411 MMA Interviews: Scott Junk

Posted by Jeffrey Harris on 09.15.2009

The TUF 10 contestant speaks with 411mania.com for an exclusive interview before the first episode premiere.

Heavyweight fighter Scott Junk is one of the 16 cast members on the highly anticipated 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter premiering on September 16. Last week, Scott Junk spoke with 411mania.com for an exclusive interview before the season premiere. While we could not discuss as much in the actual events of what would take place on the show, Junk did answer all our other questions with regards to his life before and after working on the show and his hopes for the future in the sport:



Jeffrey "The Vile One" Harris: How is training going lately, and who are you training with right now?

Scott Junk: Right now I'm split training with Team MMA Development out in Kahlua, Hawaii and I've been working with a personal trainer on speed and agility and I'm still polishing things because I'm still kind of far out still from my next fight. Just working on techniques that as soon as the show airs, probably like the five weeks over the show I'm going to take off for a training camp.

TVO: What were you doing before you became a contestant on this season of the show and how did that come about?

SJ: In my life, I work a full-time construction job with Frank Coluccio Construction, and I work the big red shift and I've been working there for a couple years already and I just work full time with them about 48 hour weeks and then I train whenever I can. And I just fight, its more of a hobby for me. I do it for fun and to stay active . . . but as soon as UFC calls, like well this gives me a chance to change my life and go on this show and compete and do good and not just do it as a hobby and do it as a full-time job. So I went and checked it out and it was everything I thought it would be, and it might be life-changing. We'll see what happens.

TVO: Despite Dana White's harsh comments against Kimbo Slice in the past, he's definitely been made the center of marketing for this season. A lot of people say Kimbo Slice isn't a true mixed martial artist, but arguably more people are going to be watching and seeing you on TV because of the name value of Kimbo Slice. Are you aware of that at all and how do you feel about that?

SJ: Yeah. There's no doubt about that. Kimbo has a humongous fanbase and TUFF Entertainment and Dana White and them knew that. So by bringing him on the show, they're going to up the rating of the show guaranteed just by having him on it. And with mixed martial arts, people always judge everybody, there are always critics. People say "he's not a real mixed martial artist," but he is. It's mixed martial arts. Not a single person in MMA is a complete fighter. Everybody has their strengths and their weaknesses. Kimbo's strengths are his standup and his movement and his power in his punches. That's his martial art. And his weaknesses are his ground. So the guys in the house, there are a couple guys who are strictly ju-jitsu with no standup. So people say what art is the best art, you know. He's talented and you'll see how he does in the show.

TVO: What did you feel was your biggest strength going into the show?

SJ: Definitely I would have to say my heart and the way I fight because I don't have a fighting background. I just picked it up as a hobby five years ago, and a lot of guys grew up boxing or tae kwon do or wrestling or ju-jitsu. I had none of those. My standup isn't the best and my ground isn't the best, but I've beaten a lot of guys who have fought for a long time just by my heart alone and know that I can out rule(?) guys.

TVO: Can you vouch for Kimbo Slice being a good cook?

SJ: Yeah, he's alright. I don't know about all the talk about he's the best cook because I'm a better cook . . .

TVO: Brendon Schaub was saying he would invest in a Kimbo Slice founded steakhouse.

SJ: Brendon kind of sounds like he's sucking up.

TVO: Two fights ago you actually did fight in the UFC at UFC 76 against Christian Wellisch. What do you think happened in that fight with Christian?

SJ: It was a fight that I dominated, but at the same time I had a knee injury, a pre-existing knee injury that I got right before I got the call. And I got the call at about six and a half days notice and I had taken care of all my stuff, had to get all my medicals, and it was obviously a rush job and I got out there. I came from Hawaii and I went to California in like six and a half days and fought him. It's a fight where if you watch it you can totally tell that I wasn't 100%. A lot of guys aren't 100%, but I wasn't even -- I was probably like 75%. And I couldn't use my main leg, and I hit him a bunch of times. I sent him flying all over the place. You've seen me whenever I try to press I can't because my knee just gives out. And in his corner, you'll hear it on the film that, "oh his left knee. His left knee." And then he gets the single-leg on that and takes it down and he gives me the heel hook on the same leg and he ended up just completely tearing the ACL out and I had to get reconstructive surgery after.

TVO: Not getting too much into the show since the first episode hasn't aired yet, but how difficult was it staying in the house in not having anything to do except eat, drink, and train?

SJ: It definitely was a mental test and took me to the edge a couple times where I was at that point of where you almost get emotional because its almost like what the hell, like there's nothing. You go from a house to a van to a gym to the van back to the house. And it's like your stuck with no communication to the outside world and they'll fill the house with liquor but they won't get us beds that fit. Like we had to sleep on a single mattress with no box spring. It was just a single mattress on a piece of wood and these little crappy pillows. And yet they -- when we asked for a box spring or a better pillow, they told us it would come out of our stipend. But yet guys that were the clowns could get as much alcohol and as much liquor and as much stuff as they wanted. So you could totally tell it wasn't -- the show wasn't there for us. It was there for them and to build the company and to build that television show and have ratings, but at the same time the winner of the show gets life changing rewards. And even guys that don't win the show are going to end up with better careers I think.

TVO: What did you miss the most being in the house and away from home and a long way from Hawaii?

SJ: I missed having -- as humans we're creatures of pattern, when you have a pattern for three and a half years, and when that pattern is taken away from you its a shock. And just not having the beach right down the road from my house, being able to go outside and swim. Just my natural of surrounding of Hawaii, I missed that so much. Being in the desert sucked.

TVO: Being on the show and being through this experience, do you now want to go into fighting full-time and making this your full-time career?

SJ: I would love to, but I'm a realist and I have mortgage and truck payments and a car payment and a pool and everything I have to take care of and I can't just quit my job and go work. Hopefully when the show airs and some real sponsors try to pick me up, then yeah I would love to. I would give anything to be a full-time fighter. But right now, it's just not gonna happen with me. I have to keep working and I have to keep on working. I was the only guy in the house with a full-time job. Everybody else was like retired NFL players and like pro fighters already. And some guys are just young, spoiled kids that got everything paid for them. So it was brutal. Being in the house, I was happy because I didn't have to work all I did was train and eat. But yet other guys were complaining about stuff so I was thinking it must be nice to not have to work and be at home with your family and friends and able to just train full time.

TVO: Anyone or any sponsors you would like to thank or give a shout out to?

SJ: I'd like to thank my company, Frank Coluccio Construction, for giving me time off to fight on the show and I came back for my job. And then I would like to thank Da Hui Fight Gear for taking care of me the past few years and helping with money for flights and stuff like that. And then my team, MMA Development.

TVO: Thanks for your time and good luck with your fighting career. I hope we see more of you soon.

SJ: You will. You will. And thank you very much.



Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter featuring Scott Junk premieres this Wednesday on Spike TV. Remember you can check out 411mania.com for all the latest news and TV reports for this season, as well as exclusive interviews with the cast. Remember to add us to your favorite places or even save 411mania.com as your homepage to get all the latest updates in the world of MMA, gaming, movies and TV, video gaming and politics. You can also follow 411mania on Twitter:

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