"THE GRAND" W/ HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION DERRICK LA’BELL

One of the last old schools, Slaughterhouse NY. The birthplace of Slaughterhouse as a camp and the place where James Shark learned and earned. There’s a lot of history within the walls and it’s an odd feeling when you walk through them. You can feel the history. You can feel the work that has come from many since throughout time. MMA fighters, boxers, and wrestlers alike have either started here or have come back from the many other locations to pay homage to the foundational start of the Slaughterhouse brand. The current big guy in this yard I was finally able to speak to about a week before his defense at UGP 9. UGP Heavyweight Champion Derrick La’Bell. The more things change the more they say the same. This is our first chat in the week before.

"The Beast" Derrick La'Bell

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TH: So, THE official longest reigning champion in Union GP, Derrick La’Bell. First thing is how does that make you feel hearing that?

The Beast: Ya know, I didn’t even know I was the longest reigning champion until I saw a tweet about it a couple of days ago. It’s kinda surreal, to be honest. Like, I know the guys with championship belts don’t really get that many chances to defend their titles, but to think that I’m one of the few that have survived their first defense, and I’ve held my championship the longest is pretty cool.

TH: Now you know I like to get the background information with a name Long Island Strong gives an obvious hint but where did the story of Derrick La’Bell officially begins?

The Beast: Ya know, I’m not even 24 yet, so my story ain’t too long. As you know, I grew up in Long Island. I played a little ball, wrestled a bit, but I came across Warhead’s gym back in highschool, and I’ve been a fighter ever since. I got a bunch of dojo wins, did a tourney or two on the small scale, but apparently, it got the eye of Robb Daniels from Seattle Pro and apparently he was impressed.

He got me in at Squires Two Lions in Vancouver and helped me reach a larger platform. My wrestling record wasn’t that great, definitely lost more than I won, but I somehow the fans and some of the bigger names in the company liked me. I got to challenge for almost every title in both Seattle Pro and their developmental brand they just opened, so I was pretty blessed for being a loser.

I left last summer, joined Slaughterhouse shortly after, and y’all know the rest.

TH: You have a long of success early to your name in both pro wrestling and MMA. The stigma of course that pro wrestlers can’t translate in the cage I never really bought in on. I do believe it is a difference and should be respected but not impossible to grasp as we all know wrestling is a fighting style like any other. My question to you is what do you feel is the difference between what is expected inside the ring and what is expected inside the cage?

The Beast: There’s nothing like wrestling. I know people say wrestlers can’t fight, but I started as a fighter, and failed as a wrestler. Wrestlers have a very hard grind to keep. Most wrestlers fly all over the world within a week, where us MMA guys fight maybe once or twice a week, and that’s that. MMA may be more physically demanding, I mean, we don’t see wrestlers getting ko’d in 1 minute like we do in MMA, but mentally Wrestling is a lot more taxing I think. Props to those guys, man.

TH: Now your next defense is on the horizon against Brock Quarry at UGP #9. When it came to the Quarry vs. London fight did you have a pick between the two on how you wanted to fight more?

The Beast: Ya know, I didn’t have a pick, to be completely honest. I try not to in fights like this. Bobbi and Brock both bring something completely different to the table, and I respect both of them. I know there’s a lot of loudmouth champions out there, that really only look out for themselves, but I’m not like that. I represent this division, and I only want to face the best that the heavyweight division has to offer, and that’s what Brock vs Bobbi was all about.

TH: You becoming a part of Slaughterhouse NY. Obviously, a natural fit considering the location but how did that connection come about?

The Beast: The crew that is now Real Killas MMA is what got me into Slaughterhouse. As many know, they were originally part of the Slaughterhouse LA branch, and my boy Donnie over there would talk mad crap on Twitter with me, but it was all good fun. I liked the comradery everyone had in all the gyms, and when I found that there was a Slaughterhouse in New York, I figured it was perfect.

They helped me back into ring-shape for MMA, helped me fine tune some things, but all-in-all they’ve really helped me in multiple facets of my life and I’m so appreciative of everyone in Slaughterhouse for everything they’ve done.

TH: There’s recently been an influx of many Heavyweights into the division and they all have their sights on you. Are you worried? What are your thoughts on the target on your back?

The Beast: I’m actually thrilled. When we started this division, there were four guys and we were afraid that we couldn’t keep the division up. Especially after I ran the gauntlet, and after Ferdinand left, it seemed very dim for us. Luckily, Dante Reed was able to find some guys last minute to fill out our division, and pretty soon our division started to look interesting again.

