Edmonton’s own Mitch Clarke sits down to talk with me about MMA and what’s next for the “not yet named” fighter.  This young rising star boasts a 6-0 record and is set to fight for the TFC’s Canadian lightweight title. He may not officially be named yet, but a T-shirt created by his dad may have the winning name. Meet Mitch ‘The Danger Zone” Clarke.

When did you want to be a fighter?

I’ve always been an athlete.   When I was twelve, my cousin showed me old school UFC.  The first one I watched was “The Ultimate Ultimate 96” and I remember watching Don Frye.  I thought he was a legitimate Bad-Ass. I still do. I think he’s amazing. Shortly after,  I signed up for wrestling and wrestled all through high school and university.

It sounds cliché, but after the Ultimate Fighter came out, I knew I wanted to do MMA. Two weeks after the first episode aired I signed up at a gym and started training.

Who were your role models in the sport?

I like Matt Hughes, Wanderlei Silva and Dan Henderson. I admire them as fighters and as people. I like fighters with humble, hard working attitudes.

Why do you fight?

There’s nothing like MMA. A lot of people describe that feeling of winning, after a winning a big football game or something like that. But there’s nothing like the feeling of winning a MMA fight. It’s epic. You’re standing there with hundreds of people watching you and you’ve just bested another person. It’s an amazing feeling.

How would you respond to the opinion that it’s barbaric to be proud you “just beat someone else up”?

My dad said it best. He says “I have two sons. My eldest is involved in MMA. There is one human being out to get him. My younger son plays football and he’s a receiver. There are at least five other guys out to get him. Realistically I worry more about my younger son than my eldest son.”

It’s not like MMA is about grabbing someone off the street and beating them up. It’s a skilled sport and as long as the two participants know what they’re doing, on balance, it’s a safe sport.

What’s going on with you right now?

July 17th I’m fighting for the TFC’s Canadian lightweight title.

How do you feel about your opponent Curtis Demarce?

He’s a tough guy, a decent striker but he’s a weak wrestler. People seem to have the misconception that wrestling is the takedowns. It’s not. It’s in the scrambles and the little stuff.  I’m bigger than he is and I’m stronger than he is. I’m pretty confident about this fight.

What’s your long term plan?

I plan to defend the title in the TFC. I don’t think someone’s a champ until they defend their title. Then, I’d like to fight for their World Title .I love fighting in Edmonton, but I’d like to fight in other areas as well. I want to fight some Americans and see how I really rank amongst the top guys.

If the fighting in the UFC isn’t a main goal, than why am I fighting? Of course it’s a main goal for me. But, I’d love to fight for other organizations like Strikeforce or M1-Global. I just want to move up.

What would you say to guys starting up in MMA?

Train. Train and love the sport. Don’t rush it, that’s how you get injured. Find yourself a good gym and align yourself with a good team.

Be a fan! So many guys stop watching fights and stop loving the sport. It’s so important to love the sport you’re in.

What would you like to say to your fans reading this?

I just want to fight and make people smile. I hope that you’re entertained when you watch me fight. That’s all I want to do, fight and entertain.( And, don’t be surprised at my Jack ass-ery.)

Clarke’s next fight is at the Shaw Conference Center, July 17th. Visit http://topmmanews.com/2010/05/17/tfc-11-edmonton-july-17/ for more details.