thaFormula.com - Let's get into your background Juanito for those that don't know…

Juanito Ibarra - Well I'm a Mexican American and proud to be. I'm from San Pedro California. I grew up there and got into fighting when I was young. I used to like to fight. I got into martial arts because I wanted to actually learn how to fight. I got busted up there when my trainer broke some ribs and I decided to go to a boxing gym and got mentored by the best boxing people in the world and the lord has blessed me with teaching skills. That's where he took me and that's where I found my skills.

thaFormula.com - Now I know you were a co trainer for Oscar De La Hoya, how did that situation come about for you?

Juanito Ibarra - Well I was working with this gentleman named Al Stankie. I wanted to learn some of his secrets and I kind of got into his head about that because I was taught by the best like Eddie Futch and Thell Torrence and he thought I would be the future of boxing when he found out about my background and what I do with athletes. So we hooked up, we trained De La Hoya and many other fighters together. We had Pepe Reilly, we had Paul Gonzalez, we had Vitor Blefort and I had him on my own but we always seemed to make champions together. So that's the business.

thaFormula.com - At what point did you start training Vitor?

Juanito Ibarra - I don't remember the year, but like I said Al and I had him, but then him and Al fell out and then I took over his management and started training him full time, started working with Brazilian Top Team and I had Angel Manfredy in the world of boxing then. That's when I had Vitor and that's when I made the transition from boxing to MMA.

thaFormula.com - How do you look at Vitor's career right now and the direction it has taken?

Juanito Ibarra - I think it's at the all time low. I think Vitor has, and this is one of the reasons why we are not together, I told him that he has more talent in his hand then I have in my whole body, but he didn't have a heart and he was fighting for the wrong reasons. I think Vitor has all the talent in the world to be the best but he's made some bad choices and usually they surround money. So that's why he's not one of the best in the world.

thaFormula.com - Did you choose to leave Vitor or did he break out?

Juanito Ibarra - I chose to leave Vitor. It's something that surprised him, but I've been known to do that with fighters that don't have integrity. If you think I'm gonna stick around because of the money or because of other issues I won't and if you're not following the plan, I'm gone. Also, his mom had some contract with him co-managing him that I never knew about for a 10-year deal. She didn't want to pay me and he didn't want to step up. So I said "you know what, you took some years from my life, you lived with me, I taught you, I supported you and so if you have a problem paying me, something's wrong here. Everyone needs to make a living so you know go on about your business." Since then he has never been as structured as he was with me and it's shown.

thaFormula.com - It's something people have been wondering for years because of how talented he is. It's like one day he's great and the next he's just not there…

Juanito Ibarra - Yeah, he don't have the will to fight. He fights for the wrong reasons and that's why he's not a champion. When I had him he was turning champion, etc. He had some good victories, but I'll tell you that his dedication was very minimal. His loyalty was less than minimal.

thaFormula.com - Now when Oyama was training Rampage were you with Vitor at that time?

Juanito Ibarra - I was with Vitor and Marco Ruas and I was training a lot of the guys that are famous now in the Brazilian Top Team. I was working with many other fighters in the gym like Robert Emerson and quite a slew of guys. But I always kept my eyes on Rampage because I was asked to work with him at one point but I couldn't because I had so many fighters going at the time. But I always kept my eye on him.

thaFormula.com - So when you got a chance to watch the first Lidell/Rampage fight, what were your thoughts on Rampage at the time?

Juanito Ibarra - I love this kid. That's exactly what I said, I love this kid, someone needs to teach him how to fight though. Somebody really needs to teach him how to fight. He knows how, he just don't know what he's doing or when to do it. If we would quit saying bad words in interviews, I could work with this kid because I ain't never gone after a fighter. This is a fighter that stood out in my mind where I said "you know what, if I ever have an opportunity to talk to him, I'm gonna talk to him so that I could maybe show him a couple of things." I wasn't looking for a job or money. I just wanted to show him because he seemed like a great kid, a lost kid if you will. Then when I heard he was born again, I was so happy and I got a hold of one of his friends at the time and I said "hey talk to this kid 'cause I want to talk to him and give him some advice for his career." So he did and after that I said "is it okay if I could have his number?" and I called him and we had like a 2 hour conversation. The next day he decided to just train in the gym and I said "give me a half hour, let me show you something." From that half hour I've been with him ever since.

thaFormula.com - After you saw him beat Lidell and then saw him lose to Silva, what were some of the mistakes that you saw in that fight with Silva?

