“The Game” Plans on Returning in 2013

“The Game” Plans on Returning in 2013

 (article by the Coffee Boy) 

         Loud, tough, and always ready to throw down, Arnaud “The Game” Lepont has been a character in the world of Asian MMA over the last two years with his wins at DARE Fight Sports and ONE FC, and more recently his bout with one of the best lightweights in Asia, Shinya Aoki.

         After going 2-1 this year – with two wins against the likes of Brian Choi and Cris Haja, and a loss against Shinya Aoki – Arnaud Lepont has taken a bit of a break, visiting family and working on his book. We decided to do some catching up with him, mainly so that his fans can see what he’s up to and be assured that he plans on making his return in 2013. Also, we get to know the French phenom just a little bit better.

         Anyways, here’s our little (well, not really) interview with the one and only Arnaud Lepont:

Hey Arnaud, long time. What have you been up to since your last fight?

I am doing great, Seth. I had a short holiday in Vietnam with my family and I spent some time with my son. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was great…long time I have not been in Vietnam and it was a real pleasure. I love this country. I am back in Malaysia at the moment, and guess what? I am back in training at MuayFit, the best martial arts gym in Malaysia.

What did you take from your loss against Shinya Aoki? Did it hit you hard?

It was tough. Firstly, because I honestly thought I could match up with him and see how good he was in “stand up.” Instead of that, the fight went straight to the ground and honestly, he just over-played me. I was so sure he would stand with me on the first round. On the ground, he is just too much for me. In another universe, I was ashamed for my team and for those who were believing in me. That's why I refuse to tap. The loss was difficult to handle, but the worst is all the “keyboard warriors” and B-level fighter who spit on you and try to hit you when you are down. It's easy and pathetic. I prefer to lose in front of one of the top 10 fighter in the world than winning to a can.

Was it a wake-up call in any way?

It was not so much of a "wake-up call", ‘cause I was ready, my cardio and stand up was great. I made a mistake. I listened too much the press and I have done a bigger mistake, I was focusing on a stand up war instead of seeing that as a MMA fight. My mistake. But I bow down to Shinya. This guy is in another level when we talk about ground fighting.

So will you be back in the cage again? If so, when, and whom are you targeting?

I am 10-2 and I still have the will to win and bang. Hopefully at One FC 7 or 8. I am still under an exclusive contract with them and I’m proud of it.

Are you comfortable at 155lbs? There are some pretty big dudes in that division.

(laughs) Yes I am. I fought all my life at 170lbs! Even at 180lbs! I think I am a pretty big dude myself. Cutting to 155lbs is tough, I will not go under. I am planning to stay at 155.

What are your plans for 2013 ?

I hope to bring victory again to my team. So I will try to fight at least twice. I would love to fight three times like this year. I have a 2-1 record this year. I am also planning to do some seminars, around Malaysia and Asia for sure, but maybe in France for March or April. I am also working with my team on my book. Trust me, it's gonna’ be something. I prefer to keep it a little bit secret, ‘cause I really want to make a big surprise. Some chapters will be awesome, it will be my time to thank my fans, give them some exclusive pictures and also payback to some of my haters.

Time for some stupid, random questions. YOU READY?!

…

If you were an animal, what kind of an animal would you be?

A panda…but a deadly one.

If you were a Star Wars character…who would you be?

Han Solo.

What’s your favorite color?

Red

What’s your favorite drink?

Red Wine.

What would I find in your refrigerator right now?

Fruits and chicken.

What is the last book you read?

“I of the Sun” by Richard Arthur

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. with whom would it be?

Obama

What’s the last movie you went to see?

“Silent Hill” a few days ago… I lost 90 minutes of my life, and it was a total waste of money!

What is your favorite movie?

The Running Man.

If Hollywood did a movie on you… who would play you?

Bill Murray would be a good pick…but he’d have to put on some muscle.

If you were a car, what car would you be?

A Mini Cooper.

If you were written about in the newspaper, on the front page, what would the headline say?

"Entertaining and sexy, everybody should play TheGame"

What makes you angry?

No bread for breakfast.

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Awesome…determined…accessible.

Three things you’d bring with you on a deserted island?

John Nutt, sunglasses, and a bottle of wine

Is there anything you wanna tell your fans andor your haters?

I will not waste my time with my haters so I prefer to thank my fans, those who always support me and send me a message or come ask for a picture. I always have some time for them and will always respect their attention. Thanks to my sponsors, MouthGuard Kombat, Machismo, MotorTraders, Vengeance, Jaded, and True Fitness. Thanks to my gym, the best one in Malaysia, MuayFit.

Catching Up With Arnaud “The Game” Lepont

Catching Up With Arnaud “The Game” Lepont

Published on July 17, 2012 by The Coffee Boy in DARE, NEWS, ONEFC

Exclusive: Catching Up With “The Game” by The Coffee Boy

If you had not heard of Arnaud “The Game” Lepont before ONE FC 4, I’m pretty sure you’ll remember him after his exciting performance against Evolve MMA’s Brian Choi. From his bizarre entrance with the mask and chains, to his late come-from-behind comeback rear-naked choke victory, and then calling out one of MMA’s greatest lightweights ever in Shinya Aoki.

