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Post Fight Interview: Europe's LARS BESAND
Submitted by: Keith Mills
Posted On 04/09/2005
Look up almost any show in Europe and chances are at some point in time they have booked Lars Besand. Many people in Europe point to Besand as one of the most knowledgeable fighters not just in terms of techniques but in relation to what is really going on in Europe's burgeoning MMA scene in general. Most recently Lars fought on the Masters Fight Night card March 26th where he defeated Andre Balschmieter by submission to strikes in the first round.
Lars kindly explained quite a lot about what is going on in Europe but first here is our interview segment on his last fight.
KM: Tell me about the MFN fight. LB: It went almost according to plan. I was surprised a little with his standup and his kicks. Then he kept running backwards, he didn't really want to fight me. I struggled to get the takedown against the fence and when I succeeded I lifted him up high and slammed him down as hard as I could, tried really to do the Matt Hughes trick but I couldn't. He got a guillotine on me but I had an arm in so it didn't really connect that good. I just hung in there and my corner yelled 'get busy'. I started punching him in the belly to get a reaction and I could feel his abs weren't that good so I could get in deep with my punches. He loosened the grip, I moved up into mount, and then Markus (ref) stepped in.
KM: Wasn't your opponent changed after Cro-Cop's team pulled out? Was there any sense of disappointment? LB: Disappointment in the way I was prepared for another opponent but that is the way it goes. Opponents get injured and we have to deal what we are dished out with some times. This was a good fighter we could find on a short notice. 8-3-1 he is a Wing Chun expert and I kind of feared his elbows a little bit because he was eager to get the elbows going. I was hoping to get the side position at some point to finally get to use the Pride rules.
KM: You fight around Europe a lot. I'm wondering how many use the Pride rules, the UFC rules, Shooto rules…is this the first time you have been able to use kicks to the head of a downed opponent? LB: Yeah, first time for me. They would allow it if I was in original vale tudo in Finland for example, they have FinnFight. They would allow it. This is first time for me. FinnFight is old school vale tudo. No bullshit, just two guys enter a ring and fight.
KM: So there wasn't a disappointment for instance you couldn't show more? LB: I won so I'm happy I can go back to my small girls and say “Daddy won, I'm a good Daddy' and my wife will say 'OK, now spend some quality time with family'.
KM: How much does family motivate you? LB: The motivation is to see their faces when I come home. Even though I might lose, we all lose in this sport, they'll still love me and treasure me for what I am. I'm a fighter and a loving Dad. I'd like to say they are second or first but MMA is like top priority in my life but at the same time the kids share the number one spot.
KM: You are obviously devoted to your family, have a full-time job, and think of MMA as your top priority. Is it ever overwhelming? LB: Yeah. The overwhelming part is all the training I have to do. I figure some of these guys are more skilled than I am and if I'm against an opponent that has more skills than me I'll have to train harder, do more weights or cardio, more drills…sometimes that adds up to four or six hours a day and it takes it's toll.
KM: That reminds me, you had a chance to come to the US but it didn't work out yet? LB: For the promoters over there it is pretty darn expensive to get transportation taken care of.
KM: One matchmaker told me the biggest hurdle is work visas. LB: Really? I didn't know that. Hopefully if I get a chance to get a good sponsor to cover the bills I can get on a lot of shows over there. They have heard about me and are interested in me because of my image and how I am. Some of the shows that are really interested just can't afford the ticket. All of them say 'if you are able to fly or whatever please look us up'.
KM: You are nicknamed “Bad Boy and have a fan club. I heard you didn't start your fan club. Can you explain your image? LB: I'm into metal and all that and have a bizarre sense of humor, dark humor. There are these guys Mort and Denny. All of a sudden they started popping up everywhere saying 'hail Lars' and 'all hail the Bad Boy' and 'Satan has spared a place in Hell for the Bad Boy'. All of a sudden the Bad Boy has taken over Hell and Satan is just the landlord down there. I just rolled along with it, it was quite funny. These two guys were making a laugh at everything. They were bringing the sport out in a funny way. It was fun, it still is. Right now they are probably out there saying 'Hell came to Germany'. They had pictures of me from Photoshop with flames…
KM: How did this become a fan club? LB: They pretty much decided it. Then they told me.
KM: So you have a fan club and are a well-known name in Europe but haven't made it to the US and can't support yourself on just this. How successful do you feel? LB: I'm very satisfied. I feel together with me and a few other guys in Denmark we are the pioneers in Denmark. We would love to make this our one and only income, it is just not possible right now. It is possible for me to go out and be a good role model, to have young MMA fighters look up to me and say “he did pretty good”. It is important to me the young fighters' I'm pretty well known that I'm approachable. That is how it should be. The Bad Boy thing is inside the cage, outside the cage I am just me.
KM: How long have you been sponsored by Sprawl? LB: A couple years now, since their first shorts came out. They are beautiful.
KM: Are they your only sponsors? LB: No, I am honored by having Fairtex as sponsors as well.
Photos from this fight are posted at http://malarky.udel.edu/~keith/2005/MFN/mfn03260508.htm. Skagen Fight Gym's website is http://www.skagenfightgym.dk/ while Masters Fight Night's website in English is http://www.outsider-club.de/mfn-cham...ps-english.htm.
In a very long part 2 Besand covers just about everything you wanted to know about MMA in Europe.