Juanito Ibarra - Actually I thought he was doing good in the fight. But at that time he was very susceptible to knees. He was very open with his elbows from his Muay Thai. He was a very loose fighter if you will and the result didn't surprise me. It's not that he couldn't beat him, it just didn't surprise me. So I knew that this is the kind of kid that has to tighten up his technique and be more aware of what comes in combinations etc. That's what I observed.

thaFormula.com - So what do you feel Oyama was or wasn't doing technically with Rampage?

Juanito Ibarra - You know everyone trains if they wanna call it training or teaches different, but I don't look at it that way. I just look at what I seen in that Shogun fight and how Rampage was treated in the ring when he was hurt. It seemed like it meant more to Oyama then it did to his fighter and his fighter was at risk and his fighter paid for it. Then he got chewed out. To me it was shameful. It showed me where somebody's mind was. A selfish mind and I mean not for their student but for them.

thaFormula.com - When you looked at his second fight with Wanderlei Silva, did you expect anything different?

Juanito Ibarra - I was hoping something would be different but it didn't look like there was much difference. After that fight I said "man if I ever have Quinton Jackson, he will beat that man, he will." If they ever give him that man, he's gonna beat that man.

thaformula.com - Now that you guys have beat Chuck, people are starting to talk a lot more about Wanderlai and Shogun. What are your thoughts on these guys and how would you approach fighting them?

Juanito Ibarra - I think Shogun is a hell of a fighter and I think Silva has a hell of a heart. He likes to fight, but when we cross that bridge or if we do, believe me he will be prepared. I'm not gonna give nothing up.

thaformula.com - Now from looking at the weigh in, it seemed like nobody in Vegas wanted Rampage to win that fight?

Juanito Ibarra - We expected that. It doesn't matter because that just added fuel to our fire. Everything we prepared for mentally and physically so we were ready for it. I've been in this game of fighting for a long time. Just like I told him, the things that are happening today and tomorrow were gonna happen, it's happening. I told him 2 years ago, "when you fight for the title under me, you're gonna win the title I promise you or you can get rid of me." And I asked him at the post fight conference. "you wanna get rid of me son?" He said, "what are you crazy?" The reason I tell him this is because I've been to the top of the mountain and I know what to expect.

thaformula.com - Now you have trained boxers and MMA fighters, when you made the switch to MMA fighters, what did you think about the striking aspect in MMA?

Juanito Ibarra - I think it's underrated. I think a lot of guys in MMA they go and watch tapes and buy boxing books and they figure they can box. Some hire boxing coaches, but I'm telling you, you can't teach an MMA guy true boxing. That's why I call my art "MMA Boxing" because there is things that you don't want to teach your MMA student and if you do and they get good at it, they are susceptible to other things that MMA guys do.

thaformula.com - How would a pure striker like Mayweather do in MMA?

Juanito Ibarra - I think a pure striker will do well given some opportunities but I think that later in the rounds I think the pure striker is done. It's a different strategy, but you put a pure striker up there and if you don't catch a decent MMA guy early, that boy is in trouble.

thaformula.com - What made you so sure that Rampage's style was such a perfect match up against Chuck?

Juanito Ibarra - Because of the natural tendencies Rampage has. I told him when I started working with him, "I'm not here to change your style son, I wanna add to some things, I wanna make you better at some things and once we could put your style and my style together we are gonna be champions. They are not gonna beat you," and that's what it's been. I'm not here to change his style. God made him and he has great tendencies, but he's gotten better technical wise. He understands why you need to do things and when you need to do them. His foot movement is better, his mind is a lot better and this is what I wanted to accomplish.

thaformula.com - Was it your idea or his to wait an extra fight or two before fighting Chuck for the title?

