernaut” and it stuck. I go out there and impose my will.
As far as a fighter is concerned, everyone pretty much trains the same. Everyone does cardio, everyone does kickboxing, wrestling, jiu jitsu; it’s the person that can go in there and impose their will and make what they want to have happen happen that will be victorious, and that’s what I go out there to do every time.
Heavy.com: 2009 started out with a loss to Jamal Patterson, one of the top remaining free agents in the sport. Going back over that fight, are you able to isolate certain things you did wrong and areas that needed improvement, or was “The Suit” simply the better man on that night?
Antwain Britt: I’m my toughest critic. If I see I got caught in something, then that’s what I’m working on. Ever since that fight, I’m heavy on my jiu jitsu and working with a lot of great people.
Scott Oates is the instructor at my school (Hybrid Academy of Martial Arts), he’s a black belt under Saulo Ribeiro. I’ve been doing a lot of work with Fernando (Yamasaki) at the Yamasaki Academy up in Fairfax; they have really great jiu jitsu – Fernando and Mario Yamasaki and those guys up there – so I’ve been doing a lot of work up there.
I just want to be as well-rounded as possible. In that fight, I feel like I got caught. I got sloppy, I got real over-aggressive too soon, and Jamal is high-level black belt grappler, so once it got to the ground, of course he was at an advantage. That’s a fight I would love to get back, and I’ve love to do it again, but it is what it is. I’ve changed some things, I went back into the lab and re-tooled some things and I’m a better fighter for it. That’s one of those fights where I can definitely say that the loss helped me more than a win did.
Heavy.com: But I’m sure the entire eight seconds you spent reminding people of your power and potential the next time around didn’t feel too bad either.
Antwain Britt: Oh not at all, man and that was my birthday too. And to do it against a guy like Antonio Mendes, a high-level kickboxer, and just going out there and pretty much running through the guy. It feels really good when you have an outing like that. Anybody can say it’s a lucky strike or a lucky punch, but no punch is lucky that you mean to throw.
Heavy.com: From there you went to Aruba to compete in the one-night, eight-man Vendetta Fighting Championships Light Heavyweight tournament. What was the experience of fighting in a classic-UFC style one-night tournament like and how much of a factor did going the distance in each of your first two fights play in the finals?
Antwain Britt: It was huge. For one, the bracket wasn’t set up in my favor at all. My first fight was against Carmelo Marrero, who everyone knows is a UFC vet. He’s been around the block and is a really good fighter, and that fight with Carmelo was a war. We went at it. That fight could have been a main event on any card; it was just rough.
I took a lot of damage the first. I don’t know how I even made it to the second fight, but the second fight, I faced a guy named Richard Hale. I believe he was King of the Cage champion. He’s a really tall, lanky guy, good striker, but I was able to keep my footwork moving and pick him apart on the feet.
But I was done. In the third round, I fought a guy Rodney Wallace. He’s a really good grappler, really strong guy, and he had a couple easier fights that night. I’m not taking anything away from him and I take nothing away from any fighter – we all train hard – he did a great job in taking the fight his way, he won and I’m happy for him.
That’s not a situation I would put myself in again, tournament-style fighting in one night. It destroys your career, bro. It really does.
Heavy.com: You’re one of few people out there who can say they fought in the YAMMA Pit. Your first career loss came at the one and only YAMMA Pit Fighting event. How was it? Did you walk in and know this was a one-and-done event? Did it look bush league?
Antwain Britt: (Laughs) Dude, I had no idea that was going to be a one-and-done thing. They had put a lot of marketing dollars behind it. Stepping into the pit, I was like, “Wow.” It was definitely geared to a grappler. A striker is going to have a harder time because there is less area to work, less flat space to move around, and that’s pretty much what happened.
My fight was actually an alternate fight to get into the tournament in case somebody got hurt. I fought Bryan Vetell, an IFL guy, good grappler, trained under Renzo Gracie. I backpedalled, he came after me and as soon as I hit that slope, I fell and he was on top of me.
Bryan Vetell is a huge guy – he has trouble making heavyweight – so to have a guy like that on top of you is one thing, but having this wedge under you and trying to get up from that is another one. It was a one round fight, he wasn’t that active on top, so the ref broke it and stood us up. I dropped him, mounted him and I thought he was done. I thought the ref should have stopped it way before it ended, but Vetell made it out of the round and somehow pulled out a decision. But yo, dude, that was a crazy deal. It was like fighting and skiing at the same time, but it was an experience, like you said. But it is something that I would never do again.
