Ground and Pound - Fightnews

GroundandPound: Thank you for the interview, J.J. How are you?
J.J. Ambrose: Exhausted, yourself?

I’m fine, thanks. Let’s start with the questions right away. You are a part of the upcoming Bellator lightweight tournament, what do you expect going into the tournament?
The level of competition is very high, so every step of the way is going to be a hard fight. I’m looking forward to testing myself.

What does it mean for you to fight in the tournament?
To be in this tourney shows where I‘m and that I belong in the big leagues. All the guys are good, so that means I'm good too, right?

Who do you think is the favorite of the tournament?
To be honest, I don’t read into the forums or MMA sites, so I’m not sure. To me the guy I’m fighting is a tough opponent and I’m looking to set the tone for the tournament when we fight.

Is it the first time you are fighting in a tournament?
Yes, I’ve done plenty of wrestling, boxing, and jiu-jitsu tournaments, but never in MMA.

You will face Brent Weedman in the opening round, what do you expect from him?
I’m prepared for a very tough match in Brent. He’s not great at any one thing, but good in all areas. He’s hard to finish, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it went to distance.

Without telling too much, what will be your strategy for the fight?
Use super powers, secret ninja techniques, and mind control (laughs).

Did you change anything specific in your training for the fight and the tournament?
I drilled a lot of opponent specific techniques that will hopefully come into play. I started my training camp earlier than normal to get my weight down and to have increased cardio.

If you win the tournament, you will get the chance to fight Champion Michael Chandler. What do you think about him?
He had an amazing tournament and beat Eddie Alvarez for the belt. Watching him beat Alvarez was amazing. He came out of nowhere and beat a guy I thought would walk through everyone that he fought.

A few general questions. Of all the organizations you fought for, where did you enjoy fighting most?
I’d have to say Pacific Xtreme Combat, they are a small but growing organization based out of Guam, USA. I’ve fought for the promotion four times. The energy is good and the owners take care of their fighters.

What are your plans and goals for the future?
I love fighting. I want to keep at it until my body can’t take anymore. I’d like to open a gym up when I’m done and coach fighters, bring in the next generation of fighters.

Finally, do you have anything else to tell your fans?
Tune in March 23rd on MTV2 and watch me and Brent Weedman see whose chin is better. Come visit me in Phuket, Thailand at Tiger Muay Thai. Thanks for the support!