Josh Samman Discusses His Interests Outside MMA Fighting

MMAjunkie recently spoke to UFC middleweight fighter Josh Samman ahead of his upcoming bout with the returning Tamdan McCrory at UFC on FOX 17. Samman discussed some of his interests outside of MMA fighting. The fight card is set for December 19 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

Samman on how he doesn’t like to be labeled as one thing: “I would have to reject the notion that any of us are one thing or should be classified as one thing. I don’t think that anyone is the same person all the time.”

Samman on his work as an MMA promoter with Combat Night: “We do shows in each city about every two months. This allows us to cater to every MMA fan in Florida. Anyone that wants to see a live MMA show can come see a Combat Night show, and it’s all within a two-hour drive of Tallahassee.”

Samman on being named as one of the top singles in Tallahassee in a fundraiser by Tallahassee Magazine: “They choose several different singles, and each picks a charity of their choice. I chose a rehabilitation center in Tallahassee called Disc Village that focuses on adolescent rehab. We raised around $3,000 for them that night, and with all the participants, we raised about $70,000.”

Sammon on taking a recent hike to Maroon Bells: “It was a summit called Maroon Bells in Colorado, and it’s a very difficult mountain to climb. It’s not a day climb; it’s a weekend climb. It takes a couple days to get to the top. You camp and bring your stuff, and once you get up to the summit, it’s three miles in the air, and you can just see everything. Pictures don’t do that sort of thing justice. You have to experience it for yourself, and that’s what I try and do, get out there and remind myself how small we really are.”

Samman on being more aware for brain injuries and long-term damage from fighting: “The longer time goes on, the more I am aware, and the more consideration I have for sub-concussive brain injuries. … I’ve already had four surgeries. Three on one leg and one on the other and those are scars and ailments that I’ll have for the rest of my life. But I’m prepared to deal with those things. I knew what I was getting myself into in that sense when I began fighting, but I would be lying if I said that brain damage is not on my mind often.”