Jay Hieron’s fighting career mirrors the initial path he took to the cage – trying and difficult, but one that builds character and resolve.
Over the last 10 years and 29 fights, the Freeport, New York native who now calls Las Vegas home has fought in every major organization that has set up shop in the United States, and a handful of the best regional promotions too.
He scored a win over Adam Lynn at WEC 15, won welterweight gold in the IFL, and defeated Jason High at Affliction: Day of Reckoning before posting two wins under the pre-Zuffa-owned Strikeforce banner. After that, Hieron worked his way through a Bellator tournament, and made a one-fight stop on the regional circuit again before returning to the UFC for the first time in seven years (plus two days) when he shared the Octagon with Jake Ellenberger this past October.
It has been a long and winding road back to the biggest stage in the sport, but it’s all just another stretch of land in the journey of the fighter whose driver’s license reads James Hieronymous.
“I kind of wish I had stuck with the Hieronymous; it kind of sounds like a gladiator,” laughed Hieron, who shorted his surname when he began fighting. “My whole life growing up in wrestling, I just didn’t want to come into a professional sport – I knew they would have gotten it right after a while, but it’s still a name that you’ve got to say over and over again. I cut it short to Hieron and people still get that wrong, so it’s all good. Jay Hieron is what it is; short, to the point, and I’m rolling with it. But Hieronymous does sound like a gladiator.”
Adopting a “nom de punch,” if you will, weren’t the only life changes the now 36-year-old fighter has made over the years, much of which Hieron detailed in a 2008 multi-part series for the Xtreme Couture website.
After a strong high school wrestling career at Freeport High School, and a Junior College National Championship in 1997 (158-pound division) with Nassau Community College, Hieron moved on to nearby Hofstra. He had his sights set on Nationals heading into his senior year, but never made it to the mats – a pre-season drug test came back positive, and a new school rule disqualified him for the year.
Without wrestling, Hieron became immersed in the drug game, buying and selling marijuana, while telling his family the money he was making came from buying, restoring, and re-selling cars. He lived two lives – driving a beat-up old car at home, and a Mercedes Benz around Baldwin, where he kept an apartment and the collection of vehicular toys he’d acquired.
He reconnected with fellow Long Island native Phil Baroni, who he knew from his high school wrestling days, and helped the man now known simply as “The New York Bad Ass” prepare for some of his early fights.
In the fall of 2000, Hieron was arrested, and faced a mandatory six-year prison sentence. He pled guilty and avoided jail time, receiving five years probation instead. That life ended right then and there, and his life as a professional fighter began. He’s been training and fighting ever since.
“For me it’s a journey, and I’m still on the road of the journey, I guess,” admitted Hieron of the trials and tribulations he’s faced both inside and outside of the cage. “I’ve never had anything given to me in this game, and I had to work for what little I have gotten, but I’m in it for the long haul. If I was in it for the short sprint, I’d be done with this game for sure, but for me, this is my lifestyle.
“Anything I’m going through in my life, I can go to the gym and release. I’m not just a guy doing it for the wrong reasons, which makes everything else kind of smooth out. I’ve been through a lot, and (it’s really just) one day at a time. I feel like the stuff I go through, I get through it, and it makes me stronger. I’m still here, and I think the best is still yet to come.”
Next up for Hieron is a showdown with former Strikeforce welterweight title challenger Tyron Woodley, who steps into the UFC 156 matchup as an injury replacement for Brazilian prospect Erick Silva. As much as Hieron was ready to do battle with the young up-and-comer Silva, he’s equally ready to be the man to welcome Woodley to the UFC as well.
“I think the fight with Erick was a great matchup,” reflected the long-time Xtreme Couture fixture. “For me, I was going to go try to break him, and go off what (Jon) Fitch did with him, which was keep grinding him. I feel I’m a little more well-rounded than Fitch. I could have stood with him more, picked him apart, and grinded on him with takedown and ground-and-pound. Wherever the fight would have led, I could have grinded him out.
“With Tyron, he’s a different style – he a wrestler. He takes guys down and does a lot of laying on them. I’m prepared for that too. I think one of my best attributes is that I’m one of the hardest guys to hold down, so that’s not really an issue. First he has to get me there, and that’s hard to do. I wrestled my whole life, so wrestling is my foundation too. I think I bring more well roundedness to the game, but it’s another fight. He’s a tough guy. I’m well prepared, I’m confident, and I’m ready to fight.”
The two got into an entertaining back-and-forth on Twitter when the switch from Silva to Woodley was announced, with Hieron expressing his desire to deliver a Fight of the Night worthy performance, and asking the former University of Missouri wrestling standout to “leave the blanket @ home” in the process.
“Fans want to see it, and it doesn’t bother me,” Hieron said of the pre-fight banter, whether real or the 140-character-maximum kind. “If a guy’s talking, I can talk with the best of them too, and I can show up on fight night with the best of them. I’m for respectful fighters, but if you want to talk some smack, I’m up for that too.
“I just told Tyron straight up – let’s put on a fun fight. Don’t just try to bring a blanket in and lay on me. I train very hard; I’m ready for whatever happens in the fight, so let’s go. Let’s do it.”
Saturday night’s contest with Woodley gives Hieron a fourth chance at securing his first UFC victory. To date, the Octagon is the only place he’s yet to earn a victory.
He lost his debut with the company at UFC 48 in June 2004 to an undefeated French-Canadian fighter named Georges St-Pierre, and then battled another French-Canadian welterweight, Jonathan Goulet, in one of the most bloody fights in UFC history in October 2005, losing when the fight was stopped on the advice of the doctor 65 seconds into the third round.
After his return appearance against Ellenberger was pushed back a month following the cancellation of UFC 151, Hieron dropped a unanimous decision to “The Juggernaut” in Minnesota with scores of 29-28 across the board.
Having waited seven years to finally set foot inside the UFC cage again, coming up just short could have been a difficult disappointment to overcome. As he’s done throughout his life, however, Hieron has simply moved forward, ready to build off the performance.
“I was sour on it for a few – I thought I won the fight – but it was close, so whatever,” said Hieron of his October loss to Ellenberger. “I think I could have pushed a little harder in the third, but from my standpoint, I feel that I controlled the fight. I out-struck him on the feet; he took me down, but couldn’t control me.
“Jake fought a totally opposite fight of what I showed up on the day to fight. I take my hat off to him for that. He had a game plan. He laid back. Every fight, you see Jake comes forward, he’s aggressive, he’s pushing; that’s what I trained for, so sometimes you’ve got to switch up in a fight because you never know what’s going to happen. I’m prepared for that now.
“It was close though. I’m not going back-and-forth over this; I’m not going to hold those weights with me. I’ve dropped them, and moved forward. I’ve got a new opponent in front of me now, and I can’t wait for the night.”
With 29 learning experiences inside the cage already under his belt, and far more than that accumulated in his years before fighting, all that’s left for Hieron to do now is get that elusive first win in the UFC Saturday night in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas.
“I’m definitely bringing it,” said Hieron. “I’m back in the UFC – the biggest promotion – which is great, and I feel I match up well with anybody in the division. I’m ready to go – feeling as sharp as ever, and I’m 100 percent ready for fight night.
“Victory, baby; victory.”
Jay Hieron’s fighting career mirrors the initial path he took to the cage – trying and difficult, but one that builds character and resolve.
Over the last 10 years and 29 fights, the Freeport, New York native who now calls Las Vegas home has fought in every major organization that has set up shop in the United States, and a handful of the best regional promotions too.
He scored a win over Adam Lynn at WEC 15, won welterweight gold in the IFL, and defeated Jason High at Affliction: Day of Reckoning before posting two wins under the pre-Zuffa-owned Strikeforce banner. After that, Hieron worked his way through a Bellator tournament, and made a one-fight stop on the regional circuit again before returning to the UFC for the first time in seven years (plus two days) when he shared the Octagon with Jake Ellenberger this past October.
It has been a long and winding road back to the biggest stage in the sport, but it’s all just another stretch of land in the journey of the fighter whose driver’s license reads James Hieronymous.
“I kind of wish I had stuck with the Hieronymous; it kind of sounds like a gladiator,” laughed Hieron, who shorted his surname when he began fighting. “My whole life growing up in wrestling, I just didn’t want to come into a professional sport – I knew they would have gotten it right after a while, but it’s still a name that you’ve got to say over and over again. I cut it short to Hieron and people still get that wrong, so it’s all good. Jay Hieron is what it is; short, to the point, and I’m rolling with it. But Hieronymous does sound like a gladiator.”
Adopting a “nom de punch,” if you will, weren’t the only life changes the now 36-year-old fighter has made over the years, much of which Hieron detailed in a 2008 multi-part series for the Xtreme Couture website.
