David “Baggs” Baggett Bellator pre-fight interview

Posted by on Jun 24, 2011 in Bellator

 

David “Baggs” Baggett had the chance to have it all. But when he was eliminated from The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 and subsequently released by the UFC that chance was taken out of his reach. Read below how Baggs is working to earn another shot and what he will do to his opponent, Moyses “The Savage” Gabin, this Saturday to get it.

CJ: Hey you Cage Junkies this is Mario with CageJunkies.com and I’m here with David “Baggs” Baggett. Thanks for speaking with us today Baggs.

DB: How ya doing today?

CJ: Yes sir. Yes sir. Big fight coming up this Saturday, how are you feeling, buddy?

DB: Great! Very, very prepared. I did an eight-week camp here in Port St. Lucie [Florida] with Team Animal with Marco Slayne and Danny “Bad Boy” Babcock. They’ve got me very prepared and very mean. Ready to go out there and get this savage they call Moyses Gabin.

CJ: (laughs) Good stuff Baggs… it’s going to be a good one. So how did you get into MMA? What was the start for you?

DB: About 10 years ago, after graduating high school, and going off to college, I just missed competition. And I had a buddy that I grew up with, who was in American Jiu-Jitsu throughout middle school and high school. He’d come in every day, “Baggs you’ve got to get into this man. You’ve got to get into this.” So then one day I just decided to go in there and check it out, to see for myself. 10 years ago today. Or in April it was 10 years ago.

CJ: Good stuff. And here you are man. Good job. How would you describe your fighting style?

DB: I have a wrestling background and an American Jiu-Jitsu background. I’m a black belt in American Jiu-Jitsu and I’m good on the ground. I love the takedowns, I love to clinch. Inside fighter all day. So yeah, just inside brawler, there you go. With a good ground game.

CJ: There you go. Inside brawler. Good stuff. Tell me about your nick-name. How did that come about?

DB: Well my last name is Baggett, and in high school my freshman year, the varsity football coach just nick-named me Baggs, and it stuck for life. I’m Baggs for life now.

CJ: Yeah, it just one of those things. Good stuff Good stuff. Tell me how does it feel to be in that cage fighting in front of a Florida crowd?

DB: It feels awesome! Florida is my home, born and raised, any time I get a chance to represent. Especially in a big organization like Bellator. You can’t pass up the offer, you have to take it.

CJ: I hear you. Absolutely. Listen, I read online that this guy Gabin, was held back a few times. You guys were supposed to fight before and something happened there. Tell me about that.

DB: The matchmaker at the time had offered Moyses to me a couple of times, and at that point of my career or and my personal life, or whatever it just didn’t pan out. When I was with the Jungle MMA with Seth Petruzelli and Tom Lawlor, they had offered me those fights, but we had been gearing those guys up for their UFC fights, and so I really wasn’t getting the looks I should have been to really take that fight on with 100% going towards the fight. Like I said, I was in their camp, getting those guys ready, focusing 100% on those guys and not on myself.

CJ: That’s great man. It sounds like you’re real dedicated.

DB: Yeah, well, I switched over camps to Team Animal, here in Port St. Lucie. Danny “Bad Boy” Babcock was scheduled to fight Moyses Gabin a few times as well, but different promotions and/or other things prohibited the fight to ever go through. And so I reached out to Marco Slayne, I was like “[c]oach, let me work with you guys. You guys have a pretty good gameplan for this kid, so let me implement it.” And they took me under their arms and opened up the family and I’ve been with them for eight weeks now.

CJ: Good news. Good stuff. Tell me, I know you have the wrestling background, American Jiu-Jitsu background. But if you had to choose, what would it be, submission or KO?

DB: Knockout all day. That way I can get on TV, baby.

CJ: [laughing] I feel you. We love to see those knockouts, especially in the first 11 seconds. [Editor's note: Baggett enters this Saturday's bout coming off an 11 second knockout win over James Nevels in August of last year.]

