Q&A with MMA
sensation Jake Butler
by
rick olivares
I caught Jake Butler last February during the One FC:
Return of Warriors in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where he knocked out Indonesia’s
Antoni Romulo in the first round. Whether overmatched or outclassed, I was
impressed with Butler’s technique and aggressive style of fighting.
Then two months later, he also dispatched Saipan’s
Swain Cangco quickly and quite brutally in another first round knockout during
One FC: Kings and Champions in Singapore. And I knew I just had to interview
this MMA newbie who owns a degree in Economics from Princeton and was working
in Wall Street before he made the life changing decision to become a MMA fighter
and to live in Southeast Asia.
I spoke with Butler briefly during the weigh in at
the Cathay mall in Singapore. This interview is a more expanded version of that
although it was conducted about three weeks ago.
Rick: Was it an easy decision to leave a corporate job for
fighting out a gym in Singapore?
Jake
Butler: Absolutely. I woke up with a
sense of dread everyday while I was working in finance. it was not something I
could foresee myself doing for a long time while I was in my 20s and 30s. My
competitive fire was still burning. I can compete now and go back to my office
job later.
Rick: Do you like living in Southeast Asia?
Jake
Butler: I love living in Southeast
Asia. The sun, the people, the culture is all amazing and I have
the privilege of competing in several different countries. I have
fought in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and will fight in Jakarta next. My next
target will be to compete in Manila.
Rick: What have your friends back in New York/New Jersey
say about your growing MMA career?
Jake
Butler: They have all been very
supportive of my career change. They always send their encouragement and I know
there's a small viewing party early in the morning in New York every time I
compete.
Rick: What aspect of your game are you trying to improve
on?
Jake
Butler: I am working tirelessly to
bring my Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu up to speed. There is no better
place to train them than here at Evolve, where we have a collection of
world champions in both martial arts.
Rick: Is there anyone you would like to fight soon?
Jake
Butler: There are tons of great guys
in One FC right now, but I'm not into calling out people. I trust my coaches to
give me the best advice and I know One FC will match me up with the best
guys.
Rick: In your two One FC fights, the crowd responded very
well to your fights. In fact, I can say having seen the last five One FC events
that you’re sort of like a crowd favorite. The wins and the adulation, does
that justify what you’re doing now as a MMA fighter?
Jake
Butler: I am very humble and
honored that the One FC fans have chosen to get behind me and it means a lot to
me. However, I am not one of the guys who needs the adulation to fuel them. I
am very self-motivated in everything I do and MMA is no different.
Rick: At 2-0 you are up against Canadian James Kouame who
has a 1-1 record. He’s a stand up fighter. Without giving anything away, how do
you see this fight?
Jake
Butler: I will need to get into the
One FC cage and test myself against him to really find out how the fight will
go. I'm not big into making predictions but I want to finish the fight as soon
as I can and it will be a huge coup to get another first round finish.
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| With Jake Butler at the Cathay in Singapore |
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