After a strong high school wrestling career at Freeport High School, and a Junior College National Championship in 1997 (158-pound division) with Nassau Community College, Hieron moved on to nearby Hofstra. He had his sights set on Nationals heading into his senior year, but never made it to the mats – a pre-season drug test came back positive, and a new school rule disqualified him for the year.
Without wrestling, Hieron became immersed in the drug game, buying and selling marijuana, while telling his family the money he was making came from buying, restoring, and re-selling cars. He lived two lives – driving a beat-up old car at home, and a Mercedes Benz around Baldwin, where he kept an apartment and the collection of vehicular toys he’d acquired.
He reconnected with fellow Long Island native Phil Baroni, who he knew from his high school wrestling days, and helped the man now known simply as “The New York Bad Ass” prepare for some of his early fights.
In the fall of 2000, Hieron was arrested, and faced a mandatory six-year prison sentence. He pled guilty and avoided jail time, receiving five years probation instead. That life ended right then and there, and his life as a professional fighter began. He’s been training and fighting ever since.
“For me it’s a journey, and I’m still on the road of the journey, I guess,” admitted Hieron of the trials and tribulations he’s faced both inside and outside of the cage. “I’ve never had anything given to me in this game, and I had to work for what little I have gotten, but I’m in it for the long haul. If I was in it for the short sprint, I’d be done with this game for sure, but for me, this is my lifestyle.
“Anything I’m going through in my life, I can go to the gym and release. I’m not just a guy doing it for the wrong reasons, which makes everything else kind of smooth out. I’ve been through a lot, and (it’s really just) one day at a time. I feel like the stuff I go through, I get through it, and it makes me stronger. I’m still here, and I think the best is still yet to come.”
Next up for Hieron is a showdown with former Strikeforce welterweight title challenger Tyron Woodley, who steps into the UFC 156 matchup as an injury replacement for Brazilian prospect Erick Silva. As much as Hieron was ready to do battle with the young up-and-comer Silva, he’s equally ready to be the man to welcome Woodley to the UFC as well.
“I think the fight with Erick was a great matchup,” reflected the long-time Xtreme Couture fixture. “For me, I was going to go try to break him, and go off what (Jon) Fitch did with him, which was keep grinding him. I feel I’m a little more well-rounded than Fitch. I could have stood with him more, picked him apart, and grinded on him with takedown and ground-and-pound. Wherever the fight would have led, I could have grinded him out.
“With Tyron, he’s a different style – he a wrestler. He takes guys down and does a lot of laying on them. I’m prepared for that too. I think one of my best attributes is that I’m one of the hardest guys to hold down, so that’s not really an issue. First he has to get me there, and that’s hard to do. I wrestled my whole life, so wrestling is my foundation too. I think I bring more well roundedness to the game, but it’s another fight. He’s a tough guy. I’m well prepared, I’m confident, and I’m ready to fight.”
The two got into an entertaining back-and-forth on Twitter when the switch from Silva to Woodley was announced, with Hieron expressing his desire to deliver a Fight of the Night worthy performance, and asking the former University of Missouri wrestling standout to “leave the blanket @ home” in the process.
“Fans want to see it, and it doesn’t bother me,” Hieron said of the pre-fight banter, whether real or the 140-character-maximum kind. “If a guy’s talking, I can talk with the best of them too, and I can show up on fight night with the best of them. I’m for respectful fighters, but if you want to talk some smack, I’m up for that too.
“I just told Tyron straight up – let’s put on a fun fight. Don’t just try to bring a blanket in and lay on me. I train very hard; I’m ready for whatever happens in the fight, so let’s go. Let’s do it.”
Saturday night’s contest with Woodley gives Hieron a fourth chance at securing his first UFC victory. To date, the Octagon is the only place he’s yet to earn a victory.
He lost his debut with the company at UFC 48 in June 2004 to an undefeated French-Canadian fighter named Georges St-Pierre, and then battled another French-Canadian welterweight, Jonathan Goulet, in one of the most bloody fights in UFC history in October 2005, losing when the fight was stopped on the advice of the doctor 65 seconds into the third round.
After his return appearance against Ellenberger was pushed back a month following the cancellation of UFC 151, Hieron dropped a unanimous decision to “The Juggernaut” in Minnesota with scores of 29-28 across the board.
Having waited seven years to finally set foot inside the UFC cage again, coming up just short could have been a difficult disappointment to overcome. As he’s done throughout his life, however, Hieron has simply moved forward, ready to build off the performance.
“I was sour on it for a few – I thought I won the fight – but it was close, so whatever,” said Hieron of his October loss to Ellenberger. “I think I could have pushed a little harder in the third, but from my standpoint, I feel that I controlled the fight. I out-struck him on the feet; he took me down, but couldn’t control me.
“Jake fought a totally opposite fight of what I showed up on the day to fight. I take my hat off to him for that. He had a game plan. He laid back. Every fight, you see Jake comes forward, he’s aggressive, he’s pushing; that’s what I trained for, so sometimes you’ve got to switch up in a fight because you never know what’s going to happen. I’m prepared for that now.
“It was close though. I’m not going back-and-forth over this; I’m not going to hold those weights with me. I’ve dropped them, and moved forward. I’ve got a new opponent in front of me now, and I can’t wait for the night.”
With 29 learning experiences inside the cage already under his belt, and far more than that accumulated in his years before fighting, all that’s left for Hieron to do now is get that elusive first win in the UFC Saturday night in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas.
“I’m definitely bringing it,” said Hieron. “I’m back in the UFC – the biggest promotion – which is great, and I feel I match up well with anybody in the division. I’m ready to go – feeling as sharp as ever, and I’m 100 percent ready for fight night.
Nine months ago, prior to his first fight in the UFC’s new flyweight division, the long-time Team Jackson-Winkeljohn representative unveiled his ambitious plans for world domination: three titles in three different weight classes, starting with the flyweight belt.
Like the genius half of the genetically-modified cartoon duo, Dodson was dreaming big, and he had already crafted the blueprint for how to turn his dreams into reality all laid out in his head. He’d start with the flyweight title, and work his way up, sticking around each division long enough to defend the title a couple times and solidify his standing as champion prior to moving up in weight to conquer another weight class.
Like the hyperactive, happy-go-lucky half of the greatest mouse tag team in history, the 28-year-old veteran was also just happy to finally be competing on the biggest stage in the sport, hopeful that he could entertain the masses with his rambunctious brand of fighting.
Saturday night, Dodson will get to indulge both halves of his cartoon alter-egos when he steps onto the biggest stage of his career opposite Demetrious Johnson in a battle for the UFC flyweight title live on FOX.
“Not that many people get to do it. It’s one of the things every fighter dreams about,” admitted Dodson in a deliberate, reflective manner, a departure for the man who usually speaks as quickly as he moves inside the cage. “Not only am I headlining an event – a major event – I’m headlining on national TV. People can go watch it on FOX. Shoot, I get to fight on one of the biggest stages across the globe; not just this nation – across the globe.
“I’m going to go out there with the biggest smile, dancing my way into the Octagon, and enjoying every single moment of it. I don’t know when I’m going to die, but I want to remember this moment forever.”
Getting the chance to fight for a UFC title is something Dodson wasn’t sure he was ever going to get to do in his career.
After being discussed and speculated about for some time, the flyweight division only came to life in the sport’s premier organization last March, when Johnson, Ian McCall, Joseph Benavidez, and Yasuhiro Urushitani ushered in the 125-pound ranks with the semifinal round of a four-man tournament to crown the division’s first champion.
And it was only a little more than a year earlier that the UFC adopted the featherweight and bantamweight classes as well, bringing over the 145- and 135-pound divisions from the WEC, a move that ended up giving Dodson the opening he needed to win his way onto the roster through Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter.
“I had a lot of ups and downs in this sport,” reflected Dodson, who started his career in 2004. “Coming into the UFC, coming onto The Ultimate Fighter, I always wondered if there was going to be a light at the end of the tunnel for me. I was sitting in the dark wondering where I was going to go, what I was going to do. When the big fights were going to come through? Do I have to go up a weight class? Should I retire and get a real job?
“I never wanted to (walk away). These are my dreams, and they’ve started to come true, and that’s why I smile so much every time I’m in the Octagon, walking out, getting punched. I feel like I’m getting to fulfill my dreams.
“I actually stayed because of coaching,” continued the 15-5 flyweight title challenger. “Coaching everyone else kept me motivated to fight myself. It helped me stay in the game when all those guys are telling me how much they want to see me fight, and understanding what I was going through. Helping those other fighters learn and get better, they were the ones encouraging me to stay in the game, and keep looking for fights.”
That’s part of what makes Saturday night in Chicago so special for Dodson.
Along with “The Magician,” this weekend’s fight card for the UFC’s return to FOX features several other members of the Jackson-Winkeljohn fight team Dodson has been an integral part of for his entire career.
