With a recent first round TKO over Bob “The Beast” Sapp, Bobby Lashley is now 4-0 in his young MMA career. With each new fight Lashley has taken steps up in competition. At the same time, his MMA skills are noticeably improving.

Many expected the former WWE wrestler to take a similar path as UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar who joined the UFC after just one professional fight. Lashley, however is taking a more gradual approch. In fact, he is actually paying his dues in the MMA world. There was a lot of talk when Lesnar first entered the UFC and got a quick title shot that he did not deserve it. Lashley wants to avoid that kind of controversy.

Lashley joined host Larry Pepe on the second half of Monday night’s Pro MMA Radio show to talk about his June 27th bout with Sapp, what it was like to deal with the big man’s weight and power, when fans can expect to see him back in action, and how long it will be before we see him in the “big show.”

Here are some highlights of Bobby Lashley’s appearance on Pro MMA Radio on July 1, 2009:

How did he feel to you? He was 322 lbs. He out-weighed you by 67 lbs., which in MMA is an unfamiliar spot for you to be in; how was that size to deal with for you? “Well, for me it was easy I felt, just from having a wrestling background, I kind of know how to position myself when I fight somebody really heavy like that. You can’t take on their strength all the time. You’ve got to move around so you’re not facing all their power.”

“If I had gotten in full mount I’m not even sure my knees would have been touching the ground, maybe one of them.”

How well did you get along with Bob when you did promotional stuff with him? “You can’t not like him. He really doesn’t mean any harm. He’s kind of a more goofier character. You can’t not like him, he’s funny. He’s just like a big giant teddy bear almost. But he’s a tough fighter you know. Regardless of anything else, the guy hits really hard.”

“You gotta give the guy credit. He knocked out Ernesto Hoost who is arguably one of the best stand up guys around, and he knocked him out twice. So, the guy does have punching power.”

Lashley said he is already back in the gym training and they are looking for his next fight. Most likely his next bout will be in August or maybe September. He said he will be fighting for the same organization who put on “Ultimate Chaos” and that they are having a couple more pay per views coming up. One of them could possibly be in Lashley’s home state of Colorado.

When asked how me more fights he thinks it will take before he makes the jump to one of the larger promotions such as the UFC, Lashley said, “I try to let my trainers and manager do that, because if it were up to me I would say ‘I want it right now,’ cause that’s every fighter’s mentality… I know they talked with Strikeforce but I don’t know about the UFC.”

Taking the previous question one step further, Lashley was asked how many more fights he thinks his management wants him to have before making the jump to one of the big shows he replied, “Two or three, I’m gonna say three.”

Lashley made it clear when it does come time for him to move on to the big stage, he wants to already be ranked in the top ten or fifteen in the world. He does not want to go in and then have to work his way up from the bottom. He wants to get that out of the way before he goes to one of the big shows.

He compared this idea to what would happen if Fedor came into the UFC. If Fedor came into the UFC he would not be starting from the bottom. Most likely he would get a title shot right away or at the most he may have one fight first. That is what Lashley is talking about. He wants to be at least close to that level.

Lashley said from the money he earned in the WWE he purchased 17 rental houses and put another chunk of it in the stock market.

Pro MMA Radio with host Larry Pepe broadcasts live every Monday night beginning at 6pm PT/9pm ET. Visit www.prommaradio.comto hear this most recent episode, which also includes an interview with Dan Henderson talking about his upcoming UFC 100 bout with Michael Bisping, as well as all the free archives.

Photos courtesy of Combat LIfestyle.

By:  Jack Bratcher

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