As for the target thing, I don’t see it as that. New blood means there is new competition. I can’t call myself the best heavyweight fighter if I’m only beating up the same three guys every month. We need these new guys to help generate that buzz and keep everything new and interesting, and if one of them is able to beat me, so be it. That means I wasn’t the best and that I need to learn from my mistakes and do better.

TH: What is the best way for you to decompress with such a hectic schedule? What do you do to simply get away for just a little while?

The Beast: My girlfriend, Farrah, and I usually eat a bunch of food and play videogames. I’m trash at literally every game out there, but there’s something about getting shot a bunch of times by 12 year olds on the internet, rage quitting, and eating an entire 12 pack of tacos that really just makes you feel free.

I also like to hang out with some of my old Seattle Pro buddies and reminisce about not being able to win a match to save my life.

TH: The new contract signed but the details have been slightly more underwraps. Can you give Harpy the exclusive?

The Beast: Of course I can give you the exclusive! I recently came to an agreement with Union Grand Prix. I am staying for at least 6 more fights, and they’re willing to pay me that champion money basically even if I lose the title, so that’s good. My contract will probably get extended, but that’s something for the distant future, honestly.

TH: Some have said that you being the second, but grandest Heavyweight Champion in Union GP history gives the division the legitimacy it needs. How do you feel about your reign as the longest championship holder from the overall robin robin tournament?

The Beast: I’m glad people think that honestly. Every fight I’ve been in, I’ve always considered myself the underdog, and obviously, I know being the longest reigning champion in UGP kinda makes that seem silly, but I’ve never seen myself as a superstar or anything like that. I never thought that I would be the gatekeeper for this division, it just kinda happened that way. I’m deeply honored that people think I legitimized our division, and I’m definitely going to continue to live up to those honors people have given me.

TH: Also, there’s been numerous talks about the catchweight fights and the different divisions ultimately mixing it up. Would you be interested in being one of the firsts to take that leap? I ask of course knowing your previous words shared with UGP Cruiserweight Champion Roscoe Robinson. Would be a huge super fight.

The Beast: I would like to put it out there that I’ve been wanting to do catchweight fights for a minute now. I actually threw out to Dante Reed the idea of me fighting Daniel Fisk at Boss Fight 4, right after I had won the title, because I thought it would’ve been a good fun fight and a Champion vs Champion fight was a fresh concept for UGP. It sucks that he lost shortly after I had thrown out the idea, but I have kept it alive with me challenging Roscoe.

I’m totally down for the catchweight, and I would proudly be the first person to fight anyone that steps up to the challenge. Whether it’s Roscoe Robinson, or someone else.

TH: At this point in your career, what keeps you going?

The Beast: At the end of the day, being able to retire at 23 is nice and all, but I don’t want to. I’m nowhere near being done with this sport, or even wrestling. I want to continue to grow, because if I’m out here legitimizing divisions at 23, imagine what I could do at 30.

TH: Would you say that at some point you would have to choose between professional MMA and professional wrestling?

The Beast: I’ve already done it once now, where I chose MMA over wrestling. It’s my love and my passion. Sure I have plans to return to professional wrestling soon, but that’s more of a hobby for me. It’s no longer the place for big guys like me, and it makes it hard for me to find the appeal when there’s a bunch of 180 guys doing flips around me instead of getting into the nitty gritty of it all. There’s a lot of ridiculous things that happen in wrestling, and ridiculous egos to go along with it, and that’s ultimately why I will always end up choosing MMA over wrestling.

TH: Of the many others in Slaughterhouse NY who do you believe will make as strong an impact as you or should I say are on the rise?

The Beast: Is it cheating to say my girlfriend? Haha

Nah, but seriously, that’s a hard one. Slaughterhouse NY, and Slaughterhouse in general, has a lot of good talent in it.

TH: Do you believe the fighter makes the championship or the championship makes the fighter?

The Beast: Fighter makes the championship, by far. Most people forget that Ferdinand Dao was actually the first UGP Heavyweight champion. No matter how much I respect him, he was a very quiet individual, and it made the title seem quiet. That’s not on him, it’s just that the championships you hold will reflect what you do as champion. If you’re a quiet champion, then your championship is going to be quiet. If you’re a loudmouth champion, then your title is going to look loud mouthed.

That’s why I try to stay humble as a champion and why I try to promote healthy competition because I want the UGP Heavyweight Championship to be seen as a title that represents such.

TH: Let me thank you for taking the time out for this interview Derrick, any comments toward the MMA realm? You know eyes stay on a Harper exclusive or just downright saucy quote.

The Beast: Um, don’t really got much. I will say I recently signed with a wrestling company, Liberty Pro. That’s about it, to be honest...

Oh… wait… Roscoe Robinson, I hope to be seeing you real soon, fam.