“It makes it so much better for me because I get to enjoy it with my team,” said Dodson, who will follow teammates Shawn Jordan, Clay Guida, and Donald Cerrone into the cage on Saturday night. A fifth member of the team, middleweight Buddy Roberts, was scheduled to compete, but was forced out of his bout with Michael Kuiper due to an illness. “The people that have been helping me grow as a fighter are going to be there – my teammates, my coaches, my family – and they’re all going to be supporting me, and watching me go out there. That’s all I care about.”
It might be what he cares most about heading into tomorrow night’s meeting with Johnson, but it’s not really all the charismatic contender cares about.
Dodson also cares deeply about exciting the crowd and giving them their money’s worth when he takes to the cage. Thus far, the flyweights have received a rather frosty reception, with Johnson and Benavidez fighting for a place in the history books to a soundtrack of boos in Toronto, while Dodson and Jussier “Formiga” da Silva received a similar response when they fought a month later in Minneapolis.
“It’s heartbreaking to tell you the truth,” Dodson said of the competing with a chorus of boos echoing throughout the arena. “To always hear them booing makes you want to try and step up, do something impressive so they can start cheering. You always want the fans on your side throughout the fight – it gives you that extra motivation, that extra boost when you’re down and out.
““With Formiga, he’s a tough opponent, and I was trying to take it technical, but apparently the fans don’t like it when you think. They want you to give them mayhem and carnage all the time.”
Dodson eventually delivered carnage, stopping the highly respected Brazilian newcomer with a flurry of punishment late in the second round to vault himself into position opposite Johnson.
It’s a fight that Dodson has been eying for the last year, and not solely because a win would bring him the first of the three titles he ambitiously hopes to acquire over his career.
He and “Mighty Mouse” are viewed as two of the fastest competitors in the UFC, and a bout between the two has the potential to be a frenetic blend of kicks and punches, takedowns and scrambles; technique and precision mixed with calculated risk-taking, all delivered at 100 miles per hour.
“We’re going to be moving so fast that you have no room for error,” assessed Dodson. “It’s going to come down to who comes out on top in those scrambles. Who cuts better corners? Who can make the tighter punches? Who can have a shorter distance on their takedowns? Who can pick them up faster? Who can hit his reversal or sweep? Who can attack first off a break?
“Those are all going to be things that are major, major factors in this fight because Demetrious is so technically sound he can keep people in a slow pace when he’s moving backwards so that they drop their guard, and then he attacks. We’ll see if I can capitalize on that or if he can capitalize on something I’m going to do.
“I know he’s going to use everything in his arsenal and try to really push for those takedowns. His level changes are among the best in the game, so knowing that I have to compete with such a strong wrestler, I have to be able to be ready for that, and prepare for me scrambles. I had to go back to basics with my own wrestling – doing sprawls, getting back my speed, having fast shots, and fast defense – just so I can compete with this dude. I want to make sure we have a good fight and I can match him in every area to the point where I have no disadvantages in any area, and it can be a straight-up brawl.
“I’m going to hit him as many times as I can, and one of those is going to put him down. I’m either going to hit him with a body shot or one to the face – probably a combination of both. Maybe I’ll hit him with a “Dragon Punch” like in Dragon Ball Z.”
For the animated flyweight challenger, emerging from the cage victorious on Saturday night would be validation of his persistence, and a realization of one his dreams.
Winning UFC gold is a life-changing experience and a career-defining moment, but as much as Dodson will revel in the excitement if he defeats Johnson, it’s not going to change his long-term plans.
“To tell you the truth – I would probably be the happiest man in the world at that time. It probably wouldn’t really hit me until two weeks later that I’m the actual champion, but at that point in time, it would be one of those life-changing events. It’d be like winning the lottery, and not the little lottery where you win $7 million – the one where you win $746 million.”
Dodson releases a rapid-fire laugh, and then unveils more of his blueprint for dominating the UFC’s three lightest weight classes.
“If I do win the title, I want to defend it a couple times so I can solidify my championship status. You’re not a real champion until you defend the belt. I want to do that in each weight class. If I can do that at 125, I would like to go up, win that belt, defend it a couple times, and go back down to ’25, defend that again, and then go up to 145.”
In other words, as much as waking up with the flyweight championship in his possession on Sunday morning will be something he’ll never forget, come Sunday night – and every night after that – the plan remains the same: try to take over the world.
Nine months ago, prior to his first fight in the UFC’s new flyweight division, the long-time Team Jackson-Winkeljohn representative unveiled his ambitious plans for world domination: three titles in three different weight classes, starting with the flyweight belt.
Like the genius half of the genetically-modified cartoon duo, Dodson was dreaming big, and he had already crafted the blueprint for how to turn his dreams into reality all laid out in his head. He’d start with the flyweight title, and work his way up, sticking around each division long enough to defend the title a couple times and solidify his standing as champion prior to moving up in weight to conquer another weight class.
Like the hyperactive, happy-go-lucky half of the greatest mouse tag team in history, the 28-year-old veteran was also just happy to finally be competing on the biggest stage in the sport, hopeful that he could entertain the masses with his rambunctious brand of fighting.
Saturday night, Dodson will get to indulge both halves of his cartoon alter-egos when he steps onto the biggest stage of his career opposite Demetrious Johnson in a battle for the UFC flyweight title live on FOX.
“Not that many people get to do it. It’s one of the things every fighter dreams about,” admitted Dodson in a deliberate, reflective manner, a departure for the man who usually speaks as quickly as he moves inside the cage. “Not only am I headlining an event – a major event – I’m headlining on national TV. People can go watch it on FOX. Shoot, I get to fight on one of the biggest stages across the globe; not just this nation – across the globe.
“I’m going to go out there with the biggest smile, dancing my way into the Octagon, and enjoying every single moment of it. I don’t know when I’m going to die, but I want to remember this moment forever.”
Getting the chance to fight for a UFC title is something Dodson wasn’t sure he was ever going to get to do in his career.
After being discussed and speculated about for some time, the flyweight division only came to life in the sport’s premier organization last March, when Johnson, Ian McCall, Joseph Benavidez, and Yasuhiro Urushitani ushered in the 125-pound ranks with the semifinal round of a four-man tournament to crown the division’s first champion.
And it was only a little more than a year earlier that the UFC adopted the featherweight and bantamweight classes as well, bringing over the 145- and 135-pound divisions from the WEC, a move that ended up giving Dodson the opening he needed to win his way onto the roster through Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter.
“I had a lot of ups and downs in this sport,” reflected Dodson, who started his career in 2004. “Coming into the UFC, coming onto The Ultimate Fighter, I always wondered if there was going to be a light at the end of the tunnel for me. I was sitting in the dark wondering where I was going to go, what I was going to do. When the big fights were going to come through? Do I have to go up a weight class? Should I retire and get a real job?
“I never wanted to (walk away). These are my dreams, and they’ve started to come true, and that’s why I smile so much every time I’m in the Octagon, walking out, getting punched. I feel like I’m getting to fulfill my dreams.
“I actually stayed because of coaching,” continued the 15-5 flyweight title challenger. “Coaching everyone else kept me motivated to fight myself. It helped me stay in the game when all those guys are telling me how much they want to see me fight, and understanding what I was going through. Helping those other fighters learn and get better, they were the ones encouraging me to stay in the game, and keep looking for fights.”
That’s part of what makes Saturday night in Chicago so special for Dodson.
Along with “The Magician,” this weekend’s fight card for the UFC’s return to FOX features several other members of the Jackson-Winkeljohn fight team Dodson has been an integral part of for his entire career.
“It makes it so much better for me because I get to enjoy it with my team,” said Dodson, who will follow teammates Shawn Jordan, Clay Guida, and Donald Cerrone into the cage on Saturday night. A fifth member of the team, middleweight Buddy Roberts, was scheduled to compete, but was forced out of his bout with Michael Kuiper due to an illness. “The people that have been helping me grow as a fighter are going to be there – my teammates, my coaches, my family – and they’re all going to be supporting me, and watching me go out there. That’s all I care about.”
It might be what he cares most about heading into tomorrow night’s meeting with Johnson, but it’s not really all the charismatic contender cares about.
Dodson also cares deeply about exciting the crowd and giving them their money’s worth when he takes to the cage. Thus far, the flyweights have received a rather frosty reception, with Johnson and Benavidez fighting for a place in the history books to a soundtrack of boos in Toronto, while Dodson and Jussier “Formiga” da Silva received a similar response when they fought a month later in Minneapolis.
“It’s heartbreaking to tell you the truth,” Dodson said of the competing with a chorus of boos echoing throughout the arena. “To always hear them booing makes you want to try and step up, do something impressive so they can start cheering. You always want the fans on your side throughout the fight – it gives you that extra motivation, that extra boost when you’re down and out.
