What else do you need to know about Cody Lightfoot other than the facts that he is a grown man whose favorite movie features an imaginary penguin that swizzles martinis and he has a life-size cardboard cutout of a man wearing just his skivvies in his bedroom?
Actually, there is a lot more to the 26-year-old fighter from Eliot, Maine, whose truth is as brutal as his punches and is a breath of fresh air in a sport that features mostly athletes as stiff as Bill Belichick.
Lightfoot, who is 4-1 as a pro, is one of three brothers who grew up in Eliot, Maine. He graduated from Marshwood High School of South Berwick, Maine, in 2002 and got a bachelor's degree in business administration from Norwich University on 2008.
He won the state title in the 189-pound weight class while at Marshwood, and was a Division III all-New England selection in 2007 at Norwich.
He now lives in Somersworth with his girlfriend, who bought Lightfoot his cherished cutout of Brock Lesnar.
Q: You were a state champion at Marshwood High School. How does your background in wrestling help you in MMA?
A: Wresting has helped out a ton, It has really allows me to dictate where the fight goes. If I want to keep the fight standing I can, or if I want to take my opponent down, I will. Although, my coaches Adam Rivera and Troy Pickering get mad at this sometimes because I prefer to stand and trade punches rather than fight on the ground. They get upset because my ground game is much better than my stand up.
Q: Most MMA fighters are serious and never smile in their photos, but I love the fact that you have fun with yours. Where do the trademark ear-to-ear grin and two thumbs up come from?
A: Ha ha, well I think it comes from me being a complete goofball. I mean I am not the type of fighter who is fighting to get anger issues out or anything, I just truly love the competition. I am always smiling and being an idiot, and it would be tough for me to put on an angry face in pictures when it is not in my nature. Maybe I should start though because the last guy I fought was James Quelle and he said he wanted to fight me because I looked like a complete clown in my pictures. I did win though, so maybe the goofball approach works.
Q: What do your family and friends think about your involvement in MMA?
A: Well, first my mother's famous line about me fighting, "Cody, your an idiot." My mom hates the idea of me fighting and refuses to go to any of my fights, but loves watching the videos after, unless I am bleeding. Everyone else in my family loves the idea. I think watching me fight got my older brother Chad to start fighting. I think he figures if his chubby, immature little brother can fight professionally and do well, he could too. It turns out he was right. He is now 2-0. My other brother Clint is thinking about taking a fight as well. My girlfriend Katie Lincoln loves it too. She is a first grade teacher in Berwick, Maine, and she has never told me this but I think she likes it because it gives her kind of a bad girl image dating a fighter. I mean she is a parents' dream child; great job, sweet girl, does not drink alcohol, doesn't get into any trouble at all. I am just glad she loves it as much as I do, she has been a huge help when I am in training. My friends love going to my fights.
Q: I see your older brother is now getting involved in MMA. Did you guys fight a lot as kids, and if so who won?
A: Well, it was a vicious cycle when we were younger. Chad gets beat up at school and after school Chad beats up his brothers. I had my first glimpse of success against my brother in seventh grade when I started wrestling. He was picking on me at home when one of my friends was over and I double legged him to the ground. My tiny moment of triumph was short lived when he punched me in the face and I started balling my eyes out in front of my buddy. My friend called me a pansy for the rest of the year. So long answer short, yes he USED to win, the guy had six years on me!
Q: Who would win now in the cage, you or your brother?
A: I am going to have to say me. If you asked him he would say me only because I am fat and have 60 pounds on him. I believe I would win but I truly feel he is a much better fighter than me. He is awesome at Brazilian jujitsu and could tap me out from any angle if I didn't put all my weight on him.
Q: What attracted you to MMA?
A: Well, going way back me and my father would rent the first UFC's at the local video store and I have always wanted to do it since. What really got me to do it was after graduating college I couldn't really wrestle anymore unless it was in a small local tournament. So I signed up at a local gym and said 'I want to fight.' Four months later I had my first pro fight.
Q: You attended Norwich University, which has a history with the MMA. It has also produced Mike Brown from Portland, Maine, and Dennis Olson of Amherst. Is there something about Norwich that helps mold good fighters?
A: Truthfully, I feel it is just in a wrestler's nature, wherever they are located. If you are not going to wrestle in the Olympics, MMA is the next best choice. Also, Norwich is a military academy, which means pretty much no girls at all. So for entertainment, students were pretty limited to drinking and fighting.......Studying was out of the question.
Q: If you could fight anybody, living or dead, who would it be and why?
A: After having to sit through the worst show in the world with my girlfriend, If I could fight anyone it would have to be Jake from "The Bachelor." He is the lamest human being alive and so cheesy. If I could, I would fight him in Mad Max's Thunder Dome so it would have to be to the death. Single handily the lamest and cheesiest human being alive.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: I am 265 pounds, what isn't my favorite food would be a better question, but the answer is sushi.
Q: What is your favorite song of all time?
As of right now it is "The Science of Selling Yourself Short" by Less Than Jake. If you don't know it, download it, it is awesome.
Q: What is your favorite movie of all time?
A: This is a tough one because I love movies, but I think I am going to have to say "Billy Madison." If you ever watch that movie with me you will want to punch me in the face, I quote the entire thing.
Q: What are your favorite television shows?
A: Hands down my favorite show is Lost. Is it weird to say Sawyer is a handsome devil?
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