January was a banner month for the UFC with four successful major events. It should have been one of the best months in promotion history.
Instead, what people will most remember is that two of the UFC’s biggest stars — and best pound-for-p…
January was a banner month for the UFC with four successful major events. It should have been one of the best months in promotion history.
Instead, what people will most remember is that two of the UFC’s biggest stars — and best pound-for-pound fighters of all time — both failed drug tests.
The news of Jon Jones‘ positive test for cocaine metabolites hit Jan. 6, three days after Jones defeated Daniel Cormier at UFC 182. Anderson Silva’s failed test results for anabolic steroids came out three days after he beat Nick Diaz at UFC 183 on Jan. 31.
UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler admitted to being “bummed” about the news and he’s hoping for a change.
“People make mistakes, but it was definitely a black eye for the sport,” Lawler told MMAFighting.com. “Hopefully the commission, the UFC and all the fighters can help clean up the sport.”
Jones, the UFC light heavyweight champion, popped for cocaine in a Dec. 23 test. Because that was considered out of competition and cocaine is only prohibited in competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code, Jones faced no discipline from the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC). He was fined $25,000 by the UFC for violating the organization’s code of conduct.
Of greater significance were the substances found in Silva’s system. Those were performance-enhancing drugs and his positive test marred what was a miraculous comeback from a broken leg just 13 months previously. The former UFC middleweight champion, who held the title for seven years, popped for drostanolone and androstane in a Jan. 9 out-of-competition test. He has denied using steroids.
Silva has been temporarily suspended by the NAC and is facing further discipline at a hearing in either March or April.
“I’m bummed about it,” Lawler said. “It’s not good for the sport. Just hopefully people realize that not everyone is the same. Not everyone is doing those things.”
Diaz also failed a post-fight drug test for marijuana metabolites for the third time.
Lawler, 32, won the welterweight title by beating Johny Hendricks at UFC 181 on Dec. 6. That fight was also in Las Vegas and his test results came back to the NAC clean.
“Ruthless” is definitely in favor of more stringent drug-testing methods. The UFC said it would be implementing a year-round, random drug-testing program for all of its nearly 600 athletes. But recently UFC president Dana White has taken a step back from that and said the UFC wouldn’t do it after a mistake made over the summer in testing fighters at an event in Macao. The UFC regulated itself for that card and was not under the watchful eye of an athletic commission.
“It would be huge for the sport,” Lawler said of stricter drug testing. “Let’s figure it out and clean it up.”
Conor McGregor will have plenty on his plate against Jose Aldo in July. But another fight on his mind is one against another champion: Anthony Pettis.
The rising UFC featherweight says that moving up to lightweight is highly likely down the road. And a bout there with Pettis, the titleholder, strikes his fancy.
“I think it would be a great fight,” McGregor said during a media scrum at UFC 183. “Definitely, 155 is in my future. Anthony is phenomenal on the feet. He’s got good jiu-jitsu. I feel it would be a great fight. It’s a fight I have my eyes on.”
McGregor (17-2) challenges Aldo at UFC 189 on July 11 in Las Vegas. But he admits that cutting to 145 pounds is difficult and he doesn’t know for how long he’ll want to do it. The Irishman said during the fan Q&A before UFC 183 weigh-ins that he and Pettis are “around a similar size.” Pettis is 5-foot-10, one inch taller than McGregor.
“As I grow, 155 will be more comfortable to get to,” McGregor said. “It’ll be less stress on the body.”
“The Notorious” doesn’t think he’ll be at a disadvantage there, either. He trains at Straight Blast Gym in Dublin with UFC 170-pounders Gunnar Nelson and Cathal Pendred and does not believe he gives up a thing.
“I have no problem going right up to welterweight to be honest,” said McGregor, who is coming off a second-round TKO win over Dennis Siver on Jan. 18 in Boston. “We’ll see. I am young. I am 26 years old. We’ll see what opportunities present themselves.”
Win or lose against Aldo, McGregor has plenty of marketable fights in the featherweight division, against the likes of Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes and Cub Swanson. Truly, 145 is one of the deepest weight classes in all of MMA.
