War. It’s the only way to describe Jared “The Jackhammer” Papazian, and what he brings to the cage every time he enters. Known for the intense and fast paced energy that he brings to the cage, “The Jackhammer” has delivered his intensity across a number of opponents within a number of different promotions – most notably within some unforgettable matches in the UFC.
Jared recently sat down with us to discuss his career, his road back to the UFC, and some of the big issues in the world of MMA today.
What drew you to MMA and fighting in the first place?
I got jumped in high school when I was sixteen, and my whole objective was to properly learn how to fight. My whole objective was to fight those guys one-by-one – but, that never ended up happening. I ended up loving the sport, it became a passion of mine and I ended up running with it. I started doing some fights, and did well, and just took it to the next level.
Who was your inspiration, that you got started into MMA?
My cousin was already doing it as well. He was in the UFC at the time and was on season six of The Ultimate Fighter, Jon Koppenhaver “War Machine”. I was an amateur at the time of the show, so that kind of fired me up even more – seeing him fight live at the finale.
Stuff like that kind of motivated me, but other than that I did all of my own motivating – but, that was kind of icing on the cake.
How would personally characterize your fight-style?
I like to think I am very exciting. I can’t remember the last time, or recall any boring fight that I have ever had in my life. Winning or losing, I really feel like all of my fights are Fight of the Night.
What do you think is the most important technique of MMA to have nailed down?
Take down defense. I feel like that’s probably the biggest key now. It kind of dictates the fight.
Is there any particular fighter you try to model yourself after?
Not really. I pretty much just have my own style… I try and be exciting. I have my fair share of guys that I like, but no one that I would say something like, ‘I wanna be more like that’.
Let’s talk about your recent fight at BAMMA USA: Bad Beat 8. On the main event you pulled down the unanimous event victory. What do you feel was the key to your victory in that fight?
My key to victory was controlling the fight, wherever I wanted it to go. If I wanted to stand, than I feel like I could’ve done that too, but it was my wrestling (that won the fight). We came in with a game plan, just take him out of his comfort zone and put him on his back, then try to control the fight… and it worked.
Was there a point in the fight where you felt like: “I’ve got this!”
I pretty much knew the whole fight, right from the get go (that I had it). Right from our first exchanges, and from my first takedown too, when I knew I had the fight as well. Going into any fight I go in with the frame of mind that I am going to win.
Yeah, you know, in the first round I really knew that I had the fight.
How did you prepare for the fight?
I didn’t bring in anyone in particular for this fight, but I’ve really been working with Chad (George) over at PKG. We came up with that game plan of taking him out of his element, and taking him down and putting him on the ground and what not. I was training and fighting in the gym, so that’s pretty much how we came up with the game plan.
What would you call your ‘home gym’?
It’s partially PKG. I fought at that gym towards the middle of my career, my boxing coaches are there.. And then I started in with Chad (George) and all the guys and I left my boxing coach to work back with my Muay Thai coach, who I had been with since I was 17, but we had a falling out. Then we got back together, so I left PKG. I was at PKG and Gracie Baja Burbank in-between, so I always stayed friends with the guys, and we knew each other. And then I’d kind of been talking to Chad and I just decided to go back and try something new, and then I started working with Chad and the guys. I’m still with my Muay Thai coach, I am just working more with the team.
Most of the guys over there are pretty new. When I was over there before it was just kind of Chad and a few guys… and also Dominic Clark, he’s over there now and was there when I was too.
What would you say has been the most defining fight in your career to-date?
The Mike Easton fight in the UFC (was the most defining fight), I feel like it was the most important fight. People know that fight just because it was such a great fight.
I would say my most important fight of my life was the Abel Cullum fight where I won the King of the Cage title. That was the most important fight of my life, and it was just the greatest feeling ever winning that title.
Any ideas when your next fight is going to be?
I do… I’m going to be fighting May 11th at International Fight Alliance.
If you had your way and you go out there and fight anyone today, who is that one guy you’d love to go three rounds with?
