"The Grand" feat Cruiserweight Champion Roscoe Robinson

Last of the 75% at Real Killas. I had to wait for a short time only because I arrived earlier than expected and here they do make every last bit of their time count. I give them credit for that because when I fought overseas many would tell me not to do heavy work near the fight. The standard was always a week. Personally if I want to get the best out of myself I need to work as close to the fight as I can. Nothing too strenuous but enough to keep my blood flowing and deal with my jitters. I always give myself a couple of days, nothing more nothing less. Seems like something around the same mindset is done here as I watch UGP Cruiserweight Champion Roscoe Robinson work on his movement inside the cage. Heavy sweat and heavy work. I had to respect it at the very least. Once their time ends I’m given the time to talk to him. The last one of the 4, Roscoe Robinson.

"The Shooter" Roscoe Robinson

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TH: Roscoe Robinson, Union GP Cruiserweight Champion. Brash and backs it up. Talks with the best and fights with the best all the same. Thank you for the time. I know I could start a lot of places but honestly I just want to ask this first, how did it feel being the first person to take a Union GP title and defend it within an outside company?

The Shooter: To be honest with you and it may sound a little cheesy but it felt great. I had only had one fight under the new structured contract so for me, this was an opportunity to prove my worth to not only UGP but to those outside of UGP, all while representing them as a face of the company.

TH: You’ve taken the MMA world by storm by doing so much in a short time. Do you worry about peaking too quickly or the likelihood of things crashing around you due to rising that fast?

The Shooter: Nah, not hardly. My whole life has been a quick rise from nothing to where I am now. In this professional MMA scene? I’m just getting started. I’ve said that time and time again and each time I go out there and do something no one else has ever done. Successfully defend the Cruiserweight Championship, successfully defend it again, successfully defend it outside of UGP, and yes, successfully defend it throughout the entirety of this upcoming tournament.

TH: Tell us a little more about the man from Atlanta, Georgia. We hear so much about how you shoot through your opponents a lot of the fans don’t really know about you, the person. Who is Roscoe Robinson?

The Shooter: Roscoe Robinson is the same guy in Cali that he is in ATL. Everything is one hundred with me, what you see is what you get. My mom’s did everything she could to raise me right and the streets had a big hand in that as well. If it had not been for the opportunity that I was blessed with, I can’t honestly tell you whether I would or wouldn’t still be on them corners banging. Life’s been good to me, I’ve been very fortunate. Everyday is a blessing and I’m going to milk this opportunity for everything that it’s worth. When the hometown folks in ATL see me? I’m that same guy the folks in Cali see everyday. At the end of the day? I’m an earner no matter what it is that I’m doing.

TH: You’ve made your claim early you will walk out of this tournament as you will enter with the Cruiserweight Championship. The brackets are released is there anyone you are looking forward to fighting or anyone you’ve been itching to fight against? I ask because we already see who your first scheduled opponent is.

The Shooter: That’s a fight itself that I’ve been wanting back for a long while now. Seth put me down in my second fight ever. After that defeat I rose back up, baby and been grinding non-stop. No disrespect to my Real Killas in the Cruiserweight division, but I have my sights set on this fight more than any other potential fights that could be. Seth is what’s in front of me right now and that’s where all of my attention is. After round one, I’ll shift that attention to the next unlucky one to get put across from me in the cage.

TH: With an influx of new companies coming out and the world of MMA expanding does our Cruiserweight Champion plan on extending his hand into any of those pools? SFN received big buys thanks to the bad blood between yourself and Jason Jackson. Do you see yourself looking to become non-exclusive in your next contract?

The Shooter: I made a commitment to UGP and I intend to see that through. I’ve fought to become the face of the Cruiserweight division, and a face of the UGP brand. When someone offers up more than a mil per fight as a starting base before all the incentives and kickbacks, I may listen to what they’re selling but UGP has been very generous and for that I am thankful.

TH: Your outspoken nature has endeared you to people and all the same brought you some enemies. Do you ever check your words or think twice for PR’s sake when it comes to your public comments in person or on twitter?

