On March 17, 2007, Bas Rutten’s Anacondas face off with Frank Shamrock’s Razorclaws, and Jay Hieron is poised for the showdown. But at the time of this interview, he’s fumbling through keys and coping with locks of a different kind.

“Hold on one second: Let me get in my house so I can hear you better… Yeah, that’s better. I just finished training, getting ready for March 17. I’m fighting (Frank) Shamrock’s team,” says Hieron.

Jay has returned from an intensive session with Chris Horodecki, Alex Schoenauer, and Sam Stout – the Canadian MMA star who’s currently fighting for the UFC. “It was a great workout and we got some good work in.”

However, it wasn’t the sporting side of the activity that originally attracted Jay to wrestling. “First up, I was a little guy: I didn’t start growing until later in life, and I didn’t like getting beat up. So I started boxing, but as a young kid I didn’t have a car and I couldn’t make it over to the boxing gym, because it was too far from my house.

“When I started high school, they had wrestling there which was free, and I thought that’s another form of combat training – I’d be able to slam a guy if he messed with me. That was my thinking. Then I started wrestling competition and I fell in love with it, and I just got good at it. Now I’m here today.”

It was some years later that Jay added boxing to his skills after linking up with ‘The New York Bad Ass’. “My buddy, Phil Baroni, was fighting in the UFC and he got me into MMA. I learnt boxing and then I went to another school and I learnt jiu jitsu and kickboxing. Then I started learning all different arts for MMA.”

Jay, gainst Amos Sotelo, did you see an opening for your shin kick after he ducked down prior to your kick?

“Yeah, I always set up my right high-kick with a jab, so when I came out for that fight, my coaches, Bas and Shawn Tompkins, they told me to get in the center of the ring and control the real estate from there – control the center and you can control the fight.

“So I went out and I started controlling the center: I threw my jab, and he was a boxer, so he slipped inside of my jab. Like I said, I always set up my high kick with a jab, and he slipped inside my jab and my right high-kick just landed beautifully across his face. He put his head right on my shin.”

That must have been a very satisfying fight for you.

“It was a great fight, man. Any fight where I win and I look good, I’m satisfied. There’s no better feeling than winning, and winning convincingly.”

I heard you saying that your wife, Maira, often slips messages of encouragement into your fighting robe: Does she ever catch you off guard with shopping lists, like ‘Please pick up bread and milk on way home’, or anything like that?

“Nah (laughs), it’s always inspirational stuff, and it means a lot to me. She takes the time out to put the note in there. And now it’s kinda like a ritual; she pops it in and I always look in there and I always find one.”

Were you disappointed with the unanimous decision awarded to Chris Wilson against you?

“I was very disappointed: I still feel I won that fight, but as a fighter and a professional athlete, you gotta get over stuff because it will hinder your performance. So I’ve learnt to get over it, but I’m still very unsatisfied with that decision. Hopefully I’ll get to fight him again, but I’m over it, and I’m looking forward – I’m not looking to the past.”

Stephen Quadros said he thought the first round was pretty even and the second round was conclusively yours. You didn’t appear to do anything to lose the third round.

“Even if they’d let it go to a fourth round, which the IFL does – they call an overtime round if it’s a draw, I could see that. But I definitely didn’t lose unanimously. I knocked him down clearly in the second round and I should have gotten a 10-8 round. But that’s the game: You can’t fight the judges and the referee. You’ve got to fight the man in front of you, and that’s what I did.”

Do you still hang out with Phil Baroni?

“Yeah, occasionally. We’re still friends, but we’re professional athletes and he has his career and I have mine – it’s my job. I actually still train with him, but he’s all over the place, commentating and doing a lot of things… We’re definitely friends.”

Could you give a brief rundown of your bout against Victor Moreno, please?

“He stepped up the last week-and-a-half before the fight. I found out my opponent (Rory Markham) had an eye injury, and they put this guy in. I think he had a striking background, so I’m ready for every aspect of the game, man – striking, jiu jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai… so I’m ready.

“I came out and established my dominance with the striking. I think he tried to shoot or tie me up and take me down; I mounted him and started to soften him with some punches. He turned his back and I choked him. It ended in about two minutes. I wanted to fight Rory, but I’ll get a chance to fight him down the line.”

So you’re looking forward to that?

“Of course, man. I want to fight the best guys in the IFL so there’s no doubt about it. Then everybody will know who the best guy at the weight is. I’m not ducking or dodging anybody. I’ll fight whoever the IFL puts in front of me.”

You’re going to be cornering Randy Couture when he challenges Tim Sylvia – is that correct?

“Yes, sir, I’m about to get on a plane and go to Ohio to go out there with him.”

What has Randy’s mood been like leading up to the fight?

“His mood’s always incredible – he’s so humble. He’s the best person you could be around, and I learnt a lot from the guy: Even outside of fighting, just how he carries himself, he’s incredible. He’s a great person to look up to. I’m blessed to be in a position to be around somebody like that.

“He’s definitely ready to go, man. He’s about to do it again. I believe if he goes out with his game plan… Of course, Tim Sylvia is the heavyweight champion – he’s very tough and he’s big. But, like I said, Randy’s mind frame and just the guy he is – above all, he’s a competitor, and that’s the best thing he has going for him; Randy Couture is a competitor.”

You have your own fight against Ray Steinbeiss when the Anacondas take on the Razorclaws on March 17, at the Forum in LA.

“Actually, it’s not Ray anymore. They have a different guy now; his name is Donny Liles. I think he has like seven wins by submission, so of course I’m expecting him to try to take it to the ground and submit me. But a fight’s a fight: I’m always anticipating a tough fight, and I’m anticipating a tough guy in front of me. But I’m also definitely expecting to take him out and get my hand raised at the end of it.

“Anything can happen at any time: He could come out and want to stand in this fight. I’m ready for any situation in the fight. I train in all the bad areas of a fight; I train in all aspects of the game, and I’m comfortable. If he gives me an opening, I’m going to take it, whether it be a submission, a knock out – anything. Within the rules, I’ll take anything that God gives me.”

Do you expect Donny to be as well rounded as you are?

“I don’t think so, but I’m not underestimating him. I just don’t think he’s fought the level of competition that I’ve fought. And the guys I train with every day are on the top level: I train with the best every day.”

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

“Thanks to my wife for her support, to my team, Bas Rutten, Shawn Tompkins, all the Anacondas, Randy Couture, and all my training partners at Extreme Couture, and thanks to all the fans.”

Sponsors?

“None at the moment.”