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BEN ROTHWELL Part
3 Rothwell Ready to Rock Sydney
©
Marc Wickert All
photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC There
might not be a US Navy fleet visiting Sydney Harbour in the next week or
two, but there will be a set of big guns ready to blast with firepower
that would rival a salvo from the USS Missouri’s 16-inch guns.
This weekend, MMA legend Ben Rothwell will be jetting into Sydney with
the mission to blow away his opponent, Mirko Cro Cop. And Rothwell
can’t wait to touch down on Aussie soil. Knucklepit
has been in regular contact with Ben since his early days of competition
when he ruled the IFL high seas, winning all nine of his heavyweight
bouts. And during that time it has always been a priority of his
to come to Australia, but to do battle here is like a dream come true
for Ben “War” Rothwell. “I’m very much looking forward to
coming to Australia – not just because I’ve always wanted to go
there, but the UFC sold out in like record time and that means MMA fans
are in Australia, and from everything I’ve learned about Australia, I
really like the people there, and I’m really excited to fight for them
and give them what they came to see,” says Ben. During
Rothwell’s days competing for the IFL Silverbacks he was based at Pat
Miletich’s gym in Bettendorf, Iowa; however Ben has since moved back
to Kenosha, Wisconsin – his home town. At the time of this
interview, he is in a restaurant with his family and they’re all high
with anticipation about coming to Oz at the end of the week. Ben,
do you still train with Pat Miletich and Duke Roufus? “Not
with Pat since I returned to Kenosha, but Duke’s the head coach here
and I’m with him full time.” Are
you in contact with any of the other Silverbacks? “I’m
on a friendly basis with Rory Markham, Mike C and Ryan McGivern.
I’m away from all of them now… They’re a good group of guys.” Your
bout against Andrei Arlovski at Affliction was an incredibly gutsy
battle. What are your thoughts on that fight? “One aspect was that I went to the third round with him and people got to see that I could stand there with that type of guy, but I was very disappointed with how my body was feeling and how I was performing – much like the Cain Velasquez fight. Both fights, I don’t know what went wrong, but I definitely didn’t feel I performed as well as I should have, and when you’re fighting two guys that are that tough – they’re at that level – you’ve got to come in at your best, and I wasn’t at my best and that’s why I lost.”
Ben Rothwell, Turn It Up, Ref The
Rothwell vs. Velasquez match ended in controversy. Do you still
think that fight should have been allowed to continue? “Of course… I mean I didn’t tap, I didn’t fall down with my eyes rolled to the back of my head from a knockout… I stood up and that’s when the ref stopped it. I’ve just never seen anything like it. I might have been down on points; I might not have been doing well; I wasn’t out of the fight. With one right hand I could have knocked him out and won the fight. So, I’m a fighter: Give me a chance to fight.” You’ve
shown in the past you can take a lot of punishment and still come back. “Right;
it was very upsetting for me.” Do
you compete in kickboxing events any more or do you just focus on MMA
now? “I’m
just fully focused on MMA now. Kickboxing is in the past as far
as… It’s just a part of MMA, but as far as just doing it on its own,
there’s really no place for it.” Who
have your training partners been for UFC 110? “Duke
Roufus; Pat Barry is an excellent kickboxer who trained for several
years in Holland and he fights in the UFC too; Red Schafer helps me with
my jiu jitsu and he’s in the UFC also. There’s a group of
other guys who are not in the big shows yet, but there are a lot of good
kickboxers and wrestlers… We just have a really good group of
well-rounded guys that I train with.” You
have won 14 of your last 16 matches, and Mirko has had trouble backing
up his wins lately. Do you think your never-say-die determination
will be a deciding factor against Cro Cop? “It has to, and I believe he’s going to come out very tough in the beginning because he’s backed into the corner – sort of like me; we both have losses and something to prove. I just have to prove it’s my time and I’m the younger, bigger heavyweight. I’m here to stay and he should be looking at being done.”
