The Mongoose Ready to Strike at Legacy FC 7 – An Interview with Urban Jungle’s Marc Ramirez

Houston, TX, July 13, 2011 – What was a big fight for two of the city’s up-and-comers just got even bigger as it was recently discovered that Marc Ramirez (3-1) and Justin Reiswerg (2-1) will get a chance to prove their status as two of Houston’s finest up-and-coming fighters to the entire nation on HDNet’s Friday Night Fights.

The pair was originally scheduled to appear on the untelevised undercard of the Legacy Fighting Championship 7 card set for Friday July 22^nd before injury forced the cancellation of Steve Garcia vs. Angel Huerta off the main draw. With an emphasis on excitement to fill that void, Reiswerg and Ramirez will now get their shot to show the skills that have made the pair two of the most highly-touted lightweight prospects in the city of Houston.

We recently spoke to Justin Reiswerg to get his take on this bout and what’s at stake for the winner. Today we do the same with Marc “The Mongoose” Ramirez.

Enjoy and don’t forget to tune in to HDNet Friday Night Fights next Friday, July 22^nd to see which of these two fighters gets closer to fulfilling their dream of one day becoming a champion.

Thanks for taking the interview with TXMMA.com, Marc. It’s been awhile since we last talked to you. What have you been up to since your last win at IXFA this past February?

Oh man, after my last win I’ve been pretty good. I was supposed to fight at IXFA in Winnie (April) but I came down with some really bad food poisoning right before the fight. It was horrible. I couldn’t fight or do anything for two weeks. After that, I kind of got lazy and took some time off but then Tony (Torres-Aponte) said I had to get back in the gym and train. Ever since then I’ve been hitting it hard and working hard.

How did you get your nickname, “Mongoose?”

My boxing training gave me that nickname. He told me I was fast and a mongoose always moves to kill the snake so that’s me. I try to do that name justice every time I’m in the cage.

Take us through your last fight with Cody Hoffstatter. What did it feel like in the cage?

I didn’t really know much about him other than he was supposed to be a jiu-jitsu guy so I didn’t really know what he had. He threw some pretty wild punches in the fight. In one of those exchanges, he caught me in the back of the head so I chose to clinch with him and throw some knees. I guess he didn’t like that too much based on his reactions. He gave me some space and that’s when I caught him with a right hand and he fell.

Prior to that fight, you made some noise by taking (current Bellator fighter) Adam Schindler to a five-round split decision. In your mind, what did that fight do for you?

It really gave me the knowledge to know that I could take a fight that far and go through some punishment, survive, and release some of my punishment on the other person. I know nobody’s going to break me. That first round, he had me in one of the worst positions possible with that crucifix. He also had me in a guillotine. Those were bad positions but I was able to fight out and he couldn’t break me. That shows my heart will keep pumping until the ref says no more.

How have you improved as a fighter since you turned pro?

I spend a lot of time concentrating on my hands but I also feel like I’m better-rounded now too with all the work I put in. I look forward to showing all that in this fight coming up.

Do you still feel like your hands are your strength or are you a submission fighter now?

I definitely like to hit people. I like a good scrap so if he wants to stand, trade blow-for-blow, see who has better hands or a better chin, we can do it like that. I like fighting like that so it’s no problem with me.

Speaking of your Legacy FC 7 fight with Justin Reiswerg, you two are known for being Houston’s top up-and-comers in the lightweight division. What do you think of being paired with him?

I’m excited and I’m sure he is. We’re both up-and-coming, we’re both hungry, and we both want it. He’s no slouch and I’m no slouch so we’re going to go out there bring it, and get ‘Fight of the Night’ honors. That’s definitely what I’m thinking.

What do you think is in store for whoever wins next Friday?

There are so many possibilities. Mick and Legacy may want to give us another title shot. They may want to give us another challenge. I don’t know. There are just so many different possibilities.

How do you plan on beating Justin Reiswerg and swinging those possibilities in your favor?

Any way I can! The first opportunity he gives me to beat him is the one I’m going to take. <laughs> Whether it’s a knockout, a submission, whatever. A fight is a fight so let’s just get in there and see what happens.

Do you yourself dancing in the cage after this fight like you did over in IXFA?

<laughs> Man! To tell you the truth, I don’t even know why I dance. I guess I’m just so hyped and in the mood there in the cage that I just have to keep moving or something after the fight. When that music starts playing, I just want to move. <laughs> Yeah, hopefully I can get up and dance in the end.

What’s next for you after this?

I’m just going to keep training and try to get better at every aspect of the game. Stay constantly in the gym twice or three times a day so I can work on everything.

I want to thank my parents and God first-and-foremost, Tony Torres-Aponte, Robert Lopez, everybody at Urban Jungle, my boxing coach Raul Long, Pat Swan, and that’s about it. I don’t really have any sponsors but I need some. If anybody wants to support an exciting fighter, come talk to me!

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