Submitted by: Keith Mills
Posted On 04/09/2005
Look up almost any show in Europe and chances are at some point in time they have booked Lars Besand. Many people in Europe point to Besand as one of the most knowledgeable fighters not just in terms of techniques but in relation to what is really going on in Europe's burgeoning MMA scene in general. Most recently Lars fought on the Masters Fight Night card March 26th where he defeated Andre Balschmieter by submission to strikes in the first round.
Lars kindly explained quite a lot about what is going on in Europe but first here is our interview segment on his last fight.
KM: Tell me about the MFN fight. LB: It went almost according to plan. I was surprised a little with his standup and his kicks. Then he kept running backwards, he didn't really want to fight me. I struggled to get the takedown against the fence and when I succeeded I lifted him up high and slammed him down as hard as I could, tried really to do the Matt Hughes trick but I couldn't. He got a guillotine on me but I had an arm in so it didn't really connect that good. I just hung in there and my corner yelled 'get busy'. I started punching him in the belly to get a reaction and I could feel his abs weren't that good so I could get in deep with my punches. He loosened the grip, I moved up into mount, and then Markus (ref) stepped in.
KM: Wasn't your opponent changed after Cro-Cop's team pulled out? Was there any sense of disappointment? LB: Disappointment in the way I was prepared for another opponent but that is the way it goes. Opponents get injured and we have to deal what we are dished out with some times. This was a good fighter we could find on a short notice. 8-3-1 he is a Wing Chun expert and I kind of feared his elbows a little bit because he was eager to get the elbows going. I was hoping to get the side position at some point to finally get to use the Pride rules.
KM: You fight around Europe a lot. I'm wondering how many use the Pride rules, the UFC rules, Shooto rules…is this the first time you have been able to use kicks to the head of a downed opponent? LB: Yeah, first time for me. They would allow it if I was in original vale tudo in Finland for example, they have FinnFight. They would allow it. This is first time for me. FinnFight is old school vale tudo. No bullshit, just two guys enter a ring and fight.
KM: So there wasn't a disappointment for instance you couldn't show more? LB: I won so I'm happy I can go back to my small girls and say “Daddy won, I'm a good Daddy' and my wife will say 'OK, now spend some quality time with family'.
KM: How much does family motivate you? LB: The motivation is to see their faces when I come home. Even though I might lose, we all lose in this sport, they'll still love me and treasure me for what I am. I'm a fighter and a loving Dad. I'd like to say they are second or first but MMA is like top priority in my life but at the same time the kids share the number one spot.
KM: You are obviously devoted to your family, have a full-time job, and think of MMA as your top priority. Is it ever overwhelming? LB: Yeah. The overwhelming part is all the training I have to do. I figure some of these guys are more skilled than I am and if I'm against an opponent that has more skills than me I'll have to train harder, do more weights or cardio, more drills…sometimes that adds up to four or six hours a day and it takes it's toll.
KM: That reminds me, you had a chance to come to the US but it didn't work out yet? LB: For the promoters over there it is pretty darn expensive to get transportation taken care of.
KM: One matchmaker told me the biggest hurdle is work visas. LB: Really? I didn't know that. Hopefully if I get a chance to get a good sponsor to cover the bills I can get on a lot of shows over there. They have heard about me and are interested in me because of my image and how I am. Some of the shows that are really interested just can't afford the ticket. All of them say 'if you are able to fly or whatever please look us up'.
KM: You are nicknamed “Bad Boy and have a fan club. I heard you didn't start your fan club. Can you explain your image? LB: I'm into metal and all that and have a bizarre sense of humor, dark humor. There are these guys Mort and Denny. All of a sudden they started popping up everywhere saying 'hail Lars' and 'all hail the Bad Boy' and 'Satan has spared a place in Hell for the Bad Boy'. All of a sudden the Bad Boy has taken over Hell and Satan is just the landlord down there. I just rolled along with it, it was quite funny. These two guys were making a laugh at everything. They were bringing the sport out in a funny way. It was fun, it still is. Right now they are probably out there saying 'Hell came to Germany'. They had pictures of me from Photoshop with flames…
KM: How did this become a fan club? LB: They pretty much decided it. Then they told me.
KM: So you have a fan club and are a well-known name in Europe but haven't made it to the US and can't support yourself on just this. How successful do you feel? LB: I'm very satisfied. I feel together with me and a few other guys in Denmark we are the pioneers in Denmark. We would love to make this our one and only income, it is just not possible right now. It is possible for me to go out and be a good role model, to have young MMA fighters look up to me and say “he did pretty good”. It is important to me the young fighters' I'm pretty well known that I'm approachable. That is how it should be. The Bad Boy thing is inside the cage, outside the cage I am just me.
KM: How long have you been sponsored by Sprawl? LB: A couple years now, since their first shorts came out. They are beautiful.
KM: Are they your only sponsors? LB: No, I am honored by having Fairtex as sponsors as well.
Photos from this fight are posted at http://malarky.udel.edu/~keith/2005/MFN/mfn03260508.htm. Skagen Fight Gym's website is http://www.skagenfightgym.dk/ while Masters Fight Night's website in English is http://www.outsider-club.de/mfn-cham...ps-english.htm.
In a very long part 2 Besand covers just about everything you wanted to know about MMA in Europe.