Ben Rothwell – as tough as nails Despite
all your ring experience, you’re only 28. Have we seen the best
of Ben Rothwell? “Of
course not; no way. The best is yet to come and it’s coming to
Australia.” When
do you arrive in Oz? “This
coming Saturday, the 13th.” And
that’s going to be a lucky 13th for Ben Rothwell? “Yeah,
it’s not a Friday so it should be good.” What
will you do in the week leading up to your fight? “Just
maintain all the hard work that I’ve done with my coaches and get some
sun and see some Australia, but keeping my mind focused on the fight.” Will
you be sticking around after UFC 110 to do any sightseeing? “After
the fight I’ll really be seeing Australia. My wife is doing some
research: We want to go to the Art Gallery, the Sydney Museum, take the
ferry ride across to Manly, try some pies and peas at Harry’s Café de
Wheels, and we’re hoping to get a rent-a-car to check out places
we’ve heard about outside of the city, such as Katoomba, Kiama and
Jenolan Caves. I believe our hotel is at Sydney Harbour, and I
believe I’ll be doing a public appearance in Sydney the week before
the fight.” Ben,
is there anything you’d like to add? “I
just want to thank you for taking the time, and the media, because
without you guys the sport wouldn’t have grown and become what it is.
I want to put on a show for everyone in Australia, the Land Down Under,
when February 21st comes around.” Ben
Rothwell’s sponsors: Tapout. When Ben Rothwell steps into the Octagon at Homebush, one thing’s for sure: Australian fans can expect to see him give his all for them.
For
more on UFC coming to Australia: http://www.knucklepit.com/mixed-martial-arts-ufc_in_australia.htm.
BEN
ROTHWELL The
Rocket Man Brings His Opponents
©
Marc Wickert 18
Jan.’07, photos © IFL Silverbacks’
heavyweight, Ben Rothwell, has just finished training after hitting the
mitts with Pat Miletich and doing some technique drills. But he’s
taking things a bit easier today after his grueling workout the day
before. “Yesterday
we had one of our workouts where we do a circuit incorporating a series
of 12 different lifts – two exercises for each body part, then we run
for eight minutes, before repeating the process another two times,”
says Rothwell. “You
go through it as quickly as possible, doing reps of 15 on each exercise,
then get on the treadmill, and start again. So I’m kinda resting up
from that, plus we did a lot of sparring last night.” Although
the Silverbacks won the IFL World Team Championship Final on December
29, they have to compete again on February 2nd against Bas Rutten’s
Anacondas – the team Steve Rusk regards as being one of their toughest
challenges. And
Ben admits it’s a challenge backing up with just over a month between
events: “It is hard – I’m okay because I’m in great shape and I
got out of my fight unscathed, but some of the other guys had tougher
fights, and with just one month… Luckily, after we get through this,
we get more time in between, so we’re looking forward to a break after
the Anacondas. [News
in from Ben at time of printing: “Rory’s out due to an eye
injury.”] “Everybody
looks really good – Rory is ready to come back, to make up for the
last one, so he’s excited about that.” Interestingly, Rothwell shares accommodation above the Team Miletich gym with fellow Silverbacks Rory Markham and Ryan McGivern.
Ben, who’s the rowdiest one of your flatmates? You’d be the quiet one, wouldn’t you? “I’m
in the middle: Mike C (Ciesnolevicz) is the rowdiest.” But
he doesn’t flat with you guys. “Yeah,
well everybody’s real quiet up here, and then Mike C comes and visits
before practice, and then it’s chaos. Then we go down to training, and
it’s still chaos. It doesn’t quieten down until he goes home.” So
Mike C’s a bad influence, is he? “Yeah,
he’s terrible – he’s always causing trouble.” (laughs) That
goes in the article, doesn’t it? “Sure.” You were saying how loud the Quad City crowd was when the Silverbacks fought the Pitbulls. How was the Mohegan Sun crowd? “It
wasn’t quite as intense, but after I head-kicked my opponent, they
went crazy.” Did
Quad City fans travel to Connecticut for the final? “Not
so much: My family did and some of Rory’s friends did; Bart had a good
group of people, but not like fans from here.” You’ve won your last eight fights now: Are you looking at double figures, or don’t you look that far ahead? “I don’t plan on losing any – I train to win every time – and I don’t look further ahead than the next fight.”