The Shooter: I wouldn’t be me if I did, plain and simple. If someone is going to get upset over some words on a screen I’m not a hard man to find. I’m sure UGP would have no issues whatsoever letting me step onto foreign soil to represent the brand I helped build. So don’t think for a second just because I’m exclusive that I won’t step outside of my comfort zone and go upside that head.

TH: Your gym has three participants within your divisions tournament. You’ve beaten one and it personally was one of the best moments I’ve been able to witness in person and I thank you for doing MMA a service in dethroning that distasteful human being. Anyway, does this become a Cruiserweight final of Real Killa vs Real Killa unlike the first tournament in your mind?

The Shooter: We can all hope, right? Anything can happen when it’s tournament time. I would like nothing more than to meet one of my brothers in the later rounds but one thing I’ve learned from Fisk is to take things one fight at a time. My focus is on round one with Seth. Anything after that is just noise until it’s go time.

TH: A 3% cut of the gate when you main event. So this Boss Fight you will be getting a piece of the pie right? What brought that concept to be added to your contract?

The Shooter: I just got everything I could, and a guaranteed set amount of main events in the details. People are going to pay to see me put this belt on the line each and every time. I might as well get some incentives out of it since I don’t plan on this upcoming fight being my last title defense, or the ones to follow throughout this whole tournament.

TH: What brought you to MMA in the first place? Like what was the foundation of what ended up becoming The Shooter?

The Shooter: Growing up on my block you had to have good hand or else you goin’ to get got and taken for. Fighting for me has just always been natural. I did some fights underground, nothing fancy like what I’m doing now. One day I had a choice to make. I could either keep doing what I was doing on them corners or I could try to make something of myself and use my god given talents. Let me tell you. The shelf life for that corner game ain’t long at all.

TH: I was told depending on the fight and your overall weight class you’ve known to come in a few fights a good 10 pounds lighter or less. Being 215 at your natural weight are you coming into these fights a little small?

The Shooter: Small? Compared to who? The man that weighs one eighty-six is going to hit the mat just like the man that weighs two twenty-five. It’s going to take a lot more than ten pounds to get a nigga shook.

TH: Seth has been quiet in the days coming toward this fight. Does it disappoint you that you are in a division that tends to have more of the quiet fighters overall?

The Shooter: I’ll be honest with you, it does tend to make things a little less exciting leading up to the fight. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, *wink*, but I like to get some back and forth going before it’s time to lay somebody out. I know it’s a different story once that cage door is closed but goddamn? At least try to make the people paying their money to see the fight actually give a damn enough to spend it.

TH: How long do you see yourself fighting? Everyone has a goal as far as their time in their profession what do you see for yourself as far as the future?

The Shooter: Shit, I’m still in my first year professionally. I’m just getting started. People are going to remember my name when I finally decide to call it quits and ride off into the sunset.

TH: Do you see any reason to show sportsmanship at the end of fights? I noticed a lot of people felt a certain way about how you ended the saga between you and Jason Jackson.

The Shooter: If I have respect for someone before a fight, or if they earn my respect during the fight, I’ll show that respect afterwards. Jason Jackson didn’t leave a damn thing for me to respect after the fight. As far as I’m concerned? He’s dead.

TH: Did we ever get the footage? I’m sorry I had to ask. Haha.

The Shooter: Of course not. I’m sure he keeps it in his personal collection to watch when feeling down on his sizzled out career.

TH: The standard ending in The Grand, so you have to give it to us Shooter. Shoot, tell me what’s on your mind? What do you have to say to the MMA scene?

The Shooter: I told you what’s on my mind. There’s only one thing on my mind at the moment and it’s still being champion once this tournament is in the history books. I think I’ve already proven myself up to this point. But after this tournament? There ain’t going to be a single soul in the world who can doubt me. I’ve already defended the UGP Cruiserweight Championship more than any other champion n UGP history from every single weight class. I’m already setting records with each and every fight but we’re far from done. When all the dust settles and I finally do decide to walk away from it all, good luck to whoever comes in behind me wanting to break the records that I’ve set and the records that I’m going to set. My career is young, it’s still in its infant stages just beginning to take baby steps. Just wait till I’m running.