thaFormula.com - What made you decide to one day become a MMA fighter?

Jake O' Brien - Well, I was a wrestler growing up and stuff and started watching the UFC and saw other wrestlers doing it and ever since then I've been a huge fan of the sport. It's kind of unusual because a lot of guys just pick it up when they get older.

thaFormula.com - Who was the fighter that really motivated you and got you to say "this is what I want to do?" Was there a fighter that did that for you?

Jake O' Brien - Yeah, definitely it was Tito. I was a huge Tito fan. I watched all his fights since I was a young kid and today I get to train with him and I know him pretty well now. I have learned a lot from him just from watching him so he was definitely the main person I looked up to.

thaFormula.com - So what was the first thing you did to prepare to become an MMA fighter?

Jake O' Brien - Well I always had the wrestling so the first thing I did actually (laughs) I looked up a Jiu Jitsu school in a phone book. So I went to go learn Jiu Jitsu for a couple of months before I started on my senior year in high school. So I did that and learned basic Jiu Jitsu stuff and after that I got in with a group of people that knew the fighting scene around here. I ended up going to a fighting gym based out of here and I started picking up the boxing when I went there. So I just kind of put it all together and started doing the MMA training. About a year and half later when I was 19 I had my first fight.

thaFormula.com - Of everything you have trained for MMA, is there one particular thing that you had the hardest time doing?

Jake O' Brien - The ground stuff like the Jiu Jitsu I picked up pretty well. Boxing I have done a lot of it so I'm pretty comfortable with my hands. I would say the kicking and the kickboxing stuff has been my main weakness.

thaFormula.com - What is it about it that has made it so hard?

Jake O' Brien - It's something that takes a lot of time to perfect. Also when you kick you leave yourself open.

thaFormula.com - What was is it like the first time that you get hit in the face in the ring?

Jake O' Brien - The first time you get hit, it more stuns you than hurts you. You kind of think to yourself "well oh, that doesn't hurt" or "that's not bad."

thaFormula.com - If you were starting your MMA career now with absolutely no experience, what would be the first thing you would go out and learn?

Jake O' Brien - I'd say the best base to have when coming into the sport is wrestling because the wrestling gives you that one on one competition. It gives you a great base and a good work ethic. With the wrestling if your hands aren't good, you can take a guy down. I think the best background to have is definitely wrestling.

thaFormula.com - If you were fighting in a ring and not a cage, do you think it would still be that way?

Jake O' Brien - Yeah I think it is because it can dictate the whole pace of the fight.

thaFormula.com - Who would be your worst opponent?

Jake O' Brien -Someone who is a better wrestler then me.

thaFormula.com - How did you feel about the "Ultimate Fighter" Show when it first came out and do you think most people underestimated the fighters on the show?

Jake O' Brien - Yeah I think a lot of people did. I think people felt that the competition on the show was not as good as some of the guys already in the UFC. But I think now they are proving everybody wrong because a lot of guys from the show are doing really well.

thaFormula.com - The way the sport is evolving, how long do you feel someone should train before getting in the octagon?

Jake O' Brien - It's different for everyone depending on their background. You should at least give it a good year or two though if you don't have a background in anything.

thaFormula.com - Why do you think there has been so many upsets happening in the sport lately?

Jake O' Brien - I think that everybody is good. At the level everybody is reaching, anybody can catch anybody now. Everybody is so good and there is so many different ways you can win so there is gonna be a lot of upsets.

thaFormula.com - How important is a manager in this business today and why did you choose Ken as your manager?

Jake O' Brien - Ken is by far the best manager there is. Everything he told me before I signed and all the promises he made and stuff, he actually came through on all of them. He's been true about everything and everything he told me he was gonna do, he's done. It's just the best decision I ever made in my career really because he's done so much. Also, I had heard how much money he was getting guys from sponsors and stuff and I was interested in that. Also, he knew a lot of the big guys and got me training with a lot of good guys.

thaFormula.com - Have you trained with everyone that you have wanted to train with and if not, who would that person be?

Jake O' Brien - I have trained with Tito, and I have trained with Rampage. Another guy I would like to train with is Randy Couture but I would also like to fight Randy Couture before he is done.

feedback: info@thaformula.com

Be  sure to join the over 600,000 Industry Heads that have signed up to our exclusive mailing list!!  Click here to join and receive exclusive interviews only available to members. Leave contact info ( name, email address, city, state, and country) at info@thaformula.com.