1. Hi Stephen, what have you been up to lately?
SQ: I just finished recording the basic tracks for an album for my band 7th Sun. It’s a four piece unit that features JT Curtis on guitar and vocals, Adam Kury on bass and vocals, Mike Russeck on keyboards and little old me on drums and vocals. I actually sing lead vocals on the verse of a song I wrote called “Out Of The Darkness”. That tune clocks in at about 14 minutes!
Listen to 7th Sun at: http://www.MySpace.com/7thSun
The 7th Sun album will be titled “From the Beginning” and we are mixing it right now. I intend to make an international statement as a musician and a drummer! I have also been busy with “Whipped Cream”, which is LOTS of fun:
http://www.MySpace.com/WhippedCreamBand
Of course you probably don’t want to hear about peaceful stuff like music, and there’s LOTS more stuff to talk about in that area. So I will change direction to the obvious, mixed martial arts. I have been blessed to start my second year working for Showtime Networks, commentating on their MMA broadcasts, which means Elite XC (Elite Xtreme Combat) and ShoXC. I work with Mauro Ranallo on both series and Bill Goldberg joins us on the EliteXC events.
It’s an incredibly rewarding gig and the crew is super professional, top of the line. I also just started my 4th year working as a commentator with Cage Rage in England. It’s a great situation and I’m getting better and better at the language [laughs]. Dave [O’Donnell] and Andy [Geer] have always treated me like family and I have called the action on some of the greatest at Cage Rage like Anderson Silva, Melvin Manhoef, Antonio Silva, Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, Zelg Galesic, Paul Daley, the list is endless!
2. How did you get involved with martial arts and MMA?
SQ: I always wanted to be a better fighter and I had heard of the almost magical powers that Karate gave people who trained in it, so I had to get some of that. Almost from my first class I knew this was for me. I started training in Tae Kwan Do under Soonho Song in 1973. He was a very influential instructor in that he helped me develop mentally as well as physically. When I moved to Los Angeles in 1975 to pursue my drumming career, I trained briefly in Shotokan with Takayuki Kubota. Several years after that I had the opportunity to become the understudy to sifu Konrad Wallkes and trained Wing Tsun.
Then I trained for five years under Pete “Sugarfoot” Cunningham at The Jet Center in Van Nuys, California. While I was at The Jet Center I learned about the Gracies in 1991-1992 when I watched the early “Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Action” VHS videotapes. After that I knew it was time to learn the ground game.
3. Who is the best commentating duo in MMA?
SQ: Oh, I don’t know. Many people felt that Bas [Rutten] and I were when we used to call all the Pride fights together between 2000 and 2003. Maybe we were; it’s all just opinion anyway. But time marches on and he is doing great stuff with the IFL and I feel extremely confident in the team of Mauro Ranallo and myself with the Showtime broadcasts. My goal is always to be the best, but I respect all my commentating peers in the game.
4. What are the most memorable fights that you commented?
SQ: That could be a VERY long answer…how much time do I have? [Laughs] The first match between Kazushi Sakuraba and Royce Gracie has to be up there. I mean, come on, 90 minutes!!? We probably will NEVER see a match like that [again] in our lifetimes. Fedor Emelianenko versus Rodrigo Nogueira when Fedor took the title was pretty darn amazing too, because he beat the Brazilian at his own game, the guard. But I believe the best fights are yet to come…
5. Is it true that you keep away from sex the night before fights? :-)
SQ: That is correct…unless Eva Mendez sneaks into my room…
6. What are your current achievements in MMA?
SQ: Current undefeated interim, pre-existing and everlasting universal shadowboxing champion, with a combined mirror, heavy bag, and focus mitt record of 16,382-0. Ranked #3 in San Bernardino County in no-gi grappling kata competition. But all joking aside, I am pretty much recognized around the world as the greatest air-guitar soloist who has ever lived. And that’s a very underrated skill in MMA, especially in the post-fight celebration…
7. Everyone in MMA has a certain goal. I want to make a superb MMA event, while my friend wants to be an MMA champion. What's yours?
SQ: I have several. I want to be known and recognized as one of the all-time great minds/broadcasters in MMA. I’m very pro-athlete. I want to add to the sport, to make a difference. Just parroting terminology is not my goal. I am going to make an international impression on the music world and be known as one of the world’s greatest drummers.
8. If you were an MMA fighter, what would be your nickname?
SQ: “Super” Stephen Quadros.
9. Who are the most impressive fighters that you ever interviewed?
SQ: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. He is an interviewer’s dream. He’s funny; he loves talking and has a sense of humility under it all. And he’s a very loyal guy to his “real” friends. I also enjoy Frank Shamrock too. Ken Shamrock. Gary Goodridge is up there as well. Phil Baroni is explosive too.
10. There's a picture of you and Semmy Schilt on your MMA-ID. He's not that tall really? :-)
SQ: Hahaha, honestly, I have another picture that I didn’t put up from that same day where I am standing on a chair and taller than Semmy. Semmy is a great fighter and I am really glad that he has achieved so much success in K-1.
11. What's your stand on female MMA fights? Would you like to be in the middle once, as a referee? :-)
SQ: Only if Gina Carano is one of the fighters. Is she a good-looking woman, or what?
12. You travel around the world and attend MMA events. Do you think that MMA in the US is now mainstream and do you see the same things happening in Europe?
SQ: MMA is now beginning to be recognized as a mainstream sport in the US. But like any other business there will be highs and lows. When the UFC first started in 1993 it got popular quick and then had a very challenging period from about 1997-2004. The sport will see more good times but there will be trying times too. I am not sure if MMA will become popular in Europe…yet. I hope it does. For example: soccer is very popular in Europe and many other places in the world, but not so much in the US. We can only keep trying…
13. If you were an organizer of an MMA event, what ring girls would you pick? I would go with our native Croatian girls. :-)
SQ: Of course! European women, ESPECIALLY those from Croatia, are beyond beautiful. But it would be extremely important to have someone with the right eye for talent to help select these women for this important job, and that someone would be (ahem)…me.
14. Who are the most professional individuals that you ever worked with (from fight promotions)?
SQ: I have had the honor of working with some great professionals. The ones who come immediately to mind are: David Dinkins, producer for Showtime Networks, Mauro Ranallo, my broadcast partner at Showtime Networks (on EliteXC and ShoXC), Ryan Bennett, my old partner with WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) and Rumble On The Rock (ROTC), Al Bernstein, the legendary boxing analyst, Bruce Beck, who was the play-by-play commentator with the UFC from 1994-1997 and I had the pleasure of working with at the first ever K-1 USA show, of course Bas Rutten, Kenny Rice (IFL), Barry Tompkins (WFA), Malcolm Martin and Rob Nutley (my two partners at Cage Rage!), the list goes on…
15. When you are like 90 years old, commenting on EliteXC 127: Close to Paradise, do you think that you'll love this game still? :-)
SQ: As long as the ring girls are hot… But seriously…the athletes have improved SO MUCH over the last 5 years; imagine how good they’ll be 5 years from now. It’ll be insane!
16. Will Randy Couture still fight by that time? :-)
SQ: Randy will be like Michael Myers from the “Halloween” movies…he will ALWAYS come back…
17. The last but not very important question: chicken or egg? :-)
SQ: The mammary…
18. Thanks Stephen for the interview, we are looking forward to hearing your voice in the future!
SQ: Slaven, it has been my honor. Thank you for interviewing me! Nokaut.com ROCKS! You can learn more about the fight professor at http://StephenQuadros.com.