Juanito Ibarra - It was kind of a conglomerate. We always talk about everything together. I don't make decisions without Rampage. We were on the same level and we just felt that because us knowing his popularity and his charisma that you know what, if we let some of these kids know who he really is like his personality and his fight game man, he's gonna sell a hell of a lot of tickets. So it was like "why don't you give us a couple of fights where we can warm up here a little bit in and out of the cage then we'll take on anybody you want." But see they had in mind a rubber match. They said "let's rubber match you because that would be huge." So they figured they could make it up in a rubber match. So you know what, that's why we dedicated that fight to Joe Silva because he knew what we wanted but you know what, god bless him. He thanked me after the fight, he's the matchmaker and the promoters that's what they do and you know what, we prevailed.

thaformula.com - Did it ever cross your mind heading into the fight that it could be over like this in the first round?

Juanito Ibarra - Yeah I thought it. Because of what Chuck said and Chuck made a great statement about a fight being over in the first round and I kept hearing and hearing it and I said "Rampage, don't ever think you can't take him out in the first round." We didn't plan on taking him out in the first round but it was like "don't ever think that you can't. Because when that opportunity knocks you need to be there to take advantage of it," and you know what god bless him it worked out.

thaformula.com - Now getting back to the weigh in, was there anything in Chuck that you saw that caught your attention?

Juanito Ibarra - Absolutely. He was totally intimidated. I seen it absolutely. Chuck's the kind of guy that will shoot laser beams through you with his stare. He has them piercing eyes. Like Tito, Tito gets intimidated by that pierce-ness. When Tito tries that it don't work. Chuck is a true warrior, but I'll will tell you I seen it in Dana's eyes. I seen it in Dana when he was looking at Chuck's eyes and then he looked back at Rampage and then looked at Chuck again and really stared at Chuck's eyes. I seen it and I told Rampage after. I said you got in his head right now son. I see it in his eyes. Absolutely I seen it. Rampage was definitely in his mind.

thaFormula.com - So when you guys were back stage and they were getting ready to introduce you guys, what was going on?

Juanito Ibarra - I wanted to hurry up because they kept rushing us and I told them people "you ain't rushing us until my kid is ready. The fight can't go on without him, end of story." Then they put us out on the on deck circle and then they take another ten minutes. I wanted to roll. I wanted that fight to happen backstage.

thaformula.com - So when you guys come out, was there anything that surprised you as far as how the crowd reacted to Rampage?

Juanito Ibarra - Oh the booing? No the booing didn't surprise me and to me it wasn't an insult against Rampage. What it was is just a bunch of guys that wanted Chuck. A bunch of guys that just wanted to see their boy avenge all his losses. I really don't think there was anything behind it. It was just for Chuck and in my head I was laughing. I'm thinking "man, I don't think Rampage has ever seriously been booed, but he's a professional and he can handle it."

thaformula.com - When Chuck came out, what did you see in Chuck when he was heading into the ring and did you still see that same intimidation you saw at the weigh in?

Juanito Ibarra - When he walked in uh, usually he's listening to some music but he had his headphones off and I think he was soaking it up more this time. I really felt he was very confident coming into the fight because of his punching power. I stepped off. If anybody noticed, I wasn't on the cage side, I was off on the ground looking from there. My coaches were up there because I wanted my coaches to get on TV and give them a little glory. I stepped out and I was at a different angle at Chuck and at my kid and I was studying them and looking at Chucks trainer John Heckleman and I felt in my heart that Chuck was still intimidated at that point.

thaformula.com - How much impact did it have on the fight in your eyes when Rampage stopped and taunted Chuck in the middle of the ring during the fight?

Juanito Ibarra - I think he got into his head more. Rampage isn't stupid enough to do it two inches from you. He'll get cracked. He will get kicked. Chuck could throw a good front kick. He could throw a kick from any angle, he's not that stupid. But he wanted it. "You gonna take me out in the round? Show me you're gonna take me out in the round Chuck."

thaformula.com - So let's break down the round real quick. What did you see that maybe other people didn't see or expect to see?