““With Formiga, he’s a tough opponent, and I was trying to take it technical, but apparently the fans don’t like it when you think. They want you to give them mayhem and carnage all the time.”
Dodson eventually delivered carnage, stopping the highly respected Brazilian newcomer with a flurry of punishment late in the second round to vault himself into position opposite Johnson.
It’s a fight that Dodson has been eying for the last year, and not solely because a win would bring him the first of the three titles he ambitiously hopes to acquire over his career.
He and “Mighty Mouse” are viewed as two of the fastest competitors in the UFC, and a bout between the two has the potential to be a frenetic blend of kicks and punches, takedowns and scrambles; technique and precision mixed with calculated risk-taking, all delivered at 100 miles per hour.
“We’re going to be moving so fast that you have no room for error,” assessed Dodson. “It’s going to come down to who comes out on top in those scrambles. Who cuts better corners? Who can make the tighter punches? Who can have a shorter distance on their takedowns? Who can pick them up faster? Who can hit his reversal or sweep? Who can attack first off a break?
“Those are all going to be things that are major, major factors in this fight because Demetrious is so technically sound he can keep people in a slow pace when he’s moving backwards so that they drop their guard, and then he attacks. We’ll see if I can capitalize on that or if he can capitalize on something I’m going to do.
“I know he’s going to use everything in his arsenal and try to really push for those takedowns. His level changes are among the best in the game, so knowing that I have to compete with such a strong wrestler, I have to be able to be ready for that, and prepare for me scrambles. I had to go back to basics with my own wrestling – doing sprawls, getting back my speed, having fast shots, and fast defense – just so I can compete with this dude. I want to make sure we have a good fight and I can match him in every area to the point where I have no disadvantages in any area, and it can be a straight-up brawl.
“I’m going to hit him as many times as I can, and one of those is going to put him down. I’m either going to hit him with a body shot or one to the face – probably a combination of both. Maybe I’ll hit him with a “Dragon Punch” like in Dragon Ball Z.”
For the animated flyweight challenger, emerging from the cage victorious on Saturday night would be validation of his persistence, and a realization of one his dreams.
Winning UFC gold is a life-changing experience and a career-defining moment, but as much as Dodson will revel in the excitement if he defeats Johnson, it’s not going to change his long-term plans.
“To tell you the truth – I would probably be the happiest man in the world at that time. It probably wouldn’t really hit me until two weeks later that I’m the actual champion, but at that point in time, it would be one of those life-changing events. It’d be like winning the lottery, and not the little lottery where you win $7 million – the one where you win $746 million.”
Dodson releases a rapid-fire laugh, and then unveils more of his blueprint for dominating the UFC’s three lightest weight classes.
“If I do win the title, I want to defend it a couple times so I can solidify my championship status. You’re not a real champion until you defend the belt. I want to do that in each weight class. If I can do that at 125, I would like to go up, win that belt, defend it a couple times, and go back down to ’25, defend that again, and then go up to 145.”
In other words, as much as waking up with the flyweight championship in his possession on Sunday morning will be something he’ll never forget, come Sunday night – and every night after that – the plan remains the same: try to take over the world.
It’s not in his nature; it’s not who he is, even though the public perception of “who he is” underwent a major makeover back in September.
Four months ago, Johnson made history, becoming the inaugural UFC flyweight champion when he earned a split decision win over Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152 in Toronto. The victory vaulted the 26-year-old Washington resident to new levels of recognition, and earned him a place in the pantheon of the sport’s elite.
Saturday night, the man known as “Mighty Mouse” will step into the cage to defend his title for the first time, squaring off with former Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson in the main event of the UFC’s first event on FOX in 2013.
Headlining a nationally televised fight card on network TV is another new perk for Johnson, but just like everything else that has come with winning the title, the humble flyweight titleholder is taking it all in stride.
“FOX is a huge, national broadcast out to lots of people, and I love that, but for me, it doesn’t change anything,” said Johnson. “I’m going to go out there and fight. I told somebody that if I were fighting on PBS, I would still fight the same. A fight is a fight, whether the title is on the line or not. I’m ready to go out there and do my thing. Go to work.
“The belt is just a token of (something I accomplished) in my mixed martial arts career. I made history, and no one can ever take that away from me. Now I’m just looking forward to beating people.”
For some athletes, reaching the pinnacle of their profession can foster a sense of complacency. Having achieved their ultimate dream, the intensity and focus that carried them to the top of the mountain doesn’t always remain once they start to enjoy the view. The expectations, responsibilities, and opportunities that come with being a champion start to take away from time spent in the gym.
In a sport where the difference between victory and defeat can be a fraction of a second or the slightest head movement, even a momentary pause to indulge in the perks and privileges afforded to superstars and champions can have an impact.
That’s why despite his championship victory, Johnson has remained as committed as ever, driven not by the lure of the spotlight, but the full-time job he left behind not that long ago.
“I know in the back of my head that someday I might have to go back to work full-time,” admitted Johnson, who only stopped working a full-time job just prior to his bantamweight title fight with Dominick Cruz in October 2011. “My drive and motivation is to not have to go back to that, so that’s why I love to train hard and love to fight. As long as my body will hold up, I’ll fight as long as I can. I don’t have a problem training hard or taking fights. My job is to fight. As long as I can keep on doing that, and not have to go back to my old job, I would love to do that.
Despite his status as champion, Johnson views his career as only a part of his life, and he remains committed to making sure that his family will be taken care of when his time in the cage comes to an end.
“There is more to life than fighting. You need an outlet. For me, that’s my family. My wife does a good job of making me keep my mind off of the fight, and I love to spend time with her,” said Johnson, who married his long-time girlfriend Destiny last May in Hawaii.
“Even Dana White says it. At the last Fighter Summit, he said, `You guys have to save money, make sure you’re smart with your money, pay your taxes because this is only one phase of your life. There are going to be other phases of your life once you’re done fighting, and you have to be prepared for that.’”
Though he’s thinking ahead to life after fighting, Johnson’s primary focus is on making an impact in the sport while he can, a task he resumes Saturday night when he shares the cage with Dodson on FOX.
“I just think about training hard, staying healthy and always evolving and better. Five, six years down the road, I plan on still fighting and hopefully still being dominant. And after my time’s done, when I’m at the end of my career, just hope that everybody looks at me as one of the best fighters in the world.
“He (Dodson) is super-athletic, and he has a great sense of style, and he likes to go out there and fight. I think it’s going to be a great fight between John and me because we both have great skill sets, and we’re just going to have to find out January 26th and see what happens.”
When asked to break down how his first title defense would play out, Johnson responded with a unique, but fitting answer, given his blue-collar, go-to-work mentality.
“I just look forward to a long night. That’s what I would tell myself when I started fighting my amateur days,” he explained. “When I fought Dominick (Cruz), when I fought Brad Pickett, when I fought my first amateur fight – I just told myself to look forward to a long night.”
Whether it ends in the first minute or after five grueling rounds, Johnson is going to be prepared. While he won’t predict when or how Saturday’s main event will go – “I’m not a man who gives predictions.” – he did have one final message to share with the fans.
“This is going to be a great fight – don’t miss it.”
It’s not in his nature; it’s not who he is, even though the public perception of “who he is” underwent a major makeover back in September.
Four months ago, Johnson made history, becoming the inaugural UFC flyweight champion when he earned a split decision win over Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152 in Toronto. The victory vaulted the 26-year-old Washington resident to new levels of recognition, and earned him a place in the pantheon of the sport’s elite.
Saturday night, the man known as “Mighty Mouse” will step into the cage to defend his title for the first time, squaring off with former Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson in the main event of the UFC’s first event on FOX in 2013.
Headlining a nationally televised fight card on network TV is another new perk for Johnson, but just like everything else that has come with winning the title, the humble flyweight titleholder is taking it all in stride.
“FOX is a huge, national broadcast out to lots of people, and I love that, but for me, it doesn’t change anything,” said Johnson. “I’m going to go out there and fight. I told somebody that if I were fighting on PBS, I would still fight the same. A fight is a fight, whether the title is on the line or not. I’m ready to go out there and do my thing. Go to work.
“The belt is just a token of (something I accomplished) in my mixed martial arts career. I made history, and no one can ever take that away from me. Now I’m just looking forward to beating people.”
For some athletes, reaching the pinnacle of their profession can foster a sense of complacency. Having achieved their ultimate dream, the intensity and focus that carried them to the top of the mountain doesn’t always remain once they start to enjoy the view. The expectations, responsibilities, and opportunities that come with being a champion start to take away from time spent in the gym.
In a sport where the difference between victory and defeat can be a fraction of a second or the slightest head movement, even a momentary pause to indulge in the perks and privileges afforded to superstars and champions can have an impact.
