It’s Tuesday evening in Las Vegas, and Mike ‘Quicksand’ Pyle has just finished working out with Anacondas coach, Bas Rutten, and the rest of the IFL team.

Since returning from a two-year tour of MMA duty in Europe, Mike has been creating waves on the fight circuit, winning his last IFL bout in just 17 seconds.

Quicksand has always been a big achiever, so it’s not surprising he started out in the fighting arts as a self-taught practitioner. “Like everybody, I was into UFC and the impact it made in everyone’s eyes. And I wanted to do it too. I was already learning some things from magazines and videotapes,” says Pyle.

“Then I met the right guy, Geoff Mullen, who is actually a judge in the UFC. He has an event in Memphis, Tennessee, called Hook’n’Shoot, and he gave me a chance to fight on that, and I won. I really liked the experience and I just continued from there. Here I am now.”

Although Mike is known primarily as a grappler, he has won two of his bouts by strikes, and is a true mixed martial artist. “I can strike, I can half-ass wrestle, and I’ve got some jiu jitsu. I can win either way: with a knockout or submission. I’ve never won with a decision. I’ve only gone to a decision with ‘Rampage’ (Quinton Jackson) and Andrei Semenov. I got a draw with Quinton: He was 205 pounds and I was 175 pounds. He couldn’t finish me and I couldn’t finish him.”

Mike decided to leave America to work, study and travel in Europe in 2003 and 2004. “It was to improve my fighting skills and to just get away. I was able to use my skills as a fighter and an instructor to leave America and go see Europe and learn a lot of things.

“I got the opportunity to teach, and I met a lot of friends over there. I would stay with many of them: Like when I was in Poland, a friend of mine was from there, so I got to stay with him and train there. It was good.”

So, Mike, as well as instructing in Europe, you also used it as an opportunity to exchange ideas with other fighters.

“Yeah, I went to Bob Schrijver’s and stayed there a couple of weeks – taught jiu jitsu classes and learned some striking skills. I had a good time there. But most of the time I was at the Mikenta gym in Copenhagen.”

Was that for the Thai boxing?

“That’s correct. And they wanted to introduce MMA there; they didn’t really have skilled ground instructors. That’s how it came about for me to go out there.”

When did you train with Randy Couture?

“When I came back to the States in September, 2004. His fiancée is a friend of mine, and she was like: ‘Hey, there’s a good fighter here, and you don’t really have anybody to train with… His name is Mike… Would you like to train with him?’ Consequently, we started training together.

“Then Jay Hieron, Alex Schoenauer, Forrest Griffin, and all those guys started coming down and training with us, and slowly it merged into a team. It became a good, strong team and we’ve got a lot of people who come from everywhere to train with us here in Las Vegas.”

You’re currently with Ron Frazier for your hand skills?

“Ron is our assistant coach for the Anacondas: He’s a boxing coach, yes.”

You’ve won nine of your last ten fights. Will you be fighting Rory Markham again?

“No; my team mate, Jay Hieron, will fight him. I’ve moved up from welterweight to middleweight so we have a good, strong team.”

Was your bout against John Cole your quickest victory?

“Yes; most of my fights are first-round fights.”

What’s Bas Rutten like as a coach?

“He’s great: He brings a lot of energy and power to our training – and a lot of knowledge and experience. I believe in him.”

What are you expecting in your bout with Matt Horwick on November 2nd?

“I’m expecting a steady pace; he keeps coming, but I don’t think he possesses the same skills I do. I think he’s pretty one-dimensional. I see him as just constantly wanting to come in and take me down. He’s not that fast… I just think I’m an all-round better athlete. I’m going to be able to out-work him.”

You don’t care if it’s standing or on the ground?

“I don’t care.”

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

“No. I’m good.”

Your sponsors?

“No sponsors, unfortunately.”