HOUSTON, TX, June 29, 2011 – “Let me tell you about my sons,” said Samantha Juarez Orozco about her children and their choice to participate in MMA. “They have so much talent in this sport. They have made us all really proud.”
Raising a fighting family along with her husband and Silverback Fight Club patriarch Tony Orozco, Samantha actually thought it was too soon for her son “Lil’ Tony” to take up fighting when he first decided to step into the cage but she’s gained confidence seeing how he’s flourished thus far. “He means business,” she says, confident of his natural talent and potential as a fighter. And while she’s nervous when he’s in the cage, she also believes he has the tools and work ethic to becoming a UFC champion one day.
As one of the youngest fighters in Houston, Tony Orozco JR already holds two wins inside the cage at an age where most kids his age are more worried about cars, pimples, and girls, and not necessarily in that order. In fact, the last time he decided to step into the cage and fight, it was against a man more than twice his age and on the same night of his prom no less!
Like we said in our TXMMA recap of that event, we’re not quite sure how Orozco is going to top that experience but he sure has a long time to try.
Enjoy this interview as we speak to Tony Orozco Jr. prior to this Friday night’s bout against Randy McCullough at Cage Combat 4 in Humble!
Tony, I haven’t talked to you since right after your fight when you jetted off to the prom. How did the rest of the night go for you after the win over Angel Zamora?
Oh man, let’s just say it was it was indescribable. That was my first prom and it was fun! Since I’m only a junior, I’ve been still got another one coming up next year so maybe I’ll fight on the same night again.
<laughs> Between another prom and more fights ahead, it definitely sounds like you have a lot to look forward to. If you had to rank which one was a better experience this time around, what was more fun for you, the fight or the prom?
I would have to say the prom. Definitely. I can’t lie on this one.
What about the fight with Angel earlier that night, did it go just like you expected?
Going into the fight, I wanted to see what he had and what I could do against somebody twice my age. It ended quicker than what I thought would happen actually. Really the punches I was throwing at him were more of trying to irritate him instead of trying to finish it quickly but I’m not complaining about it at all.
With two fights under your belt now, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is not to be cocky. I know even the cockiest person can be put down just like that. <snaps fingers> Another thing I’ve learned in training is that nothing gets old. I’ve been doing jiu-jitsu since I was six, almost twelve years now. To this day, I’m learning a lot of new things about jiu-jitsu and standing up as well.
Tell us about that training. You guys (Silverback Fight Club) are known for having excellent cardio in your fights. What are you guys doing to stay in top shape over here?
I think it’s what our dad always tells us, that cardio is important. You can go a lot of ways with just power and technique but without that cardio, all that technique and muscle can just go away quickly, right out the window. Without cardio, we’d just be typical fighters off the street. Even with technique, we need more so we can go a longer way.
You’re about to turn eighteen and already you’re going into your third fight. What are your goals here in the near future and how long do you plan on staying an amateur?
Well, I don’t care how many fights I have at this level before I turn pro. I just want to stay an amateur until I hit nineteen or twenty – until I get my man-strength. Once I get that and hit the age where I know we’re I’m at <maturity-wise>, how much <weight> I can drop down to, and how much I can push myself, that’s the time I’d love to go pro and build up a name for myself. For now, I’m still growing up and developing.
Away from fighting, you’re also in school and learning more about other things in life as well. How important is getting a good education for you?
When I was younger I always wanted to be a dentist or in the medical field just because it’s something where I can make a lot of money and provide for myself. When I was little, I actually hated it when my dad would always push me to do jiu-jitsu, compete in matches, and train but over the years, I’ve started to love fighting. I’m starting to push towards this as a career so I can see just how far I can go. I know school is the backbone for everything though. I’m not going to be able to fight forever so I need to develop my mind so I can live afterwards.
What else takes up your time between studying the books and learning on the mats?
Oh you know, girls, jobs, just the usual teenage stuff… But my two main priorities are school and fighting.
Speaking of fighting, let’s talk about your fight this Friday at Cage Combat 4? What do you know about your opponent Randy McCullough?
I know he fought Carlos Jimenez in his first fight and got tapped out in the third round by rear-naked-choke. In his second fight, he fought… not to sound disrespectful but he fought some guy who seemed like he didn’t really know what he was doing. They were out there going crazy and throwing wild hands. I saw he got caught a couple of times with those wild punches. In our fight, I know for sure I’ll have cardio and technique on my side so I know I’ll be able to overpower him no matter where the fight goes. I’ve pushed myself to know I’ll be able to do what it takes to win.
What if the fight turns into a brawl? Are you worried about that?
Actually that’s what I’m really hoping for. My first two fights ended without me really getting rocked so I’m really hoping for him to come swinging wild to see how I would react if I’m put ina tough situation.
Any last words for your opponent before Friday?
No, I really don’t have much to say and I’m not much of a trash-talker. Just come ready man.
What about everybody else? Anything else you want to add?
Aww man, I always just like to tell everybody that I’m only seventeen and I have so much to look forward to. Just wait until I hit my full potential.
Thank you dad and especially my mom! I know I got screamed at after my last interview because I forgot to mention her so she’s the main person right now along with Scotty, David, Jacob, my dad the main Silverback, and the rest of my training partners. That’s it!
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