Fight Hub TV caught up with Greco Roman Olympic alternate and up and coming MMA fighter Shanon Slack! Slack who currently lives in Southern California, shares the crazy story of how Dominic Cruz and the Nogueira brothers eventually lead him to compete in MMA. It makes for a very intersting read and we can’t wait to see how Slack’s career shapes up!
FHTV: You used to train in San Diego, what was the driving force to pack up and move to LA?
SS: Long Story..lol. Yeah, I used to train at Alliance in San Diego. Me and Dominick Cruz were each others main training partners, I was his wrestling coach and he helped
me with footwork on my feet, but I was having trouble getting fights and took a job as a financial analyst for a fortune 500 company (not sure if i can say their name). So I moved to Nebraska, worked for them and coached at the University of Nebraska Omaha, that is where I met Jake Ellenberger and that is why you always see me and Ellenberger training together, now he comes out to California and stays with me to train. Anyway when I was training in Nebraska, Houston Alexander was still in
the UFC and he and I used to work out and actually spar together hard. We would finish sparring hard and he would tell me “man your the best in the world I think you can beat B.J Penn you need to do this you have an education so you can always go back to work if you want.” So I thought about it, then shortly Rodrigo Noguiera called me and asked could I help him get ready for Randy Couture. So he flew me out to San Diego and I stayed with Rodrigo, Junior Dos Santos, Sergio Laman, Professor Doriea and the rest of the Brazilian guys in the camp until his fight. After his fight I flew back to Nebraska and Rodrigo called me again and asked if I could go to Brazil to train and help his brother Rogerio out with wrestling for his UFC debut. I went to Brazil and Rodrigo took me all over the place. I went to Bahia and trained with Junior Dos Santos in boxing, Sao Paulo to Demain Maia’s Gym, Rio to Noguiera’s gym and Florinopolis to party! When I got back from Brazil I decided to just move back to California permanently and train because these guys who were legends were telling me how good I was so I guess I started believing them and told myself I was gonna make a run at it. I always laugh because Big Nog used to tell me, “It is your time now Pequenino, it is your time.”
FHTV: You’re considered one of the best Greco-Roman Wrestlers in the world, what caused you to want to test the waters of MMA?
SS: Well I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do another Olympic Cycle but I knew I still wanted to compete and I saw a lot of wrestlers doing MMA. So I tried
it out and I loved it.
FHTV: Who do you think is the toughest wrestler in MMA currently and retired?
SS: Toughest Wrestler who is an MMA fighter currently meaning he’s best in MMA all around is Mo Lawall. We lived at the Olympic Training Center together and he’s a phenomenal athlete and a real student of the sport. Once his knee heals up I just don’t see how anyone is gonna beat him. A 100% Mo Lawall doesn’t lose to anyone. Best Pure Wrestler in MMA is Daniel Cormier. Toughest Wrestler retired would have to be Karelin I guess but he only had one fight.
FHTV: What is your ultimate goal in the sport of MMA?
SS: To be the best in the world, hold belts in multiple weight classes, and help bring in the sport to true main stream status where guys are
getting sponsored with Coca-Cola and you see MMA on ESPN. Where fighters are household names and looked at like basketball and football stars in America and soccer stars overseas.
FHTV: What would be your dream fight, any weight class?
SS: It was Kid Yammamoto and we were supposed to fight last year but he didn’t accept it or backed out. I’m not sure which. I know Dream offered it to him though. I would still want to fight him but other than that Urijah Faber, but he dropped a weight class so those fights probably wont ever happen now.
FHTV: When can we expect to see you in the cage?
SS: Hopefully soon, I have had a lot of guys back out of fights or not accept them, which is ridiculous because I have 1 fight. I is not like I Knocked out GSP or some other top level guy in that fight either. So I do not understand why guys are pulling out. Hopefully soon though maybe in Japan in April.
FHTV: Being at Blackhouse and Reign, your surrounded by top level guys. What is a normal day of training for you like.
SS: There is actually a video on the net about this exact question here is the link, check it out!!! http://www.heightsla.com/blog/2011/01/11/shanon-slack-just-another-day/
FHTV: What has been the hardest part for you transitioning over to the sport of MMA?
SS: For me it was BJJ. I still wanted to compete in wrestling and wrestling is good for Jui-Jitsu but Jui-Jitsu is not good for wrestling in a technical aspect.
FHTV: What do you think of your teammate Junior Dos Santos vs Brock Lesnar on this coming season of The Ultimate Fighter?
SS: I think its great for Junior! He is a really cool guy and works super hard. People will get to see what kind of guy he is and I am stoked that he is going to get that kind of exposure. He has worked really hard on his English and his fighting. He deserves it and I am happy for him.
FHTV: Would you ever think about doing the Ultimate Fighter to get a faster shot in the UFC?
SS: We’ve talked about it, I would consider it but my manager Ed Soares and the UFC have already talked and are talking about me so depending on how
things workout I could be in the UFC a lot quicker than the show actually takes place.
FHTV: Any shout outs?
SS: Crooks&Castles, Blackhouse MMA, Jokers MMA, Team Thirsty, Oliver Peoples Sunglasses, Joker Guymon, Jason Bell, Apolo Ohno, Houston Alexander, Dominic Cruz, Rodrigo Noguiera, Zak Smith, Robert Moiser, Dean Lister, Reign MMA, Brad Pitt, Abel Nunez, Emma Watson, Jake Ellenberger and Bakare Clothing!
