Kyle Noke is one of the leading middleweights to come out of Australia. In his latest fight Kyle Noke broke his hand and kept on fighting to win a unanimous decision over Frank Shamrock trained fighter, Brian Ebersole. Infinitemma caught up with Kyle to talk about this fight and what the future holds.
G'day Kyle, how are you?
Good thanks mate!
For some of the people that may not have heard of you, can you tell us how you got involved with the sport of MMA?
Coming from Dubbo in N.S.W, I always played football then I moved to the Sunshine Coast and a friend of mine Tony Green asked me to come along to train with him and his brother. I have never looked back since.
Who are your current trainers?
Daniel Higgins is my trainer.
Can you tell us how Dan Higgins has helped you achieve what you have in your career and how much does it help having someone like Dan in your corner?
Without Dan I would not have achieved anything. He is great at pushing us all to the limit and then some. He always comes up with new techniques and new ways to make us spew.
If you could summarize Integrated Martial Arts in 3 words, what would it be?
Strength and Courage!
Who are some of the up and coming guys coming out of Integrated Martial Arts?
We have some great up and coming guys like Korey Gibson, Michael Mortimer, Ryan Mortimer as well as some heavier guys that are ready to make their debut. We also have some other fighters joining our team this year which will only make us stronger. We also have another average up and comer named Adrian Pang but it’s too early to tell with this guy. I think he wants to be a pianist. :)
Integrated Martial Arts has strong links to Greg Jackson's academy in New Mexico where you have trained at a couple of times to prepare for bouts. Can you tell us the major difference between training over there and back home in Australia?
The major difference for me is the altitude; it gets hard to do hill sprints 7,000 feet above sea level on the Sandia Mountains. Also there is world class guys to train with like Joey Villasenor, Keith Jardine, Rashad Evans, Nate Marquart, Diego Sanchez, Damacio Page, Dan Higgins and of course Greg Jackson.
In your most recent fight you had a good win over Frank Shamrock trained Brian Ebersole at an XFC Promotion. Can you tell how you remember the fight going?
I had some set backs before the fight with an injury and the lost of a close friend. The fight went well but looking back on the fight there are still things that I need to do better to improve my game.
You broke/fractured your hand during the fight and continued on to get the decision victory. What round did you break it and how did this change your approach in the fight?
I broke my left hand in the second round. I snapped the second metacarpal bone clean in half. It didn’t change my game much as I couldn’t really feel it but was harder to close my fist.
Brian Ebersole came into the fight with highly regarded wrestling credentials. Did his lack of takedowns surprise you?
Yeah it did surprise me, but I worked on my take down defense a lot because of his background.
You are known to have great cardio, and the Ebersole fight was under 5x3 minute rounds and in the past you have fought 5x5 minute. Do you prefer the shorter rounds or the longer ones?
I don’t really mind the round time. Whatever they are, Dan customises our training to suit.
Is there anyone in Australia you would like to fight?
Will Anderson the guy is just not funny.
What is the toughest fight you have had and which has been your most satisfying win and why?
Most satisfying would have to be Ebersole as I had so much stacked against me. My hardest would be Sotiropoulos II. The weight cut was just too much for me.
Do you have any upcoming fights lined up and if not, any idea when we may see you back in the ring or cage?
I have something lined up soon but still testing the hand out so nothing locked in as of yet.
What are your ultimate goals in MMA?
To go all the way!
Would prefer to fight in UFC or Pride?
Both!
If UFC offered you a place on The Ultimate Fighter show, would you have a go and how would you find the pressure of living inside a house with people you will have to fight?
Yeah I would do the show. I think if you go into the house knowing you’re going to have to fight the guys you train with it would be easier. I would try to train a lot with the guys in the other weight division (hopefully heavier) to avoid fighting a friend.
Apart from being a pimp on myspace, what are some of the other things you like to do in your spare time?
I go surfing a lot and watch a lot of movies.
To finish, any people/sponsors you would like to thank for their support?
Australia Zoo, Redbak, Fairtex and all my friends and family, Coach Higgins, Terri Irwin, Tony Green, Adrian Pang, Greg Jackson nothing but respect for you guys. As well as all the supporters who come and watch my fights.
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