That’s why despite his championship victory, Johnson has remained as committed as ever, driven not by the lure of the spotlight, but the full-time job he left behind not that long ago.
“I know in the back of my head that someday I might have to go back to work full-time,” admitted Johnson, who only stopped working a full-time job just prior to his bantamweight title fight with Dominick Cruz in October 2011. “My drive and motivation is to not have to go back to that, so that’s why I love to train hard and love to fight. As long as my body will hold up, I’ll fight as long as I can. I don’t have a problem training hard or taking fights. My job is to fight. As long as I can keep on doing that, and not have to go back to my old job, I would love to do that.
Despite his status as champion, Johnson views his career as only a part of his life, and he remains committed to making sure that his family will be taken care of when his time in the cage comes to an end.
“There is more to life than fighting. You need an outlet. For me, that’s my family. My wife does a good job of making me keep my mind off of the fight, and I love to spend time with her,” said Johnson, who married his long-time girlfriend Destiny last May in Hawaii.
“Even Dana White says it. At the last Fighter Summit, he said, `You guys have to save money, make sure you’re smart with your money, pay your taxes because this is only one phase of your life. There are going to be other phases of your life once you’re done fighting, and you have to be prepared for that.’”
Though he’s thinking ahead to life after fighting, Johnson’s primary focus is on making an impact in the sport while he can, a task he resumes Saturday night when he shares the cage with Dodson on FOX.
“I just think about training hard, staying healthy and always evolving and better. Five, six years down the road, I plan on still fighting and hopefully still being dominant. And after my time’s done, when I’m at the end of my career, just hope that everybody looks at me as one of the best fighters in the world.
“He (Dodson) is super-athletic, and he has a great sense of style, and he likes to go out there and fight. I think it’s going to be a great fight between John and me because we both have great skill sets, and we’re just going to have to find out January 26th and see what happens.”
When asked to break down how his first title defense would play out, Johnson responded with a unique, but fitting answer, given his blue-collar, go-to-work mentality.
“I just look forward to a long night. That’s what I would tell myself when I started fighting my amateur days,” he explained. “When I fought Dominick (Cruz), when I fought Brad Pickett, when I fought my first amateur fight – I just told myself to look forward to a long night.”
Whether it ends in the first minute or after five grueling rounds, Johnson is going to be prepared. While he won’t predict when or how Saturday’s main event will go – “I’m not a man who gives predictions.” – he did have one final message to share with the fans.
“This is going to be a great fight – don’t miss it.”
He’s stepped into the cage, heard Bruce Buffer announce his name, and listened to the United Center erupt into a thunderous ovation, cheering on their native son in the biggest fight of his career. He’s heard the referee start the fight, walked to the center of the cage to touch gloves with his latest adversary, and started in on the task of winning his fourth consecutive fight since migrating to the 145-pound ranks nearly two summers ago.
He fought him in the clinch, on the ground, and in space. He’s fought him for a hard five minutes, rested for one, and gone right back into the fray to do it again. He’s gone 15 minutes at a fast pace, being the aggressor, not letting the Duke Roufus-trained 24-year-old find his rhythm.
Ricardo Lamas hasn’t stopped fighting Erik Koch in his mind since the two were officially announced as opponents for this weekend’s UFC on FOX card in Lamas’ hometown of Chicago, Illinois.
“I’ve thought about this fight a million times, and I’ve won it a million times,” explains Lamas, who has vaulted into contention in the featherweight division on the strength of back-to-back wins over Cub Swanson and Hatsu Hioki. “And on the 26th, I’m just going to have to make that dream come to fruition.”
The 30-year-old Lamas, who competed at lightweight throughout his six-fight run in the WEC, has seemingly emerged out of nowhere to be a force within the featherweight division. A little more than two years after losing to Yuri Alcantara in his final appearance at 155 pounds, Lamas has strung together three straight victories to quickly work his way up the ladder in the 145-pound ranks.
Despite dominating Matt Grice in his divisional debut, Lamas entered his bout with Swanson in November 2011 as the underdog. Even after submitting the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and Team Jackson-Winkeljohn standout midway through the second round, few gave Lamas a chance against perennial contender Hioki when they met last June.
Just as he did with Swanson, Lamas surprised fans and critics alike by upsetting the Japanese veteran. The only people who weren’t surprised were Lamas and his team.
“It’s felt really good,” Lamas says of the win over Hioki, “but it’s not something where I want to be the underdog so I can laugh in everybody’s face. When I go in there, I’m expecting to win. It doesn’t come as any surprise to me because I know what I’m capable of doing, and the people around me know what I’m capable of doing. It’s really nice to prove the critics wrong, but really, there’s no surprise on my end because I believe in myself.
“Ever since I started fighting, I’ve taken the underdog role in a lot of my fights. I’m confident there because most of the times I’ve been in that role I’ve come out on top. I’m a pretty mentally confident person. You can’t break me with talk or anything like that. I don’t let anyone else’s opinions about what kind of fighter I am, who I can beat, who I can’t beat get to me. Everybody who knows me believes in me, and that’s pretty much all I need.”
That steely resolve and his three-fight winning streak have carried him into Saturday’s main card opener against Koch, who was slated to fight champion Jose Aldo for the featherweight title at two different points last year, only to have the match scuttled by injuries – one Aldo’s, one his own – both times. The winner will likely be next in line to fight for the title, an implication that could ratchet up the pressure, but doesn’t, because Lamas was already viewing this fight as the biggest of his career for other reasons.
“Whether I would have been fighting for a #1 contender spot or coming off a loss, fighting at home makes it one of the biggest fights of my career because I just haven’t done it in so long,” explains Lamas, who last fought in Chicago in November 2008, his final bout before entering the WEC.
“Some people might see (fighting at home) as a negative because they’ll feel like they have a lot of pressure to perform in front of family and people that they know, but the more people that are there who know me and are supporting me, the better I’m going to do.
“I don’t really see any downside to fighting at home. I think I’m going to be more comfortable there. I’m going to be surrounded by people I’m comfortable with, and I’ll have the choice to sleep in my own bed,” he adds with a laugh. “If the UFC doesn’t need me – if I don’t have any interviews or I have the day off – I probably will go home and sleep in my own bed, but the night before the fight, I’ll stay at the hotel so I can sleep in, and not have to worry about driving downtown or to wherever we’re staying.”
Saturday’s contest brings Lamas’ career full circle, delivering into the cage in his hometown at the highest point of his career.
For “The Bully,” it’s validation that everything he’s poured into the sport over the last five years has been worth it, and a chance to announce himself as a legitimate title threat on national television. As has been the case throughout his career, the Elmhurst College graduate isn’t allowing himself to get caught up in the moment or think about anything other than the task at hand.
“It feels like all the hard work and everything that I’ve put into it is starting to pay off,” admits Lamas, who has pushed his record to 12-2 with his three victories inside the UFC cage, “but it’s something that I don’t let get into my head at all. I train even harder now, and I don’t look past anyone I’m fighting.
“I think that has been one of the keys to the success I’ve been having. I’m not thinking, ‘If I win this, I get a title shot.’ I’m just keeping my mind focused on this fight, and what happens afterwards will happen. A lot of people will look past a fight because of what could happen afterwards, but I’m really just 100-percent concentrating on Erik Koch.”
It has been that way since the fight was announced back in November.
Koch has been out of the cage since defeating Jonathan Brookins in September 2011, an injury bumping him from a UFC 143 matchup with fellow prospect Dustin Poirier prior to his championship dalliance with Aldo being postponed, and then ultimately cancelled.
Despite having been sidelined for more than 15 months, Lamas isn’t counting on ring rust to slow “New Breed” down on Saturday night when the two share the cage at “The Madhouse on Madison.” He also expects there to be a very vocal pro-Koch section in the United Center as well.
“He trains in Milwaukee, and I’m expecting the stadium to get pretty rowdy during our fight,” admits Lamas. “I’m fighting in my hometown, but he’s not from too far away. It’s going to be constant action, and the person who comes in better prepared is going to come away victorious.
“I think pushing the pace is my natural style, whether I’m fighting somebody coming off a long layoff or not. I really work hard at my conditioning and my cardio so that I can go for the entire fight. He has had a long time off, but he’s still been training, so he could have picked up some new things that we haven’t seen yet that he’s been perfecting while he’s been out.
“I’m expecting the best Erik Koch that we’ve seen out there; that’s what I’ve been training for. He’s a very dangerous fighter; a really young, talented guy. In the future, I’m sure he’s going to do great things, but I’m also a talented fighter, and we’re going to get in there and let it all go.”
Just as he’s envisioned the fight a million times, Lamas has seen himself winning every time. Saturday night, he plans to make that dream a reality, and replace the misery of another long, grueling training camp with the euphoric feeling that comes with standing victorious in the center of the cage.