With that said, McGregor has said several times that his career strategy is to make as much money as quickly as he can and get out. If that means moving through the weight classes for big fights that fans want to see, McGregor will clearly be open to that.
Everything will depend on how McGregor, one of the fastest growing stars in UFC history, will fair against Aldo, who has not lost in nine years. If there’s one thing about the fast-talking, charismatic Irishman, he doesn’t lack any confidence.
“I’m gonna sprint straight for him,” McGregor said of Aldo. “I won’t give him a second. I’m gonna go in with my hands raised. I’m gonna be talking to him while I’m whooping him at the same time, the same way I do to them all.
“I’m gonna go in, I’m gonna break him. I’m gonna be on top of him from the bell. I will break Jose Aldo.”
Conor McGregor will have plenty on his plate against Jose Aldo in July. But another fight on his mind is one against another champion: Anthony Pettis.
The rising UFC featherweight says that moving up to lightweight is highly likely down the road. And a bout there with Pettis, the titleholder, strikes his fancy.
“I think it would be a great fight,” McGregor said during a media scrum at UFC 183. “Definitely, 155 is in my future. Anthony is phenomenal on the feet. He’s got good jiu-jitsu. I feel it would be a great fight. It’s a fight I have my eyes on.”
McGregor (17-2) challenges Aldo at UFC 189 on July 11 in Las Vegas. But he admits that cutting to 145 pounds is difficult and he doesn’t know for how long he’ll want to do it. The Irishman said during the fan Q&A before UFC 183 weigh-ins that he and Pettis are “around a similar size.” Pettis is 5-foot-10, one inch taller than McGregor.
“As I grow, 155 will be more comfortable to get to,” McGregor said. “It’ll be less stress on the body.”
“The Notorious” doesn’t think he’ll be at a disadvantage there, either. He trains at Straight Blast Gym in Dublin with UFC 170-pounders Gunnar Nelson and Cathal Pendred and does not believe he gives up a thing.
“I have no problem going right up to welterweight to be honest,” said McGregor, who is coming off a second-round TKO win over Dennis Siver on Jan. 18 in Boston. “We’ll see. I am young. I am 26 years old. We’ll see what opportunities present themselves.”
Win or lose against Aldo, McGregor has plenty of marketable fights in the featherweight division, against the likes of Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes and Cub Swanson. Truly, 145 is one of the deepest weight classes in all of MMA.
With that said, McGregor has said several times that his career strategy is to make as much money as quickly as he can and get out. If that means moving through the weight classes for big fights that fans want to see, McGregor will clearly be open to that.
Everything will depend on how McGregor, one of the fastest growing stars in UFC history, will fair against Aldo, who has not lost in nine years. If there’s one thing about the fast-talking, charismatic Irishman, he doesn’t lack any confidence.
“I’m gonna sprint straight for him,” McGregor said of Aldo. “I won’t give him a second. I’m gonna go in with my hands raised. I’m gonna be talking to him while I’m whooping him at the same time, the same way I do to them all.
“I’m gonna go in, I’m gonna break him. I’m gonna be on top of him from the bell. I will break Jose Aldo.”
Nick Diaz’s longtime coach has little doubt the Stockton bad boy will return to the Octagon.
Cesar Gracie, who has coached Diaz in Brazilian jiu-jitsu since Diaz was a teenager, told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour that Diaz will “definitely” fight again. The interview with Gracie took place before it was found out that Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites in a post-fight drug test for the third time and is facing discipline from the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).
“Let’s face it,” Gracie said. “He’s a fighter and he’s gonna fight. It’s gonna happen.”
Diaz, 31, was unclear about his future plans after falling to Anderson Silva by unanimous decision at UFC 183 on Saturday night in Las Vegas. It was his first bout in nearly two years and UFC president Dana White joked that Diaz might wait another three since he was paid so well for the Silva main event.
But Gracie believes Diaz will return seeking interesting opponents. Diaz, the former Strikeforce welterweight champion, fought Silva at middleweight and Gracie thinks he would even go down to lightweight for fascinating fights.
“I think a guy like him is better served doing big fights, no matter where they’re at,” Gracie said. “Seriously, no matter where the fight is — even if he has to go down a lighter weight than even 170. He wants big fights. That’s what motivates him. I think that’s what the greatest guys did was they didn’t look so much at weight classes, but they looked at the big fights that motivate them.”
