mixed-martial-arts-chris

CHRIS WILSON

“You Don’t Want to Miss This Show”

24 Oct.’06, photos © IFL

Chris Wilson is just heading back to the gym, driving his car over into the Team Quest car park. His training is over for today, so he quickly ducked out to have some food before the interview kicks off. This IFL welterweight for the Portland Wolfpack says he is all psyched up for the bout on November 2nd in front of his home crowd.

But when you see Chris fight, it’s hard to believe such a determined warrior originally adopted a fighting art to help defend himself. “I have always been interested in sport and I was an active kid. But I guess I first started doing martial arts because of some demonstrations I had seen - plus the fact I was living in Brazil, and I was a little white kid in a poor neighborhood who had some scuffles and bad experiences there. As I had seen martial artists in action, I thought maybe that would help me out,” says Wilson.

Due to Chris’s parents being Baptist missionaries, he grew up traveling back and forth from Oregon to Brazil for a total of sixteen years. But it was in Portland, Oregon that he first developed a passion for kickboxing: “My kickboxing started when I commenced high school here in the United States, but then when I moved back to Brazil, I continued doing the kickboxing and some jiu jitsu.”

On November 2 Chris will be locking horns with Anacondas’ Jay Hieron, and Wilson is very keen to add another victory to his MMA record, whilst competing at what is expected to be a huge event for the IFL semifinals. So knucklepit.com caught up with Wilson to chew things over with him before this much-anticipated meet.

Chris, you do amazing knee strikes – with or without clenching. Where did you learn to do such damaging knees?

“How did you know I was doing good knee strikes? Did you see some of my fights?”

Yeah.

“Oh; I wish I could elbow in the IFL. I’ve got pretty good elbows too, but we’re not allowed. But the thing with the knees: it’s always been part of my arsenal just because I come from a striking background, and especially because I’ve been able to develop the timing on them really well. I’ve been forced to put my knees to realistic use against some of the top wrestlers.

“If you plan to land a knee on one of the guys in this room, you’re going to have to time it right. So it’s really helped me to develop that game where, if somebody comes in with a shot, or if they change levels on you, they’re usually giving you a good angle for you to come up perpendicular into their chest… or face, as it were.”

What seems to stand out about your knees is your ability to deliver such damaging strikes – whether you’re holding your opponent, Thai-style, or hands-free in a boxing stance.

“Again, it’s really from being forced to practice it that way, because of the people I train with. I’ve learnt to adapt my knee strikes more to an open range… I need to make this guy get into a certain position to be able to knee him well from the outside.

“So, either you commit to a powerful hand strike, which will make him change levels, which will then help you land that knee from the outside, or you set him up by doing maybe a rear-hand cross, lead hook, and then a rear high kick. The next time you do a two-three, he’s expecting that high kick and you blast him with the knee.

“I’ve kinda had to make those things work from the outside. Because a Thai clinch is different to an MMA one, most of the time I can’t do the same things in a MMA clinch: It’s hard to work it the same way.”

Chris Wilson and Brad Blackburn

Is the triangle your favorite submission technique?

“By far. The main reason the triangle is such a good move for me is because I’m a tall, lanky guy; and lots of times it just started happening as I improved my submission wrestling game. The opportunities just started showing themselves, so I’d try for a triangle because it was there. Now, my legs just seem to automatically land in a triangle.

“Actually, I’m surprised sometimes because I’m thinking, ‘Damn, I just tried to roll out from a guy trying to grab me, and all of a sudden my legs are in a triangle, so I may as well try to finish it.’ My legs just seem to go there now, because I’m tall, I guess. But when it’s on, it’s on tight.”

What’s Matt Lindland like as a coach?

“He’s a phenomenal coach, actually. Some guys are great fighters and not such good coaches. I think he does a great job as a fighter and coach because he knows how to explain what he’s trying to tell you – especially the wrestling part, which he’s been doing for so long and at such a high level.”

Does Dan Henderson also help with the coaching?

