Stephen Quadros is best known to mixed martial arts fans as one half of Pride FC's original broadcast team. Along with "El Guapo" Bas Rutten, the two provided commentary for the first ever Pride all the way to Pride 26. Even with his popularity, Quadros was replaced right before one of Pride's biggest events ever, the opening round of the heavily anticipated Pride FC middleweight tournament. We recently caught up with Stephen Quadros to find out why Pride decided to replaced him with Damon Perry right before "Total Elimination."
MMAFighting.com: Why were you replaced by PRIDE FC?
Stephen Quadros: I honestly do not know. I always showed up to work on time and did my job in a professional manner. I got along outstandingly well with my broadcast partner, Bas Rutten. I had not asked for more money. I represented the event well in my day to day life. I was well liked and respected by the fighters. And I suppose you could say that I have knowledge of what I was speaking about because of the fact that I am a practitioner, teacher and trainer of kickboxing and MMA, an author of books about MMA, (Bas Rutten's Big Books of Combat), and I have been the editor of two different fight magazines, "Kickboxing Ring Report" and "Fightsport With Stephen Quadros"... as well as having written feature stories for virtually every major PRINT martial arts magazine in the US: Inside Kung Fu, Black Belt, Grappling and Full Contact Fighter. I have been involved in the sport of MMA in a powerful way since it's inception here in the US in 1993. Bas Rutten and I together had garnered a reputation as having a unique and dynamic chemistry, being entertaining while we played off each other, as well as complimenting one another knowledge wise. Our joint commentary and interaction was known internationally as one of the strong points of the show. I have tremendous confidence in my abilities to do this type of work. And I had even more confidence in the team of "El Guapo" and
"The Fight Professor". I really enjoyed working with Bas. So as you can figure, I did not agree with the move. After all, I did not fire myself. The fact is, I was a good soldier for the company. I would have been very happy to have done Pride broadcasts till I retired, ala Chick Hearn with the L.A. Lakers. I have many great memories from Pride.
I suppose you could draw your own conclusions based on the following facts:
The US producer that Bas & I had worked with for 3 years, left after the first show of this year (2003). He was replaced by a guy from Detroit. I did one show with the new producer and then two weeks after I returned home from Japan I received a call from a Dream Stage USA employee and informed that they were going to "...try another commentator". I was not given a "reason". My replacement apparently, is also from Detroit...
I enjoy calling the action on fights and feel it is inevitable that I will be doing it again, probably sooner than later. I feel I am good for the sport of martial arts when I work as a host and a commentator. I would love to commentate on boxing as well. Sometimes these things take time though. We shall see what the future holds...(Laughs).
MMAFighting.com: What have you been up to since your departure from PRIDE?
Stephen Quadros: Since I left Pride I have worked on two feature films and guest
starred on two network episodic dramas. I co-starred in "The Last Run", a whacky film comedy starring Fred Savage that will be out next year.
I did all the fight choreography on "Legend of Pit Fighter" which stars Dominiquie Vandenberg from "Gangs of New York", Steven Bauer of "Scarface" and "Traffic" and Stephen Graham from "Snatch". "Pit Fighter" is unique in that is the first independent film financed by 20th Century Fox. It's got my mark all over it. I am very excited about that one!
My episode of "CSI: Miami" airs on January 5th, 2004. I appear near the end of the show and got to work with David Caruso, who I have always liked as an actor. He was really great to work with, made me feel very much at home.
The episode of "Karen Sisco" that I am in, will air after the show resumes in March of 2004. I'm not sure on the date of that one.
I have some REALLY interesting gigs brewing for next year. Check my website periodically for updates on that. (http://StephenQuadros.com)
MMAFighting.com: Any last words to all your fans?
Stephen Quadros: I would like to say THANK YOU to all the people around the globe who have stood by me. I really appreciate every bit of support that you have given me. I can assure you...the best is yet to come!
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