the Informer

STEVE SCHAFER

Name: Kemran Lachinov
Age: 20 years old
Hometown: I grew up in Krimsk, Russia
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 170lbs.
Amateur record: 5-2.
Team: American Fight Team and Gabriel Gladiator Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Favorite Fighter: Fedor Emilianenko

Background: I moved away from Russia four years ago (it was April 13, 2007). We came to West Springfield, Mass., where I currently live. I attended West Springfield High School for two years, I went to open mats wrestling where met coach Mike Oaks and who actually brought me in MMA. Prior to this, I had never fought in the cage. Back home in Russia I started playing for a professional soccer team when I was a 10 years old. I would even sleep with a soccer ball! But pretty much every game I was getting in trouble with couple of my teammates, fighting or something else with my opponents and my coach always made fun of me that I should start fighting and stop playing soccer, but I never thought about it at all because soccer was everything that I needed. But four years ago my parents decided to move out and where I came to United states and could not find a soccer team to play for. And then I started wrestling like I mentioned before met Mike Oaks started training in Chicopee MA . Where I met Sensey Givvoni, Coach Jason, Paul, Nate, Gman and others. It was a new beginning for me but I was still playing soccer with my friend and was more interested in soccer, everyday that I trained with American Fight Team I started going there more often I kind of lost hope about soccer. Then American Fight Team moved to East Longmeadow Mass., this is where I met new coaches and Gabriel Gladiator Santos. My story is really complicated.

Favorite strike? Our coaches are really good and we train hard. I don’t really have favorite strike but I love Jiu Jitsu.

What are you thinking about as you walk into the cage? On my mind before I walked in to the cage, I was praying, I didn’t have anything else.

Dream fight? If I had chance to experience a big fight I would first say Fedor Emilianenko and then Machida.

Pre-fight superstitions or rituals? I don’t have any lucky socks or lucky gloves or any other thing, I have a heart that I put on while I train and fight and I pray.

What does it mean (to you) to be a fighter? You know what I like the most of being a fighter, it’s discipline and hard work, and no weapons, it’s “old school,” fist to fist; I hate these days when most people use weapons to solve their problems, it is really hard to see anybody using their fists . All I see is weapons or cops, if something happens people call cops – not me .

Favorite quotes: “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘‘don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion,” –Muhammad Ali. But this is the best one, “IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING.”

FACEBOOK.COM/JAMIECOURTNEY

Name: Jamie Courtney
Age: 21
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 160lbs
Record: 2-3
Gym: Sityodtong

Jessica Rutledge (Sports Editor): How did you start MMA?
Jamie Courtney: “I watched it for a while and thought, ‘hey I could totally do this!’”
Biggest inspiration?
“The underdogs in the world; People that, despite all odds are always going out and doing their best under the circumstances.”

What holes did you see in your Premier FC5 opponent’s game?
“My own? My fight game is like Swiss cheese – filled with holes! Ones that I hope to fill!”

If you could have one dream fight with anyone, who?
“Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. I feel like they’d really be a tough combo to defeat, haha.”

What is your walk out song and why did you choose it?
“I usually have my friends and family choose my walk out songs, I really don’t hear it, my thoughts drowned out all outside sounds.”

What does being a fighter mean?
“It means everything to me. If I give it my all then I can’t fail, not just in the cage but in life.” 

Adel “The Bosnian Butcher” Lolic
Age: 20 years
Hometown: Zvornik, Bosnia I Herzegovina
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 170lbs
Record: 3-2

Jessica Rutledge (Sports Editor)
Who is your biggest inspiration?
Adel Lolic: “The biggest inspiration in my life is my mother, she is the hardest working person I know she raised two great kids alone, after my dad passed away. She worked 2-3 jobs for as long as I can remember. She is the definition of workaholic. Compared to what she had to do; working and going to school – training for fights seems like nothing. She is the reason I do all these things at once and try to complain as very little as possible about it because growing up I never heard her complain about working hard.” 

What are your future goals?
“Grad-school for physical therapy when I graduate this year. I plan on continuing to fight and seeing where the road takes me. Keep improving, keep learning and keep on going. I would like to turn Pro soon, win a few local championship belts and then see if I have what it take to jump to the big times (UFC).”

What are you thinking before you step into the cage?
“Tell you the truth nothing much really runs through my head, I am excited and I just want the punches to start coming. Aside from that I might check out the ring girl or something. I have fought at big arenas and venues with as many at 4,000-5000 people there so I am not so much nervous fight as I am just waiting to ‘get it on.’”

What is your walk-out song?
“My walk out song was Cascada, ‘Every Time We Touch,’ I like techno music plus this song is really girly and funny, I am not afraid to look funny, I know what skill set I bring to the cage so I prefer to come out to normal music I listen too, not some heavy metal or rap song laced with death threats.”

What do you want your legacy to be?
“I want to be remembered at as a fighter who showed up and put on a show every time he fought regardless of it was win, lose or draw. I like fighting, and putting on a show.”