EXCLUSIVE ChokeHimOut Interview: Travis Lutter
Interviews
Interviews
ChokeHimOut.com recently had the opportunity to talk with Travis "The Serial Killer" Lutter on his recent separation from the UFC, his fights with Anderson Silva and Rich Franklin and what his future fight plans are...
C.H.O: It's been reported that you've been released from your contract with the UFC. Can you tell me about this and what happened?
TL: It's kind of like I posted on my Myspace page. My manager asks me if I want to do lunch and I figure we were just going to talk about the future. He sits me down and says that he got a phone call and a message was left on the answer machine saying that the UFC was going to release me from my contract and they are going to cut me loose. My manager said he called them and it was based on my two losses.
C.H.O: When is your exact release date, are you released as of yet?
TL: I take it to mean that I am released, I'm done.
C.H.O: Tell me about your time with the UFC. How did the management treat you and specifically how did Dana White treat you?
TL: You know Dana has always been good to me. My conversations with Dana have always been good, I can't really complain about Dana. As far as "Do I think I'm getting paid enough, hell no?". It was a tough contract. I don't think it was a real fair contract or anything like that but you know I signed the contract and got to be on the Ultimate Fighter because of it and all in all I can't complain about it. It is what it is.
C.H.O: Can you tell me what UFC was paying you in your contract?
TL: I got the standard amount that they gave the winner of the TUF 4. We all signed the same contract when we walked into the place as far as I know. I don't think anybody got preferential treatment. For my last fight I was paid 20,000 dollars. For my title fight I was paid 20,000 dollars. You know you main event and co-main event making twenty grand.
C.H.O: Do you think that fighting Anderson Silva after winning the Ultimate Fighter 4 was too soon?
TL: No, I don't think so. I think I was ready for Anderson. I would like to fight him again, I still believe in my skills it just wasn't my night that night.
C.H.O: Having just fought Rich Franklin, what happened when you came out in the second round?
TL: I don't know. Looking back, I haven't watched the tape yet. I know I got tagged really early in the first round and I don't remember anything from then until I passed his guard and then I mounted him shortly after. So there's a couple of minutes of time missing there, I don't know what happened. The thing I do remember is that I was very, very tired as I was passing his guard. When I was mounted on top I was gassed. Lot's of people think that I'm not in shape and you know I'm in shape. I was training really, really hard. I took this fight as seriously as I have taken anything in my life. I don't know if I didn't warm up good enough and maybe I didn't get to my second wind. I don't know that if when I got punched and dazed my heart rate went off the meter the whole time. I don't know. I don't have an answer for why I felt so tired. I was just completely and totally gassed and didn't have anything left. After five minutes of fighting I didn't have anything left.
C.H.O: Looking back, what would you have done differently in the Franklin fight?
TL: I definitely would have done more in my warm up. It was a different kind of locker room that I have ever been in before, there was a lot of people in there. I'm not trying to make any type of excuse. Rich Franklin beat me that night, he was a better man that night. Anderson beat me and was a better man that night, so I'm not making any excuses. As far as what I would do different, I would probably do a better warm up. I am checking into going to a strength and conditioning clinic for professional athletes to try and figure if I am doing something wrong. If I did do something wrong, I haven't figured that out yet.
C.H.O: What are your future plans now that you aren't fighting for the UFC anymore?
TL: I have my manager talking to a couple of different people. I don't know what's going to come out of that. I don't fight for nothing anymore. If I have a choice for fighting for nothing or not fighting, I'll choose not fighting. I'll wait until I can make a little bit of money hopefully. I want to fight, but we will just have to wait and see, it's too early to tell. I mean heck I've only known about this for a couple of days.
C.H.O: Would you consider fighting for an overseas organization such as DREAM or any of the other up and coming organizations?
TL: Man whoever wants to write the biggest check is who I'll fight for. I don't care who I fight for, I have fought overseas before. If I had my choice my favorite would be to fight for HDnet. There based in Dallas, a Mark Cuban owned organization and it's close to home. That would be optimum for me right now.
C.H.O:If you could pick any opponent right now, who would it be?
TL: Probably Anderson Silva.
C.H.O: Why is that?
TL: Because I think I can beat him. He has the UFC belt, he's the big dog and I think I could beat him. If your talking about a dream day, you know I'm not in the UFC so I don't see that coming true anytime soon, but that's who I'd pick.
C.H.O: You see a lot of top fighters leaving or being let go by the UFC. Do you think the UFC is treating their fighters fairly?
TL: I didn't choose to leave the UFC, I didn't ask to leave the UFC. They decided they didn't want me anymore. I don't know about Cro Cop or Randy's or anybody else's situation. The only one I know about is mine. It's a tough balance and I'm sure we will figure it out. There still the big dogs right now as far as pay per view and ticket sales. Nobody is really in second place right now for the time being. I hope somebody comes along and that is probably what it is going to take. The flag ship for MMA is still UFC and it will probably remain that way for awhile. But like I said, I'm cheering for someone else to step up and start winning some of those paper view numbers.
C.H.O: Anything you want to say to the fans?
TL: The guys who write into me and the ones that are still cheering for me I want to thank. Warrior wear was great for me this last time as far as sponsoring me. I really appreciate people that want to see me fight.
You can get the latest news on Travis at travislutter.com
Article by Tuesday on Apr 28, 2008