WSOF bantamweight Carson Beebe will be fighting in one of the toughest bouts of his career this Saturday as he takes on fellow rising prospect Marlon Moraes in the WSOF 6 co-main event. The trip to the WSOF cage has not been a lonely one for Beebe, as his family – including former WEC champion Chase Beebe – has played a major influence in getting him to where he is today. MMAFrenzy caught up with the bantamweight prospect to discuss his family’s influence, Saturday’s fight and more.
Your opponent, Marlon Moraes, has been one of the breakout prospects for WSOF. How excited are you to be looking to end his run and furthering your own career?
I am pretty excited to test myself against a top tier guy and I look forward to facing off with him. Most have him ranked among the top ten in the world and I am excited to face him.
Do you relish the role of underdog?
Yeah, it’s just a big opportunity and it makes me excited. It gives me an opportunity to show the world what I can really do and that is exciting for me. I really like the position I am in.
Do you feel that your bout with Moraes is almost an unofficial title fight?
I want to start doing a title fight at some point. I mean WSOF is doing their first title fight on this card and 135 is one of the most stacked divisions in the WSOF. I think a title fight is coming and I want to be a part of it.
How did you get started in MMA?
My brother (former WEC champion Chase Beebe) started fighting when I was in HS, so I followed in his footsteps. We were always fans of MMA and we started out scrapping in the basement and trying to tap each other out. Then Chase started fighting professionally and I started training with him. I was at his fights and cornered him a lot and I just fell in love with the sport. It all started from there.
Safe to say MMA has been a family affair for your family?
Yeah, we are all into it. Chase is one of my main workout partners and my other brother Conor is my wrestling coach. It is definitely a family affair.
Before MMA did all of you wrestle as well?
I have been wrestling since I was four years old. All four of my brothers wrestled as well, we’re a long-time wrestling family.
How do you feel about wrestling’s place in MMA and has it almost become a necessity to learn?
I think every fighter out there needs to know at least a little bit of wrestling. I know guys who have been wrestling their whole life will still have an advantage and that’s just because you cannot just become a great wrestler in two years. It takes a lifetime of knowledge and training to get the feel of it. You can become pretty good in other martial arts in a relatively short amount of time but I don’t think that is the same for wrestling.
Has Chase’s success in MMA ever put any pressure on you as a fighter?
I haven’t felt pressure but I have used it as an advantage. Before I got into the sport I already knew a lot about the sport and the business. I also learned what it takes to get to and be at the top of a weight class. Before I was fighting I cornered a WEC championship fight and trained with top level guys. It was a big opportunity.
Did having your family’s wrestling background help prepare you for what dealing with that kind of success/pressure?
Yeah, it has been that way my whole life. Two of my brothers [Conor and Chase] were four-time state champions, so I had big shoes to fill in wrestling before MMA. It is fine for me and it wasn’t a problem.
How have you worked on rounding out your game in MMA?
It is tough to pick up the standup aspect as a wrestler because you don’t like getting hit. So when you are first starting you get hit a lot before you start figuring it all out. First two months of your career you’re getting hit in the head a lot but after that you start to pick it up.
As a fighter, what are your thoughts on the dismissal of Rousimar Palhares?
It comes down to sportsmanship, when someone taps you have to let it go. It should be the same in the gym as it is in the cage. At the end of the day, this is a sport and we’re trying to win the fight, not kill each other. It comes down to character and discipline to stay committed to your sportsmanship.
What is it like to be a part of a growing promotion like WSOF?
Oh WSOF is awesome. It is my favorite, and I am bias, but I think it’s great. The fact that our leader is one of the most adored kickboxers of all time and has pro fights is cool because he knows exactly what it’s like to be in my shoes. He is a fighter’s promoter and he is all about taking care of the fighters and putting on great fights. I love being here.
The lighter weight classes seem to be gaining more respect from promoters but fans haven’t bought in quite as much. Has this made it harder for you as a fighter to find sponsorships and what not?
Yeah, finding sponsors is always tough. You just have to perform in order to put you name out there. I think MMA has universal appeal. There are always people that have a negative opinion of what we do but for the most part I think MMA is more respected now.
Do you feel the success of someone like UFC interim bantamweight champion Renan Barão, whom UFC president Dana White has stated is a pound for pound great, helps legitimize the lower weight classes?
Yeah, definitely! I think 125 helps promotions too. The smaller guys are fun to watch. There’s often a lot more technique than when it’s just two big guys slugging it out. There’s more intricacies to the lighter weight fights most of the time, especially for the hardcore fans of the sport. Bigger guys have a lot more options, like football or basketball, so a lot of the smaller guys have been involved with the sport for a longer period of time.
Anything you want to say to the fans or anyone you want to thank before the fight?
I want to thank my team, Gilbert Grappling, and my management, Sucker Punch Entertainment. As always, I want to give all glory to god. I try to use my platform to show how God can help overcome an obstacle. I want to put all of that on display when I fight October 26.
WSOF 6 will take place on the campus of the University of Miami on October 26. The October 26 lineup will be headlined by a WSOF welterweight championship pairing between Josh Burkman and Steve Carl. The card will be co-headlined by the fast-rising Moraes taking on his fellow prospect in Beebe.
Be sure to look with more interviews with WSOF 6 fight card members throughout the week and tune in this Saturday on WSOF 6. You can follow Carson Beebe on twitter @CarsonBeebeMMA and be sure to tune in when he takes on Marlon Moraes in the WSOF 6 co-main event.
Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy for the latest WSOF 6 and the latest World Series of Fighting News.
Front-Page Photo Credit: WSOF
Category: Johnny Manziel sunday night football Clint Dempsey
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.