“When you’re going through training camp, you hate it,” laughs Lamas. “I hate it, and I’m sure most other fighters do too. It’s a constant grind getting in the gym multiple times a day, and pushing your body every time you’re in there. By the end of your training camp, you’re like, `I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to train anymore.’
“When you win a fight and your hand is raised, it’s a very hard feeling to explain. It’s one of the most gratifying feelings that I’ve ever felt. It’s just all the hard work that you’ve put in – we train for 8-10 weeks for 15 minutes on one night, and we have to be on our game. Winning that fight makes everything you went through worth it.
“As soon as you get the win, you feel like you could go through another training camp right out of the gate. It makes everything feel worthwhile.”
He’s stepped into the cage, heard Bruce Buffer announce his name, and listened to the United Center erupt into a thunderous ovation, cheering on their native son in the biggest fight of his career. He’s heard the referee start the fight, walked to the center of the cage to touch gloves with his latest adversary, and started in on the task of winning his fourth consecutive fight since migrating to the 145-pound ranks nearly two summers ago.
He fought him in the clinch, on the ground, and in space. He’s fought him for a hard five minutes, rested for one, and gone right back into the fray to do it again. He’s gone 15 minutes at a fast pace, being the aggressor, not letting the Duke Roufus-trained 24-year-old find his rhythm.
Ricardo Lamas hasn’t stopped fighting Erik Koch in his mind since the two were officially announced as opponents for this weekend’s UFC on FOX card in Lamas’ hometown of Chicago, Illinois.
“I’ve thought about this fight a million times, and I’ve won it a million times,” explains Lamas, who has vaulted into contention in the featherweight division on the strength of back-to-back wins over Cub Swanson and Hatsu Hioki. “And on the 26th, I’m just going to have to make that dream come to fruition.”
The 30-year-old Lamas, who competed at lightweight throughout his six-fight run in the WEC, has seemingly emerged out of nowhere to be a force within the featherweight division. A little more than two years after losing to Yuri Alcantara in his final appearance at 155 pounds, Lamas has strung together three straight victories to quickly work his way up the ladder in the 145-pound ranks.
Despite dominating Matt Grice in his divisional debut, Lamas entered his bout with Swanson in November 2011 as the underdog. Even after submitting the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and Team Jackson-Winkeljohn standout midway through the second round, few gave Lamas a chance against perennial contender Hioki when they met last June.
Just as he did with Swanson, Lamas surprised fans and critics alike by upsetting the Japanese veteran. The only people who weren’t surprised were Lamas and his team.
“It’s felt really good,” Lamas says of the win over Hioki, “but it’s not something where I want to be the underdog so I can laugh in everybody’s face. When I go in there, I’m expecting to win. It doesn’t come as any surprise to me because I know what I’m capable of doing, and the people around me know what I’m capable of doing. It’s really nice to prove the critics wrong, but really, there’s no surprise on my end because I believe in myself.
“Ever since I started fighting, I’ve taken the underdog role in a lot of my fights. I’m confident there because most of the times I’ve been in that role I’ve come out on top. I’m a pretty mentally confident person. You can’t break me with talk or anything like that. I don’t let anyone else’s opinions about what kind of fighter I am, who I can beat, who I can’t beat get to me. Everybody who knows me believes in me, and that’s pretty much all I need.”
That steely resolve and his three-fight winning streak have carried him into Saturday’s main card opener against Koch, who was slated to fight champion Jose Aldo for the featherweight title at two different points last year, only to have the match scuttled by injuries – one Aldo’s, one his own – both times. The winner will likely be next in line to fight for the title, an implication that could ratchet up the pressure, but doesn’t, because Lamas was already viewing this fight as the biggest of his career for other reasons.
“Whether I would have been fighting for a #1 contender spot or coming off a loss, fighting at home makes it one of the biggest fights of my career because I just haven’t done it in so long,” explains Lamas, who last fought in Chicago in November 2008, his final bout before entering the WEC.
“Some people might see (fighting at home) as a negative because they’ll feel like they have a lot of pressure to perform in front of family and people that they know, but the more people that are there who know me and are supporting me, the better I’m going to do.
“I don’t really see any downside to fighting at home. I think I’m going to be more comfortable there. I’m going to be surrounded by people I’m comfortable with, and I’ll have the choice to sleep in my own bed,” he adds with a laugh. “If the UFC doesn’t need me – if I don’t have any interviews or I have the day off – I probably will go home and sleep in my own bed, but the night before the fight, I’ll stay at the hotel so I can sleep in, and not have to worry about driving downtown or to wherever we’re staying.”
Saturday’s contest brings Lamas’ career full circle, delivering into the cage in his hometown at the highest point of his career.
For “The Bully,” it’s validation that everything he’s poured into the sport over the last five years has been worth it, and a chance to announce himself as a legitimate title threat on national television. As has been the case throughout his career, the Elmhurst College graduate isn’t allowing himself to get caught up in the moment or think about anything other than the task at hand.
“It feels like all the hard work and everything that I’ve put into it is starting to pay off,” admits Lamas, who has pushed his record to 12-2 with his three victories inside the UFC cage, “but it’s something that I don’t let get into my head at all. I train even harder now, and I don’t look past anyone I’m fighting.
“I think that has been one of the keys to the success I’ve been having. I’m not thinking, ‘If I win this, I get a title shot.’ I’m just keeping my mind focused on this fight, and what happens afterwards will happen. A lot of people will look past a fight because of what could happen afterwards, but I’m really just 100-percent concentrating on Erik Koch.”
It has been that way since the fight was announced back in November.
Koch has been out of the cage since defeating Jonathan Brookins in September 2011, an injury bumping him from a UFC 143 matchup with fellow prospect Dustin Poirier prior to his championship dalliance with Aldo being postponed, and then ultimately cancelled.
Despite having been sidelined for more than 15 months, Lamas isn’t counting on ring rust to slow “New Breed” down on Saturday night when the two share the cage at “The Madhouse on Madison.” He also expects there to be a very vocal pro-Koch section in the United Center as well.
“He trains in Milwaukee, and I’m expecting the stadium to get pretty rowdy during our fight,” admits Lamas. “I’m fighting in my hometown, but he’s not from too far away. It’s going to be constant action, and the person who comes in better prepared is going to come away victorious.
“I think pushing the pace is my natural style, whether I’m fighting somebody coming off a long layoff or not. I really work hard at my conditioning and my cardio so that I can go for the entire fight. He has had a long time off, but he’s still been training, so he could have picked up some new things that we haven’t seen yet that he’s been perfecting while he’s been out.
“I’m expecting the best Erik Koch that we’ve seen out there; that’s what I’ve been training for. He’s a very dangerous fighter; a really young, talented guy. In the future, I’m sure he’s going to do great things, but I’m also a talented fighter, and we’re going to get in there and let it all go.”
Just as he’s envisioned the fight a million times, Lamas has seen himself winning every time. Saturday night, he plans to make that dream a reality, and replace the misery of another long, grueling training camp with the euphoric feeling that comes with standing victorious in the center of the cage.
“When you’re going through training camp, you hate it,” laughs Lamas. “I hate it, and I’m sure most other fighters do too. It’s a constant grind getting in the gym multiple times a day, and pushing your body every time you’re in there. By the end of your training camp, you’re like, `I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to train anymore.’
“When you win a fight and your hand is raised, it’s a very hard feeling to explain. It’s one of the most gratifying feelings that I’ve ever felt. It’s just all the hard work that you’ve put in – we train for 8-10 weeks for 15 minutes on one night, and we have to be on our game. Winning that fight makes everything you went through worth it.
“As soon as you get the win, you feel like you could go through another training camp right out of the gate. It makes everything feel worthwhile.”
If you’re a hockey fan, you’ve already heard of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.
The town of 25,000 people sits along the Atlantic Ocean, not far from Dartmouth, and became a well-known locale thanks to the success of its most famous former resident, Pittsburgh Penguins captain and former league MVP, Sidney Crosby. Serious puck enthusiasts will tell you Cole Harbour is also home to Nathan MacKinnon, the 17-year-old center of the Quebec Major Junior League’s Halifax Mooseheads who could be the first overall selection in this summer’s NHL entry draft.
TJ Grant is quietly starting to put his hometown on the map with fight fans as well.
Without much fanfare, the 28-year-old has strung together three straight wins to climb into contention in the ultra-competitive UFC lightweight division. After splitting his first six fights inside the Octagon evenly between wins and losses as a welterweight, Grant relocated to the 155-pound ranks, and in the 15 months since he debuted in his new weight class, the well-rounded Canadian with the well-maintained beard has been impressive.