He’s loud, he’s talented, and he holds nothing back both in the cage and out. Love him or hate him, if you’re watching MMA on this side of the world, you can’t help but watch him and follow him closely. So what’s next for ONE FC’s French martial artist?

I finally got a chance to catch up with him and find out what’s going on, what’s his next move?  And, he was more than ready to let loose and get the ball rolling.

After ONE FC 4, he didn’t take too much of a break, and was already traveling, training, and setting up his next fight.

“I have been a little everywhere! I spent some time with my son and family, visiting my friends in Bangkok, enjoying the food and drinks, and letting my body recover and heal,” he reflects, as if this was years ago. “It was a good time, a short time. I am already back in the gym, back at MuayFit. No time to rest — my job is to be ready to fight, already building a new version of The Game.”

If you know Arnaud like I do, you know he can’t spend too much time away from martial arts, and the opportunity to make a living so his son can have a good life. Even when he is injured, he pushes through. Take for example the weeks leading up to his ONE FC debut against Brian Choi:

“I tore my knee two weeks before my fight at ONE FC 4 and doctors asked me to pull out from the card and take a couple of weeks to let my body recover,” Lepont explains, “Pulling out from the ONE FC fight card would mean no pay check, and I need this money to offer my son a better life than mine.”

We hear it all the time – a fighter will come up with a reason for bad performances and such, but it’s easy to understand where Lepont is coming from. He also received a yellow card before the fight began and it left many people confused.

He explains that it was “…impossible for me to fight without the tape on my knee due to the injury. I told Victor Cui (head of ONE FC) and Matt Hume (Referee) about it. So, I was a little surprised on the day of the fight when the referee (Yuji Shimada) asked me to un-tape my knee, and gave me a yellow card before the fight even started.”

Despite the odd start to his fight, it woke him up and made him more alert and pumped up to win the fight. Right at the beginning it started off as a slug-fest, both men throwing caution to the wind, with Lepont having an edge over Choi. He was then taken down, which set the tone for the rest of the fight until his comeback submission in the third round. When I asked him about his performance, he naturally had a lot to say:

“There is good and there is bad. The most important thing of all, is that even in victory you find a way to improve yourself as a fighter. I was looking to put on a show and get the bonus, but surprisingly, they were no bonuses for ONE FC4. I honestly think myself and Brian earned the fight of the night. I was really looking for the knock out, but as I was not able to train cardio for almost two weeks before the fight, I was a little short.

“After hearing Brian claiming in the trailer for the bout that, “only a black belt world champion in BJJ could submit him”…I was hoping to get a submission. He is a real wrestler and keeps very low position on the ground, it’s tough to be able to work on the ground. But whatever people say, I think I was winning the fight. I was more aggressive, I was winning on the stand up, and I was more active on the ground. Having two takedowns and laying and praying doesn’t make you win fights. But honestly, Brian is a tough mother f***er and I have a lot of respect for him.”

Soon after ONE FC 4, Lepont told me he was going to be in Bangkok for a little bit, and when I asked him about it at that time, all he had to say was “Game On, Mut*&er F&^ker.”

Now, if you’re familiar with that phrase, you know that has DARE written all over it. And sure enough, Arnaud was back in Bangkok with the boys at DARE setting up his next fight.

“I have couple of fights in my contract with ONE FC and DARE FC, so I am lucky I can decide between the two best organizations in Asia,” he explains gleefully.

He is still part of DARE’s “million dollar” tournament, and his next fight with the promotion will likely be a continuation of the tournament. This did surprise me, however, as I was under the impression he might be heading to Manila for ONE FC 5, going down in August. So I had to ask about the possibility of a fight with his idol Shinya Aoki, and he again had much to say on the subject:

“Yes, I called out Aoki. There is no bad blood, I am a fan of Aoki. This guy is a legend of our sport. I am 32, I don’t care for one more belt around my hips, but I want once in my life to fight one of my idols. What is wrong with that? I am on a six fight winning streak, beating guys like Haja and Choi and I am the first guy to beat them before the limit,” he explains, and then continues,  “Aoki wrote on his twitter that he was “ok for the fight”, and I hoped that OneFC would put me against him, sadly they offered me someone else.

“I was really disappointed because, I was honestly thinking that it could have been a great fight, because; even if I only have a 5% chance to win it…I honestly think I can shock the world. Maybe that’s why they didn’t give it to me. I was only focused on Aoki, so instead of facing another opponent at the next ONE FC I will wait. For now, I prefer to get back in DARE FC’s cage and bring home my million dollars.”

