Interviews
MMATORCH EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Chance encounter with Anthony Pettis leads Chico Camus to MMA career
Nov 23, 2010 - 9:15:07 AM MMATORCH EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Chance encounter with Anthony Pettis leads Chico Camus to MMA career

DISCUSS ALL THIS IN OUR NEW MMATORCH FORUM

...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!

By: Rich Hansen, MMATorch Columnist

MMATorch Columnist Rich Hansen recently had the opportunity to interview Duke Roufus MMA Bantamweight Chico “King” Camus. Camus will be facing the toughest fight of his young career when he squares off against former WEC and Bellator fighter Jameel Massouh on November 24 at NAFC: Bad Blood, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.


MMA TORCH: How did you find Anthony Pettis and Duke Roufus?

CHICO CAMUS: Well it started maybe three years ago I'd say. I was going through pretty rough times in my life and I ended up meeting Anthony at a mutual friend's barbershop. Anthony was getting his hair cut at the time and I overheard him talking about a previous MMA fight that he had just won. And I'd always wrestled with all of my friends and stuff like that, so I was being curious and I asked him, "Where do you train?" Because I had never known anything about MMA being here in Wisconsin. So he told me he trained out at RoufusSport Academy at 76th and Blue Mound. But he was previously about to open up his own gym. So he invited me down to come train with him. I went down and trained with him and ever since then he's pretty much kicked my butt you know?

MMA TORCH: So it was purely random?

CHICO CAMUS: Yeah. Purely random. I didn't know that I was going to be a MMA fighter; I didn't know anything. I just went in there one day being curious, trying to see where I was pretty much at, my fight level, you know? Anthony pretty much kicked my butt, man.

I mean, I was smoking cigarettes and doing a lot of crazy stuff at the time, and I quit everything right there that day. I literally walked out of there... I was waiting for Anthony smoking a cigarette and left the gym throwing my pack of cigarettes in the garbage. And I've never smoked since.

MMA TORCH: You were in a car accident back in August, and you fought about a week after that. It was reported that you suffered a sternum injury.

CHICO CAMUS: Yes, sir.

MMA TORCH: How is your recovery? Are you at 100%?

CHICO CAMUS: I'm 100% now, yes. But before was kind of crazy. I mean, I heard Jameel (Massouh) say things, you know. But I understand where he's coming from and stuff like that, but it was weird to me as well.

I got into the car accident maybe five to six days before my fight and was fine. I had two bruises on my [chest], right by my sternum. But no pain, no anything you know? I was moving fine and everything. I went into the fight perfectly fine and something happened in the fight. I didn't feel any pain until like an hour after that fight. My adrenaline must have came down and everything. And out of nowhere, excruciating pain; like where I couldn't take it. I'm sitting there having a drink at the after-party and I put the drink down after like five or ten minutes of the pain. I was like, "We have to leave." I went back to the hotel to try to get some rest. That lasted about 45 minutes until we started driving back to Milwaukee because I had to get to a hospital.

MMA TORCH: So then there are no regrets about pulling out of the Massouh fight at Bellator 29?

CHICO CAMUS: Oh no. Couldn't do it. I wouldn't have been 50% for Jameel, you know. And I want, and Jameel should want it the same way. He should want to beat me at 100%. So, I'm 100% now, so we'll see what's going to happen on the 24th.

MMA TORCH: What have you been drilling hardest in training for Jameel?

CHICO CAMUS: We train all aspects of the game. Being in trouble, being on my back, everything, everything. So wherever the fight goes I'm going to be comfortable.

MMA TORCH: How do you see the fight playing out?

CHICO CAMUS: I see me TKOing the guy. I honestly do. My explosion and my cardio. His cardio better be good because I don't stop. He's going to get 15 minutes of non-stop movement and non-stop action. It's going to be hard for him to realize once he gets in there with me to deal with my strength and my explosiveness.

MMA TORCH: Is this fight at 140 lbs.?

CHICO CAMUS: This fight is at a catchweight of 140, yes sir.

MMA TORCH: And you usually fight at 135?

CHICO CAMUS: Yes. I'm usually at 135. I fought one fight at 140 at a catchweight, and won that fight. I feel comfortable, I feel strong.

MMA TORCH: What [weight] are you walking around at?

CHICO CAMUS: I usually walk around at maybe 155 or 156 lbs.

MMA TORCH: Is that a hard cut for you?

CHICO CAMUS: No. Not at all. I usually drop... I'm usually fighting at 135 so...

MMA TORCH: Because at the lighter weights, 20 pounds is a lot of weight to cut.

CHICO CAMUS: Yeah yeah. Pretty much. 135, I'm not going to say it's an easy cut, but it's not that hard. I don't, I don't die when I'm doing it you know?

MMA TORCH: Have you ever had any nasty experiences from a bad weight cut? Has there been any time when you thought there was no way you could make [weight]?

CHICO CAMUS: I mean, yeah, there was one time. One time in particular two fights ago, I was fighting [former WEC fighter] John Hosman. I had to get to 136 or 135 lbs. and it was a pretty bad weight cut for me. That was the only time I think I ever struggled with the weight cut. But I ended up being on weight and I was like a pound and a half over... and Duke got on the phone with me and chewed me out. He made me get up and do a couple things I didn't want to do, and it all played out good. I ended up winning the fight, and I thanked Duke afterward for it.

MMA TORCH: Do you think with a win over Jameel, particularly one in impressive fashion, that would get you an offer from Strikeforce or the UFC?

CHICO CAMUS: I would hope so man. It's been a long road for me, and hopefully, beating Jameel, that would be three WEC guys that I've beaten in the last year. So hopefully they'll see that I'm beating worthy opponents. Hopefully they'll give me that opportunity; I feel like I'm ready for it.

NAFC: Bad Blood takes place on Wednesday November 24 from the Potawatomi Casino in Milwauke, WI. For tickets to NAFC: Bad Blood, Click Here.

For more information on Duke Roufus Academy, please visit MilwaukeeMMA.com.