What
are your hobbies, outside of MMA? “You
know, here and there, I like to hop on my XBOX 360 and play games, once
in a while. If there is a game that interests me, but I haven’t played
it for the last month and a half. A lot of the time I just don’t have
much time for it. “At
Christmas, my mom and my girlfriend bought me some model rockets,
because I want to try getting back to doing it, and I really had a lot
of fun doing that. It might sound kind of dorky, but I like rockets a
lot: I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid, and I know that’s
not going to happen, so… I guess I just fantasize by building rockets
and launching them off.” I haven’t heard about these model rockets. “Estes
makes the most popular brand. They actually have engines that you put in
them and launch them off. You get some, like a Commanche 3, that go over
a mile – pretty wild. And you’ve got to chase them down: I’ve lost
a lot of them. The higher you get it to go… If you get it to go out of
sight and then you retrieve it, it’s kinda like a trophy then. I have
fun.” It
sounds like a ton of fun. Were you happy with your bout against Devin
Cole? “I
was. I basically walked out of that ring without a scratch and I
finished in probably the most exciting fashion I think a heavyweight can
end a fight – with a head kick.” Could
you give a brief rundown of that fight, please? “Sure.
I came out trying to establish my jab, and I knew he was looking to
throw and work for a clinch. Once he worked his clinch, he was going to
put me against the ropes, grab a leg, and then pull me down. “He
did the first two right: He threw his hands and got his clinch, but the
third part he wasn’t expecting – the takedown defense that I have.
And I was able to wear him out and he wasn’t able to get a takedown.
That went on for about three or four times: We would throw, clinch, and
break… But every time he came in he kept getting hit with a right
uppercut. I was breaking his face up pretty good – he was bloody in
like the first minute of the fight. And after about three minutes of
going back and forth like that, we broke apart and he shot real sloppy
and I almost kneed him in the head, and he ran away from it. “He
was standing against the ropes with his hands down, and I took about two
steps at him and I just made up my mind that I was going to land: I
released a right head-kick that landed flush. That was it.” Do you feel you caused Devin to use a lot of his energy through your resisting his takedowns? “Yeah,
he got himself really tired.” You said before that you are a very unconventional and unpredictable fighter. Was that how you fought against Devin? “Yes, he thought I was going to be predictable, but the reason he got caught with the head kick was because he thought I was going to uppercut him again. I’d conditioned him to expect what I wanted him to expect: He thought an uppercut was coming and blocked with his right hand, but a right head kick came – he had no defense there whatsoever.”
Steve Rusk said you guys are expecting Bas Rutten’s Anacondas (February 2, 2007) to be a tough battle because they match up so well against the Silverbacks. Do you agree? “I
think the Wolfpack and the Anacondas are equally tough. I feel that we
matched up against the Wolfpack, and going against the Anacondas – I
mean, I’ll break down the fight real quick: “Chris
Hordeki vs. Bart (Palaszewski) is going to be an exciting fight because
he has his hands and he can work the ground, but so can Bart. Bart has
dynamite in his hands, and every time I worry about the kid, he goes and
knocks the guys out, so… Bart’s mature, he’s got a lot more
fights, and he knows what he has to do. “They
are close match-ups, but I feel that we have a slight edge on all of
them, and the fact that Bart’s got the experience – he’s been
there so many times before. “Jay
Hieron and Rory (Markham) – Jay has a little bit of momentum because
Rory just took a loss, but Rory was in a gunfight and got caught. That
could have happened to anybody. I firmly believe that if Chris Wilson
came out against Jay Hieron that way, Jay would have ended up the same
fashion as Rory did. “And
Rory showed incredible heart: He got up three times, and most would have
