Robin Black's Next Fight

For most rock stars, getting up on stage in front of adoring, screaming fans is probably the biggest thrill they can imagine. But for a select few, something a little more dangerous beckons them.

Some trash hotel rooms. Some type in all caps and almost smash their MacBook Airs. A fair percentage take up some sort of illicit hobby. But for Robin Black, nothing short of stepping in a cage, getting punched in the face and trying to choke someone out will do.

"I would never say that I was getting bored of playing with the band, but it was starting to come easy," Black says of his musical life. "I could do it drunk off my tits.

"I found that entertaining people was something that I got really, really good at, and it wasn't difficult any more. It wasn't challenging. It wasn't life or death. If I had 15 beers and shook my ass and said, 'I'm Robin Fucking Black!' and sung really well with a really cool band, people loved it.

"But if you go into a cage and you have anything less than you at your very best, you will get hurt. That's risk. That's testing yourself at the highest level, and that's exciting for me."

After years of training twice a day in mixed martial arts (also known as cage fighting or ultimate fighting), Black took that risk for the first time as a pro in July at Freedom Fight in Gatineau, Que. Although his professional MMA fight ended in a loss by submission in the second round, he fought well, survived a number of hard hits that would have felled a lesser man and earned a lot of respect in the fighting community. He also gained some valuable experience.

"As much as I wanted to win that fight, there were a lot of positives to take from it," explains Black. "I know, without a doubt, nine out of 10 people would have rolled over and lost the fight in the first 45 seconds. I know that for certain and being able to overcome that was a huge boost.

"And then the negatives make you train harder. I got hit far too much, so I had to work on that. I am a better fighter and I'm a physically stronger and fitter and more aggressive person."

This new and improved Black will face Janz Stein at Ultimate Cage Wars at the Winnipeg Convention Centre on Friday, and the glam-rocker is more than ready to demonstrate his superiority over his skateboarder opponent.

"I'm going to stuff his attempts to take me down and punish him when he tries to do it. That way, I can take him down when I want to and I can do what I want from the top. And that'll be the fight."