MMA Worldwide

Benji "The Razor" Radach: I Just Want to Fight the Best

Posted by Brett Atchley on the 14 July 2009 | View Comments

I called Benji Radach to find out how his hand was healing from his war with Scott Smith on the April 11th Strikeforce main card.  I also wanted to check in just to see how he was and what kind of trouble he was staying out of. 

 

He was in Connecticut working for L.A Boxing as he has been for some time now as their corporate head of personnel development and training.

 

“The Razor” as he is known to friends and fans has been in this game for a long time and has been through his fair share of personal and professional setbacks. He has pushed, worked and persevered through them and currently seems to be pretty satisfied with his life with the exception of his last defeat to Scott Smith.

 

Benji has always been one of those athletes in the cage that you could bet the farm on in terms of the fight being explosive and a fair amount of damage being inflicted. He is what you call a “crowd pleaser” and his bout on a card will put the proverbial “asses in the seats.” He is also one of the hardest working men in MMA. Benji has always worked full-time, trained full-time and fought full-time. Early on his camp was made up of the original “Team Quest” in Gresham, OR where Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, Dan Henderson, Heath Sims and Chael Sonnen trained exclusively.

 

Benji has an extensive and interesting history both professionally and personally. He is a guy very similar to Randy Couture; when he is having a conversation with you, he makes you feel like you’re the only person in the room among hundreds. He gives you his undivided attention. 

 

Hey Razor, what’s going on? Where you at?

 

Right now I’m in Connecticut wrapping up this training for a new L.A Boxing gym opening here. I’m heading into New York tomorrow for the night and then to the Jersey shore for the weekend of the 4th to have some fun with friends, blow off some steam and relax.

 

L.A. Boxing keeps you busy traveling all over the country implementing staff and training in their new facilities then?

 

Yes, they do. I’m on the road or in the air about 3 weeks out of the month working for them.

 

It takes a special kind of temperament to endure that schedule doesn’t it?

 

Ya definitely, but right now I like it. I get to travel, meet new people, see places and do things that I would never have the opportunity to do otherwise. When I was an electrician in the union it was just work, work-out, play and fight, pretty much in that order. I just didn’t have anytime to see anything or enjoy the experience. I was young and was pretty wild. You can fill in the blanks. I worked all over the state, lived in Castle Rock about 90 minutes from Team Quest. So, depending on where I was, it seemed like there just weren’t enough hours in the day. It was a good time though, no complaints. I wouldn’t be the guy I am today if I hadn’t gone through it.

 

Yes, you’ve had some significant physical setbacks right?

 

Yes, it was like if it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have had any luck at all. I’ve always had a history of neck injuries. Recently I ruptured some discs in it and there was a pretty significant reduction in the use of my right arm. When I fought Scott (Smith), I was at about 80% with it. I also had this horrendous experience with having my ACL repaired a few years ago. I almost lost my leg over that. I had part of it replaced by grafting a part from a cadaver by this consortium of physicians in California. My body didn’t accept it and there was serious infection that developed and I damn near lost the thing. The physicians were a bunch of black market crooks purchasing body parts from places that weren’t appropriate. I finally got it straightened out and got a great physician to fix it.

 

How is your hand healing from the recent injury in your fight with Scott?

 

It’s healing very well. I have always been blessed with an ability to heal physically very quickly. I just recently started doing bag work with it and various rehab on a more impact level. I’ve got good movement and mobility with it. Strikforce sent me to a great surgeon. He put it back together with 7 titanium screws and minimal scar damage or tissue.

I’m looking to be back on a Strikeforce card in December.

 

Does L.A. Boxing work with you and accommodate your schedule when you’re in the middle of training for a fight?

 

Yes, they are very flexible and accommodating. In the past it was difficult being on the road working and trying to train for a fight. I never felt like I could really get into a rhythm or set schedule because I would just have to train wherever I was and with whoever was available. With my last few fights, I was able to stay in California and train consistently. Bas Rutten has been responsible for very much of what I am in my continued development as a fighter. Jason “Mayhem” Miller is always there and Brad Blackburn comes down from Next Level Boxing in Seattle, WA to help me train. I’ve even done some brief training with one of your MMA Worldwide guys, R.J. (Clifford). He showed me some of his secret ninja stuff. (Laughs).

 

You are disputing the referee stoppage in your last fight with Scott.  How is that coming along?

 

I haven’t heard anything yet. They are going through some restructuring with personnel right now. They are replacing Mr. Garcia right now. So I would suppose that after the appointed replacement gets acclimated and caught up, we should see some resolve one way or another. It’s just a blatant bad call. He knocked me down with a hard shot but I immediately came back to my base. Scott jumps on me and hits me in the back of the head. I couldn’t believe it when it was stopped and they told me it was over. I thought they were stopping it because of the illegal hit.

 

There was reference made that you could’ve fought that fight differently within your base knowledge and won and that your “fighter I.Q.” is way down in its numbers.

 

My “fighter I.Q.?”

 

Yes.

 

Sure I could’ve fought it different and safe by going for a submission.  I could’ve finished him if I hadn’t broken my hand in the second round. He was out on his feet; I mean he was rocked a few times. Then again, I was taking in some pretty devastating shots also. Sure I could’ve fought it different and safe by going for a submission, that’s not what I’m about and have never been about. I like to go out there and bang. I have always been a guy that wants to put on an exciting fight for the fans. It’s got nothing to do with my “fighter I.Q.”  I have 19 wins and 15 by knockout. If I want to play it safe and go out there and role around then ya, I could have won a few that I lost. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not diminishing the ground game or submission aspect of MMA; I just don’t role that way. So whoever said that about me can suck my dick. They don’t know me. Not everyone runs around saying they’re Superman.  

 

Nick Diaz?

 

Ya, Nick is an awesome fighter.  I thought I deserved to fight him instead of Scott. I guess looking at styles, Strikeforce liked it better. I would love to re-match Scott and I would really like to fight Nick. He’s a great boxer and always has been. I used to train with him back in the day. He and I have both matured as men and athletes, so it would be a great fight now in respects to how we have both developed in the game. I just want to fight the best out there, no matter who it is. I have one fight left on my contract with Strikeforce and my hope is that they put the best in front of me.

 

Do you see yourself re-negotiating with them?

 

Yes, I mean why not? They treat me really well and always have. I believe in what they are doing and think they have great things ahead of them. They have been around since the beginning of this thing. Scott (Coker) is very smart and intelligent in the model he is trying to develop. They are in a good place with the competition as far as relationships go. That’s something of an achievement in itself.

 

Is there anything else you would like to tell me about that’s happening.

 

Ya, I’m going to be in a new game that EA is putting out. It’s an alternate MMA program to what THQ has done with the UFC. I’m going to be in it along with Randy (Couture), Fedor (Emelianenko) and a number of others. I start that in August. It’s gonna be pretty sick!

 

Benji, thanks for your time and be safe and take care.

 

You too bro, anytime! You know where I’m at and keep it real.