13 QUESTIONS FOR ELITEXC STAR JOEY VILLASENOR

By: Ron 'The Yacman' Yacovetti

WATCH CBS & ELITEXC "SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS" LIVE ON CBS MAY 31st AT 9PM ET/PT!

1. Your career started out at 15-0 – Do you feel you received the respect that kind of start deserves?

Well yeah and actually my career didn’t start at 15-0, I was 3-3 then I won 16 to 17 straight or something like that. I’ve put in a lot of hard work and I’ve been in this sport for a long time, so yeah I think I’ve earned it.

2. You’ve fought for a few of the other guys before signing with EliteXC - how important is the personal and professional treatment of the fighters to you?

I think it’s probably the most important thing - how you're treated by a company and by people in that company.  We’re not a dime a dozen, we’re MMA fighters and we need to be treated with respect in all facets. It sucks when you feel treated like a robot or something.

3. What role do spirituality, family and moral values play in the career and life of Joey Villasenor?

This question is pretty easy, I think that’s why I do it.  I fight, not just for the passion and the love of the sport, but for the love of my friends and my family. I want to share these things with these people. It’s the number one thing. I ain't makin' millions, ya know?

4. At what point in your career did you come into contact with Greg Jackson and how did you know you wanted to work with him?

Early on in my career - about 7 years ago. 7-8 yrs ago I heard about him, met him, then started cross training with him. The rest is history. I moved down to Albuquerque like 5 years ago and I've been with him consistently since then.

5. What changes in your work ethic, style, conditioning do you feel might not be as fine-tuned as they now are, if not for working alongside Greg Jackson?

I would have to say that the biggest thing is my mental game, then being exposed to a lot of great athletes, the physical training and the conditioning.  Nutrition is something that each individual athlete does himself… its not run by the gym, it’s what works for them.

6. Of all the highly talented fighters in your camp, who pushes you the hardest and makes you dig deep during training for a fight?

I think all of us would have the same answer - Mr. Keith Jardine. He’s an animal and the team captain.

7. Which fight taught you the most, good and bad, about yourself as a fighter?

I would have to say the Ninja fight. The Ninja fight really was the biggest fight mentally and physically. I learned a lot from it. We changed my training program and added different conditioning programs. I found out where my limits were and overpushed them in that fight. Similar things happened with the Jensen fight. I think the Ninja fight helped me prepare for the Jensen fight and for these types of fights mentally.

8. Which fighter(s) do you look up to the most and why?

My girlfriend, Holly Holm. She’s a pro boxer and a two time ring magazine female boxer of the year. She trains very hard and she motivates me because she trains so hard.  That makes me feel like I have to go out there and match her. She's young, tough and beautiful. She carries around the weight of being a star athlete in Albuquerque. She’s regarded as the number one female boxer in the world and she handles it great. She’s very inspiring.

9. How important is being the right type of athlete in the eyes of kids, in and out of the cage?

I think it's very important. I think it's one of the most important things out there. I think it's where the word professional comes into play as an athlete - greatness in and outside of the cage. Kids want to be champions, on TV and to do all the things the athletes want to do. We need to show them the right way to carry themselves outside of the sporting event.

10. What’s your favorite joke? – be it a joke book joke, a comedian’s joke you watched, etc.

My favorite joke…hmm, that's hard...one joke that I always tell is this:

A bear and a rabbit are taking a dump next to each other, outside in woods. The bear looks down at the rabbit and asks, "Do you have trouble with shit sticking to your fur?" The rabbit says, "No. Not at all." So the bear grabs the rabbit and and wipes his ass with him.

(A pause - then Joey Laughs Out Loud (LOL)

11. You’ve been called “Smokin’ Joe” and “The Dream-Smasher” – if you were legally allowed only ONE nickname, which would you go with 100% of the time, and why?

Well legally, if I was allowed just one, I’d have to go with 'Smokin Joe' because that is what most people know me as. The Dream Smasher will always be with me in my heart. He will always be my “aka” - but legally it'd be 'Smokin' Joe'.

12. Greg Jackson is respectfully referred to as ‘Yoda’ – if you had to liken other guys in your camp to other Star Wars Characters, who would they be?

Oh shoot let me see....um...(slightly long pause)

Keith Jardine would have to be Chewbacca.
Nate Marquardt would be C-3PO
Mike Winkeljohn (my coach) would be Darth Vader
Rashad Evans would be Jar-Jar Binks
I would be Wicket W. Warrick the little E-wok. The coolest, nicest E-wok.

13. If you could appear in ANY horror movie or franchise like Nightmare on Elm Street (a dream horror movie), which would you want to be in and what would you be doing in it?

Hands down, hands down Friday the 13th. I would be making love to a girl and then just killed, slashed. You know how Jason does it...those damn teens and their makin' love.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH 'A MUST SEE' JOEY VILLASENOR AND GREG JACKSON INTERVIEW