[Brad.Taschuk]

It doesn't really matter where your MMA viewing starts, just so long as you grow to appreciate the sport fully, which it definitely seems like you have.

Also, Retro Watches were/are pure gold. There was so much about early MMA to make fun of, and Damone does it perfectly.

[MJB23]

Welcome to the forum man

Your best bet to start the interview process is to read Miles' post and do that or send him a PM and talk with him about it.

When I did the sites first interview with Jon Jones I was able to set it up by going through a member that doesn't post much, if at all, anymore, ToeZup. Tony aka ToeZup owns the MMA clothing line ToeZup and at the time they sponsored Jon Jones. I had Tony send a message to Jon's manager saying I was from a newly formed MMA media outlet and was looking to try to set up an interview with Jones. His manager was okay with that and Tony gave me his manager's number. I talked with his manager on the phone and we were able to set everything up and he gave me Jon Jones's phone number (which I still have saved in my phone today. When I first got it I got worried that I was going to drunk dial him or something but luckily I never did lol) and told me which day and time he would be free to call to do the interview. I called Jones on that day at that time and we did the interview over the phone and I used a recorder to record it then I typed it all up and sent it off for publishing afterwards. Jones and I talked for like 20 minutes or so. Our interview was like 15 minutes long and then we talked about other stuff for like 5 minutes before we said goodbye to each other. It was really cool to interview a fighter over the phone and actually get to talk to them, much cooler then just sending them an email with the questions in it. The only way it would be cooler would be to do it in person. He was super cool to talk to, as was his manager. To me it was and still is really cool and special that I interviewed Jon Jones on the phone and at the same time got the first interview with a professional fighter for the site.

In your case, after you make contact with his manager or coach and express that you're from a MMA media outlet. Let them know the name of the site and how we're fairly new and only a year or 2 old, although we've already interviewed a ton of other fighters that can vouch for our credibility and that you're looking to try to set up an in-person interview with him since you live so close to his gym. His manager/coach/or whoever is in charge will most likely scope out the site and then tell you if you're approved for the interview or not and then they'll talk with you about setting a time up.

If you do get the OK to do the interview then you're going to want to buy a Premium Membership (I'd buy one anyway since it has a ton of benefits) and then post a thread in the VIP lounge asking for questions (since that's what the writers always do when they get an interview with a fighter) and pick the best questions from that thread as well as coming up with your own. I believe you then send your questions to Miles for final approval and then you'll go to his gym or wherever they tell you to do the interview and you'll sit down with him and do the interview. Make sure to dress in a good, clean manner since you're representing our site and bring a recorder with you to record the interview and then when you get home replay it and write it all down onto a document (this parts time consuming, trust me lol). After you get it written into a Word document you'll email or PM it to Miles and he'll edit it and post it on the main site for you.

[Damone]

Retro watches will be coming back after I get back from Branson on the 27th.