I have only lost one fight in my 14-bout UFC career, and it’s fair to say that one loss probably had more of an impact on my future results than any of my wins. The sole defeat happened in August 2008 against UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, and was my most high-profile fight to date. The experience, though frustrating at the time, has rounded off any rough edges I may have had and allowed me to mature and evolve as a fighter. Nobody likes to lose, but, in this case, the setback has served me well.
I recognized a lot of holes and flaws in my game after the GSP fight and I’ve worked really hard on tightening them up and getting rid of the bad points. I’ve changed some things around with my training, switched some personnel around and started working with Gary Owens, my new stand-up coach. We’ve been working together for two years now and you can really start to see the benefits of the time we’ve spent together.