Featured Fighter Interview | Gracie Barra St. Petersburg| David Yost
David “Pay Me” Yost is an explosive heavyweight who will be headlining Art of Fighting 7 this Saturday in Tampa Bay, FL. We took some time with him as he gets ready for the biggest fight of his young career.
NextMMAFighter : Thanks for taking to time to talk with us David, how are your final preparations coming along.
David Yost : It couldn’t be better, im in best shape of my life and the fans are going to see a new fighter in there.
NextMMAFighter : You have spent most of your professional career with Art of Fighting, tell us about your matchup on Saturday night at the Sun Dome.
David Yost : I’ll be fighting six time world jiu-jitsu champion Marcio Cruz for the world heavyweight belt on Saturday night. Cruz is a force to be reckoned with on the ground, but all fights start standing, so ill start with the upper hand in my opinion.
NextMMAFighter : You’re fighting in the Main event at a big arena, does any of this pressure get to you?
David Yost : Not at all. Ive been fighting my whole life and this is just another guy I gotta beat to be the best.
NextMMAFighter : As a highly touted prospect you only have 1 loss on your record due to injury. Tell us what happened and what you learned from the experience.
David Yost : When I received my first loss, I hip tossed a guy and we landed awkwardly. I tore my shoulder out of socket and didn’t realize what happened, so I continued to fight for 4 and a half minutes. When the round had ended, the doctor called and end to the fight. From this fight I learned you cant really train for injuries, they just happen sometimes and its up to you to get back on that horse.
NextMMAFighter : You have only had 1 fight come out of the first round in your career how do you prepare to be explosive yet make sure you have enough if the fight goes into the later rounds?
David Yost : I’ve been training for 5×5 min rounds and the fight is only three, so I plan to be explosive for the entire fight.
NextMMAFighter : You are fighting Marcio Cruz, who holds a win over Frank Mir in the UFC. Does the experience of your opponent play into your preparation at all?
David Yost : It certainly does a little, but I’m a totally different fighter than Mir so Marcio will have to adjust to me more than I will to him.
NextMMAFighter : Without giving away your gameplan how do you see the fight playing out on Saturday night.
David Yost : Just like every fight, I’m going to punch him till either he quits or the ref makes me stop hitting him. 
NextMMAFighter : Although AOF is a great organization, if you keep racking up KO wins the bigger promotions will surely come calling. What are you plans for your future as a Professional fighter?
David Yost : My plans are to stick with the people that have always been there for me and follow my heart. No matter what, I cant go wrong with that plan.
NextMMAFighter : As you might very well be fighting these guys somewhere down the line, break down the Carwin / Lesnar matchup from a fan perspective for us.
David Yost : I see Carwin coming out strong and confident with his hands. Lesnar will surely try to go to the ground and tie him up right from the beginning. Power and Strength will be a big factor in this fight, but I think Carwin will win in the end.
NextMMAFighter : Thanks again for the interview and we wish you luck on Saturday night, in closing is there anyone you would like to thank?
David Yost : I want to thank all my sponsors that make fighting possible for me. Steinberg, Sterns, Cruz Platinum Wrench, Full Tilt Poker and last but not least my friends/family for all the support they have given me.
Tickets are still available for Art of Fighting 7 “Payday” on Saturday night and you can purchase them HERE.
