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Check out Bloody Elbow’s interview with UFC lightweight, Drakkar Klose, before his UFC 248 PPV main card matchup with Beneil Dariush.
UFC 248 is going down this weekend, March 7th, from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The PPV main card will enjoy the 11-1 Drakkar Klose colliding with the 17-4-1 Beneil Dariush. Klose has bested three-straight opponents in Lando Vannata, Bobby Green, and Christos Giagos—all by unanimous decision. Bloody Elbow spoke with Klose recently, who is hoping to score a ranked fight with Dan Hooker with a win at UFC 248.
The Fight Ready athlete says he believes Dariush is a tough opponent, but also feels like he has a suspect chin. Klose also touches on the benefits of seeing a sports psychologist, as well as what it’s like to date a fellow UFC fighter in Cortney Casey.
- I see you have a documentary following you through this fight camp called The Klose Route to Victory. Was that your idea or did someone approach you about it?
“I actually talked to my brother and his good friend, Hawk. They’re music producers and he’s a videographer so they kind of combined that together. They live out in L.A. so they decided to come out for six weeks. They’ve been staying here with me and just shooting and putting it up. We wanted to let the fans into our lives a little and let them know what fighters go through leading up to the fight. A lot of people just see us walk out and fight, but they don’t know what happens behind the scenes. There’s a lot of ups and downs leading to that fight. Hopefully we can show some of those.”
- What’s it like being in a relationship with someone [Cortney Casey] who is also a fighter and understands the sport and what you’re going through?
“I think it works. It really works for me. We both understand what it takes, and what that other person needs in that time leading up to the fight. Sometimes it can be difficult because we compete with each other too much. I think in our first series we were sparring together and she was trying to take my head off. And she said I was hitting her hard. We try to stay away from sparring each other because it always just leads to a little argument, but it’s nothing but love.”
I saw in your series that you’re visiting with a sports psychologist now. I know a lot of fighters are starting to do that. For you, what would you say are the benefits you’re getting out of it?
“We talk a lot about partnership. Going into this fight as I need Dariush to bring the best out of me, and hopefully I can bring the best out of him to further our careers. We would have a lot in common if we were both in the Army and at war and helping each other. Not to think of it as a war aspect, like getting mad and wanting to fight him, but more as a partnership to better our careers. I learned a lot from Greg [Prudhomme], and I think it’s going to show in this fight.”
- Where can the audience catch you documentary series?
“Youtube channel: Klose Route to Victory. They also can follow the Klose Route to Victory on Instagram. They also can follow me, @drakkar_klose, on Instagram or Cortney Casey [@castironcasey] to get the link.”
- I spoke with Dariush the other day and asked him where he felt you were most dangerous. He said it was how smart you are. For you, what do you feel like your biggest asset is in the cage?
“I would have to agree with him, but I just know what it takes to win. I’ve always been a winner. Sometimes I might be down a round and have to fight back in the third. I’m a dig down deep and give all I have to get that victory.”
- Beneil Dariush is 17-4-1 and on a three-fight winning streak himself. He’s really been owning guys on the ground lately. Are you looking to keep this one on the feet, or are you willing to test his grappling abilities on the ground?
“That’s his only gameplan, to take me down. If you watch all my fights, I do stupid mistakes. Give up my back. I can’t do that with Dariush. That’s his game. He’s like a Demian Maia. I plan on keeping it on the feet, but if it has to go to the ground, I just got to make sure I get up and stay in good position.”
- What do you think this fight will look like? Is it going to be a calculated strategic match, or do you think it’s going to be wild and everywhere?
“I just hope it’s exciting for the fans. I always want to say I’m going to knock the guy out, but this fight I’m not even going to go in there and look for the knockout. Whenever I try to go look for it, it never happens. I just got to let it come. If I don’t look for the knockout, I’ll probably get it with him because his chin is suspect. He gets hit a lot and he get’s rocked a lot. All I got to do is just wait for that right punch, right moment, right time and put it on his chin.”
- Do you think it’s going to reach the scorecards?
“I know every fight I’ve had in the UFC has been 15-minutes. But hopefully not. I don’t think so.”
- You’re used to being in there for all three-rounds. Do you think the longer the fight goes the more it favors you?
“Of course. Dariush fades out. He goes hard in that first. You’re going to see he kind of fades out. So I think probably around the seven and a half minute mark, he’s going to be done, and then the rest of the fight will be mine. But hopefully it doesn’t even go that long.”
A win would make it four-straight for you, which is really hard to do in the UFC. So after this, will you be gunning for a ranked opponent?
“I already have somebody in mind. I want to fight Dan Hooker. I think that’s a good matchup. You think [Edson] Barboza did him dirty, I’m going to put it on him if I fight him. I can’t look past Dariush; he’s a tough opponent. So my focus right now is to make sure I go get this victory, and then after the fight, I want Hooker.”
Do you plan on calling him out on the mic to make the most of the moment?
“Of course. I called out [Gregor] Gillespie. I know he’s wishing he probably would have took that fight with me now. He’s probably still sleeping somewhere.”
- Kevin Lee got him good.
“I got to start being more entertaining. It kind of sucks that you have to talk a little crap, but you have to put seats in the stands. If you have to say a couple of things people don’t like, so be it. That’s not me, but if I have to to get those, I’m going to have to do it.”