SAN ANTONIO, TX, June 6, 2011 – Growing up the small town of Sherman, TX, Pete Spratt was but anything but the fighter he is today. In high school, Pete was an all-American track & field athlete, all-area wide receiver, and second team all-district guard on the basketball team prior to heading off college, where he ended up finishing his football career at Southeastern Oklahoma State University as #2 in receiving in the entire nation and as the school’s all-time career yards leader while graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Safety and Health.
When he didn’t end up landing a roster spot in the NFL, Spratt decided to go a radically different route by taking on his first “no-holds-barred” fight here in Texas at the urging of some friends. Fast forward twelve years and the former football player now holds the distinction of being one of the true pioneers of MMA here in Texas after a careers that’s taken him from local fights to fighting in under the bright lights of the UFC, where he’s faced names like champion Georges St. Pierre and beaten others like “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler.
Now looking to make his way back up to the upper echelons of the sport, “The Secret Weapon” will be fighting “The Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis in the main event of MFC 30: Up Close & Personal, set to air LIVE on HDNet this Friday June 10th all the way from the Mayfield Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta Canada.
With fight week and beating Marcus Davis on his mind, we spoke to Pete Spratt to get his thoughts on this fight, his history in Texas MMA, and what the future holds for “The Secret Weapon.”
It was different but just like with anything, you have to adjust. For me, I was like, “How can I knee and kick you in the face but I can’t punch you with a closed fist?” That was my whole thing. We’ve come a long way after getting whole Pancrase-style rules out of the way and everything. I’m glad to have been in it as early as I got into it but for me, I felt like started late because I was like 28 or 29 years old when I got into it. Now it’s definitely progressed into the biggest sport in the world today.
We recently announced here on TXMMA.com that you’d be stepping in to take on Marcus Davis at MFC 30: “Up Close & Personal.” How have preparations been going for the fight?
Oh man, preparations have been going great. I’ve had an awesome training camp. One of my guys, Aaron Rosa, recently got the call to fight at UFC 131 and I already had a fight booked so we have been in training camp getting prepared to fight for awhile so we haven’t had to change anything up other than pick up the running and plyometrics at the track. It’s been a great camp. I’m peaking at the right time. I’m healthy. Everything feels really good right now.
Who else has been helping you for this fight besides Aaron?
Rodrigo Pinheiro is my jiu-jitsu coach and business partner with the gym. Bobby Southworth has also been helping me a lot. A couple of other guys have stopped by the gym. Guys like Shane Faulker and some other guys. We’ve just been getting ready man. We’ve got a good core group here getting ready to put San Antonio on the map.
Having fought Marcus Davis before at UFC 69 here in Houston, what are your thoughts on him as an opponent now?
I’m looking forward to and am excited for this rematch. I think it’s a good matchup and we’ve both evolved within our games. I felt like I was winning the first fight until I got heel-hooked so other than that, I don’t think it’s going to be any different in the second fight. It will be a good contest.
Do you have any specific prediction as far as how the fight will end?
I always have the same prediction, which is that I’m going to win by KO. It doesn’t matter who is across from me, I’m trying to knock them out. That’s always my prediction on how I’ll finish.
Well as a representative for Texas MMA, we definitely wish you luck! What’s the future hold for you after this Pete? An idea how long you plan to keep on fighting?
The way I’m feeling right now, I feel really good so I can’t put a timetable on how long I’ll continue to fight. As long as I feel good and I think I can be competitive without just getting my butt handed to me, I’m going to stay in there. My last fight, I pulled off a submission that surprised everybody and kind of opened everybody’s eyes back on me a little bit so I’m going to continue with that momentum and keep pushing forward.
Any last words for your fans here in Texas and all over the world before this Friday on HDNet?
I just appreciate all the support from my fans that have been there for me through thick and thin. I’ve been in this game for a long time. This is my 12th year in the game and I have some great fans here in Texas and all over so I appreciate you all those hanging in there and sticking with me throughout my career. I’m going to try to finish this and every fight with a bang.
Thanks to my sponsors Jitz.net, Gamma Labs, and Wrestling Overload aka MMA Overload, – those guys all support me in allowing me to do everything I have to do to get prepared to fight.
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