Juanito Ibarra - I just saw his movement and his patience. The crowd seemed to want them to mix it up a little faster, but you can't buy into that. You got to stick to your plan. The only thing I asked for in Rampage was to double-jab a little bit more and that's what I was yelling. But I know how Chuck opens up and we worked on that right. It's a timing punch and he steps in, boom. He stepped right, he threw right and Chuck was done. I knew once Chuck fell just by looking at his legs, he wasn't getting up. I was already jumping up. I already knew it.

thaformula.com - Were you a little surprised though knowing the chin that Chuck has had throughout his fights?

Juanito Ibarra - No! I wasn't surprised! No! If you wanna say, was I surprised it happened early? Okay I was excited. But I wasn't surprised because we worked on that and it was a timing thing. It could have happened in the first second of the fight and it could have happened in the last minute of the fifth round. Once that opportunity knocked and he had that opportunity to get inside, not only did he get inside but he knocked Chuck down. So I wasn't surprised by him falling from that shot.

thaformula.com - I'll be honest though, I wasn't surprised at the outcome but I was surprised that he fell so quickly in the fight…

Juanito Ibarra - That could come from a lot of things that fighters do and I don't want to get into that because I'll start giving things away in what I look for, but who knows. He got hit square in the button and Chuck could take a punch, but you got to give Rampage his props. Rampage could punch with either hand. Wait until people feel his body shots. He ain't even felt that yet. Wait until they see the pinpoint accuracy of hitting people at their weakest points and being able to follow it up and take an angle and then kick you and knee you. They ain't even seen him fight yet.

thaformula.com - With you saying that were you a little disappointed that it didn't go a little longer so people could see what you guys...

Juanito Ibarra - Nope. Hell No! A fight's a fight. My thing is don't leave it in the hand of the judges. I don't like fights going to the judges because then there is something that is always in question. We train to win and we want fights to end. I don't care if it's 4 minutes and 59 seconds.

thaformula.com - After the fight they brought out Dan Henderson, what were your thoughts on that?

Juanito Ibarra - When I seen Dan in the crowd, I knew something was gonna happen because I looked over at him and he gave me a thumbs up. I mean the guys not gonna sit in the crowd with his belts for nothing.

thaFormula.com - So after the fight when you saw him come up, what did you think about them bringing Henderson in to fight Rampage right away?

Juanito Ibarra - I thought, "again, so fast?" That's what I thought.

thaFormula.com - So now that you have had a little time to think about it, what are your thoughts on Henderson and the fight?

Juanito Ibarra - Dan's a hell of an athlete, great fighter, not scared, has a good chin and a good right hand. He could submit you, outwrestle you, he's strong in the clinch. He deserves everything he's gotten as much as Chuck did. I just think my boy is too young, too well preserved, learning, he's hungry, he can punch with either hand and he could submit you as well. His wrestling is getting ten times better. I think it's gonna be a hell of a fight and we will be up on top. It's all preparation and strategy. You train harder, you push him harder, and you push him faster. You push him stronger then the last one.

thaFormula.com - How much did this victory mean to you Juanito and how much do you think it meant to the actual sport itself?

Juanito Ibarra - I think it meant to the sport big ups. I mean you got a new face of MMA and people will see that. As far as me, no surprise. I expected it. It was such a joy to work with my 13th world champion and you know what I'm so proud of him because he's really come a long way and now the hard work starts. The easy work is over as far as climbing the mountain. Now the hard work starts, which is to stay on top of the mountain.

thaFormula.com - What other fighters are you currently training?

Juanito Ibarra - I got Sick Dog Ramirez fighting against Forrest Griffin in Ireland in UFC 72. There are a lot of fighters I do work with but unfortunately I have had to turn down a lot of students and world class students because managing and training a student like Rampage and knowing where I needed to take him or need to take him, is a 20-hour a day job and I have no regrets. It's my choices and hopefully with other people joining our training regimen, if they don't complain too much and they want to be a part of it, it will make it easier for me to take on other students. But he's my priority and that's what makes me happy in life. He always tells me, "why don't you go on vacation?" I like working for him, I like building this champion. It's a good thing and I don't want to go on vacation until I'm ready.

thaFormula.com - Now you said this is your 13th world champion. Where do you place this championship in your career as a trainer?