been done after the first time. He just didn’t get a chance to recover
from the first time. It happens; and if Chris and Rory fight again, it
could go the exact opposite. “I
believe if Jay gets hit by Rory, it’s going to be lights out. Rory’s
constantly working on his defense and working on his things. I don’t
think Jay is, in my opinion, as technical as Chris Wilson. Jay is tough
and he could win, but again, I think Rory has a slight edge on that
fight because of the power in his hands and his ability to defend
against what Jay wants to do. “Benji
Radach and Ryan McGivern: Benji’s kind of a well-rounded guy, but I
think he favors the stand-up, and he hasn’t fought in a while. And
Ryan is an endurance monster – a guy who will not let you breathe, and
I don’t think Benji’s faced that kind of pressure before. Maybe he
has in the past, but when you haven’t fought for a while and your
first fight back is against a guy like that: That is mentally very hard
– it’s a very big hill to climb. And Ryan’s going to come after
him. “So
we’re confident with Ryan, and if he just stays clear of sheaky subs
and keeps good defense on the feet, I see Ryan either catching him with
something or winning by another decision. “Alex
Schoenauer and Mike C (Ciesnolevicz): Schoenauer is like tailor-made for
Mike C, and Mike has a lot of momentum going right now. They’re
similar in style, and I see Mike fending off whatever Schoenauer tries
to put on him. Mike has some really dangerous submissions that
Schoenauer has shown he puts himself into against other opponents. His
previous opponents don’t quite have the reputation that Mike has, and
if Schoenauer does get caught in a submission, Mike C is going to finish
it. “And
I was supposed to fight Krzysztof Soszynski, but he hurt his ribs
(against Mike Whitehead) and they have an alternate to fight me now
(Matt Dobson), and he’s 3-1. He’s supposed to be a big kid, and
I’m the guy who’s got to go in against the unknown. I think the
guy’s just going to come out crazy and throw everything he’s got,
because what’s he got to lose? “He’s
a Texan boy and they got him from the Houston area, or somewhere around
there, because they’re having hard times finding alternates to fight
me.” I
bet they are. So you reckon he’ll come out as a loose cannon, Ben? “Yeah,
he’s probably going to come out scared – not scared in a bad way,
but scared in the sense that he’s going to fight his arse off, which
makes him a dangerous guy. But unfortunately for him, I’m not taking
him easily, so…” Before you fought Bryan Vetell, you said he didn’t know what he was getting himself into, and that he would be out of his depth with you. Do you feel the same way about Matt Dobson? “Yes,
of course, because all the guys who fight me don’t know what they’re
getting themselves into unless they’ve fought me before. Devin Cole
was real confident, and about two minutes into the fight I watched the
confidence break on his face. He was like, ‘Oh, shit – this is not
what I expected.’ And that’s what happens to opponents: They’re
good, until I crack them or something doesn’t go their way, and
everything changes.” On February 23, Robbie Lawler will be fighting Eduardo Pamplona in the IFL Superfight. How’s Robbie going? “He’s
doing well. I’m excited he’s in the IFL. He’s in really great
shape right now: Since I’ve been here I haven’t seen him cut down as
he is right now. He’s been really working hard, and I’ve heard a lot
of people talking about his training lately – he’s really taking
this seriously, and there’s a dangerous guy right there.” Are
you looking forward to taking on the new Russian Red Bears team on May
19? “Sure;
I’m looking forward to the next three fights we’ve got: the
Anacondas, then Ken Shamrock’s Lions, and the Red Bears.” Do
you know much about the Red Bears? “Not
much.” Do
you know who their heavyweight is? “Yeah,
Dmitry – I can’t say his last name (Zabolotny) – but he’s
relatively new.” Ben,
is there anything you’d like to add? “As
always, I’d like to thank the IFL, Gareb Shamus and Kurt Otto, their
sponsors: XBOX 360, Fairtex, Dali Thomas Popcorn, FSN, and Yahoo.”
For more on Ben Rothwell: www.ifl.tv.