If true, there would no shortage of potential opponents for Diaz, a proven draw who remains exceedingly popular with the fanbase. Michael Bisping threw his hat in the ring to be Diaz’s next opponent Monday. He likely won’t be the only one.
After I defeat Dolloway in April Id love to get in the there with Diaz.I think our styles make for a great fan pleasing fight.@danawhite
“Who wouldn’t want to see Vitor Belfort or someone like that fight Nick?” Gracie said. “Or who wouldn’t want to see maybe Nick beat a 170-pounder and then fight [Robbie] Lawler if that’s what they have to happen? There’s different scenarios I think that would be fun.”
That rematch with Lawler is one that Gracie really wants to see. Diaz knocked Lawler out in the second round of their fight at UFC 47 on April 2, 2004. Lawler, all these years later, is now the UFC welterweight champion.
“Personally, best-case scenario without a doubt would have been for him to have gotten the nod, beaten Anderson Silva,” Gracie said. “And then we’d be seeing Nick-Lawler II and I think that would be a fan favorite. I think that would be incredible, that fight. The build-up to that would be so huge. Now with Nick losing a decision, that fight probably isn’t gonna be on the table.”
Maybe not that one, but as Gracie said, there are others. The one thing the coach does not want is for Diaz to fall back into the pack at welterweight. In his eyes, that would not be fair to someone with his seniority and money-making ability.
“I don’t want to see Nick go out there and fight some guy he never heard of at 170 or some up-and-comer,” Gracie said. “He’s already past all that. He deserves the respect of having big fights.”
Nick Diaz’s longtime coach has little doubt the Stockton bad boy will return to the Octagon.
Cesar Gracie, who has coached Diaz in Brazilian jiu-jitsu since Diaz was a teenager, told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour that Diaz will “definitely” fight again. The interview with Gracie took place before it was found out that Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites in a post-fight drug test for the third time and is facing discipline from the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).
“Let’s face it,” Gracie said. “He’s a fighter and he’s gonna fight. It’s gonna happen.”
Diaz, 31, was unclear about his future plans after falling to Anderson Silva by unanimous decision at UFC 183 on Saturday night in Las Vegas. It was his first bout in nearly two years and UFC president Dana White joked that Diaz might wait another three since he was paid so well for the Silva main event.
But Gracie believes Diaz will return seeking interesting opponents. Diaz, the former Strikeforce welterweight champion, fought Silva at middleweight and Gracie thinks he would even go down to lightweight for fascinating fights.
“I think a guy like him is better served doing big fights, no matter where they’re at,” Gracie said. “Seriously, no matter where the fight is — even if he has to go down a lighter weight than even 170. He wants big fights. That’s what motivates him. I think that’s what the greatest guys did was they didn’t look so much at weight classes, but they looked at the big fights that motivate them.”
If true, there would no shortage of potential opponents for Diaz, a proven draw who remains exceedingly popular with the fanbase. Michael Bisping threw his hat in the ring to be Diaz’s next opponent Monday. He likely won’t be the only one.
After I defeat Dolloway in April Id love to get in the there with Diaz.I think our styles make for a great fan pleasing fight.@danawhite
“Who wouldn’t want to see Vitor Belfort or someone like that fight Nick?” Gracie said. “Or who wouldn’t want to see maybe Nick beat a 170-pounder and then fight [Robbie] Lawler if that’s what they have to happen? There’s different scenarios I think that would be fun.”
That rematch with Lawler is one that Gracie really wants to see. Diaz knocked Lawler out in the second round of their fight at UFC 47 on April 2, 2004. Lawler, all these years later, is now the UFC welterweight champion.
“Personally, best-case scenario without a doubt would have been for him to have gotten the nod, beaten Anderson Silva,” Gracie said. “And then we’d be seeing Nick-Lawler II and I think that would be a fan favorite. I think that would be incredible, that fight. The build-up to that would be so huge. Now with Nick losing a decision, that fight probably isn’t gonna be on the table.”
Maybe not that one, but as Gracie said, there are others. The one thing the coach does not want is for Diaz to fall back into the pack at welterweight. In his eyes, that would not be fair to someone with his seniority and money-making ability.
