In the cage or on the turntables, Houston Alexander is exciting

Houston Alexander looks to entertain at the MMA Fight Pit: Genesis.

When Houston Alexander (Twitter: @HoustonAssassin) is not knocking out opponents he is spinning records and educating youth on the true origins of hip-hop.

Alexander, 4-2-1 since exiting the UFC, is on the brink of participating in the historic MMA Fight Pit: Genesis event Saturday at The Pit in Albuquerque.  He has won three consecutive bouts and is paired up with another ex-UFC fighter in Razak al-Hassan in the main event of the pay-per-view card.

“Monte Cox is one of the best promoters out there,” Alexander said.  “Of course we were looking to fight a quality opponent, and Razak came up and we jumped on the chance.  We’re always looking for great opponents.  We’re not looking for phony-baloney opponents.  We are looking for quality opponents who are proven in the ring.”

Alexander recognized al-Hassan from the early days of his career spent in Des Moines, Iowa, but admits that there was still a bit to learn about the Roufusport fighter.

“I was familiar with the area he’s fighting out of, but I wasn’t familiar with (him),” Alexander admitted.  “We did a little research on him, and he’s a great fighter.  He’s tall, he’s strong, he’s a great striker, great kicker, and we have our hands full with this guy.”

This inaugural event’s pay-per-view model has created a buzz seldom heard of for start-up promotions.  Alexander believes with Albuquerque’s reputation as a breeding ground for some of the sport’s top fighters, the promotion will have a successful kickoff.

“To have this show coming out in New Mexico is truly historical because a lot of fighters are coming out of New Mexico,” Alexander said.  ”It’s either go hard or go home, and I think they have that attitude.  You have people from all over the world go to New Mexico to train.  As for the fans, we wouldn’t know because this will be the first event.

“What I do get is that people are starving for MMA.  Going to New Mexico where people from all over the world go to train?  Then let’s give it a try.  We have to make sure everyone comes out to support the event, because you have the UFC, you have Strikeforce, but let’s get something established in your own state.  If you’re looking for quality MMA on a regular basis you want it to be there. “

The crowd-pleasing Alexander usually looks to take off his opponent’s head.  The Nebraska native entered the UFC on a tear, viciously knocking out Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara.  Alexander’s run turned sour after that, but he has gained momentum while showing those traits of his former self.

But when he locks up with al-Hassan come Saturday night, Alexander can guarantee he will not be looking for the same thing he always does.

“I go into each fight thinking the same thing, ‘I’m going to win,’ ” Alexander said.  “I go into each fight thinking I want to put pressure on this guy and I want to put my hands on him.  I’m not going in to hug this guy, I’m not going in to wrestle this guy down, I’m not going in to submit this guy.  I go into every fight thinking I want to knock this guy out.

“My last fight, I won (it) with jabs, straight jabs.  That in itself is what people want to see, and I’m going into this fight the same way I go into each and every fight.  I’m planning to win.”

When Alexander is not trying to blast his opponents, he kills time on the the turntables.

Alexander has had the hip-hop instilled in him since his b-boy days when he was known as “FAS/ONE” and he ran as a graffiti artist by the name of Scrib.  His love of the music is spread through airwaves every Sunday from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. CT where he plays independent hip-hop and RnB, under the alias “Strongarm” on KOPW 106.9, a local radio station in Omaha.

More importantly, to the hip-hop culture and youth coming up listening to the music Alexander is part of a movement called The Culture Shock School Tour that educates fans on where and how the industry began.

“The Culture Shock School Tour is a thing we do every school year,” Alexander explained.  “We go in and teach the kids about hip-hop culture.  We have this theatrical thing where we go inside the gym (and) we have the entire school, including the teachers and administrative (staff), and we teach them where the hip-hop culture began.”

Alexander admitted that scheduling is everything if he plans to succeed at both fighting and hip-hop.

“I keep a tight schedule like a pair of butt cheeks,” he quipped.

Along with that scheduling comes the business aspect of mixed martial arts.

While some fighters prefer to be locked down to an exclusive contract such as the UFC provides, Alexander is using his time away from the large promotions to explore different parts of the world.  The sense of sovereignty and potential to build his brand are something that he finds alluring.

“We’re not looking for multiple fights right now,” Alexander said.  “We’re having fun fighting all over.  I like the fact that I can go all over and have this freedom to fight in different places and fight these fighters from all over.   Like fighting all these different places, that way when you’re on TV people are like, ‘That guy just fought in my town.’  Your fan base builds even more.”

Alexander, or Scrib, has fans in both his work genres.  Therefore don’t expect him to quit either one while he still has the skills to pay the bills.

“I’m still good at (hip-hop),” he says, “like I’m still good at this fighting game.”