BEN
ROTHWELL The War Report
©
Marc Wickert 10
Oct. ’06, photos © IFL “I’m
just kicking back in my room – getting ready for bed. I got done
training about an hour ago,” says the 6’4”, 265-pound human mako,
affectionately known as ‘War’ Rothwell. Ben
resides in Bettendorf, Iowa, in an apartment above the Team Miletich gym
with fellow Silverback members Rory Markham and Ryan McGivern. Rothwell’s
introduction to MMA is something that just seemed to come naturally:
“It just kinda happened. I was 17 when I started training: I didn’t
go into it thinking I was going to fight; I just did it thinking I was
going to learn martial arts. The guy I went to, he actually started with
Pat Miletich, and opened a school in my hometown, Kenosha, Wisconsin. I
just happened to go there one day and began training. “He
thought I was really good and a month and a half after I started
training, he sent me to a tournament in Cleveland, and I won. It was for
an Extreme Challenge under Monte Cox. Back then, I used to fight
Monte’s guys, but now he’s become my manager – that’s how I met
him, I guess.” When
Ben commenced training at Team Miletich, there wasn’t too much time
spent on orientation: He dived in the deep end and that’s where he
chose to stay. “I’m Tim Sylvia’s main sparring partner. I’ve
been here for two and a half years, and Tim and I have been banging away
every Monday and Wednesday since I got here.” From
the moment Rothwell arrived in Bettendorf, he has enjoyed the
camaraderie that Pat Miletich is known and respected for creating
amongst his ‘family’ of athletes. At the IFL: Legends
Championship 2006, Pat was in attendance as the Silverbacks’ team
coach, and Tim was also there supporting the side. Ben
says it’s a buzz for team members to have that sort of encouragement.
“Well, we’re all supportive. Like I’m going to be out there on
November 18 cornering Brad Imes, and I’ll be there with Tim Sylvia
too. So even though I’m with the IFL, our team (Team Miletich) comes
first, and I’ll be supporting them just like Tim and Brad, Robbie
Lawler… They come to our shows like a big support group. Even though
our guys fight in different places, we’re one big team. We all support
each other in any way we can.” Ben,
how is Mike Ciesnolevicz going? “He’s
doing well. He’s keeping his head up. Unfortunately he had a rough
fight last time, but he’s keeping his head up and getting ready for
the next one.” How
do you think he’ll fare against Brent Beauparlant? “If
Mike comes out with his head on, I see him winning that fight – on the
feet or on the ground, I think he might have a little too much for his
opponent.” Do
the fans appear to like the team aspect of MMA competition? “Yeah, they do – especially after the last show when it was 2-2, and my fight came up. A lot of the fans… I heard afterwards on the internet, they really got into the team aspect. My fight had a lot more worth to it because it meant more than just my fight: it was for the team. And people really got into the team aspect then.”
When you defeated Krysztof Soszynski by TKO, you were firing off huge looping bombs. Do you tend to wait until you feel you’re getting the better of an opponent before you unload the big haymakers? “Well
my haymakers can be really straight laser-type shots too. It just
depends on my opponent. I always like to say I’m one of the most
unorthodox strikers there is. Anybody who watches footage of me thinks
they know how I fight, and they’re always mistaken – every time. “I’ve
got a really good ability of switching and doing unorthodox things. Even
against the most solid striker, or most unorthodox wrestler, I usually
try just to get my strikes to hit. I’m more about getting them to hit
their mark than throwing a good-looking punch.” Can you give a brief rundown of your bout with Bryan Vetell (IFL: Gracie vs. Miletich, 23 September 2006) please? “Okay.
I knew he was a big, strong guy, for sure. And that he was working his
ground game and everything. I was expecting him to shoot in on me or try
to get clinches and try to get me down, so I was working a lot on my
takedown defense. He’s also a southpaw and works on his stand-up, so I
thought he would maybe throw at me. I wasn’t sure. “When
you’re dealing with southpaws, they do things a little different. You
have to watch out for certain things. I was just trying to keep an eye
out for those things. And he did – he came out hesitant. He didn’t
bullrush me like I thought: He was really cautious and stayed away from
my reach. He kinda waited and then threw his left hard. Then he threw
some combos and got a clinch. I just had to work out of the clinch for a
little bit, and when I got out of it, we got into another clinch. “Finally,
I got my composure and I decided it was time to start going, and I
worked in the clinch with knees and body shots. One knee in particular
hit him right in the solar plexus. To my surprise – I wasn’t
throwing them with any real intent, but it must have hit just right,
because he made a loud noise and turned to his side. I pretty much got
his back and pushed him to the corner and started hitting him in the
face and I backed off real quick. “He
turned and threw a huge left at me, which I slipped, and countered with
a right hand that put him out. It was like a hooking right, but it was
flush and was one solid shot.” You must have been pretty happy with that. “Yeah, I jumped up on the ropes and was screaming at the crowd. I’ve fought in front of bigger crowds before – it was about 7000 people, and they were far louder than any crowd I’ve been in front of. It was awesome.”
