ADAM STROUP: "I'M NOT FAR BEHIND"
The Colorado MMA scene is stacked with tons of talent who train at some of the best gyms in the world. Factory X Muay Thai would be one of those gyms. Located outside of Denver in Englewood, Factory X is home to some of the best fighters in the game. One of those fighters is middleweight Adam Stroup who holds a 5-1 professional record., He will be fighting fellow Colorado middleweight, Jason "The Dragon" Lee, on Friday July 18th in Castle Rock for Sparta Combat League's "Heat" event.
I recently sat down with Adam to talk about his upcoming fight with Jason Lee, his tryout for The Ultimate Fighter and what motivates him in and out of the cage.
LS: "How you doing my man?"
AS: "Doing good man, just trying to get skinny."
LS: "The last time you were in the cage, you were trying out for The Ultimate Fighter. What was that experience like for you?"
AS: "It was really cool, except I wish I would have won. It would have been way cooler if I had won but, it was cool to be out in Vegas seeing the big names, the big refs and to see how the big show works. I wish I could have gone farther in the show but I think its a learning experience and a confidence booster knowing the caliber guy I fought that day." (Adam fought TUF finalist, Dhiego Lima to get in the house)
LS: "What was going through your head when you were walking into the cage on TUF?"
AS: "Everybody is nervous for every fight but, it was just kind of awkward because usually when I fight, ya know, you have the music of your choosing, its kind of dark, the music is bumping and people are yelling. There were maybe thirty or forty people and they were doing like a golf clap as you entered the cage, which is kind of weird ya know?"
LS: "I've been to almost all of your fights and I know how you come out to Slayer, it's usually dark and your family is there...it's fucking rowdy."
AS: "It feels good when you're walking out, but that was just kind of weird."
LS: "What did you do wrong in the fight? Did you make any mistakes that you remember?"
AS: "You know when it first happened, before I saw it, in my mind I felt like I just wasn't active enough which ya know, very well could be but then I sit back and look and I tried to come after him harder in the second round and that's when he caught me with that nice counter punch. Really I just think he is a little farther down the path than me, ya know? It's not that he is that much better, he's just had a little more time in the ring, a little more time in the gym and it showed when we met in the cage. I think if I had more time, I think it would have been a totally different result. At that point when we met up, he was better than me, had more skills, more confidence, whatever it was and he legitimately beat me.
LS: "You were scheduled to have a title fight with Sparta Combat League last September but TUF popped up and you got pulled out of that fight. Now you got a title shot this Friday against Jason Lee. How have you prepared yourself for this?"
AS: "Just going real hard ya know? I mean the guys that I have to train with at Factory X, I believe are all-around higher caliber than Jason Lee. I mean that's just my assumption. Two of my training partners have already beat Jason Lee. It's not that it means I am going to automatically beat him, but that's where my confidence lies in every fight. The people I go against every day like Dustin Jacoby with Glory, Bellator contenders like Brian Rogers and Chris Camozzi, long time UFC vet. My confidence is high where I'm at as far as my skill level."
LS: "The last time you actually fought was the TUF fight back in September 2013. Do you worry about cage rust?"
AS: "I don't really feel it. I don't think so because I get nervous going in there sparring with those guys I was telling you about earlier ya know what I mean?" Of course its different for a fight but if you want to be completely honest, I rather fight Jason Lee than have to spar some of these guys. They don't take it easy on me and they are coming in there to beat on me and that's just fine. That's what gets me ready for these kind of matches."
LS: "So when you go in there to spar against these UFC, Bellator and Glory fighters, do you look at it like you can hang with these guys? Do you see yourself at that next level?
AS: "I feel like my level is not quite where they're at but I mean I'm not far behind ya know what I mean? I have my moments where I feel like hey I won that round. Then sometimes I have moments where I am like damn, that sucked. I don't feel like I am light years behind them by any means but they are definitely at this point at a higher level. They deserve to be there just from the guys they beat, to the time they spend on the mat. I don't feel far behind. I don't feel like I don't fit in with them."
LS: "If you weren't a MMA fighter, what would you be?"
AS: "Oh man I have no idea. I don't even want to think about that because I would probably be working on a construction site somewhere and that is no fun at all."
LS: "I thought you would be either a stripper or a porn star?"
AS: "I would but they just don't pay enough. There is just not enough money in that."
LS: "What motivates you in and out of the cage?"
AS: "One of the most motivating things about fighting is, if you don't put in 100%, your going to get your ass kicked and your going to get your ass kicked in front of your own family. That's what really motivates me, my family. I want to be the best I can be and half-assing isn't going to get me there."
LS: "Your walkout song is usually Slayer, what are we going to hear Friday night?"
AS: "Uh...that's a surprise. Going to have to switch it up a little bit."
LS: "Why should people come to the Douglas County fairgrounds this Friday night?"
AS: "Ah man...if you haven't heard about it already, it's going down. In my mind I don't see this hitting the mat. If you see some of my old fights, they are pretty brutal. I plan on doing some brutal stuff Friday night. I think Jason Lee has the same intentions towards me, which I love the fact that he does.You're going to see what mixed martial arts is all about. We're just going to put it all on the line and it's going to get nasty."
LS: "I really appreciate the time. Best of luck to you in your fight"
AS: "Alright, thanks Luke. I appreciate it."
Adam Stroup vs. Jason Lee for the Sparta Combat League Middleweight Championship goes down on Friday July 18, 2014, Live at the Douglas County Event Center
500 Fairgrounds Rd, Castle Rock, CO 80104