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A week later from that interview Derrick La’Bell lost to Brock Quarry at UGP 9. A shock to a lot of people due to the fact that La’Bell had the look of being unstoppable against a lot of competition excluding his only other loss, Ferdinand Diao. Now to the current, he is now 2x UGP Heavyweight Champion, Derrick La’Bell. He takes advantage of his rematch with Brock Quarry just as he did with Ferdinand Diao showing the Heavyweight division as a whole it’s hard to take Sir Hellbows out twice. A story of rising above and working through the hardship it was a pleasure to return to NY to speak to Long Island Strong himself. This time around I didn’t want to take too much of his time considering the brackets have been formed and great energy forming in the return of Union Grand Prix. As I said before, the more things change, the more things stay the same.

TH: Two time Union Grand Prix Heavyweight Champion, Derrick La’Bell. Let’s get right to it, how will you make it through this tournament with the Championship belt in hand?

The Beast: Through blood sweat and determination really. There’s no other way I can do it. I ran through the gauntlet in the inaugural tournament, but this is a different format and a mostly different field of fighters. It’s more broad than last year’s tourney and I start right off the bat with Donnie. I love the guy, and he’s hungrier than ever right now, but I got to prove that I’m even hungrier than him. He’s gotta be a statement to the rest of the competitors, because my last title defense didn’t go so well, and people are going to be looking for more weaknesses.

TH: Being the first two time champion in Union Grand Prix means you had to work to return to your place as king of the Heavyweights. What was your thoughts after losing to Brock Quarry? What were your thoughts going into the rematch with him?

The Beast: The first time I had faced Brock, he out grappled me. I was too focused on my return to wrestling, and I wasn’t so sure I was going to beat Brock to begin with. I think he knew that too, because he had made a few comments about it. He took my lack of focus and used it against me. He out grappled me, out striked me, and out shined me.

He was the better man that night, but I didn’t give up. I watched that fight for about a week and a half afterwards. Just studying it, and I was able to find his weakness. Brock likes to lead his fights, and puts his full force out when he attacks. So going into the rematch, I knew I had to draw him in, and just let him run out of gas before blowing him out. I knew I was going to get my ass handed to me, because Lay and Pray is dangerous if you aren’t careful, but I was right. Round five came, and he struggled to get stay in it.

I only have respect for Brock, and he was what I needed to break out of the rut I was in when I held the title the first time.

TH: Obviously, Brock left the company before you two could have your third fight, due to all of the controversies that happened a couple of months ago. What are your thoughts on the mass exodus break, and what have you done to keep sharp in the downtime?

The Beast: I was bummed Brock left, I knew it was going to be an absolute masterpiece of a fight. We both out grappled each other in our fights, and we needed a rubber fight, but it is what it is, ya know? Missed opportunities only create new opportunities, and now I get to be a 2x Heavyweight Champion about to go into the second Union GP Heavyweight Tournament. So, it all worked out I guess.

As for the mass exodus and break, it was needed. We had people getting popped for PEDs, we had people getting mad that their friends got busted, and we had a bunch of guys who were just there to collect a paycheck and not actually fight or promote their fights. We needed to do some pruning, and I think that it’s only helped us. UGP got a bunch of new talent because of it, and it helps everyone just get a refresher. It sucks, but like I said, it was needed.

And downtime? I didn’t have any lol. Since Union GP decided to rebuild itself, I decided to do the same. I’ve trained a lot, working on still being the best ground guy in the Heavyweight Division, and I’ve been working on those Hellbows, so I can bust them out even more for everyone. I’m excited for this tournament, because I want to showcase my semi-new style, ya know?

TH: You and Donnie Calabrese have a history as you touched on a little. One with you being the victor in each occasion. Let us know how you feel about the upcoming fight, and how do you feel about this matchup that hasn’t been said already?

The Beast: Like I said earlier, and all the time to be honest, I love Donnie. He’s a great guy, and he was one of the first people to really help me find that fire to be a fighter. Him and the RK MMA guys are the reason I found Slaughterhouse, so we’ve got history since Day 1. We are going for round 3, and I think this is going to be the best fight we’ve ever had. He’s determined to beat me finally, and I’m determined to keep my damn title this time around, so expect use to fight like we are in the streets, and then afterwards party together like we’re brothers.

Win or Lose, I have nothing but respect for Don.

The date hasn’t been set yet but due to the bracket breakdown we already know the quarterfinal matchup between La’Belle and Calabrese is more than worthy of ticket price. We are just getting started! The Grand continues with another Champion edition being released tomorrow. Union returns this Saturday in Columbus, OH!! You can feel it in the air folks. Fight game or die.