Wednesday, July 25, 2007

The Kodiak Talks with Luke Cummo

Kodiak MMA: Luke, I’d like to first of all thank you for your time. Second, I understand that you have a new bride and are soon to be a father. Congratulations on both. Will you continue to train and fight once the little Silent Assassin is running around, or do you have other plans?

Luke Cummo: My goal has always been to raise enough money to buy land for a farm or greenhouses. When my wife goes back to work, I will be Mr. Mom from 9-5 during the week, and I will schedule my training around that. I know I can do it. I am also working out a plan to make some money from home doing Lifefood catering.

Kodiak MMA: I, for one, have missed seeing Luke Cummo under the UFC spotlight and am very excited for your September 19 Ultimate Fight Night 11 match. Any word on who your opponent will be?

Luke Cummo: Thank you very much for that. I really appreciate all my fans and I feel blessed to have the best fans around. My opponent for September 19th is nicknamed "Crocota" and he trains with Team BlackHouse.

(NOTE: Edilberto "Crocota" de Oliveira is the opponent. He’s fought mostly in Brazil and carries an 8-1-1 record.)

Kodiak MMA: How has training been going?

Luke Cummo: Training has been going really great. My coaches Ray and Matt are back from Vegas and I'm really looking forward to training under them again. I also have an amazing CHEK practitioner on my side: Michael Jocson. He has me doing some great stuff to make sure I'm in tremendous shape for my fights. Also the Serra-Longo team has so many great guys to push me in training. When I can, I go into NYC really early in the morning to Renzo Gracie's academy to train under John Danaher, who's considered a grappling genius.

Kodiak MMA: What can fans expect from you on September 19?

Luke Cummo: I am going to be lighter, stronger, faster, and look more ripped than ever before. My best performances are yet to come. Hopefully my fight will be televised as well as the entrance in to the octagon because I have something special planned. The powers that be might keep the microphone out of my hands that night though.

Kodiak MMA: The UFC welterweight division - in my opinion, at least - is as deep and as talented as any in the sport, and sitting atop the heap is Long Island’s own Matt Serra. Do you feel that your affiliation with Serra has made you a marked man in any way? Might fighters be looking to make a name for themselves by taking out one of the champ’s own guys?

Luke Cummo: It’s very possible, although I might be flying under their radar a little bit.

Kodiak MMA: I understand that Serra/Longo product Joe Scarola will be participating in the sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter. Did you have any advice/warning to offer him?

Luke Cummo: Joe's a big boy. Plus Matt, Ray, and Drago were going to be there so I just told him good luck.

Kodiak MMA: Any news on teammate Pete “Drago” Sell?

Luke Cummo: As far as I know, he is competing on September 19th, as well. I will let him give you the scoop on his opponent. It’s a very interesting fight for sure.

Kodiak MMA: Shifting gears a bit, your web site, LukeCummo.com, features your own cooking show, Kung Food. I’ve seen two episodes and really enjoy it. Talk to us a bit about the show, about what “Lifefood” is, and about your affiliation with Dr. Jubb, who seems like a pretty cool guy to be around.

Luke Cummo: Dr. Jubb really is on the forefront of human nutrition and healing. He's been like an olympic athlete over the past 30 years or more, studying 16 hours a day. The insight he's developed has never been written down before and the things he's seen under the most powerful microscopes people have yet to even consider.

“Lifefood” is the term Dr. Jubb uses to describe this insight. It’s only food that can be found growing wild in nature. All others can only be found growing within a farmer's fence line and have been hybridized over eons. Why can't they grow wild in nature? Because they don't have the biological forces necessary to eco-sterilize against mold, fungus, and yeast, which are the chief undertakers of the planet. When we bring these things into us, they break down into those very micro-organisms inside our intestines, and this is the cause of most all disease.

Since I've discovered Lifefood and the corresponding cleansing program, Jubb's Cell Rejuvenation, my health has improved in all areas. My body fat has decreased as well as my recovery time from hard training sessions. I'm thinking clearer and faster and my disposition is generally more positive. I started out just doing some work-study at Jubb's Longevity and now Dr. Jubb is one of my main sponsors. The advice he gives me and the training he puts me through is top-secret.

On my internet food-preparation show, Kung Food, I feature someone from the MMA community that I know and take their favorite food and turn it into a Lifefood meal. Then we do an MMA workout and sample the recipe at the end. The next episode is in editing right now and features my coach Ray Longo.

My goal now is to be the best fighter I can to show the world that Lifefood is the best diet for athletes, sick people, normal people, and people who care about the Earth.

Kodiak MMA: I understand that you’re looking into a Lifefood catering business, as well as becoming a certified chef. How are those coming along for you?