DB: No doubt. No doubt. That fight, aw man. I just had a 22 second knockout back in April up in Louisiana for Felix’s Bad Boy [editor's note: The fight occurred at Felix's LA Bad Boy Promotions inaugural event on April 16, 2011] fights up in Gonzaga, Louisiana, and I had another 20 second knockout which is awesome. But that 11 second knockout you’re talking about in Biloxi, I had my eyes closed the whole time. I just ducked and punched and he was out.

CJ: [laughing] The KO will make you famous. Good job on that one.

DB: Thank you sir. I appreciate it.

CJ: What kind of diet do you follow?

DB: Actually I’m on the Dolce Diet right now. For this camp it’s done me wonders. I started out on the, basically, the caveman diet. Whatever a caveman would eat, basically raw. I tried a low sodium, basically raw, vegetables, a little bit of protein, fish, chicken, a little bit of red meat, not to much. A lot of turkey. A lot of turkey. Just cause its lower in fat then chicken, by a little bit. That worked out for me. Then I went on the Dolce Diet, and aw man, his worked wonders for me. And I might be even thinking about getting down to welterweight in the next couple of fights.

CJ: Is that right?

DB: Yes sir.

CJ: That’s cool. Good stuff. Let me ask you when you are not training for a fight, what can we find you doing?

DB: Hanging in St. Pete with my beautiful girlfriend, Kristin. On the beach, hanging out with her son Ethan. Getting fat on Italian food. Stuff like that.

CJ: [laughing] That’s the life right there. Good stuff. Let me ask you, your girlfriend… your family… what do they think about all of this stuff your doing?

DB: In the first part of my career, they were like David, do something else with your life. This is just not it. But now they are 100% supportive. They’ve seen me with my success and my dedication. And they couldn’t help but turn and love the sport for what it is, and who it’s made me in my life.

CJ: That’s awesome. There is nothing better then family support there.

DB: Oh, 100%. You can’t have it without it.

CJ: So who do you look up to? Who is your role model in your life?

DB: That’s a hard one. It’s used to be older fighters. I used to be a huge Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell fan, when I was young in the sport. There are many inspirations and/or people that I look up to that are great, that show… Rev Run for instance. Huge… huge… The guy is always spitting out great inspirations and helping me everyday with his famous quotes on Twitter. Just staying positive and going and getting what you believe is yours.

CJ: Wow. That’s cool. Very cool.

DB: That and good ole’ Chael Sonnen. He usually makes me laugh on his Twitter’s when he’s talking about the Brazilians.

CJ: Is that right? [laughter]

DB: That guy is a crack job. He’s funny. I like him.

CJ: So what’s your major goal in your MMA career? What do you want to get out of all this?

DB: Well I was on Season 7. If I could get back into the UFC, one way or another. Either go back to TUF and/or just fight back the hard way. And get back to there. Get the W in Bellator and figure out and work on from after that. Because, I have a couple of offers on the table. But I just really want to see what this opportunity can bring for me before I solidify and/or agree to any other terms.

CJ: I hear you. Sounds like a good plan. Let me ask you, if the fans want to follow you, how can they get to do that? I know you’re on Facebook, sounds like you’re on Twitter.

DB: Yeah, they can follow me on Facebook at DaviDBaggett, at Facebook.com or whatever. Twitter.com/Baggs56, they can follow me on Twitter right there. And that’s about it on my social networks.

CJ: There you go. Any shout outs you want to give to your gym or any trainers?

DB: Definitely want to give them a shout out to Team Animal. Team Animal Wolfpack. And Marco Slayne, Danny “Bad Boy” Babcock, and Evan Baxter. That’s my roommate for the last eight weeks. Dude is worth his weight in gold.

CJ: Good stuff. Anything you want to tell your opponent?

DB: Moyses. I’m coming to straighten out that left eye, buddy.

CJ: [laughing]

DB: I’m going to be your new ophthalmologist.

CJ: [laughing] Awesome. You heard it here CageJunkies, David “Baggs” Baggett versus Moyses “The Savage” Gabin, Bellator 46 at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, FL, Saturday, June 25th. It’s going to be a good one. Baggs, thanks for the time and we wish you the best of luck my friend.

DB: Thank you sir.

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