It's still a shock to MMA fans around the world that Joe Warren, an American Greco Roman wrestler in only his second pro fight, defeated Kid Yamamoto, one of the sport's all-time greats, last week in the Dream Featherweight Grand Prix. But it's not a surprise to Warren.In an interview with FanHouse, Warren said he expected to beat Yamamoto, and that he expects to win two more fights at Dream 11 in September to be crowned Dream's featherweight champion. He also talked about potentially returning to Greco-Roman wrestling for the 2012 Olympics, and about whether he wants to move his MMA career to the United States. The full interview is below.
Michael David Smith: Has beating Kid Yamamoto changed your life?
Joe Warren: No, it hasn't changed at all. It's just another win. I'm just focused on moving on, getting two wins in one day and getting that belt. We planned to win the whole time.
I understand that you planned to win, but aren't you surprised that you beat one of the legends of the sport in only your second pro fight?
I'm honored to get the opportunity to fight a great fighter like Kid Yamamoto in my second fight. But am I surprised? No. I'm used to beating the best in the world, the best athletes from every country. I'm really excited about this, but I'm not surprised at all. I was surprised by some of the shots I took, and this is a brand new sport for me, but I'm trying real hard to learn things like strategy inside the ring and I learned a lot from that fight. The biggest thing I felt at the end wasn't surprise that I had won, it was relief that the fight was over.
Are you 100% committed to MMA right now, or is there a chance that you could go back to Greco-Roman wrestling?
I'm still open-minded to trying to win a gold medal in 2012, but right now my whole focus is MMA. Until 2012 comes around, I'm focused on winning every MMA fight I can. I'm happy that I have the opportunity to win a world championship in September, and I'm really, really confident that's going to happen.
The other three fighters who have advanced to the featehrweight tournament semifinals are Bibiano Fernandes, Hiroyuki Takaya and Hideo Tokoro. Do you know yet who you've drawn in the semifinal?
No. I'm not sure how they'll work that but I'm expecting them to fight Bibiano first, because I think they'd like to match the two Japanese guys against each other to be sure to have one of them in the final.
What is your contractual status with Dream?
I just have to fight through this tournament. I just have a contract for the tournament. I'd love to stay there and defend my belt a little bit, but I'm open minded to any offer. I let my team, Team Quest, handle my contract, and I trust they're doing the best thing for me. I'm just focusing on my training, so I don't have to think much about my contract.
Are you at all interested in fighting for the WEC?
Yeah, I'd love to. We'll see what happens. Right now I'm just focused on winning the Dream belt and then we'll talk about where I'm going to fight next. I think the WEC is a great organization, and I'm about as American as it gets. I win medals for my country, I don't just fight for myself, so I'd love to fight in the U.S. But I'm also in this for one reason, and that's to take care of my family, so if I can make more money to fight in Japan, I'll fight there. But I'm just focused right now on winning. I'm actually going to WEC 41 to watch Urijah Faber fight Mike Brown this weekend. Urijah and the guys at Ultimate Fitness have helped me out a lot.
How do you think that fight will go?
I'm biased because Urijah and I are training partners. I'm pulling for Urijah. I think it's going to be a barn-burner, like me and Kid. I think they're two professionals who want to win real badly, and they've prepared at the highest levels, and those are the best fights to watch. And the best fights are the ones with the smaller guys. It should be a fun fight to watch.
You were saying Dream pays better than the WEC?
Well, I don't know what other people are making, but yes.
At least based on what you know?
Yeah, based on the other fighters I've fought in Dream, and based on what I know of other fighters getting paid. Really, that's why I'm fighting over there, and because their tournament would allow me to fight the best at first. A lot of people didn't think that was a smart idea. A lot of people were telling me they thought I should start with smaller fights, but I've been through a lot in my life in competition and I didn't want to take the time for a learning curve.
This tournament you're in is at 63 kilograms (138.6 pounds). Is that a good weight for you?
Yeah, I love the weight. I was on weight the day before. I wrestle at 60 kilos, which is 132 pounds. But 63 kilograms is probably the perfect weight for me.
If you were to fight in the WEC, would you fight at bantamweight (135 pounds) or featherweight (145 pounds)?
Probably both. I'd probably fight at 135 and then if I got bigger as I got older I'd move up in weight, but I'd probably start at 135. I'm comfortable at the weight and I've won a world championship at 132 pounds.
You didn't get the opportunity to wrestle for the gold in Beijing because you were suspended for testing positive for marijuana, but are you happy with where your athletic career is right now?
Yes. The plan when I started in Greco was to win every tournament, and I did win every tournament -- except that I didn't get to compete in the Olympics. If I had won the Olympic gold it would have delayed my move to MMA, so I'm happy with where I am.
How do you like competing in front of the Japanese fans?
I like them. They're knowledgeable, they're respectful, they love martial arts and it's fun to be a part of it.