“I don’t want to see Nick go out there and fight some guy he never heard of at 170 or some up-and-comer,” Gracie said. “He’s already past all that. He deserves the respect of having big fights.”
Unfortunately for kickboxing diehards, there was no epic finish to the hotly anticipated Rico Verhoeven-Errol Zimmerman trilogy at Glory 19 on Friday night.
The heavyweights earned the main event on a stacked fight card after splitting their first two …
Unfortunately for kickboxing diehards, there was no epic finish to the hotly anticipated Rico Verhoeven-Errol Zimmerman trilogy at Glory 19 on Friday night.
The heavyweights earned the main event on a stacked fight card after splitting their first two bouts. Medical staff called off the bout in the second round after Zimmerman suffered a right knee injury on a spinning back kick, with Verhoeven earning the victory and retaining his heavyweight championship belt in front of a packed Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia.
Verhoeven regretted the way the fight ended, per Spike Sports:
Fans can at least take some solace in Verhoeven’s post-match comments, as he promised the audience this wasn’t the end of the epic rivalry, per Glory World Series:
On the undercard, Nieky Holzken won the welterweight contender tournament, defeating Raymond Daniels and Aleksandr Stetcurenko on his way to earning a match against titleholder Joe Valtellini, per Glory World Series:
Joe Schilling handily defeated Robert Thomas in a middleweight clash, and Air Force’s Cedric Smith won the exhibition military bout with a win over Navy’s James Hurley.
Here’s a look at the results from each match followed by a recap of the action, starting with the main event.
Main Event
Rico Verhoeven vs. Errol Zimmerman
The rubber match in this trilogy started off with all the brutality one would expect from these two well-matched rivals. Both fighters came out firing with the punches, but Zimmerman got the raw end of the deal early as he ate leather from a hard Verhoeven straight punch and fell to the mat.
Zimmerman fought back hard, and Sherdog’s Mike Fridley commented on the violence at hand:
Verhoeven ramped up the intensity on a reeling Zimmerman, but he would have benefited from some slicker technique. Zimmerman hit the mat twice more in the first on brutal exchanges, but neither was scored an official knockdown as the two brawlers’ legs got tangled in both instances.
Verhoeven was the aggressor again in the second, using his push kick to open up space and following up with quick two- and three-punch combos.
Unfortunately, Zimmerman would crumple to a heap on the match after an awkward step on a spinning back kick. Glory World Series provided an update:
The medical staff called off the bout, much to the disappointment of the crowd at hand. It was a truly anticlimactic end to the bout, but Verhoeven provided fans with a touching send-off. He showed his class as a champion by helping the injured Zimmerman to his feet.
Undercard
Welterweight Semifinal: Raymond Daniels vs. Jonatan Oliveira
Scheduled for three three-minute rounds, Raymond Daniels and Jonatan Oliveira started off the match at a frantic speed, with neither fighter appearing willing to go the full nine minutes. Daniels won this bout in electrifying fashion with a second-round KO on a jumping spin kick to the body.
Daniels had the better start and never let up, firing off an array of side and back kicks to keep his opponent at bay. Oliveira seemed more inclined to use his hands, but he struggled to get in more than couple of one-two combos in the first round.
Daniels’ kicks conjured some epic comparisons from the ringside announcers, via Spike TV:
The biggest highlight of the first round came from Daniels, naturally. An expertly placed spinning heel kick rocked Oliveira’s skull, sending the fighter crashing to the canvas.
The second round saw more powerful kicking from Daniels, as he avoided trading blows with a game Oliveira. He dropped Oliveira to his knees 30 seconds into the round with a gut-busting back kick.
Daniels finished off the match with a spinning back kick to the gut, dropping Oliveira to the mat for the third time in the match.
Welterweight Semifinal: Nieky Holzken vs. Aleksandr Stetcurenko
No. 1-ranked welterweight Nicky Holzken skated through to the finals by unanimous decision over Aleksandr Stetcurenko, with all three judges scoring this entertaining bout 29-28 in the Dutch fighter’s favor.
