"I want to be the only guy to go from all of these different arenas, American Kickboxing, Boxing to Thai Boxing to be successful in MMA. I guess then I will be done; exercised my demons that are still in meÂ…I still have a lot of fight left in me," stated kickboxing legend turned mixed martial artist Rick "The Jet" Roufus as he talked about his upcoming October 11th clash with Hector Ramirez at "Night of Combat II." Check out what he had to say about the fight, his future plans and much more.
PC: It's an honor to speak with you. I'm a big fan.
RR: Well thank you. I appreciate that.
PC: How is everything going?
RR: Real good.
PC: How is training going for your fight against Hector Ramirez on October 11th?
RR: It's going good, good; real good. I'm excited for the opportunity and I'm preparing very intelligently and smart.
PC: Ramirez is a very tough guy. He went the distance with the current UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin. How do you like this matchup?
RR: He is a standup fighter and a wrestler so I have to be on my P's & Q's. I've got the luxury of being at the Lion's Den. I moved Roufus Kickboxing right in there. I have the luxury of working with All-American wrestlers and a lot of good people so I'm getting a lot of good help and a lot of support.
PC: How much has your ground game developed?
RR: It takes a while. I have a couple of losses because of the fact of being taken down to the ground, but I just kept working man. I'm not a quitter. I have a never-stop attitude and I have been working with Edwin Dewees, who has been helping me, and even sparred with Joe Riggs so I feel good. You know, you just keep working at it. Just like when I was in standup, I kept working at it and just got better and better. I want to be the only guy to go from all of these different arenas, American Kickboxing, Boxing to Thai Boxing to be successful in MMA. I guess then I will be done; exercised my demons that are still in me.
PC: You were a little reluctant about participating in MMA at first. What changed your mind and are you surprised by the growth and popularity of mixed martial arts?
RR: I still have a lot of fight left in me. I love to fight. If somebody wants to fight, then I'm saying, "How high do you want to jump; let's get froggy." It is incredible how main stream MMA is. The sport of Kickboxing never ever ever took off in my hayday the way this sport has. This sport has become such a household name and it's phenomenal. I think it's only getting bigger and bigger and I think now you're going to see Affliction, who has teamed up with Golden Boy, try and get an HBO deal and if they can get an HBO deal, that would be great. It's getting bigger and bigger so the sky is the limit.
PC: You were so dominant for so long in Kickboxing. Do you feel like this is starting over or just a new chapter?
RR: It's another chapter, but a smarter chapter. Most guys aren't going to want to stand with me and that's why I had to learn a good takedown defense. I'm trying to learn all of the right moves and to not be taken down and if I do, relax on the ground and be able to escape quickly.
PC: How has it been dealing with Kim Couture (KC Concepts) and the Superfight MMA guys?
RR: Kim is phenomenal. She's been awesome. I wish everyone was as easy to deal with as her. She's really been a wonderful person. I called her about a month ago because I heard she was involved with a card to replace the Affliction show. She said the card was filled, but she would keep my name and number and next thing you know, they wouldn't let Mike Whitehead fight and she called me and I'm like, "Yes, I want to fight!" (Laughing) It was a great opportunity and I appreciate her calling me back.
PC: What do you feel is Hector's strength and do you feel like every time out, it's going to be you defending takedowns?
RR: Aw, without a doubt. I know he's going to take me down. I'm well aware of that and like I said, I've got All-American Wrestlers over there at the Lion's Den. Kenny Lester is definitely working hard with me.
PC: Has it been a major adjustment to you fighting inside of a cage? I know you've had to fight there before.
RR: To be quite honest, somewhat, in the beginning, it was intimidating because it's different. Now I'm used to it and I'm getting more confident each and every time out and getting strong.
PC: Cung Le proved a lot of people wrong with the success he's had in MMA. What do you think of Le's success?
RR: I think Cung has done tremendously well for himself. He adapted and he's beating a lot of guys and I think he does a great job at what he's doing.
PC: You've been a busy man this year. Would you like to sneak another fight in this year or will this be the last time we see you?
RR: I never look ahead. There is another Strikeforce event and there is a UFC at the end of the year. I don't know, hopefully, if things work out well with Ramirez, the UFC will work something out with me, but I don't know. I will just cross one bridge at a time.
PC: It was an honor to speak with you Rick. Good luck and keep training hard my man. Anything you want to say in closing?
RR: I want to thank all of the supporters and thanks to the Lion's Den AZ for all of their help and tune in October 11th at HDNet because Rick "The Jet" Roufus is back!
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]