ALEX ‘REIDINATOR’ REID V JASON ‘BADASS’ BARRETT Live on Primetime

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“If he thinks I’m a joke great, you keep thinking I’m a fool. When that cage door shuts and the bell goes let’s see how much of a joke I really am” – Alex Reid, ahead of his fight

No matter what people say or think about Alex Reid, he is the most famous MMA fighter in the UK. Love him or hate him he has, in his own words, made MMA ‘more socially acceptable’ in this country. Ahead of his fight with Jason Barrett at Cage Rage UK Presents: UCMMA 22: Warrior Creed, live on Pay-Per-View channel Primetime, Mike Breton caught up with The Reidernater.

You mentioned at previous UCMMA shows that you wanted to concentrate on your acting career, why did you decide to fight again?

I don’t consider what I have done in the past as acting. It’s more of a performance, I’m an entertainer. Fighting and competing in Martial Arts takes up so much time and I love it to pieces but I’ve always had a great love for film and TV and playing different characters. But Jason started hounding me non-stop. I am a man and I am still a Martial Arts competitor and I don’t want to condone anyone chasing or hounding anyone for a fight, but the bottom line is it got to the point were he came to my gym and it got ugly. Then he kicked off with me at a UCMMA show and I felt that Dave O’Donnell (the promoter) had stitched me up which I felt was rude. Then Jason followed me to a restaurant in Soho which was ridiculous and my girlfriend was very scared. When he attacked me I double under-hooked him and spun him around and threw him against the wall and I thought to myself ‘that was really easy’ and I got pulled off him. I thought to myself ‘yeah I’ll take this fight’.

At the official Primetime press conference you were drinking champagne; do you think this gives the sport a bad image?

If people want to start slandering my name because I was drinking champagne, come on. It’s showmanship. I take this sport very seriously but that is a part of the razzmatazz of it. At the end of the day it is a bit of a performance - like I say we are not just fighters we are entertainers. I am taking this fight very seriously and I did want to get in his head a bit. If he thinks I’m a joke great, you keep thinking I’m a fool. When that cage door shuts and the bell goes let’s see how much of a joke I really am.

Jason seemed to get the upper hand in the war of words at the press conference. He said your dreams of being 007 had come true as you’ve lost your last seven fights. Did Jason words get under your skin or did you find it humorous?

I found it very humorous - I think he is great and knows how to sell a fight. You have to sell the fight. As much as it is entertainment, when that cage door shuts it is real, the other guy is trying to kill you haha. The majority of the fighters and athletes that compete in Mixed Martial Arts are sportsmen and gentlemen - it is aggressive and brutal but it’s not malicious or nasty.


I think you have been really clever using mind games with Jason ahead of this fight. You have been going quietly about your business and taking a gentlemen’s approach, while the fight for Jason has become personal, do you agree?

Absolutely. I have had trouble preparing for this fight with a nagging shoulder injury and I am also a businesses man now. I have my gym franchise, athletic clothing and also I am seen as a celebrity and I’m still doing a lot of interviews. I recently had an argument with Brad Pickett and he said to me ‘why are you going to that awards show instead of training?’ Au contraire. I believe that I have helped - without sounding disrespectful to the sport - I think that my celebrity status has helped the sport. People outside of MMA aren’t really interested in the sport. If I had it my way all I would do all day is train, eat sleep and practice my Martial Arts. I’m not being arrogant or ignorant about my celebrity, I’m using what I’ve got to actually raise the awareness of MMA. All I do is talk about MMA in every interview but the press aren’t interested they just want to know what’s going on in my personal life. I’m boxing clever with the media to raise the awareness of MMA. I love MMA and I am a pioneer of the sport in this country and I am using every tool available to try and raise awareness. People think I am a joke but hang on a minute, I do feel really proud of what I have done for MMA in this country making it more socially acceptable.

You’re set to headline the first pay-per-view card by a UK MMA promotion, how proud are you to make history?

That makes me very proud and I hope that this is the start of more to come, more UK MMA. I have always envisaged doing this type of stuff in the sport. I remember looking and wanting to be on posters in Martial Arts magazines and I’ve done that now and now I’m on a pay-per-view card and it feels amazing. It’s funny because I kind of retired to go into acting but now I am back to doing what I love. Some people say I’m not serious but I do love this and I do love acting equally and I want to do all these things and this chance has really inspired me to get into shape. Even with my busy time commitments I party hard and I’m working hard and being a businessman - my life is full throttle. There is no rest for the wicked and as soon as I get up I am all go.

Jason said in a recent interview that all the pressure is on you to win this fight, would you agree with this statement?

There’s always pressure and I thrive on it. Pressure is not a bad thing it’s a good thing and there is more pressure on me than Jason but even with my nagging injuries here and there I fight with total disregard to my body. I’ve had some real wars in the cage and as Jason said, they have taken some of the mineral out of me. But one thing I do have is a lot of heart.

Will this be your last MMA fight or will we see you in the cage again?


This won’t be the last time you see me in the cage. As for competing with other guys… who knows?

Cage Rage UK Presents: UCMMA 22: Warrior Creed:

Warrior Creed – Alex Reid V Jason Barrett is live and exclusive on Primetime, Channel 480 on Sky and Virgin on Demand.
To watch call 0871 200 4444 or go online to www.primetimelive.co.uk. Existing customers can buy through Box office and Virgin Media customers buy through More on Demand > Live events.

 

To keep up to date with all the latest from Primetime on this UCMMA event keep an eye on the primetime website http://www.primetimelive.co.uk/news/category/ucmma/

 

There are an awful lot of people wanting to watch this..... they may not be MMA fans but people are definitely buying it!

 

I'd be shocked if it beats Khan but pre sales are very solid for this..... the wonders of the Now magazine audience