In stark contrast to the first semifinal bout, Holzken and Stetcurenko put the boxing back in kickboxing. Holzken, like a lion stalking his prey, cut down the distance on Stetcurenko early, forcing him to trade punches. Holzken’s array of hooks and jabs proved too much for his Russian opposition early on, with the latter forced into back kicks and jumping knees to keep his opponent at bay.
The second round was as evenly contested as it was technical. Stetcurenko did a much better job of maintaining distance in this round, mixing in jabs and low, outside kicks.
Holzken was the more accurate puncher in the second and did plenty of damage to Stetcurenko’s mug, but he wasn’t able to come away with a clear advantage in the round. Stetcurenko broke through late in the second with a fantastic uppercut, but Holzken recovered well with some solid blows to the body and low kicks.
The majority of the final round was spent on the ropes, with both fighters remaining active. Stetcurenko’s punching improved as the bout moved along, but Holzken did a better job of working the chin and utilizing quick-strike combos, with both his hands and legs.
The match finished with a flourish in the center of the ring. Both fighters opened up the hands and traded blows aggressively, with Holzken even throwing in a flying knee for good measure. Fridley noted it was a tough bout to call:
Holzken’saccuracy and technical acumen were enough to get him through to the final, but Stetcurenko has nothing to be ashamed of after this bout.
Cedric Smith (Air Force) vs. James Hurley (Navy)
In a special military exhibition match that was scheduled for two rounds, the Air Force’s Cedric Smith dominated Navy fighter James Hurley, earning a second-round TKO victory.
Smith was much more aggressive from the start, working Hurley with his hands before opening up with kicks to the body. Smith opened up a cut on Hurley’s right eye midway through the first round when the two fighters smacked heads.
The match official called for a medical consultation, and the ringside physician allowed the fight to continue. Smith would end the first round with a flurry of punches to Hurley’s skull, attacking the obvious weakness.
There was little in this bout for Hurley, who couldn’t match Smith’s speed, power or kicking ability. Smith landed a pair of solid high kicks in the second and took his stumbling opponent to task with a nice right hook to the head. Fridley noted the brutality of Smith’s takedown:
With 56 seconds left in the bout, the referee had seen enough and called the fight in Smith’s favor. The muay thai-trained Smith earned a nice championship belt from Glory 19 and a round of cheers from the crowd on hand.
Joe Schilling vs. Robert Thomas
In the night’s lone middleweight bout, the fearsome Joe Schilling dominated an overmatched Robert Thomas in three rounds, winning via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26).
Schilling got off to a roaring start, firing punches at Thomas’ skull and backing his opponent into the ropes on several occasions. Thomas could hardly get a punch in, instead opting for a couple of knees that did little to dissuade Schilling’s feverish offense.
Thomas fared slightly better in the second round, but he was still hardly able to mount an offense. His initial kicks rarely broke through Schilling’s defenses, and the latter, more experienced fighter was always quick to counter with an array of punches to the head.
The two kickboxers tangled up quite often in the second, with Schilling perhaps tiring at a quick rate—mainly due to his ridiculous striking advantage.
SB Nation’s Bloody Elbow provided a look at Stitch ‘Em Up absolutely dominating Thomas:
There was little Thomas could do against Schilling in the third. He had no clear strategy for opening up his older opponent and paid a dear price for his lack of offense. With just under a minute left in the bout, Schilling rocked Thomas with a wrecking-ball straight right to the head, drawing a great chorus of cheers from the crowd.
Thomas survived to see the end of the fight, but it was a foregone conclusion at that point. Schilling had won the bout in a fashion any brawler would be proud of.
Welterweight Final: Raymond Daniels vs. Nieky Holzken
Nieky Holzken dominated Raymond Daniels in the welterweight final, earning the win in the third round via a four-knockdown TKO.
With both fighters taking vastly different approaches to victory in the semifinals, this matchup came down to who could best dictate the flow, style and pace of the bout.
Holzken did exactly what he need to early on and scored the first major blow of the bout. He walked Daniels into the ropes and notched a quick knockdown with a vicious left hook to the liver.
Daniels hardly had room to maneuver in the first, as Holzken kept him pinned in the corners as much as possible. He landed several blows to the head early on and visibly frustrated Daniels, who dropped his hands and called out Holzken mid-fight. This did little to throw off the Dutch master, as he kept up his strategy with aplomb.
