By Mike Pisano

Long time Colorado MMA vet Rocky Johnson opens up about life in the fight game and stepping up as main event in the brand new BVV promotion…

FIGHTFAN: Hey Rocky how’s it goin’?

Rocky Johnson: Not bad I just got done with some sparring over at Factory X. Today was my easy day and I will spar there again tomorrow for my last hard sparring session before the fight and then it’s weight-cut week. It’s a great group of guys. There are people that come from all over…there were probably 30 guys over there all beating the piss out of each other.

FIGHTFAN: Who do you beat up and who beats up on you?

Rocky Johnson: I was going with my old buddy Dennis Acuna last night. I trained with him originally over at 3D Martial Arts when I was coached by Clarence Thatch, and then I went with Randy Rowland who is a kickboxer/Muay Thai guy.

FIGHTFAN: We were pleasantly surprised when we heard you were on this card especially after your recent battle with Scott Cleve…

Rocky Johnson: Yeah I was definitely bummed out that it didn’t go my way. It was the turning point that I made the decision that 145 was too small for me. I bumped back up to almost 185 after that fight…I had to cut 17 pounds to make weight the day of weigh-ins and I didn’t recover in time for the fight and I do have to blame that for not being able to finish him in the first round when I had the chance. At 155 I feel a lot stronger and more energetic. Sticking to an extremely strict diet all the time makes the sport not a whole lot of fun…when all you’re thinking about is cutting weight. I mean, I’m 42 years old now and if I can’t continue to make it fun for myself, at least to a certain degree, then why bother doing it?

FIGHTFAN: You’ve been around since 2003, over a decade in the local game, I’m curious, how has MMA evolved in Colorado since you first broke in?

Rocky Johnson: Sure, I started out in Ring of Fire which was originally in a ring. I fought in that promotion for the majority of my early career. ROF became one of the bigger regional promotions and then it changed to the Resurrection Fighting Alliance. Since then, there has since been a big influx of new promoters who think they can jump into the fight game and do well with it but, promoting fights is not an easy money making ordeal. Unfortunately, not all fighters have the morals and ethics that you need to work a really good business. I mean, people drop out of fights for lame reasons…everybody says they want to be a fighter but they’re not willing to put in the sacrifices to actually show up and do it. It’s frustrating because that’s just never been an option for me, to pull out of a fight. I’ve fought multiple fights, which I probably shouldn’t have because I was just too beat up…I mean, torn knees, broken hands and other injuries that I probably shouldn’t have been fighting with…but if you’re going to call yourself a fighter, you might want to live up to it. I always make sure that I make weight. Some of these guys miss weight by ridiculous amounts and that’s just lack of respect for the sport, for your opponent and for the promotion. As the sport grows, you see more and more of that because everybody thinks that they want to be a fighter to get the glamor out of it or find a girlfriend or get groupies or whatever. Well, if that’s why you’re in it, then you’re in it for the wrong reasons and I think that’s why fighters that have been around a long time have been around, because they’re in it for the right reasons. I’m in it because I love the competition and I’m a competitive FREAK. I’ve passed that along to my kids even. My oldest son is a Pan Am world Jiu Jitsu champ, he’s 15….he should be a freshman state champion wrestler  this year at Chaparral High School where I help coach.  My middle son is 13 and he got third in the world’s and my youngest daughter who’s five is a little wrestler also…I don’t know too many five year old girls who can do six pull-ups by themselves! The competitive spirit is definitely high in our family and that is seeded from me I’m sure…

FIGHTFAN: Looking over your record over ten years, do any fights stand out as most memorable? 

Rocky Johnson: I mean everyone can point back to me beating Ben Henderson. That was definitely a fun one. Ben and I are actually still friends and I’m very happy for him that he’s doing as well as he is. Any of my title fights stand out…it’s funny, the fights that you really remember are your toughest fights. I had a war with Luke Holdorf ………That was a huge battle. I had a war with Ryan Roberts up in Vail that ended up in a split decision which I definitely didn’t agree with and neither did the promoter. But the wars are definitely the most fun. You don’t train your butt off to go in and have an easy match. I enjoy the battle.

FIGHTFAN: What was the first thing that popped into your mind when you were presented with Pete Vandervort as an opponent? 

Rocky Johnson: Actually that was a discussion between us because this is like the third time that I’ve had my opponent change in the last couple fights. Joe Kelso, I guess, from what I heard he tweaked his knee. At least he gave as much notice as possible. Unfortunately I’m one of those fighters in Colorado about which most managers will say I’m not a good fight for their fighter because, well, I’m tough, I always have the ability to win, but I don’t have those magical three initials behind my name that they can say that I would be a “good loss.” I’m not a good loss to anybody because I haven’t been in the UFC or Bellator or any of the biggest shows yet, which I’m definitely working on. But people often say, “No, Rocky’s too tough, he’s not an easy fight and if we do lose to him he’s a bad loss because he not like a UFC veteran or something. I’ve had other managers tell me that straight up. Drew Lawrence told me that because I’ve been trying to fight Cameron Dollar forever and, well, according to them, I’m a bad fight. And I would be a bad fight for Cameron Dollar because I’d whoop his ass! And one of these days I am going to whoop his ass if he doesn’t back out for a fourth time and I will get to beat him up.

FIGHTFAN: That brings up a whole new set of questions, but I do have one more about Pete since you are fighting him in your next fight. He’s been in the game about as long as you, and I almost find it odd that you two haven’t fought already.

Rocky Johnson: Yeah, we’re actually friends. We actually trained together at 3D Martial Arts. He’s cornered for me before and he’s also cornered against me…I appreciate Pete stepping in to keep the fight alive and to keep a main event on the show…Pete is going to make a payday also, I never take anybody lightly, but I always go into the cage confident…any fighter is a dangerous fighter, I mean, you’re stepping into a locked cage with a man that’s trained to hurt you.

FIGHTFAN: You said you were still working on those “magical three initials” behind your name. Tell us about that…

Rocky Johnson: I definitely am. I wouldn’t look back at my career as a failure if I didn’t make the UFC or Bellator for example, but if you don’t have that as your goal, to get to the highest level, why are you doing it? MMA is not a bucket list sport. It’s a passion. I don’t do anything half-assed. Everything I’ve ever done in life has been a passion for me; If I get into a martial art, I see it through all the way to a black belt, I’ve wrestled at the top level, I’ve raced motocross at the top level, I actually was on a tournament paintball team that was a professional team. For the UFC, at this point, I would have to go the T.U.F. route. And we all know that they really enjoy drama, so I would go in there as the pissed off old guy that has to be away from his family and friends to go beat up a bunch of punk kids because he’s been overlooked so many times. I mean, that’s the angle I’d have to take and if I go that route that’s what I’ll do. I actually believe Bellator is a much more realistic opportunity. For one thing, they pay a lot better right off the bat. The UFC makes you sign your life away and I’d probably have to get a lawyer involved to protect my company because I own Ugly Ear Fight Gear.

FIGHTFAN: Well thanks for taking so much time with us, we’re looking forward to watching you face Pete.

Rocky Johnson: Very cool. I appreciate it.