Juanito Ibarra - This is my most gratifying. I was hungrier with the De La Hoya Gold Medal but I wasn't there when he won it. Him and I never fell out personally, but as a team things broke up and it's been a nightmare in my life ever since. It really has. I was on one of De La Hoya's under cards with one of my students at the forum the day of his pro debut. He didn't even say hi to me. It was a lot of pain and I told Rampage in our discussions over the years that I'm gonna give him my life. I asked him not to walk away unless I did something wrong, but it was so gratifying because I proved why God made me a teacher, that I have the chemistry to do it purely on my own. What I mean by my own is my own thoughts, theories and building my own team. I don't need 20,000 people telling me what to do and then slapping me in my face later like De La Hoya and his people did in every way imaginable. From being friends, family, loved ones and then being a co-teacher you know? It was a scary point.

thaFormula.com - Wow I didn't know all this man, so you know I'm glad to see things working out now for you Juanito especially seeing how so many people thought Rampage was finished because of his performance in recent fights?

Juanito Ibarra - I'll tell you what, there is that kid that fought on the UFC card. What is it? Lieben I think. He fought on this same card. The one with the crazy hair and he stinks like hell. I was working on a UFC show last year and he was on the other side of the curtain and he didn't know I was there and he was talking to somebody and he said "man Rampage is washed up." And I called Rampage from the locker room and I said "son, this kid…I just heard this kid say right next to my ears that you are washed up." He goes "Juanito, I keep hearing that too." I said "you're just beginning."

thaFormula.com - Yeah everybody thought that when he became very religious that he was done…

Juanito Ibarra - I know and it's crazy. Close people to him that he respects you know have said it through the grapevine and we have known that and one of them I just heard in a report I had did before the fight, one of them and I'm not gonna mention his name, someone that Rampage really resects said it as well. He said "I hope Rampage can do this because that religion stuff affected him." I'm like, "these guys just don't know." It took time.

thaFormula.com - Now that we have begun to see a mainstream explosion in MMA and the UFC, do you think it will end up being a good thing or a bad thing in the long run?

Juanito Ibarra - The mainstream explosion I think is a good thing. I just hope that there is no dominance in the sport from one promoter because then the kids don't have a word to say. They are under somebody's thumb. They are gonna force a collective bargaining agreement in the future if they keep it up so I just pray, and if there is ever anything that I could do to ever help, that there is a ranking system through the press that could really rank fighters to help promoters know, and the fans know who really should be fighting each other. To help match makers and that they treat the fighters with respect and well overall.

thaFormula.com - For someone like yourself that has been involved in boxing, how do you stop this sport from eventually turning into what boxing is today?

Juanito Ibarra - Well I'll tell you how you help it. This is my opinion and I have thought about it for years. There should be an organization that's not a belt organization. Not the WBC, WBA's, none of that crap. What I want to see is an association called the "International Mixed Martial Arts Association" that I have named and I have had in my brain for 5 years that the press is a part of and that the press has a true ranking system. 1 to 10 in every division and that the promoters are a part of it also to recognize that the press runs sports just like other sports. That's why Dana and everybody was so happy. The press finally jumped aboard to make the sport a sport. Without the press you ain't got a true sport. They got this sport in Brazil, volleyball but they use their feet instead of their hands. It's unbelievable when you see it, but it's not a sport though. If the press was all over it and it was on ESPN magazine, guaranteed it would be a sport in about a month. Well it's the same philosophy with MMA. Put all the big writers on an association, let them be part of an MMA commission and say "listen, so and so is ranked from these different organizations." I don't care what organizations they are, let them guys battle and let the co-promotions begin or whatnot and let television and the promoters do their good business to make money on it. That's what I truly think about that and what could be done to make it better for the fighters.

thaFormula.com - How far away do you think we are from an all out evolution of the sport?

