By Felix Rodriguez, Staff Writer
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, March 23, 2013 – Luis Vega is a professional mixed martial artist with a record of 8-3. The lightweight fighter from Brownsville, Texas has a knack for the finish, and has only allowed two opponents to go the distance. The Gracie Barra Brownsville representative has already gotten attention from some of the bigger promotions and boasts a submission victory against Sonny Luque at Bellator 62. Although his last fight didn’t go as planned, Vega will be looking to get back on the win column when he faces his next opponent, Chris Pecero (8-4-0). Pecero has won four of his last fights, and was voted TXMMA’s comeback fighter of the year by our readers for his strong performances in 2012.
Pecero and Vega will be fighting for state-bragging rights when they meet in the co-main event of Rocks Xtreme MMA 2. Fight fans in attendance at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas are guaranteed to stay on the edge of their seats when these 155 pounders go at it.
Win or lose, Luis Vega will put on a show; check out what he told TXMMA when we caught up with him during fight week:
Rock’s Xtreme MMA 2 Pre-Fight Interview – Luis Vega
TXMMA: Great talking with you, for our readers who don’t know you yet, can you tell them a little about yourself?
LV: As a fighter I like to give it my all to training and in the fight. I don’t like to look back and say I should have done this or that better. Outside of fighting I’m a father of 5, 1 boy 3 girls and a stepdaughter. I train and teach at Gracie Barra Brownsville and I enjoy teaching to others what I’ve learned thru Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. I’m a role model to many and a mentor to others so I try to always lead by example.
TXMMA: What’s your mindset like right now? What are you trying to accomplish in 2013?
LV: Now I just take it a fight at a time. Im taking it as they come. Im trying to see how far I can go with this. I don’t do this for financial gains to be honest, most of my career I have fought without a single sponsor. I do it because I enjoy inspire the younger generation to do it and to set the example of what hard work and determination will get you.
TXMMA: You’re last fight didn’t go quite as planned, can you tell us a bit about what went wrong and what you learned from that?
LV: My last fight was against a very dominant wrestler in Chas Skelly. My opponent executed a well-planned fight and I ended up losing a unanimous decision. There’s so many things I would have done better, but that is now in the past for me; now to the next [opponent]. I’ve since then just tried to learn more on what I’m weak at [to] keep improving.
TXMMA: Your next fight is a co-main event, are you excited about fighting close to home for Rocks Extreme MMA?
LV: I really don’t know much about the event. I just got a call to fight and being that it is corpus and its pretty close to home I said why not. I also love corpus as a city, I lived a few years when I was young too.
TXMMA: What can you tell us about your opponent? And how you’ve prepared for him?
LV: I’m fighting The Enigma, Chris Pecero. Chris is someone I have been competing against in grappling tournaments. So far we’re 2 and 2.
That was years ago and I know he has improved over the years. We both are similar in fighting styles and we wont shy away from a fistfight. All I know it is a great matchup. For my training I’ve added a bit more of boxing, and trying to improve in that area. I figure since my opponent prefers to stand, then let make it a good stand up war.
TXMMA: Imagine you had Chris Pecero in front of you. Pretend we’re him and say whatever comes to your mind:
LV: Chris, I still think I look better in my tights; I see it play out by me wearing the tighter fight shorts and I predict I will have a cold beer after the bout.
TXMMA: What is the first thing you’ll do the day after the fight?
LV: I’m taking my kiddos to Sea World and Fiesta Texas, and then I’m gonna spend some time with my Wife.