Costa Mesa, CA – We sat down with up and coming MMA fighter Kevin Bee to talk about his background in combat sports, overall fighting goals and MMA debut at Summerfist VII (OC Fair Ground Action Sports Arena) on July 13th. The 21 year old fighter is built like a German tank but has the gentlemanly demeanor of Winston Churchill.
Here’s what Kevin Bee had to say:
What got you interested in competitive fighting?
Definitely high school wrestling. I started a little bit late in my Junior year. I remember watching the UFC and I had already boxed a little bit before so I knew if I wrestled it would complete my game. I immediately joined the wrestling team.
You have had some Muay Thai fights as well. How did you get into Muay Thai prior to MMA?
I started doing Muay Thai when I joined American Gym. Originally, I had no interest in doing kickboxing just classic boxing. One day I came in and tried the Muay Thai class and fell in love with it. I’ve been coming in everyday since. Now I have to put all my tools to work.
How long have you been practicing Mixed Marital Arts?
I’ve been training coming up on 6 years. I started out boxing and wrestling in high school and shortly after that I discovered Muay Thai. Since then I’ve been practicing my stand up and doing Jiu-Jitsu.
What are some of your short term and long term goals in the fight game?
My short term goal is to just get through the next fight (Summer Fist VII) this weekend and secure the victory. My long term goal is to turn pro and fight in the UFC.
Who do you admire most in MMA?
Alistair Overeem. Not particularly for his fighting style. It’s because I remember the first fight I ever watched was Badr Hari vs Alistair Overeem. Since that day I knew I wanted to compete in fighting.
What do you like to do when you’re not training or fighting?
Eating…A LOT after a fight! No, really I just like hanging with friends at the beach, relaxing down by the water, and having a good time.
Speaking of food, what is your favorite food?
This is actually something that a lot of people don’t know…it’s called a döner kebap. I can only really find it in Germany. It’s Turkish…normally lamb but it can also be a mixture of veal or beef rolled up in flat bread. It’s amazing.
What kind of vibe do you look for where you train?
Wherever I’m training at I want it to be a family environment. I want to feel good with the people I’m working with. One of the things that I hate is going to a new gym and worrying about someone having something to prove. One of the mottos I like to live by is “When you step into the gym you leave your ego at the door.”
That leads me to my next question. Who are your current coaches?
Currently, my head coaches are:
Jiu-Jitsu & Wrestling – Johnny Morgan here at American Gym has been helping me with my ground game and filling the holes in my game.
Stand-up: Tyler Wombles with Classic Fight Team over at the Costa Mesa Training Center. The training I have been doing with him has been nothing short of amazing.
Boxing: Robby Morse at American Gym is helping me fine tune my boxing.
Strength & Conditioning: Scott Brengel at East Coast / West Coast Strength & Conditioning has helped me make HUGE increases in my strength.
Thank you for sitting down with us Kevin. Looking forward to the action this Sunday.
Jabzilla.com will be covering the Summerfist VII fights ringside. Follow the play by play on Twitter at @Jabzillanews and be sure to checkbackwith us for post fight photos!