Luke Cummo: I go into Jubb's Longevity a couple of times each week to learn from Dr. Jubb and the amazing chefs who work there. Since I have to train a lot, my studies are moving along slowly but surely.

Kodiak MMA: Why is it, do you feel, that more athletes, especially fighters, aren’t embracing a natural, clean diet of foods like Lifefood? Could it be that the typical notion of “health food” is a turnoff? From what I saw and read on your site, the food looks and sounds absolutely delicious (chocolate, cheesecake, burgers, burritos, falafel), and is made from the finest ingredients on the planet. It seems like a no-brainer.

Luke Cummo: It’s amazing that information can come to us as a result of a commercial vested interest. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Standard American Diet (SAD Diet). In the 1950's, the meat, egg, and dairy board went into the schools to "educate" the kids on their food pyramid. The most common question I get is "Where do you get your protein?" because everyone has been brainwashed to think that to build protein you need to eat protein. It’s just bull.

I used to be a real "foodie." In the days before my fights, I would watch the food network all day, dreaming of all the things I would be eating afterward. This inevitably resulted in binge-eating and very unhealthy fluctuations in my weight. For my last fight, I didn't have to cut any weight and I felt in the best condition of my life.

For someone like me to say that "Lifefood is the best tasting food on the planet," you'll know that it’s for real.

Kodiak MMA: Clearly, you’re knowledgeable and pro-active about nutrition and overall wellness. What were your thoughts upon hearing that high-profile fighters like Royce Gracie and Sean Sherk, among others, yielded positive test results for banned substances?

Luke Cummo: It’s inevitable that professional athletes are going to try to get an edge in their particular sport. That's why I do what I do, so I'll never judge someone for their decisions. Hopefully, as I continue to have success in MMA, people will realize that the natural way is the best way to go. Here's a great tip: Human Growth Hormone is only released during the quietest moments electrically. If you have food in your belly, no HGH. Have an empty stomach when you fall asleep.

Kodiak MMA: You and I are both graduates of Chaminade High School (Mineola, NY). Without naming names (but you can if you want), is there anyone from back in the day that you’d like to kick in the head? I can think of a few dopes from my grade, but I doubt that my legs can reach that high.

Luke Cummo: Living well is the best revenge. Maybe one day I'll go back there and start an MMA club in their new athletic facility and charge them an arm and a leg.

Kodiak MMA: If we can, I’d like to play a little word association. I throw out the word(s), you give me whatever pops into your mind.

Nick Serra: Can triangle you from anywhere.

Matt Serra: Matt's a real inspiration and it gives me great confidence to be able to train with the champ.

Ray Longo: Ray is a wizard and always comes up with a brilliant gameplan. I love to make him proud.

Matt Hughes: Pushed me very hard during training and is a beast on the mat.

Dana White: Dana is very smooth and obviously a great businessman. But why does he have to curse so much?

The Ultimate Fighter: I love the new format of 16 fighters. I really feel like the tournament format of MMA in the 90's. It was a great experience for me and I'm thankful for the opportunity.

Ben & Jerry’s new cinnamon bun-flavored ice cream: I'd rather drink my own piss!

Kodiak MMA: Georges St. Pierre is taking on Josh Koscheck next month at UFC 74. Who takes it and why?

Luke Cummo: I think that GSP had better be working on his guard game. This fight will be a battle of athleticism.

Kodiak MMA: Diego Sanchez and Jon Fitch will be squaring off at UFC 76. How do you see that fight turning out?

Luke Cummo: Two guys that are very tough. Diego is less than ripped but he has a very strong will. I have yet to see Fitch in a war. That's the x-factor for me in this one.

Kodiak MMA: Luke, thanks again for your time. I really appreciate it. Before we tap out, is there anyone/thing you’d like the readers to check out?

Luke Cummo: Thank you. These were some really great questions and fun to answer. Anyone who's interested in the things I'm talking about can visit my website (LukeCummo.com) and peruse or join the forums. I feel that is the best way to get the information out there as I can, and I'd love to talk with anyone who wants to.

Be sure to check back with Kodiak MMA for more exclusive interviews with UFC lightweight contender Kenny Florian, CFFC welterweight champion Nick Serra, MMA rennaissance man Frank Trigg, and WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It's ironic that he would say "it’s amazing that information can come to us as a result of a commercial vested interest" and then talk about nutrional advice he has received from his biggest sponsor, Dr Jubb.

This stuff is more new age hogwash that makes for some solid unintentional humor but has little science to back it up. He didn't talk about how he drinks his own urine. Maybe you should have asked about that.