The hyperathletic Daniels was finally able to land a few punches of his own late in the round and partially land a spinning back kick, but it wasn’t enough to change the momentum.
Holzken would bring the fight right back to the corners in the second, scoring two more knockdowns in the round. The first came via a stinging flurry of punches; the second was a jumping knee to the body that was perhaps amplified by the earlier punishment Holzken dished out to the torso.
Daniels, clearly angling for a knockout win, fought back bravely in the third. He knocked down The Natural with a trademark jumping back kick, proving the fight was far from over.
However, the comeback attempt would be short-lived, as Holzken notched a fourth knockdown and a final bell with a brutal barrage of punches in the corner, proving without a shadow of a doubt he is the man to take on Valtellini.
Robbie Lawler fought four times in 2014 against some of the biggest hitters in the welterweight division. He fell to Johny Hendricks in a March title bout, beat Jake Ellenberger in May, defeated Matt Brown in July and then came back in Decem…
Robbie Lawler fought four times in 2014 against some of the biggest hitters in the welterweight division. He fell to Johny Hendricks in a March title bout, beat Jake Ellenberger in May, defeated Matt Brown in July and then came back in December to take Hendricks’ title.
There was no one busier last year than Lawler, the UFC’s new welterweight champion. And no one deserves a break more than him. The current plan is for Lawler to take a few months off from fighting. However, if you know anything about him, it’s that if he’s needed for a fight he won’t turn it down.
“Obviously, I’m always ready to go,” Lawler told MMAFighting.com. “I’m always about two, three weeks out from being able to fight. But yeah, it was a busy year and I just wanted a break. That’s it.”
Part of this time off from the Octagon has included other obligations. Lawler has been doing promotional things for the UFC, he was in Las Vegas last weekend to accept his Fighters Only MMA Awards Fighter of the Year trophy and Saturday and Sunday he’ll be in Los Angeles at TheFitExpo. Lawler will be explaining MMA techniques to fans and also signing autographs both days as part of a program called the Paradise Warrior Retreat.
Appearances like this weren’t always in Lawler’s playbook. All “Ruthless” really wants to do is fight, which has endeared him to fans since he had his first run in the UFC starting at age 19 in 2002. Now 32 and back with the organization since 2013, Lawler has made it a point to get better at the side stuff.
“I just think I was ready to embrace everything about the sport,” he said. “Obviously, the UFC is the biggest organization in the world, so it was like when I came there, there were expectations and things you needed to do to become a high-level fighter. There are things that are asked of you by the UFC that you need to do. I was ready to do those things when I came back to the UFC.”
Lawler (25-10, 1 NC) still prefers to just train and fight. That attitude has helped make him a champion. It wasn’t even completely his own choice to take these few months off from fighting.
“My coach [Kami Barzini] actually told me to take some time off,” Lawler said. “He said, ‘You just had a long year. Back-to-back-to-back fights. Just staying busy. Mentally and physically, you need to rest.’ I mean, I’m not resting. I’m just not training for a fight.”
Lawler has no target date set on his return. But it’s likely to be sometime in the summer or later. The welterweight contender picture is pretty foggy right now anyway.
Hendricks meets Brown at UFC 185 on March 14 in Dallas and then Rory MacDonald fights Hector Lombard at UFC 186 on April 25. The winner of one of those fights will likely take on Lawler next. The champion doesn’t have a preference, but if Lombard comes out of that quartet as the No. 1 contender it will complicate things. Lawler and Lombard are training partners at American Top Team.
“Here’s the thing: We’ll cross that path when we need to,” Lawler said. “There’s no sense in talking about something that might not happen. We’ll talk to all the trainers if we need to and just take care of it, if it comes up. But right now, that’s not an issue. I don’t concentrate on those things.”
Lawler really only focuses on himself. And now, outside of the other obligations, he’s resting his body and tweaking those little details that he didn’t have time to address during a loaded 2014. That could make for an even more dangerous fighter the next time we see him.
