MTA: You had an exciting fight against Kevin Molina at the Friday Night Fights season opener. You won a unanimous decision, after the first two rounds did you feel you were down on the judges cards?
Mark: Yea, I tend to start my fights slow and knew I had to turn it on for rounds 3, 4 and 5.
MTA: Was his style particularly difficult to figure out, and what adjustments did you have to make?
Mark: His style was different than a traditional Thai style, but I knew that closing the distance and fighting in clinch range would eliminate any uncertainty of fighting from a distance and possibly seeing some unorthodox strikes.
MTA: He scored a flash knockdown in the second round, how hurt were you after that?
Mark: I wasn't hurt at all as I feel I jumped straight up to show that I was OK, but from then on I knew what had to be done.
MTA: You worked your knees in the final three rounds, and knocked him down in the fifth. What did you see in his game that allowed you to incorporate your knees so well in those final three rounds?
Mark: He wasn't strong in the clinch and didn't offer much from a technical standpoint. I could sense that his strength was diminishing each time that I kneed his body which finally led to his head being brought down where I knocked him down with a knee to the head.
MTA: When the fight ended were you worried about how this fight would be scored?
Mark: No, I knew that I had done more than enough in the last 3 rounds that would negate anything he may have landed with in the first 2 rounds. It is hard to trust the judges to get it right sometimes (outside of Thailand) but when this fight ended, there wasn't a doubt in my mind the my arm would be raised.
MTA: 2011 is off to a good start with an exciting win like the one over Kevin, whats next for you this year?
Mark: I am fighting in Calgary, Canada on March 5th in a 140lb (63.5kg) 8-man tournament that will be held over 3 different events throughout the year.
MTA: Who are some opponents you would like to face?
Mark: I am willing to fight any top fighter at 135lbs. That is the weight that is best for me, even though this past fight and the tourney this year are at higher weights, I think I'm the strongest and most competitive at 135lbs (61.5kg).
MTA: Any other fights already scheduled for this year?
Mark: Other than the Canadian tournament, a couple of my good friends from England, Liam Harrison and Andy Howson, are starting to promote shows this year and are hoping to get me back over the the UK around August time which would be amazing.
Just wanna say thanks to Stephen Strotmeyer for doing what he does in/out of the gym and giving me the opportunities that he has over the years. I also wanna thank Muay Thai Authority for taking the time to cover Muay Thai on a more local basis and bring more attention to the sport to hopefully have it grow in America. Thanks!
Mark showed some true skill in his win over Molina, and he should definitely be someone to worry about in the Canadian tournament that he will take part in. It would also be great to see him head to Europe and represent America in Muay Thai shows. If anyone is interested in training with Mark make sure to check out Pittsburgh Muay Thai, information for the camp can be found at pittsburghmuaythai.webnode.com.
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