10 Questions With Nick Thompson (by Darrick Patrick)
Nick "The Goat" Thompson is a professional mixed martial artist who has battled in events such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bodog Fight, World Victory Road, Extreme Challenge, Twin Cities Throwdown, Xtreme Kage Kombat, Absolute Fighting Championships, EFX, Combat Zone, Madtown Throwdown, Freestyle Fighting Championship, Hand 2 Hand Combat, Greatest Common Multiple, Combat, Xtreme Fighting Organization, Ultimate Battleground, and Freestyle Combat Challenge.
Darrick: What was the path that led you to competing professionally in mixed martial arts?
Nick: I wrestled for a couple of years for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, so that was my martial arts background. I became interested in MMA when I went to go see a friend compete. It was one of the first dates that I had with my wife and I told her I could do MMA in an attempt to impress her. I started training the next week. I don't think she was impressed nor was I any good, but I was hooked.
Darrick: Who are some of the people that greatly influenced you while growing up?
Nick: Aside from my parents, I think one of the biggest influences was my high school wrestling coach. He would stay after practice with me every day in order to work new techniques and he would meet me before school to work conditioning. From him I really learned that the difference between being good and being number one is a willingness to push yourself and sacrifice what others are not.
Darrick: What does a "normal" training session for you consist of?
Nick: An average day for me begins at six in the morning. I eat a healthy breakfast and then meet my strength and conditioning coach at API (Athletic Performance Institute). I will either do sport specific strength and conditioning, run a six-minute mile for five minutes, then take a minute break and repeat five times or swim 200 yards, take a minute break, and then repeat five times. Then, I go to class.
I return in the afternoon and will train either an hour of grappling or an hour of sparring. After that, I will spend an hour doing technique by either hitting pads, the heavy bag, or going to drill Jiu-Jitsu or wrestling. Then, I go home and study, go to bed, get up, and repeat.
Darrick: Any words of advice for younger individuals looking to compete in MMA?
Nick: Surround yourself with the most knowledgeable teammates that you can. You will often pay more to be at a good school, but the difference in price pays for itself. The days of being able to be a top level mixed martial artist by training in your basement have come and gone.
Darrick: What brings you the most fulfillment out of martial arts?
Nick: I get the greatest fulfillment when I know that I have done everything I could in order to prepare for a fight.
Darrick: Who are a few of the people in the sport that you highly respect?
Nick: There are so many that it is hard to even know where to begin. Probably the one that sticks out the most is my teammate Sean Sherk. I have great respect for him because I have seen how hard he pushes himself in training. He has also kind of taken me under his wing and showed me the proper way to diet and train in order to be a champion.
Darrick: Outside of MMA, what are your other interests?
Nick: I don't have time for much else since I am also attending law school. When I can find the time, I enjoy playing Madden and muskie fishing.
Darrick: If you had three wishes, what would they be?
Nick: My first wish would be to have healthy and happy kids with my wife. My second wish would be to have the opportunity to fight to be the undisputed world champion. And my third wish would be that my blind dog could be able to see because he would like that.
Darrick: What is your oldest memory?
Nick: I remember playing laser tag when I was really little. Actually it wasn't even laser tag - it was Photon, but it was basically the same thing.
Darrick: Tell us something about you that most people don't know.
Nick: Most people don't know that something with mass cannot travel at the speed of light.
FOR OTHER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS BY DARRICK PATRICK:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=4974388&blogID=343519835
You can also check out Nick Thompson in the following places:
Official Nick Thompson Website:
http://www.nickthompson.tv
Official Nick Thompson MySpace Profile:
http://www.myspace.com/nickthegoatthompson
Nick Thompson on Fight Finder:
http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=7124
Nick Thompson Photo Gallery at Sherdog.com:
http://www.sherdog.com/news/Picture_gallery.asp?f_id=7124@@Nick%20Thompson
Tags: Nick Thompson Darrick Patrick Interview Interviews Mma Mixed Martial Arts