“You always look back and wonder ‘What if?’ but I made the decisions I did, I can’t go back, and I’m just happy to be where I’m at right now,” explained Grant earlier this month when asked about the timing of his move down a division. “I’m happy that the UFC gave me opportunities. After my loss to (Ricardo) Almeida (at UFC 124), I was happy to still be in the UFC.
“I knew at 155 I could do a lot better. I felt like while I competed in all my fights, I wasn’t big enough, and that was ultimately what I feel was my downfall. At this point in my career, I’m happy to be where I’m at, and 155 is my home.”
Just as he’s proven himself to be perfectly comfortable in his new weight class, Grant is also perfectly comfortable continuing to train at home in Cole Harbour. While countless other up-and-coming talents from smaller communities and smaller gyms have opted to pack their things and seek out bigger facilities and bigger names to help take their careers to the next level, Grant has bucked the trend, and doesn’t see any reason why he’d ever need to file a change of address notice in the future.
“I do all my training here for the most part,” said Grant, who has called FIT Plus Martial Arts his home base since the doors opened. “The head coach and trainer is Scott MacLean; he’s the owner, and he’s one of my best friends. We’ve been doing this a long time. He started the gym back in 2004, and I was the first member. I kind of started from the ground level, and I have so many great training partners who are close friends that push me. It’s a good group of guys here.
“I do travel and do some training aboard, and we do always seek out bringing in talent and training partners, especially during training camps, just to give you that extra little push. At the same time, because we’re on the East Coast, it’s quiet over here. There just isn’t the same exposure for MMA here as there is in Ontario or Quebec or farther west, but it’s coming along.
“There are a number of talented fighters here, and it’s just about opportunity. I’ve got good training partners, good coaches, and a world-class facility. I’ve been training and doing my thing here, and it’s been working out for me, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Grant has been the exact opposite of broken as of late, most recently showing off his complete skill set, grit, and mettle in a Fight of the Night-winning victory over Evan Dunham at UFC 152 in Toronto.
Many expected the lightweight duo to find their way to the main card of the event, but when Jon Jones and Vitor Belfort were shifted to the card following the collapse of UFC 151, Dunham and Grant were shuffled back to the preliminary portion of the card.
“We got bumped off the main card a few weeks before, and we went out there with something to prove,” admitted Grant. When the final horn sounded, they had proven their point.
The two spent 15 minutes trading punches and kicks, Grant getting the better of the exchanges, Dunham grinning as blood ran down his face, and the crowd at the Air Canada Centre loving every minute of it.
“I remember him biting down a couple times after I had socked him pretty good a couple times, and him shaking the blood off his face,” laughed Grant, explaining when he knew he was in for a long, drawn out fight with Dunham. “I knew probably a couple minutes into the first round that this wasn’t going to let up – we were just going to do this, and put on a good fight. We had a battle, and it was an awesome fight.”
The victory moved the laid back Nova Scotia native one step closer to title contention, and earned him a matchup with veteran Matt Wiman as part of the UFC on FOX 6 card in Chicago this weekend.
Like Grant, the Ultimate Fighter Season 5 alum Wiman has been making slow and steady progress up the lightweight ladder, collecting victories in five of his last six appearances, the lone setback a questionable unanimous decision loss to Dennis Siver at UFC 132 last July. Fresh off a first-round submission win over previously unbeaten British submission specialist Paul Sass – in Nottingham, England no less – Wiman has never looked better, and that’s part of what has Grant counting down the days until the two step into the cage together in Second City, USA.
“Matt’s a great opponent. When the UFC said I’d be fighting Matt Wiman, I was pretty excited to get the opportunity to fight him. He’s a great dude, but he’s also just an awesome fighter who likes to come and put it all on the line. I feel like that’s the fight I wanted to have, and having fights like that is what I want to do – go out there with somebody where we’re going to meet each other in the center, and we’re going to go to battle.
“I’m excited for it. He’s a lot like my last opponent, Evan Dunham,” continued Grant, who sports a 19-5 record overall. “(Matt has) a little bit different body type, but he’s really good at jiu-jitsu, he’s got good, solid striking; good, solid wrestling; and he likes to mix it up. It’s going to be a battle. We’re going to test each other’s wills, and he’s shown a lot of great things in his last couple fights, so I have to be ready.
“I think we’re both going to go out there and mix it up. I can tell you that the fight is going to take place on the ground, there are going to be scrambles, and that it’s going to be a battle. I’m sure we’re not going to be shying away from standing up and banging it out either, so I’m totally thrilled.”
With a new championship contender seemingly popping up every other month in the lightweight division – and Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez cutting to the head of the line in April – getting notice and staking your claim to a place in the title picture is a difficult task.
While making your case for contention on the microphone has been de rigueur over the last year and change, don’t expect Grant to start cutting promos and calling out his fellow competitors.
“I’m not one of the guys that are going to go up there and talk a lot of trash; it’s just not my style. You’ve just got to keep putting win after win together, and eventually that will make enough noise for itself. I love this sport, and really, I love to get out there and fight. I would still be training if I weren’t getting paid to fight in the UFC. I never make it personal. This is something that I’m lucky to do and enjoy doing.
“Everybody in this sport – there are no hard feelings,” added Grant in closing. “You can hate them for 15 minutes, beat the s*** out of them, hate them your whole training camp while you’re preparing, but it’s just business, man. We go out there and fight; that’s what we do.
“Afterwards, I could care less.”
Sometimes it’s the quietest one of the bunch who is the most dangerous.
If you’re a hockey fan, you’ve already heard of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.
The town of 25,000 people sits along the Atlantic Ocean, not far from Dartmouth, and became a well-known locale thanks to the success of its most famous former resident, Pittsburgh Penguins captain and former league MVP, Sidney Crosby. Serious puck enthusiasts will tell you Cole Harbour is also home to Nathan MacKinnon, the 17-year-old center of the Quebec Major Junior League’s Halifax Mooseheads who could be the first overall selection in this summer’s NHL entry draft.
TJ Grant is quietly starting to put his hometown on the map with fight fans as well.
Without much fanfare, the 28-year-old has strung together three straight wins to climb into contention in the ultra-competitive UFC lightweight division. After splitting his first six fights inside the Octagon evenly between wins and losses as a welterweight, Grant relocated to the 155-pound ranks, and in the 15 months since he debuted in his new weight class, the well-rounded Canadian with the well-maintained beard has been impressive.
“You always look back and wonder ‘What if?’ but I made the decisions I did, I can’t go back, and I’m just happy to be where I’m at right now,” explained Grant earlier this month when asked about the timing of his move down a division. “I’m happy that the UFC gave me opportunities. After my loss to (Ricardo) Almeida (at UFC 124), I was happy to still be in the UFC.
“I knew at 155 I could do a lot better. I felt like while I competed in all my fights, I wasn’t big enough, and that was ultimately what I feel was my downfall. At this point in my career, I’m happy to be where I’m at, and 155 is my home.”
Just as he’s proven himself to be perfectly comfortable in his new weight class, Grant is also perfectly comfortable continuing to train at home in Cole Harbour. While countless other up-and-coming talents from smaller communities and smaller gyms have opted to pack their things and seek out bigger facilities and bigger names to help take their careers to the next level, Grant has bucked the trend, and doesn’t see any reason why he’d ever need to file a change of address notice in the future.
“I do all my training here for the most part,” said Grant, who has called FIT Plus Martial Arts his home base since the doors opened. “The head coach and trainer is Scott MacLean; he’s the owner, and he’s one of my best friends. We’ve been doing this a long time. He started the gym back in 2004, and I was the first member. I kind of started from the ground level, and I have so many great training partners who are close friends that push me. It’s a good group of guys here.
“I do travel and do some training aboard, and we do always seek out bringing in talent and training partners, especially during training camps, just to give you that extra little push. At the same time, because we’re on the East Coast, it’s quiet over here. There just isn’t the same exposure for MMA here as there is in Ontario or Quebec or farther west, but it’s coming along.
“There are a number of talented fighters here, and it’s just about opportunity. I’ve got good training partners, good coaches, and a world-class facility. I’ve been training and doing my thing here, and it’s been working out for me, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Grant has been the exact opposite of broken as of late, most recently showing off his complete skill set, grit, and mettle in a Fight of the Night-winning victory over Evan Dunham at UFC 152 in Toronto.
Many expected the lightweight duo to find their way to the main card of the event, but when Jon Jones and Vitor Belfort were shifted to the card following the collapse of UFC 151, Dunham and Grant were shuffled back to the preliminary portion of the card.
“We got bumped off the main card a few weeks before, and we went out there with something to prove,” admitted Grant. When the final horn sounded, they had proven their point.
The two spent 15 minutes trading punches and kicks, Grant getting the better of the exchanges, Dunham grinning as blood ran down his face, and the crowd at the Air Canada Centre loving every minute of it.