“Dan Henderson opened his own gym down in Temecula, where he lives, and he’ll often come up here to train for a fight, or Lindland will go down there to train… They’ll help each other train – going back and forth. But Dan lives and trains at Team Quest South, which is in Southern California. If he’s up here though, he’ll help us.”

It appears there’s a lot of team spirit with the Wolfpack?

“There is because we were a team before we got named ‘Wolfpack’. Now we’re like a team inside of a team. We were already training partners – it just further fosters that atmosphere.”

You get some incredible crowds in Oregon; does it help fighting in front of a home crowd?

“It helps me: I really enjoy fighting here. I was a welterweight title-holder at our Sport Fight show in town – I won the title and defended it twice before having to relinquish it because of the IFL contract. I was born in this town and I love fighting here, and I have an immense sense of pride and responsibility, almost, to come out and perform well. I want Portland to be able to get behind this sport and be one of the frontrunners.”

Before you escaped Brad Blackburn’s guillotine, were you confident you’d be able to break out of that hold?

“It wasn’t even close: That’s why I stayed cool. Brad had a couple of good attempts right at the end of the round. It doesn’t matter that they weren’t even close. He had some attempts, but when he slapped that guillotine on, I wasn’t even close to being in trouble. He was squeezing it tight, but I was pulling the wrist away, and as soon as my head popped out, I was fine. He outworked me, and that was that, but no – the guillotine wasn’t even close.”

Wilson and Blackburn

What are you expecting from Jay Hieron?

“A takedown.”

So his strategy will be to get you straight on the floor?

“Well, he may try to come out and stand up with me… I won’t be surprised if he does try to throw some hands, but I don’t think it’s going to last much longer than his getting hit. I think we both know that I’m a better striker, but we also both know that he’s a great wrestler. So why is he going to stand with me where he knows I’m best!

“He may land a punch or two, but he ain’t knocking me out. He ain’t giving me anything that I’ve never seen. So I definitely see him coming in for some sort of takedown or shoot from the outside, behind some kind of punches. I don’t see him trying to stand up the whole fight at all – no.”

Who are you tipping out of Mark Kerr and Mike Whitehead?

“That’s hard for me to pick – I know a little bit about Mike Whitehead, and I know a little bit about Mark Kerr. But the reason that’s hard to pick is because I haven’t seen Mark Kerr fight, or do anything, for a long time. I have no idea what his training is like… I have no idea what kind of conditioning he’s doing.

“In terms of skill sense, I think Kerr probably has the skills to take it, but is he going to have the mental edge? The conditioning? I don’t know. I’ve seen Mike Whitehead fight: He’s a good fighter. If Mike does his homework and the right kind of training, I really think he could win it. It’s just so hard to say because I don’t have contact with those guys.”

Do you feel confident the Wolfpack can overcome the Anacondas?

“One hundred percent confident. If you look at the individual match-ups, I think we have everything to win every match. But the Anacondas are a very good team, and each fighter has great individual strengths. However, as Matt Lindland says, if we go out there and each person takes care of their own win, the team victory will come by itself.”

Chris, is there anything you’d like to add?

“First of all, if you’re anywhere near Portland, Oregon, you don’t want to miss this show because we’re talking semifinals, and you’re seeing some of the best match-ups possible, and it’s going to be absolutely explosive.

“And also, I’d like to send a shot out to all the Aussies and everybody Down Under, because I think it’s awesome that they’re involved in the sport. And I think it’s a rip-off that they don’t get some of the pay-per-views. I’m extremely excited that this sport is reaching everybody, everywhere. I really appreciate everyone’s support down there.

“I think the Aussies should make themselves heard and start banging on stuff. Say ‘Hey, we’ve got this guy, this guy, and this guy… What’s up, now?’ Tell them you want to take the tournament. Ask ‘Why weren’t we invited? Are you guys afraid?’

“And I’d also like to thank my wife and son, and all my training partners.”

Sponsors?

“A huge thank you to www.strengthcoachonline.com and also to LA Fitness.”

Chris Wilson looking to ground'n'pound