You’ve won your last six matches; how do you expect to go against Wojtek Kaszowski on November 2? “Well,
like I said, I always like to look for the knockout because it’s what
people like to see. But it depends on what he brings. People don’t
know, but I’m quite well versed. I mean, for the first half of my
career, I was more of a ground’n’pound guy - surprising as that is
to people now. I’m labeled as a straight kickboxer, which seems funny
to me. But I can take it wherever; we’ll see how he’s doing on his
feet, and if I’m too much for him, I’ll just end it on the feet –
probably with another good knockout.” And
if not, you’re happy to take it to the ground? “Yeah,
I’ve got pretty good takedowns myself; I have a good
ground’n’pound style; I’m one of the better strikers on the
ground. Jiu jitsu is like this; in my standard jiu jitsu, I may be a
blue belt, but you add striking – I’m a black belt. I’ll put that
against anybody. Besides my strikes, I can do arm bars, triangles,
anything. I’m just really good at positioning myself and tying up
limbs…I’m pretty solid that way.” You
haven’t had a chance to reveal your ground game yet, have you? “There
are a lot of my strikes I haven’t had the opportunity to show either.
Many of my strikes wouldn’t come out until the second or third round,
because there’s stuff I don’t do against a fresh opponent. The thing
is, I haven’t gone to the second or third round in my last six fights.
And Dan Christison was my last loss – that was in February 2005, and
I’ve improved in leaps and bounds since then. I’m really eager to
show some of the skills I’ve obtained since then.” You’re
known predominantly as a kickboxer. Do you have powerful shin kicks? “Yeah,
I can head-kick very high – I mean, I worked with kickboxer Duke
Roufus and I was working with him before I came to Pat Miletich. So on
the weekends I go back to Wisconsin and work with Duke then. He got me
kickboxing matches: I had one in Japan; and chute boxing… I’m 3-0 in
pro kickboxing.” Which
are the main teams you see as a challenge to the Silverbacks? “Oh,
man, a lot of teams are switching up their guys. And Renzo’s team did
look strong in the first tournament: They brought it this time. He
changed his whole lineup and he had a tough group of guys. They were
definitely one of the tougher teams to beat. I don’t know about the
Toronto guys. I know they’re tough, but I don’t know if they are as
tough as Matt Lindland’s team. And even Bas Rutten’s team and Matt
Lindland’s team: That could go either way. I see either of those teams
being pretty hard.” Sabres’
coach, Ken Yasuda, said they didn’t take it seriously because they
didn’t realize how professional the IFL competition was. But now
they’re
planning to come back stronger in
January. I was wondering if you’d heard anything there? “Oh,
I don’t know, but he’s going to have to do whatever Renzo did. Renzo
came back with a totally different team, and although they didn’t win,
I think they got a great deal of respect and they’re a tough group of
guys. “Everybody deserves a second chance, I guess, and I hope they do because I’d like to see strong international teams. It is the International Fight League, so… It would help getting other countries interested.”
Ben
Rothwell’s stats: Nickname:
‘War’ Rothwell (Ben’s favorite of about 100 nicknames he’s had.) MMA
record: 26-5-0 (“That’s my real record”) Division:
Heavyweight Stance:
Orthodox Height:
6’4” Date
of birth: 17 Oct. ’81 (“I’ll celebrate after this fight.”) Birthplace:
Kenosha, Wisconsin Home:
Bettendorf , Iowa Team:
Silverbacks. Coach:
Pat Miletich For more on Ben Rothwell: www.ifl.tv.
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