Eric Luna talks upcoming Muay Thai Global 7 bout with Carlos Galvan

Eric Luna (@EricAKAMuayThai) will return to action this weekend at Muay Thai Global 7 in Northern California. We were able to catch up with Eric and talk a little bit about his upcoming fight against Carlos Galvan, plan to become an EMT, and some of his likes and dislikes.

MTA: You are set to fight Carlos Galvan at Muay Thai Global on July 18, how is your fight prep going?

Eric: Training has been going great! I have about 2 weeks until fight day and about a week and a half left of camp. It's usually when everything we worked on comes together with a few more days when my coach pushes me hard and tries to kill me.

MTA: You're coming off a nice win, is it easier training for a fight when you won your previous fight, maybe less pressure?

Eric: Well I always feel a little bit of pressure when I'm getting ready for a fight, but I think that's mostly because of the expectations I have of myself. The few times when I felt actual pressure was mostly because of the fight I was getting ready for and not from the one I just had.

MTA: You are in the process of becoming an EMT, how do you balance building a career and being a fighter?

Eric: Well I actually completed my EMT training about a month ago. Now all I have to do is pass the National Registry exam and complete a few more things in the local county to get my CA State EMT card. But when it comes to balancing it, I've pretty much just been going with the flow and making sure that I don't put it on the back burner since it's what I really want to do. I think it will be harder once I'm an EMT and putting in 10-12+ hours each shift, but I'll always find time to train since Muay Thai is my passion.

MTA: So once the EMT stuff is done and you are working the crazy hours, do you think you will be fighting less?

Eric: I hope not! I'm planning to make sure that I still put in work at the gym and to be available for any potential fights. Who knows how it will actually play out, but I'm going to do my best to still be able to fight as much as possible.

MTA: Have you sat back and thought that you can knock a guy out cold and then you have the skills now to bring him back to consciousness?

Eric: Hahaha! I get this a lot! When my classmates found out I fought professionally, they made that joke a lot. But yeah, I have thought about "What if?" scenarios that involved fights and what I would do in certain situations. 

MTA: How is your family with the whole fighting thing are they pretty supportive?

Eric: They're very supportive! They have been my #1 fans since day one and even my girlfriend and her family. They have all supported me and helped me out with anything I needed throughout my career. I'm lucky to have them all.

MTA: As a fighter what is your goal, are you striving to get signed by a Lion Fight or Glory or are you simply doing it because you love it.

Eric: My overall goal is to be the best fighter I can be. At the end of my fighting career, I want to be able to look back and just be truly happy with everything I've done. After that? I want to work my way up the ladder and become a legit champion. I think that being a champion would be most fighters' first choice, but me being happy is my #1.

Of course I would love to fight for a top promotion on national television so I can show my skills to a much bigger audience. I've fought on big shows before, but nothing that's been on tv. I haven't seen too many 132lb fights on Lion Fight though and Glory doesn't have that weightless yet, but I'm staying optimistic. I know my time will come.

MTA: Being that it seems the 132lb weight class isn't something that gets promoted a lot by the larger promotions like Glory and Lion Fight do you think you can move up to maybe 140 lbs if needed and is it something you might consider?

Eric: I wish I could say that I could, but I don't see it happening. The majority of the fighters at that weight are all significantly heavier than I am and the size difference would be a bitch to deal with during a fight.

MTA: Here are five questions so fans can get to know you a little better.

Favorite food?

Eric: BBQ! Ribs, brisket, pulled pork, anything BBQ and I'm all over it. After my last fight, I went to a big BBQ rib cook off in a nearby little town to celebrate and ended up eating $60 worth of ribs by myself. I regretted nothing.

MTA: Favorite movie?

Eric: Tough choice!! Some of my all time favorites are Lost Boys and Pulp Fiction. I quote Step Brothers almost daily. Best movie I've seen so far in 2015 is definitely Chappie. I'm a big fan of Neill Blomkamp's movies with Charlto Copley, they're a great team.

MTA: Biggest pet peeve?

Eric: Inconsiderate people, no doubt. I find it very annoying when someone is inconsiderate, not just to me but to friends of mine as well.

MTA: Favorite American and non American Muay Thai fighter?

Eric: Miriam Nakamoto and Yodsanklai. My two #1s.

MTA: Favorite sport aside from Muay Thai and who is your favorite team or athlete?

Eric: Aside from Muay Thai, I'd say MMA. Some of my favorite fighter's to watch would be Josh Thomson, Mike Swick and Jon Fitch but also because they're good friends of mine. Non combat sports related, I enjoy the Oakland A's a lot and have been a fan of them since I was a young kid.

MTA: Any words for your supporters Eric?

Eric: Just that I really appreciate all of them. My family and girlfriend, my coach and teammates, all my long time friends and my sponsors Artlete, PNP Supplements and Action Pro Gear. I'm going to keep doing my best to give them all exciting fights and hopefully make some new fans and friends along the way. If you see me fight on a show and enjoy my performance, win or lose, come say hi!

Eric Luna talks fight career, future plans, and more

Eric Luna is one of the best new pro fighters in the North American Muay Thai scene. Fighting out of the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Eric had an accomplished amateur career that included him representing the United States at the 2009 IMFA’s and winning a gold medal. Eric’s fan friendly fighting style makes him an instant crowd favorite when he fights and his skill makes him a fighter to watch in the upcoming years. Eric was kind enough to sit down with Muay Thai Authority to talk about his fight career and a few other things.

You can also follow Eric Luna on twitter @ericakamuaythai.