Juanito Ibarra - Well I think Dana is making a smart move knowing the path of the sport of boxing by saying, to give an example the Rampage fight with Dan Henderson if it happens. He is trying to unify and make a real world champion. It could have been done earlier with Chuck and Wanderlai Silva. Why it didn't work out? Who cares but it's going that way and that's part of where it should be. But once you have your real champion, I'm sure they will want Chuck to fight for the world title again. Probably give him a win or if he gets past so and so he will be ranked 1 or 2. What about the kids that are ranked now? Who is ranked 2 or 3 behind rampage now? Where are them guys at and why aren't we fighting them before another champion? You feel me? So these are things that show why we need that system and who really should be in contention to fight. Rampage made a statement that it wasn't fair that he got a title shot, but it was great for the company, it was great for the sport, great for the fans so you're on a teeter totter right and I have always said any time you have a chance to fight for the title you take it. You have to take it whether you want to or not because that's what people dream of, to be the best in the world. So once they told us "we're taking it" and they didn't wanna follow our marketing plan, okay now it's on. Now were taking it and this fight is dedicated to you mister matchmaker.

thaformula.com - Your thoughts on the state of boxing today and the battles it has had recently with the UFC and MMA?

Juanito Ibarra - I've always said that boxing people run MMA and what I mean by that is commission wise, and if you look at who works for the UFC. Guys like Marc Ratner, Kirk Hendrick, they were all boxing people. Boxing minds are running MMA and that's why they know how to deal with it and make it bigger and better. Boxing is in trouble, but it has been though. This isn't something new. If people know the history, boxing's been in trouble. Too many belts, too many champions, too many sub divisions, too many catch weights. In the old days they used to fight at a certain weight for a title shot. Guys either make the weight or they don't no matter what size they were. Without De La Hoya the sport is really in trouble. I love boxing. I watch small fights, big fights, it's who I am, and it's what I'm about. But you know Mayweather to me can't sell a show like De La Hoya without De La Hoya and Mike Tyson is gone. he cant make another comeback. I mean come on now I love Mike, but he can't make another comeback. Lenox Lewis can't come back and save the sport. Who can save the sport? Prince Naseem the one that's in prison? No he can't. You got guys like Ricky Hatton who is a hell of a champion, but does he have the charisma? No, so boxing is in trouble.

thaformula.com - And as far as Mixed Martial Arts, where do you see that going?

Juanito Ibarra - Mixed Martial Arts is unlimited right now. I think sometimes maybe television is over saturating it. But bad press is better then no press. I mean you can't even keep up on your Tivo how much stuff is going on with it right now on a weekly basis. Will it burn itself out? It can, but once things pan out and once it goes global and once there is not 44 reality shows, people are gonna be excited to pay for that pay-per-view event and that's what the UFC did by acquiring Pride. Now instead of just one good main event you got 3 good pay-per-view fights so I think MMA is in a great position.

thaformula.com - What are your thoughts on the IFL and Bodog?

Juanito Ibarra - I like the IFL's concept and Bodog, they are trying like hell. The IFL is not greedy with telling them that they can't fight for other organizations, they are treating fighters in their organization like class acts and they all seem to be very open minded. Their just trying the concept for MMA and we will see if it's gonna work. They are in it for the long run but I think they will face some problems as well when it comes to negotiating with the big business plan of collective bargaining down the road. I think for the fighter, if they're gonna stick in there as a league they better start thinking about a league.

thaformula.com - Are you still working with Savant Young?

Juanito Ibarra - No I'm not. I talk to him and there might be something in our future, but I love him and I'll do anything for him. Anytime he needs help, he knows he can knock on my door.

thaformula.com - What are your plans now Juanito as far as for yourself and your career as a trainer?

Juanito Ibarra - I just want to keep seeing kids that I care for grow, give them what I could give them in life and mentoring them as well as teaching them in the gym. My goal is to keep making people be the best that they could be and that to me is having champions if I could make somebody the best they can be. Some will be able to win titles and some will be the best they can be and not win a title. God put me here to teach people and those are the things that I want to do.

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