JA: Congratulations on your big win Montell. How did you feel in the ring after a 10 month layoff?

MG: I felt alright. I put on too much weight when I was laid from fighting and I am not making any excuses. I had to lose 37 pounds in 7 weeks; those are things that I am never going to do again. I been off for 10 months and having to lose the weight had a toll on me but beside that I felt alright in the fight.

JA: You controlled most of the fight…

MG: [Cutting In] Yeah I did. Like I said I didn’t want to take a lot of punishment in the fight. I knew that I wasn’t fighting a world beater in there but I wanted to make it as lopsided as possible.

JA: You said that you were a little weak going into the fight…

MG: [Cutting In] Yeah I was a little weak after the fourth round from the weight loss but I blocked it out.

JA: Is that something that you are going to control in your next fight?

MG: Yeah that is something that I am never going to do again. I had never been over 180 pounds in three years. I was off for so long and some of the things that I was going through personally had some effect with myself putting the weight on. This is something that I am never going to do again.

JA: I talked to you before the fight and you said that everything was going smoothly…

MG: [Cutting In] Yeah everything was going smooth. I think that I made the weight right, I dieted right, ate right and did everything the right way. Going into the fight I felt strong but I was a little bit rundown after a couple of rounds.

JA: This was your first fight in 10 months. Did you feel a lot of pressure in the ring?

MG: No I felt no pressure at all, I been doing this for a long time. I think that I was more excited than anything getting back in the ring.

JA: What’s next for Montell Griffin?

MG: I am going to find out this week what’s going on. Hopefully I can get on the Tarver-Hopkins under card. All I am looking to do is fight the best light heavyweights in the world and I believe that is Antonio Tarver.

JA: If you could give yourself a grade for your performance this past Friday night, what would you give yourself?

MG: I would give myself a C+. I did alright but I could have done a lot better.

JA: When are you heading back to the gym to train?

MG: Well I am going to take a week off to rest my body. After I take a week off I am going to go back to the gym and start training again. When I get a date settled for my next fight than I will leave for Vegas to start training again.

JA: Is there anything that you would like to say in closing?

MG: I just want to tell all my fans that I aint going no where and I am not giving up till I win the world title again.

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