Q: What was your reaction when you got the call that you were being bumped up to the main event after Bobby Lashley pulled out?
James Krause: They didn't really tell me it was the main event right off the bat. I've had so many opponent changes, they've had issues finding me an opponent, we went through a couple different people and I was getting frustrated, but they told me Clay French, main event and I'm like, 'Let's do it!'"
Q: Do you feel any more pressure now that you're being billed in the main event?
JK: No, I don't think so. I learned that earlier, you can't let that stuff get to you. I fought Cerrone on Versus in Arco Arena and that was pretty stressful, so I think I'm over that. I think I've matured enough as a fighter and have enough fights to look past that and not really let that bother me.
Q: You got married the day after the last Titan show and that's the reason you weren't on it. What's it like trying to plan weddings and important things like that between fights?
JK: It was crazy. Big shout out to my wife, though. She did most of the planning. I'm not really a decor type of guy ... I just kind of went with it. Gotta let her have her fun. But I really, really tried to fight but she just wasn't having it. Anthony Gutierrez was my best man and he couldn't be on it either. She just put her foot down (laughs), she wasn't having none of it.
Q: Can you blame her?
JK: No, no I can't. I really can't.
Q: But I can't blame you for trying, either, though.
JK: Yeah, it would've been nice to have a little bit of extra money on vacation, stuff like that, but it turned out great. I didn't have any scratches or bruises or blood in the wedding photos, so it turned out good.
Q: A lot of people would say if you and Anthony came in to the wedding photos with black eyes that it'd add some character to the photos, make for some good stories to tell the grandkids.
JK: I'm friends with a lot of the guys that fought on Titan 18. John Ott had just fought Jake Rosholt and if you look at our wedding pictures, this dude, it was the next day, and he was just cut up, still had blood oozing out from his face and stuff. There was definitely some black eyes and some bruises in the pictures for sure.
Follow us after the jump to find out what he'd do if he made it back to the big show and more...
Q: If you got the chance to go into the UFC or Strikeforce, what would you change, what would you do differently if you got the call to go back to the big show?
JK: To be completely honest, I think I just hit that too early. It was just too early in my career. I wasn't really developed as a fighter. I had some good skills, but so does everybody. I got more caught up in fighting the name Donald Cerrone that anything. I got caught up in all the media and all the hype and all that BS and I just hadn't matured as a fighter yet. I definitely think that. I don't get jitters, I don't get nervous, I don't get any of that stuff anymore no matter who it is. I think just maturity in the fight game would definitely give me a better advantage because confidence in the cage is extremely important. I think that's the No. 1 thing why I didn't have a very successful run at it. I think it was way too early for me.
Q: Did you know that at that time?
JK: No, no. Probably if I did I wouldn't have done it, well, I may have done it. Some people never get to take that opportunity. Looking back on it, I probably still would've done it. Like I said, not everybody who gets to fight gets to say they fought on national TV in front of 15,000 people at Arco Arena. It was an awesome experience and I've learned a lot from it. I learned being around the media and the cameras and all that stuff, it really helped me kind of transform and mature into a better fighter.
Q: Would (Titan Fighting owner) Joe Kelly be supportive if you got a call next Monday, if you beat Clay French impressively, if you got a call from Strikeforce or the UFC saying they want you. What would he say to that? Would he be supporting?
JK: I really think he would. He's always told me pretty much that exactly. I've worked with him for a long time. My first pro fight was for Titan, so I've known him for quite a while and he's very supportive of me fighting and my career. He actually cares unlike a lot of promoters. I don't think he'd have a problem with it at all. I think he'd be very supportive with it and I think he'd have no qualms letting me go to one of those organizations.
