Thursday, March 15, 2007

Christison speaks on signing with IFL and cornering Couture


By Robert Cheshire

Dan was gracious enough to take time to talk with me on Sunday after being up late at UFC 68 where he was one of the corner men for Randy Couture. Dan recently signed with the IFL and will be fighting for Frank Shamrock’s Razorclaws out of San Jose, CA.

RC: How did you come by being signed by the IFL and the Razorclaws?

DC: I actually didn’t know it was specifically for the Razorclaws. It was one of the offers that was on the table that my management team was looking over to determine the next step in my career. We decided that it was the best course of action and we went for it.

RC: You’re an actual member of the team and not an alternate right?

DC: Yes, I’m an actual member of the team and not an alternate.

RC: What does being in the IFL mean for you?


DC: It’s interesting so far. There are several people asking me about that and the whole team concept. First of all, it’s an interesting opportunity. I’ve never looked at it as a team sport. Sure, it is you in there one on one when the match is going on but it’s your team that supports and prepares you. They get you ready and that is a huge deal. If they are not up to the task then sometimes that is reflected in your fight. If they really push you then victory is no question.

RC: Before you came into the IFL, Ben Rothwell of the Silverbacks was the heavy weight to beat. You have already beaten him once. Where do you think that puts you among the IFL’s heavy weights?

DC: I don’t know. I don’t look at who I beat in the past like that. I look to the future because there are many times that a fighter will come back and beat another fighter that has beaten him in the past. When you see a rematch the odds are that you are going to see two different fighters. The fighter who doesn’t change and remains the same will become stale and can be beaten.

RC: Plus, if you have fought them before you know how each other fight and can prepare for them.

DC: That goes both ways. You know what each other does but it’s hard to train for that because you are both doing the same thing and trying to improve at the same time.

RC: What are the differences between fighting in a cage and fighting in a ring? Do you have a preference?

DC: It doesn’t matter to me personally. I’ve never had a problem with fighting in a cage. It is good if you are tired to put your opponent against it where you can hit him then catch your breath before you move on to the next thing. I’ve fought in a ring before too so it’s not that a big deal to me. People say the cage can cause damage to someone but the ropes can do the same thing when you go through them and get tied up. Like I said, I’ve fought in both and neither is that big of a deal.

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