Todd Duffee Q&A: Quick KOs, Life Lessons and Dream Fights
UFC heavyweight Todd Duffee burst onto the UFC scene with a seven-second knockout over the late Tim Hague back in 2009. After earning his fair share of both wins and losses Duffee was slated to face Mark Godbeer at UFC 209 in March 2017. The 32-year old knockout artist pulled out of the bout due to a shoulder injury that required surgery and has yet to return to the octagon. Tony Reid of MyMMANews caught up with Todd Duffee as MMA fans are eager to see him return to action.
Tony Reid – If you could choose one fight from your career that every MMA fan should see, which fight would you choose and why?
Todd Duffee – “I would say Phil De Fries because I faced so much adversity in that fight and also because everyone always said I was a front runner. I proved to all those people that it’s not true.”
Tony Reid – You have stopped so many opponents so quickly. Did you even break a sweat in some of your fights?
Todd Duffee – “Oh yeah. Hell, I sweat getting up to pee at night.”
Tony Reid – Hypothetically speaking, if you could fight anyone in any weight class who would you choose to fight and why? Who would you want to test your skills against?
Todd Duffee – “Let’s just leave Heavyweights out of the conversation because I want all of them over anyone else in any other division. Actually, screw it I want the Alistair Overeem fight again.”
Tony Reid – You have such game changing power. That being said who has the heaviest hands of anybody you have fought or trained with?
Todd Duffee – “I would have to say Brice Ritani-Coe. I would also say guys like Luke Rockhold. Shane Carwin and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, too.”
Tony Reid – If you could fight anyone outside the world of MMA, who would you choose to pick a fight with and why?
Todd Duffee – “No one really gets on my nerves or makes me want to fight them but if you forced me to answer the question I would say just the vile fans who hate on fighters like they are not even human.”
Tony Reid – Who are the people that inspire you most, personally and professionally?
Todd Duffee – “I would say that my mother inspires me. Professionally? Well, I’ve been out the game for a while now. No one that I can think of off the top of my head. When I was younger the guys I trained with usually inspired me for the most part.”
Tony Reid – You have had some interesting jobs over the years. If you weren’t a professional mixed martial artist what would you be doing for a living right now?
Todd Duffee – “If I weren’t fighting professionally I think I would have finished school and I would be a physical therapist right now.”
Tony Reid – Who are your favorite fighters to watch and why?
Todd Duffee – “Nick Diaz, Anderson Silva, Luke Rockhold and T.J. Dillashaw just to name a few off the top of my head.”
Tony Reid – Many professional athletes have strange superstitious habits. Do you have any we should know about?
Todd Duffee – “No I don’t have any superstitious habits but I’d bet those guys that do have really weak minds, too.”
Tony Reid – What is the most amazing thing you have seen in regards to the growth of MMA since the beginning of your career?
Todd Duffee – “I would say Conor McGregor and not in a good way.”
Tony Reid – You have been around the block now. What advice would you could give to a younger you?
Todd Duffee – “I would tell my younger self to finish school. I would tell myself to trust yourself and don’t second guess. Oh! And maybe pull out of the Mike Russow fight when you wake up with shingles in your eye nine days before the fight.”
Tony Reid – What inspires you to fight?
Todd Duffee – “The comeback story. Even before I’ve had a lot of people not believe in me. But mostly money. Yeah, money is why I fight.”
Tony Reid – How does a beast like you get pumped before a fight?
Todd Duffee – “That is a waste of time. I get focused before the fight.”
Tony Reid – You are a pretty imposing figure. What movie star character resemblances do you get?
Todd Duffee – “Man, I get a lot. That should be a write-in question for your fans. The big dude off The Incredibles (Mr. Incredible) is brought up a lot.”
Tony Reid – Best guilty pleasure?
Todd Duffee – “Well we all have secrets don’t we? My second best guilty pleasure is massages when they are unnecessary.”
Tony Reid – Give me a few people you would want to sit down and have dinner with. Three people, past or present, who would they be?
Todd Duffee – “I would say my mom and both of my brothers. Maybe substitute Kyle as a FaceTime call in so he could bring his baby and wife in the mix. Actually add Bill Clinton or Barack Obama. I want to hear the truth if they get all secret servicy on me. On second thought maybe just my dad he deserves to see how far we all came.”
Tony Reid – What is the best lesson life has handed you?
Todd Duffee – “I have a few lessons to share with you. Number one is don’t quit when you believe in something you know you’ve earned even when everyone is telling you to give it up. Number two is that Dan Gable is wrong. You can totally kill yourself from training too hard. Number three would be working out over the holidays really is as stupid as it sounds, unless the friends and family are there. Sorry mom I won’t do it again this year.”
