Author’s Note – It was announced earlier in the week by sources close to both camps that Houstonians Mike Bronzoulis, of Paradigm, and Todd Moore, of Gracie Barra, have both been signed to separate Zuffa contacts to appear in Strikeforce. Ironically, both met are set to face each other in their first fight on the undercard of the Heavyweight Grand Prix scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 18 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. While there can only be one winner, we at TXMMA.com would like to wish GOOD LUCK to both these extraordinary Texan competitors in their pursuit of excellence at Strikeforce and soon enough, the UFC.
HOUSTON, TX, May 27, 2011 – The ink on the contract has been dry for a few days but the next chapter of Todd Moore’s professional MMA career has yet to be written.
Making his Houston MMA debut at Saul Soliz’ Renegades in November 2004, the now 27-year-old Moore started fighting n this city at a time many refer to as “the good old days,” a simpler era where MMA was still referred to as “no-hold-barred” and fighters still entered the cage with their bare hands in lieu of four-ounce gloves.
Winning all five of his amateur fights and, amazingly, his first fourteen overall, the wrestler-turned-fighter made his bones fighting for those classic Renegades Extreme Fighting (Houston) and Ultimate Texas Showdown (Dallas) events prior to moving on to make his way onto the national scene.
Throughout his career since then, Moore has become one of the rare breed of Texas MMA pioneers that has competed at sport’s highest level, traveling all the way to Japan to take on Shinya Aoki in DREAM and making multiple appearances in the WEC.
Now, after several recent fights in Texas and Louisiana under his belt and a Strikeforce contract signed and filed away, Todd looks to take his already-lengthy career to even greater heights – something he’ll have to accomplish with cross-town rival Mike “The Greek” Bronzoulis standing in his way and already talking about retiring him as opposed to being used a stepping stone
According to Todd, that’s not going to happen. “I’ll make him eat his words along with my fist.”
Whichever way it unfolds, the story between Bronzoulis and Moore will conclude when they fight on June 18th for Strikeforce in Dallas. Until then, we hope you enjoy our in-depth interview with Todd Moore as he delivers both a retrospective into his Texas MMA past and shares his perspective on his professional fighting future.
Todd, just so our readers know more about your background from a first-hand perspective, tell us, how did you originally get into MMA?
I’m the classic story of amateur wrestler turned MMA competitor. When I graduated high school I had to make a choice of wrestling in college or find a trade. I worked as a personal trainer for awhile and still had burning desire to compete. So by chance I found an advertisement for a local BJJ school. I wanted to make a serious attempt at competing in NHB at the time, I was 18 and Zuffa had just purchased the UFC. At the time Tito Ortiz was the poster boy for the UFC and he was destroying guys using primarily a basic double leg and rough housing the guy from on top. It inspired me thinking if he can do that I can impose my wrestling as well. So I spent 2 years learning and refining my BJJ and striking, did a few tourneys till I made the step for some amateur MMA bouts. The UFC had just implemented what became the standard weight classes, so I decided there was really no money competing in wrestling. I was either going to go to school to become a wrestling coach, or pursue a competition career in MMA.
Things have worked out well. I worked various jobs over the years, from working at the Harris County jail a number of years to working at Nutrition Depot. I started zeroing in on coaching when my friend Travis Tooke had me teaching a few times a week at his gym. Eventually it lead to me meeting Chad Robichaux and he offered me a fulltime position coaching and managing one of his locations. I feel like I’m in a position now to where I have the best of both worlds. I’m getting paid to coach, and I compete as well.
What was it like fighting for organizations like Renegades and Ultimate Texas Showdown back in the day with those old-school rules?
You know what bud, it was a lot of fun. At the time if you wanted to compete, you or your coach would call Saul Soliz and say “I’m available to compete.” You’d get ready, show up at the event and “boom!” get some experience in. It wasn’t very complicated. I don’t recall many hiccups happening at those shows. The simplicity made it special. I see this current crop of youngsters who really seem to have things complicated. All of sudden you have a 20 yr old amateur with a local manager, sponsors, a webpage, a blog, a fan page and you’d swear by listening to the crap that comes out of his mouth that Dana White has his eye on this kid and will be calling him up in 1 or 2 more fights. It’s really gotten beyond ridiculous for some of these local sh-t heads. But I was fortunate enough to catch the tail end of a simpler era of Texas MMA when u still had dudes calling it NHB, and worked one of the last if not the last Pancrase rules match in Texas.
After Saul took a break from promoting in the mid 2000’s, a whole new crop of self proclaimed managers, promoters and gyms sprouted up. The internet got social networks and MMA grew with the times. Things are so much different now. There’s so many more opportunities for some of these fresher guys, at the same token there’s also a lot more pollution in this sport now that goes with the mass of humanity gravitating toward MMA. I take it in stride and help some of the fresher guys at our gyms with good attitudes who want to compete, but for the most part I’m happy in my little corner of the world in Magnolia teaching. I try to stay away from the local self-proclaimed celebrities we got walking around.
