DJ Linderman, who
recently won the Sportfight Heavyweight championship and
is 8-1 as a pro, signed last week to the Bellator and is
an alternate in their Heavyweight tourney. DJ, who trains
at Do Somthin' Athletics under coaches Tommy & Randy
Davis, spoke with NW Fightscene about the signing and
more...
NW
Fightscene: You just got signed with Bellator. How are you
feeling?
DJ Linderman: I'm feeling excited. Right now I'm sitting
as an alternate for the Bellator Heavyweight Tournament,
hopin' somebody gets hurt so I can get in there. If not, I
have a six fight contract for 2 and a half years. And I'm
looking forward to every fight.
NWFS:
As a fighter, how does that feel having to sit back and
wait?
Linderman: I'm really antsy. I was on hold for a
few days waiting to see if his [Alexei Olenik's] visa would pass
and in
the gym trying to get at my peak with a fight I don't even
know that I have. Its hard.
NWFS:
Now is there a kind of confidence knowing that at least you got signed?
Linderman: Yeah, there's a lot of confidence there. I
know there's guys in there that I can beat. I know there's
guys in there that are going to be a tough fight. And I'm
ready for that.
NWFS:
Who in Bellator would you like to fight? Obviously you've
already beat Mike Hayes having fought him in the
past.
Linderman: Well, he was talking trash about me, I
believe on your website in an interview, hoping that I would
retire. I'd like to see if he could retire me. But if not him,
I'd like Cole Konrad or one of these other fighters.
NWFS:
So what do you think when a fighter says something like
that. Is that just trash talking or do you take that personally?
Linderman: When I've already beat a fighter, plain as
I beat him, and he said I laid and prayed. Obviously if
you watch the video, you'll see that I was striking with
him, beating him on the feet. He's the only fighter I've ever had a beef with.
NWFS:
So even though you've beat him once, you'd like to beat him
again for what he said?
Linderman: Yes. To shut him up.
NWFS:
Tell us about your training and your team.
Linderman: My training is going really well. I train
five days a week, between three and five hours a day. I
work full-time. I'm a roofer. So I'm constantly moving.
Hopefully, here in Bellator I would like to hop into the
205 division. Right now I sit about 220 and these bigger guys are
looking kind of big to me. It'll be a better fight at 205
I'm thinking... My team's great here. I got offered to go to Team Quest. I turned it down
because I have a solid camp here. There's no reason for me
to be anywhere else.
NWFS:
Talk about Sportfight and winning the title there.
Linderman: Winning the title up there, it was a long
hard fight. Daniel Stewart is one of the toughest
fighters I've went against. Not the hardest, but definitely
the toughest. The guy would not drop. Well, I would
drop him but the guy would not stop. He'd come at me like
a juggernaut. And I give all my respect to him for not
quitting that fight. He's gave me one of the best fights I've
had. It let me put my standup out there to let
everybody know that I have standup. I ain't just a ground
and pound [fighter].
NWFS:
Now you have to retire that belt because you signed with
Bellator?
Linderman: Yes, now I do. Its pretty nice that both
guys that have won the Sportfight title the last two times
have moved on to bigger places. Me and Mike Hayes have
both moved on to Bellator. The next [Sportfight] champ I
think it will be Daniel Stewart. I think he'll do great. And
that's what I have on that.
NWFS:
Anybody you'd like to thank?
Linderman: I'd like to thank my team here. I'd like
to thank Throwdown down there in Vegas. And all my fans
out there.
NW
Fightscene thanks DJ for taking the time to speak with us.
Fans
wanting to hit him up online can do so at
www.myspace.com/NorCal_Champ.
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