KINGWOOD, TX, May 21, 2012 – To open up our coverage of this Friday night’s Cage Combat 9 event being put on by Garcia Promotions at the Humble Civic Center, we talk to Joe Whichard of Kingwood MMA.

A plant supervisor for a company that makes drilling fluids here in the Houston area, Joe happened upon MMA one day and fell in love with sport. Now he’s set to make his debut at Garcia Promotions after a third and final opponent change.

Read on about Joe’s mindset heading into his MMA debut against 4OZ Fight Club’s Alex Medina.

Interview – Joe Whichard (Kingwood MMA)

First of all, how are you feeling heading into your fight this Friday? Any insight you care to share about your preparations heading into your debut?

I feel great. Finishing up a tough training camp. I’m excited to be fighting after having two opponents back out. I’m focused on fine tuning my game so that I’m comfortable anywhere the fight goes. My striking feels as sharp as ever while my ground game continues to improve.

 Who/what is your source of motivation to train and fight?

I train and fight because it’s fun. The health and fitness that comes with it is just one of the by-products of this awesome sport. BJJ has a way of keeping me spiritually fit as well as keeping me sane. I’d be a basket case without my mat time.

What do you do for fun when you’re not training?

Eat! I also like to get together with my buddies and shoot skeet and blow stuff up out in the country.

How does your family feel about you being an MMA fighter?

My family gets it. Both of my brothers and my son train with me at Kingwood MMA. And my wife is the one who really got me interested in training Thai Boxing with Kru Pong. So our dinner table discussions are basically a current events session about the world of MMA.

If somebody asked you what life experiences you’ve had that define who you are today, how would you answer that?

Having children. Plain and simple. Your live changes instantly when you have kids. Your world as you know it is forever different. It forced me to man-up really quick and get busy living life. It made me work harder. I realized early on that I better have a skill set that is valuable to an employer. Kids eat a lot.

Do you follow a specific diet leading up to a fight? What other sacrifices have you had to make to be the best you can be?

I don’t really change up my diet to much leading up to a fight. I try to eat clean most of the time anyway. I do hate giving up my Sour Patch Kids and Golden Bear gummy bears. I sacrifice a lot of time with the family. Having a full time job and trying to fit in all the training is tough. My kids know that weekdays are crazy busy and I’m not home much. But weekends are reserved for them and they hold me to it.

What is your occupation outside MMA?

I’m work as a plant supervisor for a company that makes drilling fluids.

What’s the best advice you’ve given or been given when it comes to MMA?

“Keep your hands up and your chin down.” “In a fight, you’re gonna get tired. Deal with it.”

Any thoughts on your opponent and how this fight plays out? Any predictions?

I don’t know too much about my opponent. He trains at 4oz, a gym that produces a lot of talented fighters. I’m sure he’s gonna be tough and have great striking. Its gonna be a battle. Anyone who competes at this level and has the courage to step into the cage has my respect. Hopefully we put on a good show.

Any last words or anybody you want to thank before fight night?

Of course all my people at Kingwood MMA and McCuskers fight team. Coach Tom, John Haydon, John “Maniac” Marlboro, and Travis Black. Also a congratulation to Haydon on bringing the CDM Elite Combat 155lb Championship belt to Kingwood. And good luck to the Maniac in his second round fight in Laredo for UWF.