So for now he won’t be getting a shot at his idol, and will be heading to DARE’s next event, going down in September (underground…whatever that means). I tried getting some inside information on where DARE will be headed, but Lepont just smiles a cunning smile, which tells me he won’t be saying much on the matter.

“I cannot give you anything cause Jon “Awesome” Nutt will kill me. Honestly, it will be a most f***ing awesome event. It will be something so crazy that people will talk about it for years.” And he means that sincerely.

So with his fight career on the rise, training and working at Muayfit, doing his best to give his son a good life, it seems like everything is his for the taking. Even with his busy schedule, he still does have plans in the future.

“You know me. I am a father, I am already 32, I still have a couple of fights and then it will be time to say “bye bye” to my fans. Fighting a couple of times in DARE FC, getting my money and my tournament belt, maybe a fight in UFC and then done.”

It came off to me like Randy Couture nearing the end of his career (all three times), so when I asked him about his future projects, he did already have something planned:

“So I am thinking “what is next?” I think I will try to open a gym in 2013, maybe later, affiliate or not, but I want to be back as manager cause I understand well the Asian way and I can make something great again like I used to have in Vietnam. But definitely not in Malaysia. I am 100% Muayfit here.”

“The Game” is a man with a plan, always thinking five steps ahead. All he wants to do is go out there, put on beastly performances in the cage, live the sport of MMA, and do all he can to provide his family with the best opportunities in life as best he can.

So watch out for Arnaud “The Game” Lepont in DARE’s next event, and stay updated here for his opponent once it is confirmed. Love him or hate him, Lepont says it best:

“If you don’t like me, keep hating me ‘cause you will pay for the PPV to see me lose…and you will be sad again when I win, again and again.”

ONE FC 4 Main Card Breakdown: Arnaud Lepont vs Brian Choi

ONE FC 4 Main Card Breakdown: Arnaud Lepont vs Brian Choi

Published on June 18, 2012 by The Coffee Boy in ONEFC

ONE FC 4 Main Card Breakdown: Arnaud Lepont vs Brian Choi

Everyone here at MMA News Asia was bummed out when we found out the rumors about Eddie Ng having to withdraw was true. However, this matchup is still a great one, with “Fight of the Night” honors written all over it.

Arnaud “The Game” Lepont (8 – 1) is on a five-fight winning streak, and seems to be getting better with each fight he goes into. Prior to his signing to ONE FC, he has fought for GOW, MYT, and more recently DARE. He is known for his heavy hands, sharp Muay Thai skills, and slick submissions.

While he has six wins by way of submission, it doesn’t really tell you much about “The Game” if you haven’t watched him fight before. He has a way of finding himself in good positions and manages to pull off a sneaky submission when you least expect it. That said, he does possess the ability to knock you out cold, or land bombs until the referee has to jump in.

His last two fights demonstrated the speed and technically sound ground game he possesses. Against Jian Kai Chee, it only took a minute for him to get him to the ground and land several heavy bombs until Kai Chee tapped out. Against Krzysztof Hajtalowicz, he was able to stand with him and bang, and then seemed in trouble off his back, until he pulled off a sneaky guillotine choke to force the tap out.

Standing in his way, however, is Brian “Polar Bear” Choi (3 – 1). Choi is a fast-rising Korean mixed martial artist known more for his ground game. With a background in wrestling in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he has fought for Martial Combat, DARE, and more recently Road FC.

Brian Choi has the ability to take his opponents down almost at will, and its no secret that training with Evolve – widely considered the best MMA gym in Asia –  will give any of his opponents something to think about, considering his team and training partners include Shinya Aoki, Eddie Ng, Zorobabel Moreira, and a slew of other great fighters.

He has beaten the likes of Jin Gang Wang (via submission by ‘kimura’), and Isamu Himura and Sebastien Garguier by dominating his opponents, demonstrating a fair standup game but an even better ground game.

In his last fight, he was dominated by fellow Korean prospect Bae Young Kwon, who gave Choi his first loss on his record. He has been training hard, and is adamant about not tasting defeat again.

One can expect a fast-paced fight when these two meet. It’s a no-brainer that Lepont is going to try to keep this one standing right from the beginning, and I think that will set the tone of the fight. Choi probably will be willing to engage him, and while he does have a decent standup game, I believe he will go for the takedown.

Here’s where I’m curious how the fight will go. Choi has a good ground game, and probably has improved exponentially since his last fight, but history tells us that Lepont almost ALWAYS finds himself in a good position to pull off a victory. That said, however, Lepont has been submitted before, and Choi does have a good chance of pulling off a submission.

I’m predicting that the fight will be a grinding one, where both fighters will absolutely need to appear dominant and the busier fighter. I give them both an equal chance on the ground, but standing up Lepont has a significant advantage – at least that’s how it appears when you compare both their fights thus far in their careers.

The Coffee Boy’s prediction: After much thought, I’ve come to the conclusion that it will probably go past the first round, despite me saying otherwise on our podcast the last time I was on. I predict a second-round TKO victory for Arnaud Lepont.