Kevin Randleman – The Return of the Monster Part II
By Dave Carpinello
PDG: You were arrested a couple of months back for DUI. With a pending court date upcoming what can you say about that night?
Kevin Randleman: It is turning out that was the best thing that could have happened to me that night. I haven’t had a drink since and I am beyond walking a fair line. I have got a blessed life and I almost flushed it down the toilet. I could have killed myself or someone else. The thought of that makes me sick.
PDG: There have been many different reports and rumors regarding what happened that night. Do you have a statement that you can give to your fans?
Kevin Randleman: I want to tell my fans and everyone else that I am truly sorry for disappointing them. I would like to say that I was an idiot for driving that night. It has really changed a lot of things in my life. I would rather go to the gym and get my ass kicked by Forrest Griffin or any of the other fighters in that gym than go to a bar and drink. Being successful and in the limelight sometimes you can lose sight of your goals. I love my job, I love the sport and I want to be a champion again. That night could have cost me everything that I hold dear to me. I have not read any of the stories that have been circulating. I did not assault an officer that night. I want to apologize to him and I will do whatever the judge wants.
The job of a police officer is hard enough than to have to deal with some fucking asshole who doesn’t have all his faculties about him. I respect everyone even the bum on the corner. I apologize to all my fans that had to hear about that. I do know though that if you do the crime, you have to do the time. I have been changing, not in the sense that I am going to church now but it has changed the way I approach life. I have learned that nothing good can happen after midnight. If that night didn’t happen though, I would not have the outlook on life that I have now. My priorities have changed and I don’t want to just be a fighter. I want to be a role model and I have been around a lot of them lately and I know that I can still accomplish that in my life.
I will show people that I went through life with reckless abandonment and that is no way to live your life. That is not how grown men act. I gave away too many opportunities in my life because I just didn’t care before now. I care about the fan that lost faith in me because of that night. My fans are my family. The organizations in mixed martial arts are a part of my family also. I represent all those people and all my family. I didn’t realize at the time what I was about to throw away. I made a mistake and I AM SO SORRY!!!!!! I will apologize personally to every fan that I come in contact with. I promise that you will never hear my name on a police blotter again.
PDG: You also have your hearing with the NSAC coming up. Are you ready for that?
Kevin Randleman: I am not really worried about that. I have done everything that they have wanted me to. I feel real comfortable with how that will go. Whatever hoop they want me to jump through I will do it. They are going to want another blood test to make sure that the infection is gone. I will also have to take a full physical so they can make sure that I am healthy. The doctors have said they are protecting me from myself. I needed this time for myself so that I could grow up. If gave me a chance to get healthy and I needed that year off because I probably would have continued to fight. I was still sick up until about six months ago. The whole experience has allowed me to slow down my life. My health means more to now than ever because if I am not healthy. The athletic commission is not going to let me fight. I am healthy now and I can’t wait to come back and fight.
PDG: Will your arrest have any bearing on the hearing with the NSAC?
Kevin Randleman: I am not thinking about that right now. I haven’t fought in almost a year and I am enjoying all the learning right now. I used to be a guy who didn’t want to learn jiu-jitsu. Now I know jiu-jitsu. I have had a year to learn it with some of the best trainers available. I have been training at Randy Couture’s gym and there are gladiators that workout there. I would put my money on any fighter that comes out of there. I don’t know if one will affect the other but if it does I will deal with it. It will give me more time to train and think about what I did that put me in this situation.
PDG: Lets move on to fighting. You have been over in Japan with Mark Coleman and Josh Barnett doing pro-wrestling shows. Is it a good time going to the smaller cities and performing?
Kevin Randleman: They are exciting because for one Japan is a very beautiful country and the people that live there have great morals. Those little shows are so much fun because you get the chance to interact with the fans more. Working with Josh Barnett is a great time; he is one hell of a performer. Mark Coleman is a great performer also but Barnett is a character.
PDG: Alright, I am going to ask you about 3 fighters who have been in the Octagon since our last interview and I want you to give me your assessment.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua:
Kevin Randleman: I like the guy. I made a bad statement once about him that was taken out of context. Shogun Rua is a great person and a nice guy. I have the utmost respect for him and his family.
PDG: What did you think about his fight with Forrest Griffin?
Kevin Randleman: I called that. Forrest is a very smart man and the one thing that he had going into the fight with Shogun was that… Forrest is a country strong mofo. He will tire you out before he gasses. That is my favorite fight of the year so far.
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic:
Kevin Randleman: I”ll tell you what. I said that Cro Cop was going to lose 2 or 3 times in the UFC until he figures out that damn cage. I would love to train with CC. He can be a very dangerous fighter in the cage if changes up his style and technique. You can’t be a kicker in the cage the whole time because good wrestlers will just take you down. The way he is fighting right now he would lose to Randy every time.
Chuck “Iceman” Liddell:
Kevin Randleman: I lost 7 out of 10 fights at one time in my career. I fought the cream of the crop of fighters. If fans think that you are over the hill because you lose 2 fights… Chuck Liddell is the same fighter that beat up Randy Couture twice. He beat a lot of people and then he lost to Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine. For anyone to take away from Chuck’s ability to win a fight would be disrespectful to the guys who beat him. Chuck’s skills haven’t diminished. This sport is like a growing being and it great to see the fighters maturing and getting even better.
PDG: So what do you say about the people that are jumping from the Iceman bandwagon?
Kevin Randleman: I AM DRIVING CHUCK’S FUCKING WAGON!!!!!! Chuck Liddell is still the man that knocked out all of the fighters in his way to the top. It is hard to be the champ and win, win, win, win, win, win, win. You can get a little complacent in life. He will come back with a vengeance.
PDG: I want to get your take on some rumors that you may be signing with Strikeforce and possibly fighting Renato “Babalu” Sobral.
Kevin Randleman: It is all speculation. I am not talking to anybody about anything until I get cleared by the athletic commission. If I did fight Babalu do you think anything will change just because I am taking a new approach to my life since my DUI. I am (growls) still the MONSTER. There is not one 205 lb fighter that I am scared of.
PDG: Thanks for taking the time Kevin. Anything else to add this time?
Kevin Randleman: The last thing that I want to say is I am sorry from the bottom of my heart. I embarrassed myself, my family, my friends and my fans. Forgiveness is a hard thing to ask for but I want everyone to know that I am human. I made a mistake and would like over time for my fans to forgive me. When I come back I will earn back the respect that I lost. I want to thank my fans for their support during my career.
“Never let the door of opportunity shut on you and God Bless”
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