BK NEWS
11-08-2007, 01:02 AM
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Matt Wilchinski talks about his fight debut at The Baddest Man on the Planet show
With the rise in popularity of Mixed Martial Arts, many new promotions will come and go, each trying to set themselves apart in a crowded field of UFC competitors. The latest to throw their hat in the ring is Acttain’s Baddest Man on the Planet competition. They host their inaugural event this Saturday, November 10th at Foxchase Manor in Manassas, Virginia. Following in the footsteps of MMAC’s excellent first event in Washington DC, Acttain appears to be holding a high-end event with a live band, bikini contest, and a host of entertainment leading up to 11 amateur bouts. Purple belt in Gaijin Ryu Jiu-Jitsu, Matt Wilchinski, of Baltimore, Maryland comes to Virginia to make his amateur fighting debut. We had a chance to talk with him about his MMA background, and the Baddest Man on the Planet show.
_________________
BloodyKnux- What’s your training background?
Matt Wilchinski- I train at Gaijin Ryu Dojo with Master Lee Epperson and Master Nate Taylor. Our workouts are split up. On Mondays we focus on submission grappling and boxing, on Tuesdays, kickboxing and
Jiu-Jitsu. Wednesday, Submission grappling and kickboxing and Thursdays is kickboxing and Jiu-Jitsu in the evening.
BK- How did you come to start training at Gaijin Ryu Dojo?
MW- About 5 years ago, my best friend’s brother in law owns a Dojo in Owings Mills. That’s how I met Master Lee, and since them wherever Master Lee has been teaching his classes for the past 5 years. I took Judo for a little while in high school, and wrestled since I was a little kid. For four years I traveled around wrestling for the Connecticut national team. In college I focused mainly on football, but I’d work with the team when they were prepping for nationals for 2 or 3 years. Jiu-Jitsu is our primary focus at the school, and I have my purple belt under Master Lee.
BK- What are Master Lee Epperson’s credentials?
MW- He’s a Hachi-Dan (8th Dan) in Gaijin Ryu Jiu-Jitsu, and holds belts in American Kenpo Karate, and certifications in many other martial arts like Jiu-Jitsu de Brasil, Faixa Roxa under Carlson Gracie, Jr., Judo, Ni-Dan under O-Sensei Philip S. Porter and Mi Guk Kwan Hapkido, Chil Dan under Ed Annibale.
BK- What made you want to compete in this tournament?
MW- I’m a competitive person, and I’ve been training for the past 5 years and it’s about time to step into the ring or the cage and test out what I’ve got against other guys. It’s something that’s filling the void in my life right now. I’ve always been competitive and it’s in my nature to compete in this sport.
I’ve been a football coach at the college level for the past couple years, and one of the reasons I left was I wanted to train more, live a healthier life style and this is something I want to pursue.
BK- How did you end up competing in the Baddest Man on the Planet promotion?
MW- Master Lee told me that he wanted me to drop down to 205 for November, and probably about a month ago we found out who the promoter was and where the event was going to happen. From what I understand, they’re going to have the people’s champion match, where if there is no knockout or submission, then the fans get to vote. They’re going to set up a sort of a league, and hopefully have events every couple months with the top two guys fighting for a championship.
BK- What do you know about your opponent?
MW- All I know is he’s 5’11 around 235, and that he’s a bouncer at a nightclub, and that’s pretty much it. Honestly, a fight’s a fight. I trained to fight, I’m going to go in there and execute my game plan. I think know from training for the past 5 years, I’ll be able to make adjustments as I need to. Cardio wise, I’ll be pushing the pace. It’s frustrating on one hand, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
BK- How do you feel about the second round being stand-up only?
MW- I’m ok with it. I think what it does for the promotion it creates a lot more action for an amateur event. It’ll test what guys know. If one guys a better grappler, but he doesn’t have very good stand up he’s going to be in trouble in the second round if the fight goes that far. They’re all professional rules. We had guys in amateur shows up in Jersey, and in those shows, there are special rules for amateurs like no elbows on the ground, but we can do that in this show.
BK- Thanks for talking with us, and good luck this Saturday!
MW- Thanks!
- Jim “DC Books” Kirkland
For more information on The Baddest Man on the Planet, visit-
www.ACTTAIN.com
Discuss the event here-
http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30132
A big thanks to Matt and Hakim Alston of Acttain promotions.
