H.I.T. Squad welterweight fighter Brian Foster (11-3) was all set to make his UFC debut against Paul “Semtex” Daley at UFC 103 Sept. 19 in Dallas, Texas. Due to an injury to Mike Swick, the UFC was forced to move Daley up to fight Swick’s opponent Martin Kampmann leaving Foster in limbo as to whether he would still be fighting on the card. The UFC acted quickly however and brought in Portland, Ore., native Rick Story (7-3) to replace Daley.
PROMMA.INFO recently had the chance to talk with Brian about his UFC debut, how he is dealing with the change in opponents, and what fans can expect to see when the Shine Fights veteran and former MOTC Welterweight Champion steps inside the Octagon.
PRO MMA: How has training been going for your UFC debut?
BRIAN FOSTER: Great! Little rough at times but it’s to be expected…
PRO MMA: You’re currently training at The H.I.T. Squad Gym is that correct?
BRIAN FOSTER: Yeah the night of the fight will be my one year mark.
PRO MMA: Who are some of the guys you get to train with there at The H.I.T. Squad?
BRIAN FOSTER: I train with Matt Hughes, Robbie Lawler, Matt Veach, Jon Madson and a few others. We have a good camp with plenty of people with all different kind of strengths to help prepare for a fight.
PRO MMA: What advice has some of the veterans given you about the whole UFC experience?
BRIAN FOSTER: They’re just telling me to do my thing. If I fight like I train then it should be a good night for us.
PRO MMA: How did you feel when you first heard your original opponent Paul “Semtex” Daley had been moved up to fight Martin Kampmann?
BRIAN FOSTER: I thought “good for him.” I would’ve done the same thing because beating Kampmann would put you on the road to a title shot faster and/or put you in the top ten welterweights in the world.
PRO MMA: Rick Story has been rumored to be your new opponent. Is that official or are they still trying to find you an opponent?
BRIAN FOSTER: As far as I know it has been confirmed.
PRO MMA: Has your training changed since you have a new opponent?
BRIAN FOSTER: No. We don’t really train for a specific opponent we just get to know his weaknesses as well as his strengths and incorporate certain things into our daily regimen based on that.
PRO MMA: How did your friends and family react when you told them you would be fighting in the UFC?
BRIAN FOSTER: Everybody was excited. It was to be expected with all the fights I have been in since I’ve started.
PRO MMA: What is a typical training day for you right now?
BRIAN FOSTER: I live in the fighters dorms that the H.I.T. Squad has. I get up about 8 a.m. and grab a bite to eat and listen to a little music to try and get me motivated for the upcoming day of training. I walk across the parking lot to the gym for our 9:30 strength and conditioning. It is something different everyday depending on which coach is running it, whether it is Coach Hughes, Coach Fiore, etc. It is always rough. After the morning workout me and the other guys sit around and BS for a while. It is then back to the dorms to rest and fuel up with some food. At 4 p.m. I head over to the gym to work positioning and technique. Some days I instruct some of our amateur guys. At 5 p.m. we go live. It is either grappling, sparring, ground n’ pound etc. I also do some teaching on certain nights of the week for the amateurs. After that I head back to the fighters dorms to rest up for the next days grind.
PRO MMA: When did you first get the call to the UFC?
BRIAN FOSTER: About six weeks out which was great!
PRO MMA: What can fans expect to see when they watch you fight at UFC 103?
BRIAN FOSTER: The “WOW” factor. I think you will see a hard working, well-conditioned athlete that loves his job.
PRO MMA: Is there any shout out’s or thank you’s you want to give?
BRIAN FOSTER: I would like to thank all the people that have helped and supported me. My family, friends, fans and a special thanks to my coach Marc Fiore and the team at The H.I.T. Squad.
PRO MMA: Thank you Brian for taking time out to speak with PROMMA.INFO. We wish you well in your fight.
BRIAN FOSTER: You’re welcome I hope you like what you see. Just don’t blink.
By: Dusty Adams