“My body is going to be fresher,” Lawler said. “I’m going to be mentally fresher. It was a grind last year. It was something I haven’t done for a long time. It was busy. It was a lot of training. But I think I’m gonna be fresher. Now I have time to work on stuff, I’m not just trying to get in shape. I can work on my strength, I can work on my speed, I can work on my technique. It’s not all just getting ready for fighting an opponent. It’s really just concentrating on myself.”
Joe Schilling is already one of the best kickboxers in the world. Last year, he made his Bellator MMA debut with a Knockout of the Year candidate against of Melvin Manhoef. And “Stitch ‘Em Up” might not be done there.
Schilling told MMAFight…
Joe Schilling is already one of the best kickboxers in the world. Last year, he made his Bellator MMA debut with a Knockout of the Year candidate against of Melvin Manhoef. And “Stitch ‘Em Up” might not be done there.
Schilling told MMAFighting.com that he would love to compete in Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions promotion, which will air on Spike TV along with Schilling’s other two organizations: Glory World Series and Bellator.
“If I fight in a ring, I expect to win,” Schilling said. “If I fight in a cage, I expect to win. If I fight in a parking lot, I expect to win. It’s all pretty much the same thing with different rules.”
First up, though, Schilling has a matchup with Robert Thomas at Glory 19 on Friday night in Hampton, Va. After that, the Ohio native and Los Angeles resident said he could take a Bellator fight as early as March or April.
“I have a lot of good opportunities coming up right now,” Schilling said. “There’s a lot of buzz behind me and I’ve got some big goals with 2015 and they all start with Feb. 6.”
If Schilling, 31, has his way, you’ll be hearing a lot about him this year in all three sports. The highlight-reel striker says he wants to be “the Donald Cerrone of Spike TV.” Cerrone, a UFC star, is known for fighting as often as possible, including two fights in a span of three weeks last month.
“I feel like I’m at the age now where I’m focused enough and mature enough to do it,” Schilling said. “And I really feel like this is gonna be my big year.”
Schilling made it to the Glory 17 Last Man Standing tournament finals last June, beating Wayne Barrett and Simon Marcus. He fell to Artem Levin in the championship bout.
Levin is the same guy that Schilling brought into camp as a sparring partner for Nick Diaz in advance of Diaz’s UFC 183 bout with Anderson Silva last week. Schilling has worked with Diaz regularly for more than a year now, training MMA up in Stockton, Calif., with Cesar Gracie, Gilbert Melendez and the Skrap Pack. Schilling also trains regularly with Lorenz Larkin at Millenia MMA in Rancho Cucamonga.
“Every day I’m trying to get better on the ground, get better with my wrestling,” Schilling said.
He didn’t need that at Bellator 131 on Nov. 15 against Manhoef, who he starched with a massive right hook-left hook combination. It’s likely that Bellator will continue to match him up with strikers, which could be bad news for those particular middleweights. Schilling said he is open to bouts with guys like Alexander Shlemenko and former UFC veterans.
Schilling has been kickboxing for a decade and was stunned about the attention he got from one major MMA fight that wasn’t even a main event.
“I always knew there was a much bigger market for MMA than kickboxing, but I never really knew how much it was,” he said.
Of course, his first sport is always going to be kickboxing and the up-and-coming Thomas represents a quandary. It’s almost a lose-lose. Schilling is a rising star in two sports and Thomas is largely an unknown. A defeat would be difficult to take for Schilling’s plan of a huge 2015.
“He’s a young, hungry up-and-comer like I was,” Schilling said. “So I know how dangerous those guys can be. I’m not looking past him at all. I used to overlook guys like that and every time I did that, it came back to bite me in the ass. It just makes him a more dangerous guy, because from my experience I don’t enjoy making other people famous. I don’t want to be the only good name on somebody’s win column.”
A win over Thomas is a key to the future — and just the beginning for Schilling. If he has his way, this year will be by far the biggest of his career. And not just in Glory — Bellator and Premier Boxing Champions, too.
“I’m down for it,” Schilling said. “I’m at a point now where I’m working with the right people. I have the right people around me and I’m here to be successful in all three.”
Unfortunately for kickboxing diehards, there was no epic finish to the hotly anticipated Rico Verhoeven-Errol Zimmerman trilogy at Glory 19 on Friday night.
