Titan FC 34 goes down July 18th and along with the promotion making it’s debut on UFC Fight Pass, this event also features four title fights. But a matchup that’s flying under the radar on the prelims, is a featherweight contest between Vince Eazelle and Desmond Green. Eazelle (9-1) isn’t a household name, but he looks to make one after taking out the former 145 pound promotional champion Green. The 34-year old spoke to MMAOddsBreaker about a variety of topics ahead of his pivotal showdown on July 18th. (1989) Film “Kickboxer” got him into in MMA “At younger age I’ve always liked the martial arts. I’ve always been into karate, especially Kempo Karate. It was Kickboxer with Van Damme, when he was training and his brother got beat up by Tong Po. I thought that’s what I got to do. I went outside and started doing the same thing. That’s what really what got me started into the martial arts. My mom is a single mom, she was raising two kids and working three jobs. She tried to put me in Taekwondo but she had to pay the bills, she felt bad but she really couldn’t afford to keep me in in something like that. She wished she could of, so I always said when I got older and made my own money I was going to put myself back in it. And that’s exactly what I did.” Dealing with racism growing up and how MMA became a good outlet “MMA gave me discipline, the confidence and [knowledge] of how to deal with the situation. Because before, I used to blow up and I used get mad. I didn’t know how to deal with it. My dad’s black, my mom’s Mexican and they’re both American Indian. We’ve got a lot of a biracial background. It was hard, especially growing up in the neighborhood we grew up in, because it was a predominantly white neighborhood. So my mom and everybody experienced a lot of racism. [MMA taught me] if life can’t knock me down, how can one man do the same? What type of pain can he inflict on me? Because I don’t see it. He might knock me out, he might tap me out. But you will not inflict the pain that life puts on you. You can’t mimic it.” Trying out for TUF 22 and being one of the final cuts “It was awesome experience. It opens your eyes as a fighter to the other side of mixed martial arts. The business side, the TV side, the promotional side. It really opens your eyes up to that in terms of what they are looking for. I made it all the way through, there were a select few of us that made it. We all had our schedules, we were supposed to be there for the week. Monday came and we were going to do our second interviews. It was at that interview they made final cuts and I just happened to be one of them. No hard feelings, it’s business, I know what my skillet is. But I just have to keep chipping away at the block is all. I’m all about it, the only thing it did was make me better” Signing with Titan Fighting Championships and having the opportunity to fight Desmond Green “I was excited, I was like ‘Really? Let’s do it’. I know [my manager] Charles McCarthy put a request to fight [Kurt Holobaugh] the champ. I was like lets go after the big boys, let’s do it. If we’re not here to test our skills against the best, why are we doing it? There is no reason for me to put my body through this kind of training, day in and day out. There is no reason for me to sacrifice my time away from my family day in and day out. My wife and family understand and support me all the way. It’s about a fight like with Desmond Green, that’s what makes this sacrifice worth it. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, its you get the opportunity to step into the cage against a dangerous opponent like Desmond. You get to show everybody that your serious about what you do. When a fight like this comes up, you got to take it. If you don’t, you need to get out of the game.” Titan FC 34 matchup with Desmond Green “I think it’s a great matchup and it’s going to be a very interesting. We’re both well rounded. I absolutely think my striking is better, he might have me on the wrestling, we’ll find out. You can say all these things but once you get in the cage and tap to your full being then we’re going to see the real situation. It’s going to come down to who has more heart to pull it out.” Thoughts on Green’s performance against Kurt Holobaugh at Titan FC 33 “I think Kurt did win that, I think Des just kind laid back in the last round. He didn’t look like the normal Desmond Green to me, from the past fights. I think he beat himself, I think he laid back a little bit too much. Maybe he thought he had the win and got comfortable. I don’t know what was going on in his life at that time, everything plays a factor. If your emotional makeup isn’t right, its going to be a long night. I think Kurt pulled it out in the end.” Fighting on UFC Fight Pass “Absolutely [its more motivation] that’s what it’s about. You got to show the big dogs why should they take a chance on you. Why should they give you a contract? Why should you make that type of money? Why should they take that risk on you? With having UFC Fight Pass and the UFC’s eyes on this event. Absolutely its motivating. This whole thing is about the next step.” Potential jump to the UFC if he wins July 18th “My manager has been in contact with the UFC, they know of me, they’re aware of me. I think this showcases that I have what it takes to be at that level and for them to take that chance on me. I feel if I win against Desmond Green, I feel like I’ll get the call from the UFC. If not, then we’ll go to the next step. I’m looking to do big things, I’m looking to fight for anybody. If the UFC says lets be exclusive, I’ll say lets do it. The only way to do that is to have fights like with Desmond Green.” You can follow Vince on Twitter @VEazelle and he would like to thank Hamilton and Associates, John Geyston’s Martial Arts, Miles Copeland at Green Toyota, Standard Arrow and Springfield Collision Center.