You have been fighting a long time. Looking back on your 13-4 career, do you have any, how shall we say, most memorable moments thus far?
The proudest day of my competition career was winning the Ring of Combat championship tournament in Atlantic City New Jersey at the Tropicana Casino against a hometown New Jersey boy. I was a last minute replacement and they put me against the expected winner of the tournament, after I knocked him off I took on all guys from the north east region. That one really stands out for me and gave me a chance to represent Texas proudly against some Yankee boys. When wrestling in high school all you’d hear from coaches and parents that wrestled was that Texas wrestlers couldn’t compare to the guys from up north. So that’s when I took it upon myself to not be ashamed that I didn’t grow up from up north to wrestle, that I was a proud Texan and that Texas competitors can hang with anybody. All that came to fruition when Lou Neglia started walking toward me with my new Championship belt. That was such an incredible feeling winning my first Pro title. In addition to that it was a relevant title to win. If you do some background check, you can see that most every Ring of Combat champion has gotten a contract with Zuffa. From Frankie Edgar, to John Howard, to myself.
At 27 years old and considering the latest developments, do you feel like your best moments are in front of you and yet to happen?
Yeah I do. Some competitors mature faster than others. Guys like Mike Tyson whose best years were 18-22, and then you have guys like Bernard Hopkins and Randy Couture who really bloomed in their mid to late 30’s. I really feel I’ve just hit my maturity phase of competing. From boy to man type of a thing. I feel my prime is right now and will be so for a few more years. I can’t be satisfied with my current resume. I’m hungry.
The news that you’ve signed with Strikeforce was just revealed this week. Would you mind sharing some of the general specifics about that, as far as # of fights, etc?
I received the standard four fight deal. Basically you have to win to move it into a more prestigious spot on the big cards. I’ll tell you this much, I really respect this opportunity I have been given. I earned it a couple years back and didn’t respect it and it was taken away from me. All the matches, since then, the ups and downs, the mat time and sacrifices lead me back to earn this opportunity again. You can damn well rest assured knowing that I am going to make the absolute most of these next fights. You’re going to get my absolute best.
You’re a veteran of regional promotions along with WEC and Dream. Functionally, is there a difference in the two once you step into the cage?
The bigger shows use better quality cages and mat canvas; in the end though it’s just you and your opponent and the better man will walk away the victor.
With Zuffa owning both Strikeforce along with the UFC, do you feel like it’s a specific goal for you to work your way up to the UFC, so-to-speak?
Of course. As much of a fulfilled goal it is to compete on a Zuffa owned show, everyone who’s in the business of MMA wants to be in the grandest stage and there’s no question that that is the UFC. If you’re not in this business to make it to the UFC then what the hell are you doing?
Back to Strikeforce – You’ll be taking on Mike Bronzoulis June 18th in Dallas on the undercard of the HWT Grand Prix as the first fight of your deal. I know you were set to fight him for other promotions in the past but how do you feel about fighting him, another Houston guy, in your first fight for the promotion?
Whether he’s from Houston, Sacramento or Miami it’s irrelevant to me. He’s in my way to the promise land and he will get smashed.
Bronzoulis doesn’t hold back when talking to his opponents. Regarding this fight, he’s been quoted as saying he’s going to “retire you.” What are your thoughts on those comments?
It’s amusing to me considering he’s 6 years older than me and talking about me retiring. I think I have a lot more mileage left in these legs at 27 than he does at 33. None the less, I’d expect nothing less from anyone who I’m about to beat up. We’re not meeting for drinks, we’re going to fight. Fortunately he’s entering my realm and I’ll make him eat his words along with my fist.
Do you have any response to offer up regarding his comments on you as his opponent?
I don’t quite know what his comments are other than the retirement comment, my teammate told me about that and I’ll tell you this much… I don’t waste my time reading or listening to what my opponents say. I’m more concerned on what I’m going to do to him rather than some banter he came up with.
Analytically, what do you think of him as an opponent? How do you feel you guys match up to one another?
Mike and I have a bit of history. We know each other well, we’ve successfully coached against each other, we’ve sparred together when he was green in the business and ironically I even walked out as part of his corner for his pro debut back when I stopped for a few visits with Saul in the summer of 07. So this is a case of what you see is what you get type of a thing. In the end this guy can’t break me. I’m a f-cking machine.
How’s this fight going to end, Todd?
With me delivering a Jean Claude Van Damme style roundhouse. Enough with the Seagal kick talk, JCVD is the man.
Thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Any last words for your supporters than have been with you since the start?
I’ll tell you who I’d like to NOT thank- and that’s Chad Robichaux. He’s a weird little fella and he also owes me 20 bucks.
Todd “Maniac” Moore – Highlight Footage