UFC middleweight contender Ed "Short Fuse" Herman took time out of his busy training schedule to answer questions from the fans shortly before his showdown with Scott Smith in Ireland at UFC 72. Check it out!
Q: When Forrest Griffin and Stephon Bonnar had their first war on the finale, we got to see a rematch. You and Kendall had a similar type of fight (back and fourth). Do you ever think we'll see you two fight again?
A: I hope so. I'm sure they want to build us both up first. We will have to make sure the money's right too for both our sakes. Ha!
Q: What do you walk around at and do you think you'll ever drop down to 170?
A: I walk around at about 210. 200 closer to fight time. So no, I don't think I'll go down to 170.
Q: Who is the best guy at any weight class that you've trained with?
A: Damn that's hard to say. I've trained with a lot of great fighters: Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, and Dan Henderson it's too hard to say.
Q: Hypothetically speaking, if you were not a part of Team Quest, what other team would you train with and why?
A: Maybe ATT. They seem to have a solid camp. I look forward to taking a trip down there to train. There are a lot of great gyms out there.
Q: I know Randy Couture is a mentor to you. What was it like seeing him capture the heavyweight title at the age of 43?
A: It was really cool to see him back on top.
Q: Training or in a fight, who has rocked you the hardest? What do you think of Sokoudjou? Good luck Ed!
A: Dan Henderson with a left hook. Terry is a stud. He has a very bright future.
Q: You guys seemed to be bored to death in the house at times. What was the hardest part about being in the house during the show and would you ever want to coach a season?
A: I would say being away from my girl, my family, and no phone calls - nothing that was too hard. Yeah, I would coach. That would be fun. They get more freedom!
Q: Did you get into a lot of street fights when you were younger, hence the name, "Short Fuse"?
A: No, not a lot, but a few. Chris Leben gave me the name when I lost my temper on him for spitting on some drunk dude on my new couch 4 years ago.
Q: That was a sweet armbar you landed against Chris Price. I think you could have even subbed him with a rear naked choke. How important was it for you to get into the win column and what made you take the arm instead of the neck?
A: It was nice to get a win! The arm was there and my instincts took over, plus I was getting a little high on his back.
Q: Scott Smith likes to throw bombs from hell. I'm sure you want to take this fight straight to the ground. My question is how do you avoid the bombs to get inside?
A: Punch my way in up the middle and look to beat him up in the clinch; he throws hooks, so up the middle.
Q: How different will it be for you to fight in Ireland and did you change up your training schedule to adjust to the time difference?
A: It will be a blast to fight in Belfast I'm excited! I will adjust when I get there.
Q: I know that Team Quest South recently brought in Shawn Tompkins to help out with striking. Would you like to see a big name like Rob Kaman come up north? Some of the guys like Chris Wilson have been making trips down to the California gym. Do you have any plans to do that?
A: I would love to have Kaman up north. Yes, I will be traveling down south more after this fight to train at TQ south and hopefully with Kaman too. Thanks!
Ed Herman: I want to thank everyone for their great questions and all their support. I would also like to thank Percy and my sponsors: Warriors Wear (premier fight gear), MMA Wearhouse (for all your MMA gear needs), Condom Depot (safety first), Volant (cold air intakes and exhausts), and Reo Cash Flow (learn how to triple your income).
FightHype.com would like to thank Ed Herman for taking time out of his busy training schedule to answer these questions.