5 questions with Ben ‘Killa B’ Saunders
June 12, 2009
Within 24 hours of Ben Saunders’ breakout win over Brandon Wolff last December, Internet message boards lit up with praise for the Florida prospect. Some was subdued, some was over the top, but all of it got the attention of Saunders, who had an interesting take on the whole affair.
Last December was Ben Saunders coming out party. On paper, Brandon Wolff was to be a credible opponent, one who would test the TUF alumni. Paper theory didn’t hold up, as Wolff was handed a loss via a brutal barrage of knees. The victory pushed the Florida prospect back into limelight and this Saturday, he will take on his toughest opponent to date, the dynamic Mike “Quick” Swick.
We took an opportunity to ask Ben a couple questions. A fan favorite, Saunders was constantly being asked to pose for pictures and sign autographs, and we were grateful for the time he allocated us out of his busy schedule.
What do you feel was your toughest fight to date?
Man, every fight is tough. Every opponent offers something different and pushes me in different ways. I don’t want to say ‘fighter A’ was the toughest, but I will say that my fight with (Crafton) Wallace was grueling. I wasn’t fully aware of how hard a person truly needs to train to fight for 3 x 5 min rounds, not to mention the toll that nerves take on a body. I don’t generally get super nervous, but I was that fight and I think it attributed to my gas tank running out early in the fight.
After your most recent win against Brandon Wolff, the message boards blew up, praising your performance and calling you the next big thing. What was your initial reaction to this?
The forums like the underground and Sherdog are hilarious. They will praise you in one breath and kill you in the next. I don’t pay much attention to it, but I will admit I did get a kick out of being called things like the “Clinch King” and the like. I just think of it this way – if they are talking about me, I must be relevant and if I am relevant, I’m making money. All in all I have some great fans and people out there have some creative minds.
You being dubbed “Clinch King” is actually a perfect lead into my next question. Your striking looked very sharp and very good against Brandon Wolff. How do you rate your striking and will we see more of it in your fight with (Mike) Swick?
I don’t want to come across as cocky or overly confident, but I believe that I have the best Thai boxing skills in the game right now. I know that is a bold statement, but when you are dominating some of the top names in the game during training, it’s hard not to be confident. Regarding the Swick fight, I have a feeling that as soon as I get my hands in his face a couple times he is going to want to take the fight to the ground, and that’s ok – my jujitsu is good and I feel that I’m a good wrestler. I don’t think mike Swick can beat me, only I can beat myself in this one.
Can you name some fighters you have been sparring with at American Top Team in peperation for this bout?
Well, of course training is training and a fighting is fighting – both are different. I won’t name any names, but let us just say that some top notch guys have come and trained with me since my fight with Wolff, and I have done more than held my own.
If you are to win on Saturday, who would you like to face next?
I will fight anyone. Dustin (Hazelett) and I were supposed to fight prior to this fight, but I got injured during training – that would be a fun fight. Other than that, ill fight anyone. Id love to take on some of the big “names” of the middleweight division. I guess if you were to ask me what my ultimate goal is, it would be to move up to middleweight and challenge Anderson Silva. I am not as interested in belts as much as I am interested in proving my mettle. I would love to be in a stand up war with Anderson, I think it would be an exciting fight for the fans to see as well. This fight would prove, hands down, who has the best Muay Thai skills in the UFC.
