411mania MMA Follow-up Interview: The Ultimate Fighter 7 Winner Amir Sodallah
Posted by John Curry on 07.11.2008
In this industry you are only as good as your connections. I decide to phone one of them up and get some answers about how his life has changed since I talked to him nearly 3 months ago.
It's time to say you are sorry. Plain and simple. When I talked to Amir Sodallah last, he was nothing more than a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 with a 0-0 record. As a result of this record Amir was ridiculed by a majority of hardcore MMA fans and the media. I however, after seeing some of his kickboxing fights, was convinced that there was a lot more to him than a blank record. For those of you who do not know, I was the first person to ever conduct an interview with Amir. Now that he proved my prediction correctly, the time has come for all of those band wagon jumping critics and haters who say that they predicted he would win after saying the guy is nothing more than a fighter to provide comedic presence to look at Amir and say "I am sorry. I underestimated you." For all of you who didn't read my original interview with Amir you can find it here: The Very First Amir Sadollah Interview . Those of you who have, I present the sequel, Amir Sodallah, Life after TUF. Enjoy.
411Mania Before we begin I have to ask where are my props for picking you as the winner huh?
Amir Sodallah "*Laughs* I have to give them to you. You did say it before everyone else did."
He beat CB Dolloway, the favorite to win, not once but twice!
411ManiaThank you! Now on to business. So was the "Juice worth the squeeze?"
AS "*laughs* Yeah it was totally worth the squeeze. This is the biggest thing that has ever happened to me. I cannot express that enough. This means the world to me. Now that I am here I am just going to keep on squeezing, trying to better myself."
411Mania In all of the previous TUF seasons, the winner walked away with not only the "six figure contract" but also a car and a valuable watch. You won TUF, I believe, so where's your car? Your watch? Apparently the UFC didn't think you were worth anything but a piece of glass? *laughs*
AS "To be honest with you man, I didn't think about it until afterwards. I guess maybe we didn't have a sponsorship with the guys or something. I am not upset about it at all but if someone would write to him and ask him, I wouldn't be able to stop them. *Laughs*"
411Mania I heard that you were considering dropping a weight class. What's up with that? AS"It is something I am kicking around. I haven't fought at 170lbs before and I figured if there is anywhere to try it, it's the UFC. *laughs*. I am sure if I match up well physically with the 185lb class. I am not a 100% sure if I am going to drop down or not yet so until I am sure I will fight anyone they put in front of me."
411Mania Who from TUF 7 are you keeping in touch with?
AS "Matt (Brown), Tim (Creduer), Cale (Yarborough) and of course Forrest (Griffin). I am hoping to head up to Columbus, Ohio to visit with Matt here before long."
411Mania One of the new nicknames that you have earned since the show is "Forrest Jr.". How do you feel about that?
AS "I am flattered. To be honest I didn't see it before when I was on the show but after I saw the show back on television I saw it a little bit. I mean it's not a bad thing or an insult right? *laughs*"
411Mania What is the biggest thing you learned from your experience on TUF?
AS "The biggest thing I learned is how important it is to warm up and visualize you fights. Just the whole walk to the cage and taking your shirt off to visualizing the fight. I didn't think anything about that before I went on the show now it is important to me."
You can submit your apologies to Amir in the comments section below and at his website linked at the end of the interview
411Mania There's been a lot of flack coming out of Forrest's win over Rampage. You were there. Did the judges get it right?"
AS "Yeah we were there. We had great seats. I mean I don't know how people who watched the fight on Pay-Per-View saw it going but in my opinion I agree with the judges. It was a close fight that could have gone either way. I think the deciding factor in Forrest's favor was the 2nd round. I think a lot of the flack comes from the whole mentality of how clearly do you have to beat the champ to be the champ."
411Mania So now you are a big star, what's next for you? Any shaving cream commercials or honey spokesperson sponsorships?
AS "Well actually we are working on getting my face on the Wheaties box, we are in talks with Stephen Spielberg to make a biographical film about my life starring Chris Rock. Maybe a guest spot on Family Guy. *Laughs* Seriously, I let my management company (Suckerpunch Entertainment) handle that stuff. I am just trying not to take anything for granted right now. I want this to last as long as possible so I am cautious about what I do."
411ManiaHow much longer before we see you coming down to the cage with some belly dancers? AS "LAUGHS*I think I am going to forgo the belly dancers and maybe get a full blown Mariachi band to play on my way to the cage. Diego Sanchez has a Mariachi band. That's pretty cool. Maybe I'll have a Mariachi band that plays Middle Eastern music. *laughs*"
411Mania Now last time we talked I asked you "After you win on the Ultimate Fighter finale, how will you celebrate?" to of which you responded "I can neither confirm nor deny I am part of that event." So now that you won I can ask how did you celebrate?
AS "We really didn't do anything. I mean by other people's standards it was a pretty lame night but by my standards I went crazy. I just went and got some fast food and had a couple of beers. Things I couldn't do when I am in training."
411Mania So no chicks?
AS "NO! And I thought there would be. *laughs*"
With a smile like this how could the chicks resist him?
411Mania Have you picked up any new hobbies now that you are famous and people know you are alive?
AS "Yeah I have started taking up golf. I am horrible at it. My first game I shot a 124. *laughs* I picked up a pair of Nike clubs but I am missing a 4 iron. I bought them used because I just can't bring myself to spending that kind of money on something I suck at. *laughs*"
AS "Nah not yet but that is priority number one for me. I am looking at a BMW but I am not sure whether to buy it or just save my money and invest it."
411Mania I have to ask what's up with the hair cut man, it's like a freaky child of a mullet and a mohawk?
AS "What's wrong with my hair? *laughs* Honestly, I was training in Holland and saw people wearing it and thought it was cool so I kept it.
411Mania I have seen other guys trying to sport it, such as Kendall Grove. Look what you have started.
AS "I'd like to think they are copying me but I know better. I know they are copying someone who copied me. *laughs* The whole world is copying me."
411Mania When is your next fight?
AS "Hopefully in the fall so I can fully prepare for it. Truth is I will fight whenever they tell me to against whoever they tell me to."
411Mania Mr. Sodallah I want to thank you for giving us the time to follow up with me. Before we go is there anyone you want to give a shout out to?
AS "All the same people who I said last time and the inventor of the egg roll."
Don't forget to check out Amir's new website which will show you a lot more of his "sense of humor" at www.amirsadollah.tv
