Exclusive K.J. Noons Interview

Heavy.com: How much time do you have for gaming?

K.J. Noons: Whenever I get some time, I like to play video games. Whenever I’m icing my leg or fixing an injury or something or just chilling out for a minute, yeah. I just started playing because I have these injuries, so when I’m chilling on the couch I started playing Halo. I just started playing a lot, actually. I used to be addicted, but now I’m back on it because of my injuries. It’s a lot of fun, actually.

Heavy.com: Given that you were the EliteXC Lightweight champion, has Strikeforce indicated to you a timetable for you to receive a title shot?

K.J. Noons: It doesn’t even matter to me, man. People are going to watch me no matter what. That belt…I know I’m going to get that. I know [Strikeforce Lightweight champion] Gilbert [Melendez], he’s a nice guy. If I was Gilbert, I’d be naming everybody else except me, too, because I’m just a nightmare to fight.

Heavy.com: What is your sense of Gilbert Melendez as Striekforce’s Lightweight champ?

K.J. Noons: I’m the champ! I’ve got a title! Why don’t they put champ against champ? I don’t know. They’re probably trying to build me back up. I’m just going to be a team player, man. I’m going to put on the best fights and to tell you the truth, it doesn’t matter if I have one belt or two belts.

Heavy.com: Will you call Melendez out if you beat Connor Heun?

K.J. Noons: No. I don’t have to cut the line or say ‘I’m the champ, I want to face the champ.’ I’ll be number 10, number nine, number eight, number seven, number six, all the way up to to number one, it doesn’t matter. I’m here, I’m ready to fight, and I want to put on great shows. I’m not trying to be cocky, but I’ll prove to people that I want to put on good shows. I don’t care; I’ll work my way to the top…Let’s look at the styles. If you were Gilbert Melendez, would you want to fight me?

Heavy.com: One of Melendez’s training partners is Nick Diaz, with whom you are very familiar. Would you like to fight Nick Diaz?

K.J. Noons: Oh yeah, of course. They’re going to make that happen. That’s huge money for Showtime [and] Strikeforce. [They’ve] got to thank K.J. Noons. We’re in the entertainment business; that’s good entertainment…I want to fight him. I’d like to get a title first, but whatever Strikeforce wants.

Heavy.com: Why didn’t the rematch against Diaz happen in EliteXC?

K.J. Noons: The whole reason why it didn’t happen in the first place is simple…I beat him. They wanted a rematch, I said ‘fine.’ [EliteXC] said they were trying to pay him three-times more money than me for the rematch, so I told them to go fuck themselves. I said, ‘pay me even and we can make it happen.’ I’m not going to fight someone for three-times less money who I beat the shit out of and gave plastic surgery to who I can’t stand. I told them ‘if that’s how you want to treat your champion, then here’s your belt.’ The next day, they stripped me.

Heavy.com: What happened after they stripped your title?

K.J. Noons: They called back in the office and they tried to give me all the reasons to give me back my belt and now they want to give me a new contract, and then they went under.

Noons would like to thank all of his fans and invites everyone to visit his website, www.kjnoons.com.