Leonard Garcia. I just feel like that’s going to be Fight of the Night all over! If you could put the best card in UFC history and then compare against me and him, I still think we would do better than that. He just kind of reminds me of myself. I would love to fight him before my career ends. That would be an honour, and I would really enjoy that. I totally respect him, nothing but respect for him – I just think it would be really fun.
You had some great fights in the UFC. How far away do you think you are from being called back up?
I would say a few fights. They know that I’m exciting, and they want exciting fighters. I would say I would have to finish a few guys, fight some tough guys. I’m all about fighting tough guys, I don’t want to fight tomato cans, I want guys with good records. Also, I think that before I was in such a hurry to get in there, and I am now just really focused on getting better. And next time I go in there I just want people to say – ‘wow this kid has really improved!’
You look at a guy like Francisco Rivera. He lost two in the UFC, and he’s on a tear right now. I’m really happy for him; he’s a great friend of mine, and we’ve trained together in the past. He’s a great person, and he’s killing it right now.
Do you think your entrance to the UFC was at all premature?
I don’t regret anything. I am happy about how everything turned out. I don’t take anything for granted, and I think it was the best experience of my life. I would say it’s the most calm I’ve ever been in any fight that I’ve ever been in. The UFC has really changed me as a fighter, and made me more calm… It just changes you, and makes you more calm – both physically and mentally. People say in the UFC you get jitters. I didn’t get any, and fighting outside of the UFC is like nothing now – I’m just always calm.
As any fighter is also a fan of the sport of MMA, and aware of the current on-goings within the sport, we asked Jared his opinion on a couple of the more top-of-mind issues currently gaining headlines within the world of MMA.
Who do you think is the most overrated mainstream fighter out there today in MMA?
I’m not a big fan of GSP. I think he’s kind of boring, so I think he’s kind of overrated. I mean, he’s very skillful, I might not call him overrated, but he’s very boring. He’s not a killer instinct kind of guy… I don’t know, I guess just with my personality – I’m trying to go out and kill guys in the ring, and I am just not a fan of that (boring fighters). He’s very talented, I’m not taking anything away from him.
Do you think Bellator could ever legitimately ever contend with the UFC as a top level promotion in the world?
I think it has possibilities, absolutely. The promotion is fairly new, it’s only been around for about three years, it’s made a lot of progress. In the third year of the promotion they got Spike (TV deal). I say within ten years we could see something like that – we need something like that to compete with the UFC.
If you only have a one-stop shop, there is no room negotiation for us fighters; we need somewhere else to go. Once there is nowhere else to go, what is there to negotiate? I feel Bellator could be good. Also by their contract I’ve heard it isn’t very good. I hope they can fix that because if it makes people afraid of signing (then their could be problems) after hearing things that have happened in the past with guys like Eddie Alvarez. I know they have some kind of matching rights, so I don’t know if that’s good or not.
Fallon Fox (aka the transgender MMA fighter). What are your thoughts?
I personally think she should’ve shut her mouth because she opened a can of worms. I think she should’ve just stayed quiet. She was on her way, now she isn’t going to get approved on certain things. A man being in a women’s body, I don’t even know.
Do you think Fallon Fox should fight as a girl or a guy?
I’m not really familiar with how these things work with all that surgery and stuff. I mean would you still have that man strength? I mean, I think if you have that man strength, than it just isn’t fair against another woman – they just don’t have that type of strength. It’s a touchy subject. It’s just kind of weird.
The UFC has been aggressively growing over the last few years, but do you think this rate of expansion is good for the sport?
I think the sport is finally growing into its own. Them being aggressive, I think it means that the fighters will eventually be making more money. If the UFC grows, the fighters are going to make more money. I think it’s a good thing.
With the UFC expansion, Dana White has been the face of it all. Do you think he’s a good representative for the sport?
Absolutely. I think you take him out of the UFC, the UFC dies – that’s how I look at it. I mean, he’s the Don King of the UFC – if he’s not doing what he does, and how he acts, and if you let someone else in there it won’t be the same.
We want to thank Jared for sitting down and talking with us. With his latest victory, we know that he is well on the way to being back on the big stage again and we will be following him closely on his way back there. One thing we know for sure – any time he enters the ring it’s going to be exciting!
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Follow Jared on Twitter: @jackhammer135
