The Swedish welrounded fighter Kristian Lexell can be counted as one of the best integrated fighters in Scandinavia. He started his traning in Shooters Göteborg and polished up the solid and stable fighting style in Stockholm. Asgard met this young fighter and asked about his fight reviews with the Danish grappling king Thomas La Cure and more.

Name: Kristian Lexell

DOB: 1980 11-14 Hight: 190cm Weight: 90kg (84kg for fight) Right Handed Record: 5-4-0

ASGARD: Can you tell your childhood?
LEXELL: Yes, I was born on a small island near Göteborg named Kalvsund where about 200 people leve. It was a wonderful environment for a child, runnning around the island all day long with friends. Whe I was younger I was fascinated by Karate Kid, but my mother did not like Karate. Instead my father supported me to practice track and field. I liked the competive sports. I even made some medals. I played football and icehockey as well with my friends. Then we left the island and moved to Göteborg when I was 16. I tried snowbord, skateboard but finally my mother said OK to play Karate. Yeah! Also I started weight-lifting too.
ASGARD: A bit too early to start weight-lifting?
LEXELL: No, not for me at least. At that time I grew 10cm every year until I became 190cm tall, but my weight was under 70kg. Anyway, I did Karate for one-and-a-half years and got orange belt (smile), but then the Karate gym was closed by some reason. Soon I had to join military service, where I meet Klas Ã…kesson. We became really good friends and he taught me many things from Judo and grappling. Klas was the one who showed me UFC 1,2 3 and so on. I got really hooked and thought that it was exactly what I wanted. He told me about August Wallén and his Shootfighting and I decided to join the gym after the military. I visited August Wallen’s gym in autumn 2000, were I met Jesper Hallberg, Joakim Engberg, Anders Eriksson and many others …

ASGARD: Amazing guys.
LEXELL: I was very young that time.
ASGARD: Did you like training?
LEXELL: Oh, Yes. I got my first competiton in 2001 in Oslo. Ohh, I was veeery nervous. The opponent had a Thai style from Malmö. My whole body and mental were all high and arms and legs moved like jello. Sweat! I still remember that. Five years ago … It is a good memory indeed. (smile) Then I got a job but unfortunately I had to get the bad working time. It became really difficult to drive both training and my job. I ended up in 3 amateur matches. 3 years ago I moved to Stockholm. I entered police academy in Stockholm and graduated last summer.

ASGARD: What about the fight against Johan “Rocco” Antonsson?

LEXELL: Yes. I had popped my shoulder in the fight. That happend like this. Somehow I was holding his knees to controll, then my arm has somehow stretched out in the roll but nothing special way. Then my shoulder recieved the excessive weight in a way. It simply popped. I felt it but didn’t know it was so serious. Fighting one arm when the time of tapping came in the guillotin, I felt really pain but in my heart. That much I didn’t want to tapp. I had trained so hard to win the game. My girlfriend and my close friends were there. I was ready for the war. So the shock of tapping was very huge for me.

ASGARD: Then your shoulder?

LEXELL: It is fine now (smile). I met good doctors, got both a very good physical and medical treatment. Also had a rehabilitation in warm Thailand.

ASGARD: Glad to hear. May I ask your fight with Mikko Koivumaki ZST Finland 2006 September in Turku?

LEXELL: Yes. That was ZST rule no pound on the ground. I don’t remember the details but we might had many clinches. Kicking to his middle section then my finger hits his eye. So we went stop. After standing fight he became in my batterfly guard. This fight I wanted to figth free without any hard plan to study what I can. I missed the flying triangle then went to kimura. We went transition a coule of times. I think the fight went relaxed and overviewed myself. A few good shots hit him in the side step, I succeed him to catch guillotine. The game ended in the standing guillotine. I think this was my best fight at that time. Because I was relaxed and could extend my skills to build my credit.

ASGARD: How about the Spanish Rafael Silva in EVT 2006 October?
LEXELL: I have expected Silva as a very tough fighter and prepaired for the hard battle. He has taken down me. But it was not so hard for me to get back the top and I started to drive my game. I was very surprised that I could do so. I take good positions and leading the game. It was a small shock the fight go so smooth. Yes, the pressure is big. Because Silva is a tough man. Soon I hit 2 or 3 really strong shots in his half guard and felt condescend to drive my game. In the moment Silva shot the ancle lock. It was totally unexpected and the lock was tight. I had to tapp and you know I felt awfully bad.

