Big Daddy Lucas Browne stormed onto the MMA scene knocking out his
first five opponents in the first round. With a bright future looming
ahead, the raw powerhouse fighter is destined for big things… Watch
out for Big Daddy!!!
Elie: You burst onto the MMA scene in 2009
and racked up 5 first round knockouts, very impressive, how did that
feel?
Lucas: Well something I’ve always dreamed about is being the Heavyweight
Champion and I was very happy that it happened as quick as it did,
but now realise how hard I’m going to have to work to make it big
in America. And now that I’ve had a loss against a world class opponent,
I now know what level I need to be at to mix it with the big boys.
Elie: You have fought some very tough talent,
are they the kind of fights you are looking for?
Lucas: I think in the fight game you always have to challenge yourself
and unless you’re getting challenged, you’re never going to get any
better, so I welcome the tough opponents. In the fight game you’re
only as good as your last opponent.
Elie: Your last fight was a knockout win over
NZ fighter Sam Brown, what were your thoughts on that fight?
Lucas: I would have to say I was the most nervous for this fight,
because I was coming off my first loss and I know that people were
going to be watching to see how I bounced back, and at the same time
it was my first MMA fight in a ring. I’ve always gone into a fight
to finish off the opponent as quick as possible, but with this one
I wanted to take my time. I think it was the perfect comeback fight
for me to get my confidence back up to where it should be.
Elie: What has been your most memorable fight?
Lucas: Would have to be my fight against Felise Leniu. For two reasons;
one being that it had been the first time I had been rocked in a fight
and had to come back, and two, it was that fight that made me realize
I needed to fight my own fight and not someone else’s. And the two
fights after that exemplified that by being 13 and 38 seconds long.
Elie: Your MMA record is basically a list of
knockouts; I take it you prefer to keep the fight standing?
Lucas: I just love punching on. Chuck Liddell became a Hall-of-Famer
with that strategy, so I can’t see why I can’t do the same. Of course
MMA is an all-round game and I will still be working on all those
facets, but knocking people out is just fun.
Elie: You’re 120kg, 6’5”, but move really well
for a man of that stature, where does that come from?
Lucas: I am now and always have been a Weet-Bix kid. I’ve always been
a very active kid excelling at every sport I attempted and I think
that fighting is one of the last sports I really wanted to do before
I got too old. I’ve played State Rep level of numerous sports and
never saw myself as the ‘big man’, but now I want to make my mark
on a world stage.
Elie: Should I even guess how your nickname
‘Big Daddy’ came about?
Lucas: Well I’m sort of large and have three kids, so that pretty
much explains itself, but I knew that I needed something to identify
myself by and didn’t want to be that big bald guy with tats, so the
name BIG DADDY was thought of to rectify that. So now where ever I
go people say “you’re that Big Daddy guy?”
Elie: Tell us a little about your fighting
background? How did you get started in MMA?
Lucas: Besides the fact that I’ve worked as a bouncer for the past
eight years and have always been around violence, I thought doing
it in a cage with people cheering me on was the logical step forward.
I started doing an MMA class once a week in late 2008 and some Kung
Fu in early 2009, but really got serious with training after my first
CFC fight in February 2009. I basically jumped in head first to test
myself out and came out on top in the first one, but realized I had
a lot to learn.
Elie: You train out of one of the best MMA
gyms in the country, Elite Fight Gym, how did you end up there?
Lucas: My first ever fight was against Jeff King of EFG and really
liked the way the TeHuna brothers operated and looked after their
fighter, and even after the fight came in to congratulate me. It was
at that fight that I realized I needed a proper corner and people
with experience to be able to take me further. I looked at their website
and in big letters was LAND OF THE HEAVYWEIGHTS and I quickly realized
a week later when I attended my first session that I had found a new
home.
Elie: Who are some of the people who help you
prepare for a fight?
Lucas: From a background and logistics point of view my girlfriend
helps enormously with preparation, tickets, behind the scenes, merchandise,
etc. Obviously my trainers, the TeHuna brothers and Stevie Ashby,
along with a stella cast of heavyweights willing to put their bodies
on the line in training. So whoever is fighting at the time can be
well prepared for their battle ahead. We do from time to time go to
different gyms for more style specific training like the McKinnons
at Bulldogs Gym Castle Hill for the kickboxing expertise and Igor
and the boys out at Bondi for their world class wrestling skills.
Elie: What can fans expect from ‘Big Daddy’
moving forward in your career?
Lucas: I have realised the fight game is as much about being a business
and is much more than just punching on. So along with some more great
fights to come, there will also be an online store with the new and
improved range of BIG DADDY clothing and merchandise and will be looking
at gaining sponsorship on my way to bigger and better fights overseas
in Japan and hopefully UFC.
Elie: Speaking of the UFC, they are likely
to come down next year for there second event here in Australia, is
that a fight card you’d like to be on?
Lucas: After attending the first UFC in Australia earlier this year
and watching my stable mate Jamie fight his first fight in the UFC,
it has been pretty much the only thing on my mind since. I would love
nothing more than to showcase my skills to the wider UFC audience
whilst having the Australian crowd behind me cheering me on.
Elie: Which heavyweight would you choose to
fight from the UFC and why?
Lucas: I think once you get to UFC level, it doesn’t matter who you
fight, they will always be a challenge and at this point, there is
no one in the Heavyweight division that I dislike as a fighter. I
often get people asking me if I would fight Kimbo Slice and without
hesitation the first response is “hell yeah!”. His reputation as a
thug proceeds him, so I wouldn’t mind taking that crown.
Elie: Your next fight is ‘Big’ Jim Yorke, very
tough opponent, what’s the game plan?
Lucas: I think stylistically Jim and myself are very similar. From
the fights I have seen of him, he favours his hands over everything
else and is very strong in the clinch, and since the loss I have been
working very hard on my wrestling. So from my point of view I would
love nothing more than for us to just stand and trade.
Elie: What are your predictions on the fight?
Lucas: I think Jim is the closest fighter with a style that is most
similar to myself in Australia, so I see the two of us clashing in
pretty much every aspect of MMA. I basically see two big boys coming
together in an old fashioned bar brawl and giving the crowd exactly
what they paid for.
Elie: Is there anyone else specific you would
like to fight in Australia?
Lucas: Big Soa “The Hulk” will be fighting against Daniel Cormier
in the co-main event for the world title on the same night I defend
my Oceania title against Jim York. I would love for Soa to win and
bring it back to Australian shores, so then I could eventually have
another crack at it.
Elie: One celebrity you’d like to face in the
cage?
Lucas: Jean-Claude Van Damme. I’d love to see if the ballerina can
really fight.
Elie: What goes through your mind as you face
off against your opponent at the weigh ins?
Lucas: Suck it in, suck it in, suck it in – this may be your new facebook
profile pic.
Elie: Thank you for the interview, any final
words?
Lucas: I’d like to thank everyone at EFG, Blacktown Tattoo, PUNCH
as well as all my family, friends and fans for their support.