MTA: Eric, you are one of Muay Thai's newest pro talents. How is it that you got involved with Muay Thai?

Eric Luna: Well, years ago I went and watched UFC 57 for my 21st birthday. Paul Buentello was on the card and won by TKO. I was a fan of his and other guys from AKA like Mike Swick because they were from San Jose. Right when I got back home from Vegas, I went through a really rough time and personal problems and just found myself making the drive to AKA to check it out. I ended up signing up right then with the goal of fighting. I didn't know whether it was going to be boxing, MMA or Muay Thai. Once I started with Muay Thai, it was love from the beginning. It became my passion from the get go. That was February 2006.

MTA: You weren't very active this year, is there any particular reason?

Eric Luna: No, no particular reason really. I think maybe just a lack of opportunities. I'm the type of fighter who's always training and I was always available to take fights. I look back now and I'm ok with not being as active as I'd have liked. I added a lot to my game this year and I feel I improved a lot. Hopefully I'm more active this next year so I can show the fans.

MTA: What are your plans for 2015, anything scheduled already?

Eric Luna: No fights on the schedule yet, but hoping to get a couple during the first quarter of 2015. I'm planning on going back to school in March with the goal of being an EMT and Firefighter, but even then I'll still be training and open to any fight opportunity that comes up.

MTA: You represent AKA, how is it training at a renowned camp like that?

Eric Luna: It's great! Everyone knows AKA as one of the top MMA gyms around, but we have some solid Muay Thai fighters there and who I think is one of the best coaches, Derek Yuen. The gym is a great facility with a lot of tools available to us. The best thing might be that we get so much focus from our coach and the owner of AKA, Javier ensures that we're set with anything we might need.

MTA: Who would you say are your influences in Muay Thai?

Eric Luna: Wow, there's quite a few there. #1 will have to be my teammates and my coach. We're very much like a family and they influence me a lot and have helped me grow into the fighter I am today. But I think outside of them, it's actually other coaches from other gyms. Rudi Ott, Kirian Fitzgibbons, and Jongsanan. They were my coaches when I fought at IFMA in 2009 when I won gold and they influenced me so much and still do. It's always great when I see them.

MTA: Before everything is said and done if you could make sure you face one opponent in particular before your career is over who would it be and why?

Eric Luna: That makes me think! Well I know a few passed opponents of mine like David Huerta, Ognjen Topic and Joe Cox, have made the jump to the pro rank and I'm sure that we'd meet again eventually. Which I think is funny because I've become good friends with them. But when it's all said and done, I would love to share the ring with Ognjen again. He gave me my first loss as an amateur in what was a FOTY candidate and is still my favorite fight I've had. I've become a big fan of his and I know we would be able to give the fans and ourselves an equal performance.

MTA: Like with many fighters it's not easy making a living simply fighting Muay Thai, do you have a full time profession?

Eric Luna: At the moment no. I left my last job basically because I was unhappy with the environment. I don't regret it because I was able to focus 100% during camp for my last fight as well as figuring out my school situation. But throughout my fight career, I worked a full time job, had a 1hr+ commute and still made it training every day.

MTA: Where do you see or anticipate your fight career in 10 years?

Eric Luna: Well considering that I'm turning 30 on 12/20, I don't think I'll be fighting at 40. I know that I still have a lot of years left in me since I've never suffered any serious injuries and I've always felt great, physically. But I can actually see myself being a coach. I hope to share my knowledge and experience in the fight game with future fighters.

MTA: Are you considering at any point crossing over to MMA or is Muay Thai strictly what you will be focusing on?

Eric Luna: I've actually been asked that quite a bit. MMA is really popular and since people see I train at AKA, they always seem to bring it up. When I first started training, it was an idea but I fell in love with Muay Thai. The whole culture, history and experiences I've had are what make me stick with it.

MTA: As a fighter and member of the American Muay Thai community what do you think needs to be done to see the sport flourish here in the United States?

Eric Luna: I think first off would be more support from the public. The more fans that we, the Muay Thai community, can bring to shows will help the growth. Whether it's in the local, regional shows or the bigger televised shows. More fans equal more shows and more opportunities to fight.

MTA: Outside of Muay Thai what are some of the things you like to do?

Eric Luna: I like visiting my family and my dog, who lives with them, as much as I can. Family is a big part of who I am, so I make sure to see them often. For the most part, I just mix in trips to the shooting range, going on dates with my girlfriend and being a big kid when I can.

MTA: To fight fans not familiar with you can you describe yourself as a fighter, your style, values, etc?

Eric Luna: If I were to describe myself as a fighter, it would be as one with a fan friendly style. I don't have a traditional Thai style, more of an aggressive style that keeps the pressure on my opponent, while still being sure that I don't get reckless. Regarding the values I have, I would say that in my career, I've always been respectful to my opponents. I'll be friendly with them, shake their hand and wish them luck before the fight. When we're in the ring, it's a different story. We're both in there with the goal of taking the other's head off. After the fights though, win or lose, I'll go back to paying respect and I'll offer to buy them a beer.

MTA: Any words for your fans and supporters?

Eric Luna: Well without the fans, our sport wouldn't be growing like it has been recently, so I'd like to thank all of them. I've had the chance to meet a lot of new fans at all the shows I've fought on, whether they were here in the Bay Area, down in Southern California, up in Seattle and definitely out in NYC. I love meeting people, and always welcome them to come say hello.

Mostly, I need to thank my family who have been supportive since day one and my girlfriend who has been cheering me on since my 2nd amateur fight. Love them.