ASGARD: Oh, Yes. But I got the reason now. You moved a bit strange,I thought. You looked like thinking something in the game. I hope you to get the chance to fight him again. He has an interesting style. And I am also very interested in the Cage fight to the famous Danish grappler Thomas La Cure. What has happened? Why did you lose the game?

LEXELL: I have never pounded so much in a fight. I really did. 1RD went rather even many clinches and takedowns. I felf fine in the standing and standing wrestling hitting knees and driving the game in my score. 2RD I drove harder in the round shooting many strikes. I saw my distance better than his. He started to eat punches. The cage rule has no break on the ground. Thomas has tried all his takedowns. He might pass my guard once or a couple of times and I made my score in the standing fight. In the raindown shots soon my hand went to the limit with pain. Later I found out my thumb got damaged in bruise. When the fight is over and Thomas hand was taken high, I was surprised for the judge. My face was almost clean no damage but his face turned lots of bruise.Yes, I should have done him KO. I hope to fight with him again. I really want to.

ASGARD: Hummm,,, that was what happened. I really wanted to know. I hope you gets the card again. Please take care of your finger. What is your traing going now?

LEXELL: I like boxing much. Let me introduce my wonderful boxing coach Andreas Charalambous from Greece.

ASGARD: Hi, Andreas! Please tell me your background.

CHARALAMBOUS: I am training and coaching in Djurgarden Boxing Club. I had 110 fights and turned pro in 18 years old. Have proffessional record 14-1-0. I was born 1979 in UK. Moving to Greece I started boxing when I was 7 after my father who has been a pro boxer. I had Mediterranean champ. But I got a serious comminuted stress fracture in the fight in my right arm. Through a couple of operations it took whole 4 years to go back to training. Now I have boxing classes in Djurgarden and Shooters Gym Slussen. Me and Kristian became good friends in training.

LEXELL: Andreas is one of my best coach and I am happy to get his help. Due to his training I became interested in boxing. I have challenged my first amateur boxing in Norway 2006 December. I won the game in TKO. I hit the good counters several times and made him down for 4 to 5 times. And hoocked in boxing game more since then. Boxing is a different game in the different mentality. I really be loving it learing many new techniques enjoying my new subject. And it helps my mma integration too.

ASGARD: Yes, I saw your counter in your training. It was sharp. What is your training menu?

LEXELL: Monday is usually my free day from training. I eat anything what I like and enjoy time with my girlfriend and friends. Tuesday I lift weight in the morning. Boxing in the night in Djurgarden with Andreas. Wednesday Physical training. Swimming, running or lifting in the morning. In the night I train mma or Thai class in Slussen. Thursday is sparring day. Lifting in the morning and VT sparring in the night in Slussen. My lifting is usually shorter than 60 minutes which is compact and effective. I don’t sparr for long time. I make it explosive within 60 minutes too. That is my Thursday menu. Friday rolling or lifting in the morning. Police station has an opened wrestling mat too, weight machines and sauna are attached. That is good for me. I am lucky to have friends and several places to train. I can find lifting mates or rolling mates easy and enjoy the time. I do boxing in the night with Andreas. I usually put the energy on Fridays training to kick my ass. Saturday and Sunday I take sparring in mma or Thai for 90minutes. I try to stay home in the nights. This is my basic menu but I change it sometimes.

ASGARD: How much do you train as police in training duty?

LEXELL: Once a week for weight training. We have no grappling duty. Some does Judo some does BJJ.

ASGARD: Are you careful about food?

LEXELL: Yes, I try to eat good food in lots of protein fish and vege. I usually carry 90kg. In Denmark I had to cut 93.7 kg to 83kg. It was really crazy to ripp off 10kg in 3 weeks. I don’t want to do that again. I want to fight in 84 and that is my weight.

ASGARD: Did you check Nordic Ranking? Can I have some comment?

Middleweight: -84.0 kg Ranking Name Country Pro record Latest fights