Bryan Baker “2010 – The Year of the Beast”

By Dave Carpinello

Former WEC, KOTC and current MFC middleweight rising star Bryan “The Beast” Baker recently talked with PDG about his victory over Art Santore at MFC 23 ‘Unstoppable’, his future and the evolution of his mixed martial arts career. PunchDrunkGamer would also like to announce Baker as the newest fighter to be sponsored by PDG.

PDG: You recently defeated Art “Pachuco” Santore at MFC 23 “Unstoppable”; what did you think of your performance overall?

Bryan Baker: I was able to pull out the victory but I was also very disappointed in myself in a lot of ways.  I put in so much time and effort into my training leading up to the fight but I feel that I did not show my true potential against Santore.  I was able to open up a little bit of my new arsenal including my leg kicks so overall I guess I would say it was a good learning experience and definitely a fight that I can build and improve on.  Santore is a veteran of the game and he came out and had a good time in our fight and he definitely showed a lot of heart with as many strikes that I landed.

PDG: I am not sure of the exact numbers but it seemed like you hit that guy over 400 times and yet he would not let himself be knocked out or give up; how frustrating was that?

Bryan Baker: I was definitely frustrated at first but as the fight went on I was trying to knock him out and finish the fight with every punch and kick that I threw and I think that that affected my timing in the fight and caused me to tense up.  I gave him a real good ass whipping including 32 stitches and he could barely walk the next day.  So I definitely accomplished the damage part of my game plan but I was trying too hard to knock him out and that is why the fight went to a decision.

PDG: I would have to agree with your damage assessment as Santore was bleeding all over the ring.

Bryan Baker: Yeah I caused him to get stitches above his eyebrow, two sets of stitches below his left eye and stitches in his lip as well.  He was definitely cut up pretty bad.

PDG: That was your second victory for the Maximum Fighting Championship organization; how many more fights do you have left on your contract with the MFC?

Bryan Baker: I initially signed a five fight contract with the MFC but that contract expires in February of 2010.  There are a lot of windows of opportunity opening up for me right now and Thomas Denny is working with many promoters to determine what the next step in my career will be.  I can promise one thing for sure and that is that I will have a title belt around my waist very soon.  I have put a lot of sacrifice and hard work into this sport and I feel that it is going to pay off sooner rather than later.

PDG: Did you suffer any injuries in your fight against Santore?

Bryan Baker: I hurt my leg but nothing serious as it was just from throwing so many kicks.  I was limping around for about a week after the fight but I can take solace in the fact that he was probably limping worse than me because of all the kicks and I did land.  I opened myself up to the world of kickboxing and in doing that he was able to check about half of the kicks that I threw and so my right leg was pretty swollen for a few days.

PDG: So how long are you taking off from training before you start preparing for your next fight?

Bryan Baker: I'm very excited about taking some time off and enjoying the holidays.  I am getting the chance to go down to Georgia and spend some time with my mother and my brothers.  So I will probably get back in the gym and start training again after New Year's.

PDG: So are you projecting a return in March or April?

Bryan Baker: That sounds about right; I want to make sure I get a nice camp in and make sure that I work with my coaches to pick the best opportunity for me to get a title shot.

PDG: What organizations are you guys talking with?

Bryan Baker: There are several possibilities available and I'm at that point in my career where I am ready for an organization to take care of me and take on the added responsibility of being a top-tier fighter.  I am a professional and I am just waiting for a promoter to meet me halfway.

PDG: You have had fights in several different promotions in the industry; which one of your fights was the most rewarding so far?

Bryan Baker: I would definitely have to say that my fights in the WEC rank up there as the highest because it was my first big contract for a big promotion and it was definitely a step up in the level of competition that I was facing.  The WEC was an awesome organization to work for and I was definitely bummed out when they got rid of their middleweight division but as I stated earlier it has opened up more windows of opportunity for me and the MFC has treated me very well.

PDG: You stated that you liked working for the MFC; what has been your impression of the Canadian MMA fans?

Bryan Baker: Fighting in front of the Canadian fans is definitely a different atmosphere than fighting in the US but they have welcomed me with open arms so I have nothing but good things to say about them.  I won't complain one bit about getting the opportunities to fight internationally.

PDG: Thanks for you time Bryan; is there anything else that you wanted to add?

Bryan Baker: Thank you and yes, 2010 is going to be the year of “The Beast” and of Team Wildman.  We are going to put in all of the work and necessary preparation to make sure that things go our way in the upcoming year.  I want to thank all of my training partners and sponsors for a great 2009.

Click here to see Bryan Baker fight Art Santore at MFC 23

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