Heavy.com: That’s the past, and Strikeforce is the present and the future. Any word or talks about your next fight and next opponent yet or is there one guy you can think of that you’d like to look across the cage at next?
Antwain Britt: I’m lobbying for Dan Henderson. That guy is like my hero. He’s an Olympic wrestler and coming up, we come from the same kind of background being another guy who wrestled and being able to crossover and pick up striking pretty well. I would love to have that fight. It would be an honor to get that fight.
But really, whoever they put in front of me. Honestly, I’m thinking, if I was the Powers That Be, I think a really good matchup would be like we talked about earlier with myself and “Feijao.” I think it would be the kind of fight to test these two up-and-comers and see whether they deserve to go up or down. I think it would be a really good fight for the fans, the classic “jiu jitsu versus striker” deal.
Like you said, “King Mo” is a possibility. Kevin Randleman is a possibility, “Babalu” – whoever they put in front of me. For people who have seen my fights, my gameplan never changes; I’m going to go out there and throw heavy hands, I’m a wrestler and that helps me stay on my feet to throw those heavy hands, so I think any one of those fights would be good for the fans to see. As far as Strikeforce is concerned, I think it would be more beneficial to match me up with someone like Mo Lawal or Dan Henderson to put butts in the seats and sell some tickets.
Heavy.com: The final two questions are two I always like to end off with. First, if you could fight anyone – dead or alive, fighter, historical figure, whatever – who would it be and why?
Antwain Britt: If I could fight anyone? Wow. (Marco) Ruas is that guy. I’ve always been a fan of his style, the way he comes out. That would be a really great fight for me. I would love to beat up on Kimbo Slice. I would love to just punish that guy. In all honesty, I think during the season, people got a really good read into more of the person that Kimbo was and he’s a really a pretty good guy, it’s just, you know, his popularity in this sport are for all the wrong reasons.
Like we were saying earlier, if you can sell yourself, do it, but I would love it if they just closed the cage behind us and let us go at it. That would be fun.
Heavy.com: It’s true. A lot of times, marketability wins out over merit. The fact that Kimbo vs. James Thompson drew more fans to CBS than Fedor vs. Brett Rogers speaks volumes.
Antwain Britt: (Laughs) Yeah, it does and it also kind of, put yourself in the situation as a legit MMA fan: am I going to watch this fight because I think it’s going to be a good fight, or do I just want to watch this train wreck that is Kimbo Slice?
You know, I can understand why the fans tuned in to see it – I tuned in to see it – because you just want to see what happened. At some point, you’ve got to put aside the fact that it might not be the best fight you’re going to see, but it’s still something you want to see, and that’s what organizations like Strikeforce and the UFC count on. At the end of the day, it’s a business.
Heavy.com: Last one – if you could play matchmaker for a day without the constraints of organizations or money – what three fights would you make?
Antwain Britt: I would put Mir and Overeem, Jake Shields and GSP, and I would put Frankie Edgar versus Edgar.
Heavy.com: You’re the first person of everyone I’ve interviewed that didn’t say, “Fedor vs. Lesnar” or “GSP vs. Anderson Silva,” so I thank-you for your originality and creativity. Time for the customary “Plug the Sponsors” portion of the interview.
Antwain Britt: (Laughs) Cool – thanks bro.
First, I’d like to thank my main corporate sponsors – Untamed Industries. They really did a great job getting me ready for this fight, taking good care of me. Get “The Official Juggernaut” tee. Go to their website – www.untamedindustries.com.
Also Full Tilt Poker, they really helped me out. The Green Gi, they’re a gi company that sponsors me. They make gis out of hemp and all-natural, recycled material and doing great things. Check them out – www.thegreengi.com.
Also, all the guys I train with over at The Hybrid Training Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia and also my own gym, the gym I just opened in Suffolk called Suffolk Mixed Martial Arts.
That’s about it. I just thank my family and my friends, my two beautiful children for being a big fan of their dad’s.
Stay posted, you guys – 2010 is going to be the year of “The Juggernaut.”
Heavy.com: Thanks for doing this.
Antwain Britt: Thank you.