Tune in Sunday for results and an event review!
Matt Wilchinski talks about his fight debut at The Baddest Man on the Planet show
With the rise in popularity of Mixed Martial Arts, many new promotions will come and go, each trying to set themselves apart in a crowded field of UFC competitors. The latest to throw their hat in the ring is Acttain’s Baddest Man on the Planet competition. They host their inaugural event this Saturday, November 10th at Foxchase Manor in Manassas, Virginia. Following in the footsteps of MMAC’s excellent first event in Washington DC, Acttain appears to be holding a high-end event with a live band, bikini contest, and a host of entertainment leading up to 11 amateur bouts. Purple belt in Gaijin Ryu Jiu-Jitsu, Matt Wilchinski, of Baltimore, Maryland comes to Virginia to make his amateur fighting debut. We had a chance to talk with him about his MMA background, and the Baddest Man on the Planet show.
_________________
BloodyKnux- What’s your training background?
Matt Wilchinski- I train at Gaijin Ryu Dojo with Master Lee Epperson and Master Nate Taylor. Our workouts are split up. On Mondays we focus on submission grappling and boxing, on Tuesdays, kickboxing and
Jiu-Jitsu. Wednesday, Submission grappling and kickboxing and Thursdays is kickboxing and Jiu-Jitsu in the evening.
BK- How did you come to start training at Gaijin Ryu Dojo?
MW- About 5 years ago, my best friend’s brother in law owns a Dojo in Owings Mills. That’s how I met Master Lee, and since them wherever Master Lee has been teaching his classes for the past 5 years. I took Judo for a little while in high school, and wrestled since I was a little kid. For four years I traveled around wrestling for the Connecticut national team. In college I focused mainly on football, but I’d work with the team when they were prepping for nationals for 2 or 3 years. Jiu-Jitsu is our primary focus at the school, and I have my purple belt under Master Lee.
BK- What are Master Lee Epperson’s credentials?
MW- He’s a Hachi-Dan (8th Dan) in Gaijin Ryu Jiu-Jitsu, and holds belts in American Kenpo Karate, and certifications in many other martial arts like Jiu-Jitsu de Brasil, Faixa Roxa under Carlson Gracie, Jr., Judo, Ni-Dan under O-Sensei Philip S. Porter and Mi Guk Kwan Hapkido, Chil Dan under Ed Annibale.
BK- What made you want to compete in this tournament?
MW- I’m a competitive person, and I’ve been training for the past 5 years and it’s about time to step into the ring or the cage and test out what I’ve got against other guys. It’s something that’s filling the void in my life right now. I’ve always been competitive and it’s in my nature to compete in this sport.
I’ve been a football coach at the college level for the past couple years, and one of the reasons I left was I wanted to train more, live a healthier life style and this is something I want to pursue.
BK- How did you end up competing in the Baddest Man on the Planet promotion?
MW- Master Lee told me that he wanted me to drop down to 205 for November, and probably about a month ago we found out who the promoter was and where the event was going to happen. From what I understand, they’re going to have the people’s champion match, where if there is no knockout or submission, then the fans get to vote. They’re going to set up a sort of a league, and hopefully have events every couple months with the top two guys fighting for a championship.
BK- What do you know about your opponent?
MW- All I know is he’s 5’11 around 235, and that he’s a bouncer at a nightclub, and that’s pretty much it. Honestly, a fight’s a fight. I trained to fight, I’m going to go in there and execute my game plan. I think know from training for the past 5 years, I’ll be able to make adjustments as I need to. Cardio wise, I’ll be pushing the pace. It’s frustrating on one hand, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
BK- How do you feel about the second round being stand-up only?
MW- I’m ok with it. I think what it does for the promotion it creates a lot more action for an amateur event. It’ll test what guys know. If one guys a better grappler, but he doesn’t have very good stand up he’s going to be in trouble in the second round if the fight goes that far. They’re all professional rules. We had guys in amateur shows up in Jersey, and in those shows, there are special rules for amateurs like no elbows on the ground, but we can do that in this show.
BK- Thanks for talking with us, and good luck this Saturday!
MW- Thanks!
- Jim “DC Books” Kirkland
For more information on The Baddest Man on the Planet, visit-
www.ACTTAIN.com
Discuss the event here-
http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30132
A big thanks to Matt and Hakim Alston of Acttain promotions.
Tune in Sunday for results and an event review!