"We're growing by leaps and bounds. We are working on all sorts of things. We're working on a deal with Fox Sports Net right now. Junie Browning will be fighting on the November cardÂ…I don't personally deal with him. I deal with his manager. I know that he's sort of scared of Scott Cornwell, which is who he will be fighting in November. At first, he seemed fine with fighting on the card and he signed the contract, but I think he's a little worried now," stated Lacy Appleton, co-owner of MMA Big Show, as she talked about the growth of their company, including the recent signing of UFC veteran Junie Browning, and their upcoming November 28th show. Check it out!
PC: How are you doing Lacy?
LA: I'm doing great. It's been a busy day.
PC: I think all of your days are busy (laughing). Tell us a little bit about MMA Big Show.
LA: We're growing by leaps and bounds. We are working on all sorts of things. We're working on a deal with Fox Sports Net right now. Junie Browning will be fighting on the November card. He was on The Ultimate Fighter and has fought inside of the UFC, so we're glad to have him. We have been growing a ton.
PC: Browning has been a controversial figure inside the mixed martial arts world and more recently his personal life. How has it been dealing with him?
LA: I don't personally deal with him. I deal with his manager. I know that he's sort of scared of Scott Cornwell, which is who he will be fighting in November. At first, he seemed fine with fighting on the card and he signed the contract, but I think he's a little worried now.
PC: MMA Big Show is owned by you and your husband Jason. Could you tell us how you guys got started?
LA: Jason was training in MMA. He was training to lose weight because he is a borderline diabetic and that's a great workout. So he started training and then they had an event down in Louisville and he went and thought it was awesome. He said, "We don't have anything like this in Cincinnati." He came back and started making some phone calls and I met him before his first show and I have been helping him with everything ever since. You deal with all sorts of people and there is always something going on (laughing). It's definitely different being a woman in the MMA industry. People are like, "Oh, I have to contact her?" The business it typically all men to deal with and at MMA Big Show, it's me.
PC: You guys are now having female fights on the shows. Was that inspired by you or a team effort?
LA: In the beginning, it was just so weird to see females fighting; it just felt wrong. So used to us just, I don't know, standing there looking pretty or something. Team Vision had a couple of female fighters, so we started to warm up to it a little bit. We have already had our first amateur female fight and honestly, it was hard to watch, but it was awesome. I loved it and everybody loved it. Now we're getting ready to do our first pro female fight.
PC: The women always bring it Lacy.
LA: (Laughing) They do.
PC: Were you into the fights before you met Jason?
LA: That's actually how we met. We were betting shots at a bar one night watching a UFC event. So I was into it before; that was when Tito Ortiz was very popular and always fighting and Chuck Liddell, when they were the real big stars.
PC: So you let him get you drunk betting shots on fights, feed you some pick up lines and then marry you. He's wrong (laughing).
LA: I guess so (laughing). It was fun!
PC: You are a very hot mother of 3. I understand there is a DVD in the making for other mothers to get some workout tips from you.
LA: Yeah, it's going to be called, "Hot Momma Fitness!" I haven't done it yet, but it's something that's going to be done I just have to find some time. Right now, we're building an MMA Big Show training facility that's going to have Hot Momma Fitness in it and we're going to have our studio in there where we can do stuff for video. I've been kind of scouting out other attractive, well-built moms to be in the video with me and that way, moms that don't want to go to the gym or maybe can't make it to the gym, can buy the DVD and train at home.
PC: What was your process to get the weight off?
LA: I have a 1-year-old, a 2-year-old and a 7-year-old and I gained about 50 pounds with each one, believe it or not. They were also big babies. Two weeks after I had them, I would get right in the gym each time and start lifting weights and doing some cardio. I didn't want to do too much cardio in the beginning, but I lifted weights with high reps and sweat it off.
PC: I appreciate your time Lacy. Jason, you better keep her close by my man (laughing). Good luck with all of your endeavors. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
LA: I just want to encourage everyone to check out www.mmabigshow.com. We've got our television schedule on there as well as upcoming events.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]