What a difference a year makes. In just over one calendar year, Cobra Kai's legendary Ulysses "Useless" Gomez has ascended the ranks of MMA's flyweight division in dramatic fashion, since making his highly anticipated MMA debut at Palace Fighting Championship 7 in Lemoore, California on March 20, 2008.

Known to many as "Useless" (just check his license plate), some of his exploits have earned him urban legend status within MMA and Jiu-Jitsu circles, due to his prankster personality online, coupled with the fact that he's been successfully competing on the grappling circuit for years. He began by making a name for himself in grappling competitions by regularly entering himself in pro divisions (complete with his trademark pink highlighted shorts) as a beginner. Then shortly after receiving his blue belt, he started turning more heads, as he began submitting much larger black belts in no-gi competition.

Not surprisingly, a lot of Useless' grappling highlights can be found in the OTM Video Library ( http://onthemat.com/video ), as well as the OTM "101 Submissions" video trilogy, "Grapplebook", and several other submission grappling and jiu-jitsu related DVD's. In college, Useless competed on the UNLV boxing team and in September of 2007 he became the first American to win the FILA Pankration World Championships, which took place in Antalya, Turkey. He has also been featured in live grappling demonstrations with Marc Laimon on UFC pay-per-view broadcasts.

Useless has been training with Marc Laimon from the beginning, going back to their J-Sect days when he was just a kid in high school. Coincidentally, Useless' high school wrestling coach was none other than UFC veteran and Nova União black belt Tony DeSouza, who is a friend and training partner of Marc Laimon. Then in 2004, Useless helped Marc Laimon found the world famous Cobra Kai Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he has been training and teaching children's classes ever since.

Now, after compiling three dynamic submission wins in his first four MMA fights, including tapping his first two opponents in a total of 92 seconds, the 25 year-old Las Vegan was set to face Pat Runez for the 125-pound Palace Fighting Championship flyweight championship title. The bout was set to happen three days after Cinco de Mayo, until a nagging calf injury ended up postponing the fight until later this year. Fortunately, OTM was still able to catch up with Useless to discuss everything from training, competing, and the power of pink singlets to Arianny Celeste, atomic leg drops, and the genius of Jay and Silent Bob!






Bevois: First thing's first. Would you mind filling everyone in, that doesn't already know, on how you got the nickname "Useless"?

Useless: In high school one of my good friends was upset for whatever reason and she tried to say my name, but said 'useless' instead and it stuck. Most people can't pronounce my first name, so I tell them to call me Useless or Uly.



Bevois: You also have another, lesser-known nickname "The Mexican Bowtie". Does that go back to your days of training with Tony DeSouza?

Useless: *laughs* … He has the Peruvian Necktie, so I switched it up and did the Mexican Bowtie.



Bevois: Tony was also your high school wrestling coach. Was he one of your main influences to cross over and begin training jiu-jitsu too?

Useless: When I was in high school, he wasn't into MMA just yet, but he was someone that influenced me at the beginning of my BJJ career.



Bevois: UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste was also in high school with you. Did she get discovered by UFC talent scouts while cheerleading at your high school wrestling matches or did that come later on?

Useless: I don't know how she got discovered, but she didn't look like that in high school.



Bevois: Overall, how long have you been training in combative sports?

Useless: I had my first day of BJJ training on August 1, 2001 and I've been hooked ever since!



Bevois: You were about to fight Pat Runez for the PFC Flyweight Championship on Friday, May 8th at PFC 13 – Validation. How did you hurt your leg … were you practicing atomic leg drops with Hulk Hogan's nephew David Bollea?

Useless: *laughs* … Naw, it's just a reoccurring injury from training. Lots of wear and tear.



Bevois: Do you have an idea of when this fight will be rescheduled?

Useless: It's on the next PFC in September. Don't know the exact date though.



Bevois: Recently the Zuffa-owned WEC promotion announced the addition of a flyweight division. Do you think that it's just a matter of time before this division starts having fighters get the notoriety and fame of Urijah Faber, Miguel Torres, and other fighters who fight in the lighter weight classes?

Useless: Yeah totally! I mean we put in all the work and train just as hard as everyone else, so why shouldn't we get the recognition that everyone else gets? Just because we weigh less than the other guys shouldn't matter. If we put in the work and put on exciting fights, that's all that should matter in my opinion.



Bevois: You've competed in both FILA's Grappling and Pankration World Championship events. If FILA reaches its goal of making Grappling an Olympic sport by 2016, would you consider competing for the United States or Mexico?

Useless: I would be proud to represent either country if given the opportunity.



Bevois: You aren't the only professional athlete in your family. You have worn your older brother Herculez's Major League Soccer jerseys out to some of your fights. He must be pretty good considering the Kansas City Wizards traded allocation money, a 4th round 2009 MLS Super Draft pick, and a 1st round 2009 MLS Supplemental Draft pick to get him from the Colorado Rapids at the end of last season. How is his 2009 season going?

Useless: The season is still early, but they just won 3 games in a row and are in first place. He had an assist a few games ago and he's gonna put the ball in the back of the net pretty soon. He's gotten close a few times. Now that he's used to his team and they're playing together, he