TERRY POLAR BEAR BLACKBURN COMMENTS ON BELLOCHI FOR AOF 15 BOUT ON MAY 11 IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA

On Friday May 11th 2012, Terry Polar Bear Blackburn returns to the Art of Fighting cage for AOF 15 at the Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. Hailing from Middleburg, Florida Blackburn (3-2) is a hometown favorite of Jacksonville MMA fans. Blackburn will be taking on "The Alpha Dog" Bruce Bellochi (2-0), a former professional boxer turned mixed martial artist in a 3 round heavyweight bout. It has been more than twelve months since Blackburn's last stint in the cage.  I caught up with Terry for some Q and A.

FLFI: Your last fight was in January of 2011. What have you been doing over the past fifteen months?
TB: I had an injury that put me out of AOF 12 so I took time to finish up my prerequisite for nursing and got accepted to the RN program and I'm currently in my fourth semester as we speak (laughing with a sigh).

FLFI: So you provide two services then? Beat 'em up and stitch 'em up?
TB: I call it job security (laughing).

FLFI: Is Bellochi going to need stitches at the end of the night?
TB: Just imagine a polar bear in the cage with a dog...get the picture? (smirking)

FLFI: Nice, I like that answer. Speaking of stitches, you lost your last fight due to doctor stoppage from a nasty cut on your forehead. There was a LOT of blood. I know you wanted to continue that night and so did your fans. Everyone including you were disappointed when the doc called it. When you reflect back on that night do you think the doctor did the right thing or should he have let it continue?
TB: Well of course I wanted to keep fighting but I wasn't being smart. I really could not see out of my right eye which I have always heard how bad it sucks but never experienced. I can attest it sucks, so I think the doc did his job. I should have done mine and not got cut (laughing) (hands in air smirking grin)

FLFI: I remember there was a point early last year where you decided to abandon BJJ training. I know since that time you have changed your mind on that. Which I'm very happy about I might add. What was the impetus for the switch?
TB: I got sick of these little 160-200lb bastards taking me down and not being able to do any thing while I was down there.

FLFI: Uhh... Yea not a good feeling at all. So how's your ground game coming along? Are you training BJJ, wrestling.... ?
TB: I'm doing both. Jamie Harrison has done everything short of magic with my ground game. He is truly one of the best wrestling/MMA  coaches out there! He has showed me what and how to use what works for me and my size on the ground. Then I combine what coach Smiley has taught me in submissions and technique and badda bing Polar Bear found a ground game!! (smirking with confidence) I'm extremely confident and the best way to tell you is to show you (laughing) so youll just have to roll with the Polar Bear!

FLFI: (laughing) Hahaha, definitely I think the last time was in 2010 so we're over due. (laughing). OK so I have some Bellochi stuff for you. In an interview from January 2011 Bellochi was talking about his first upcoming MMA fight. He said that in 2000 when he quit boxing, he focused completely on mixed martial arts, jiu-jitsu, muay thai, everything and that he knows he's going to get tagged as a boxer, but he feels like he's a lot more than that and hopefully when his opponent gets in there that he hopes his opponent still has him tagged as a boxer and if he goes to the  ground he will submit him. Do you have Bellochi tagged as a boxer or are you coming into this with the mindset that this guy is a mixed martial artist?
TB: Every fighter has a strength. His happens to be boxing, but I don't lable no one. If you get in the cage you signed a paper saying you are knowledgeable and prepared to fight in all aspects of this game! That's what makes it MMA.

FLFI: Here's another one. In a later 2011 interview he did immediately after his win in Fight Time 4 I believe, Bellochi said the following, "If any of these guys want to stand up with me, I'm gonna hit em at some point and I'm gonna hurt them and they're not gonna hurt me." What do you think about that comment? Do you have any fears that because him getting hit so much in his boxing career that he may not be hurt by your punches?
TB: (laughing) I think to make that comment he probably has been hit to many times in the head (I'm just saying) (laughing). But I'm not boxing the guy, I'm hitting him with elbows, knees, feet, and knuckles. After I hit him with all that you can ask him which ones hurt and which ones didn't (laughing hard).

FLFI: In that same 2011 interview Bellochi also said, "...This goes through my head every fight when I get to that point. I know that my punches are coming soon. So when a guy is punching and letting everything go, I'm just waiting... In my head I just think to myself this guy has no idea what's coming in about 5 or 6 seconds" Are you going to be extra cautious with him, looking for his counter punches?
TB: Well like I've said I'm not just boxing the guy this is MMA, sooo... (shoulders shrugged)

FLFI: Soooo... Hmmm... OK. Uhh... He then went on further to say, "I don't believe that these heavyweights can hurt me. I haven't seen a heavyweight yet that punches correctly, the haymakers the wild punches, they're not going to hurt me, they'll bust me up a little bit" Should Bellochi be worried about your punches?
TB: I love the ones that think all fighters are the same. Like I said this is MMA baby!! Everything goes!

FLFI: Things never really go as planned. With that said, do you have a game plan for the fight? Are you going to go in there and adapt and flow to how the fight plays out or try to force a preset game plan?
TB: I keep my plan simple and easy with lots of room for adaptation during the fight!

FLFI: There is a pretty good fan base of Polar Bear followers. Is there anything you'd like to say to your fans, friends and family that follow you?
TB: I LOVE YOU ALL!! And I'll see you May 11th at AOF 15

FLFI: I think we can wrap this up now. Any last words?................   Any words for Bellochi (funny grin on my face)?
TB: Bruce-I'll see you in the cage buddy (winking and smiling)

FLFI: One more thing. Do Polar Bears eat pizza and if so what's your favorite kind?
TB: Meat lovers!

FLFI: Thanks Terry and good luck.
TB: Thanks bro. I'll see you cage side, and don't forget we have to get up an roll.
FLFI: We will, we will...

I can't think of a better way to close this article than inn the words of Terry Blackburn "Just imagine a polar bear and a dog in a cage..." But you wont have to imagine for too long. On May Friday May 11 you can catch  Polar Bear and The Alpha Dog in a locked cage live at AOF 15. But this isn't a circus act... its MMA!

AOF 15 is slated for Friday May 11th 2012 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Doors open at 6:00pm. Tickets at ticketmaster. Polar Bear fans use the code RiotMMA when you purchase your tickets.

-Keni Kenni
facebook.com/floridafighter
twitter.com/kenikenni

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