“I remember him biting down a couple times after I had socked him pretty good a couple times, and him shaking the blood off his face,” laughed Grant, explaining when he knew he was in for a long, drawn out fight with Dunham. “I knew probably a couple minutes into the first round that this wasn’t going to let up – we were just going to do this, and put on a good fight. We had a battle, and it was an awesome fight.”
The victory moved the laid back Nova Scotia native one step closer to title contention, and earned him a matchup with veteran Matt Wiman as part of the UFC on FOX 6 card in Chicago this weekend.
Like Grant, the Ultimate Fighter Season 5 alum Wiman has been making slow and steady progress up the lightweight ladder, collecting victories in five of his last six appearances, the lone setback a questionable unanimous decision loss to Dennis Siver at UFC 132 last July. Fresh off a first-round submission win over previously unbeaten British submission specialist Paul Sass – in Nottingham, England no less – Wiman has never looked better, and that’s part of what has Grant counting down the days until the two step into the cage together in Second City, USA.
“Matt’s a great opponent. When the UFC said I’d be fighting Matt Wiman, I was pretty excited to get the opportunity to fight him. He’s a great dude, but he’s also just an awesome fighter who likes to come and put it all on the line. I feel like that’s the fight I wanted to have, and having fights like that is what I want to do – go out there with somebody where we’re going to meet each other in the center, and we’re going to go to battle.
“I’m excited for it. He’s a lot like my last opponent, Evan Dunham,” continued Grant, who sports a 19-5 record overall. “(Matt has) a little bit different body type, but he’s really good at jiu-jitsu, he’s got good, solid striking; good, solid wrestling; and he likes to mix it up. It’s going to be a battle. We’re going to test each other’s wills, and he’s shown a lot of great things in his last couple fights, so I have to be ready.
“I think we’re both going to go out there and mix it up. I can tell you that the fight is going to take place on the ground, there are going to be scrambles, and that it’s going to be a battle. I’m sure we’re not going to be shying away from standing up and banging it out either, so I’m totally thrilled.”
With a new championship contender seemingly popping up every other month in the lightweight division – and Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez cutting to the head of the line in April – getting notice and staking your claim to a place in the title picture is a difficult task.
While making your case for contention on the microphone has been de rigueur over the last year and change, don’t expect Grant to start cutting promos and calling out his fellow competitors.
“I’m not one of the guys that are going to go up there and talk a lot of trash; it’s just not my style. You’ve just got to keep putting win after win together, and eventually that will make enough noise for itself. I love this sport, and really, I love to get out there and fight. I would still be training if I weren’t getting paid to fight in the UFC. I never make it personal. This is something that I’m lucky to do and enjoy doing.
“Everybody in this sport – there are no hard feelings,” added Grant in closing. “You can hate them for 15 minutes, beat the s*** out of them, hate them your whole training camp while you’re preparing, but it’s just business, man. We go out there and fight; that’s what we do.
“Afterwards, I could care less.”
Sometimes it’s the quietest one of the bunch who is the most dangerous.
“Here” is one step shy of fighting for the UFC middleweight title.
The 33-year-old from Manchester who now calls Orange Country home first arrived “here” following his first stint as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. After six weeks of trading verbal jabs and crosses with Dan Henderson, “The Count” shared the cage with the former PRIDE champion at UFC 100, a shot at middleweight champion Anderson Silva believed to be the spoils that awaited the victor.
Bisping memorably came out on the wrong end of things, the GIF of his defeat becoming immortalized on forum threads throughout the MMA community, a constant reminder of what was a good night gone horribly bad. To his credit, Bisping has found a way to embrace the outcome, signing off his first guest blog on Yahoo! Sports earlier this month with a cheeky nod to the now iconic image — “Hit me up on Twitter @bisping, as ever, Hendo gifs are welcome.”
He was “here” this time last year as well, stepping up on short notice to fight Chael Sonnen as part of the UFC on FOX show in Chicago. A little more than a week before the event, Bisping vacated his spot opposite Demian Maia to replace the injured Mark Munoz opposite Sonnen. Again a chance to square off with Silva hung in the balance, and again Bisping came up short, losing a close unanimous decision to “The Gangster from West Linn.”
One win and 12 months later, the former Ultimate Fighter winner is “here” again, set to step into the cage with former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort in the main event of Saturday’s UFC on FX event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a win over “The Phenom” the only thing standing in between him and a shot to fight for championship gold.
It’s clear that being in this position means a great deal to Bisping, who toggled between genuine openness and “turned up to 11, selling the fight” mode when we discussed this weekend’s main event and everything that comes with it late last week.
“I’ve never actually won the #1 contender match-up – I’ve had it twice, and I lost both times,” he started, explaining what a victory would mean by retracing his journey to this point. “For me, I could clearly look at people hand-on-heart and say, `I’m the #1 contender. I beat Vitor Belfort. I beat Brian Stann. I beat Chael Sonnen, even though I was robbed, and outside of Anderson Silva, I’m the best middleweight in the world.’
“I’m not here by accident. I haven’t been in the UFC for seven years because I can talk and give a decent interview. I’m still here seven years later, and not because I’ve got a British accent, and the UFC want the British market. I’m here seven years later because I can back up what I say, and when I beat Vitor Belfort, I’m the #1 contender and #2 fighter in the world.
“You see these guys in the UFC that get thrown around – they’re covered in blood, they’re swimming in their own blood, and they just barely survive. Every time I’m in there, even the ones that I’ve lost are highly competitive, highly contentious split decisions. I can survive with the best in the world. I believe that I’m one of the best, and that I can beat the best, I’ve just got to prove that, and that starts by beating Vitor Belfort.”
He knows there will be some, perhaps many, who cast his comments off as cliché – the same things he said heading into each of his previous “title eliminator” contests, and the same things most every fighter says heading into most every fight.
While securing the title shot that has previously eluded him is his primary motivation heading into Saturday’s showdown with Belfort, Bisping concedes that the opportunity to silence his critics is driving him as well.
“A lot of people have come on board these days, but there is still a lot of criticism – a hell of a lot of criticism of me as a person, and my fighting ability, and I take that personally. I want the respect that I think I deserve. People that train with me, my coaches, they know what I’m capable of. I know what I’m capable of, but I do have my critics.”
Laughing as he finished the sentence, Bisping admitted that he will occasionally spend some of his downtime combing through threads on The Underground forum, checking out what people have to say about him. It’s an endeavor that usually takes some time, as the outspoken Brit is always a popular topic of conversation.
“They’ll go on for quite a lot of pages, not just two or three comments,” he said, recounting his findings. “It’s like 10-15 pages of insults, so I’m certainly a hot topic to talk s*** about. I suppose when it’s all said and done, that’s a good thing.
“As long as people are talking about me, that’s what I’m here to do” he continued, the laughter giving way to a genuine discussion about his public image, actions, and the way he’s perceived. “I’m here to put on fights people are interested in, and whether they cheer for me, boo me, or whatever – as long as there is interest, I’m happy. I want my fights to spark interest, people to debate who is going to win or lose. I want people to be fired up for the fights, and I think I do a pretty good job of that.
“I’d like to say that all the a**hole moves that I pull are just an act, but unfortunately I’m a real person,” he offered candidly. “I never put an act on; I am who I am. Sometimes I’ll talk up the fight a little bit because I’m trying to generate interest, but I am who I am. I stand by what I say. Do I make mistakes? Yes I do. Do I apologize for them? Yes I do. I’m not perfect; I’m a human being, and I **** up all the time. Everything that comes out of my mouth is me, unfortunately. I am who I am, and I will always be the same. If people like it, awesome, and if they don’t, they can go to hell.
“I’m not really much of a trash talker, really,” he added with complete sincerity. “Unless you start talking about me. If you start talking about me, well, then the gloves are off, and I’m just fighting fire with fire.”
Earlier this month, Bisping took the time to take aim at a trio of critics that share space with him in the middleweight division, offering his personal assessment of Alan Belcher and Tim Boetsch’s performances at UFC 155. Just so he didn’t feel left out, he also made a point of mentioning fellow contender Chris Weidman as well.
“People say I look like an a**hole and not very classy saying things like that, but hold on a minute,” began Bisping, readying his retort. “If you go back and look at these guys on Twitter, and look at their interviews, they were talking s**t. Alan Belcher’s been calling me out for an eternity. As long as I’ve known Alan Belcher, him and his ****ing tattoo have been calling me out. Forgive me if I gloat a little bit when he comes up short, and looks basically like an embarrassment to himself.
“The same with Tim Boetsch. He was calling me out saying I haven’t got what it takes, and all the rest of it. I thought the pair of them looked dismal to be quite frank, so of course I’m going to take a little pop at them. Why not? They take pops at me.
“The way I see it is that they just cleared the way for me to fight for the title. Of course, I’ve got to get past Vitor Belfort first, and I intend on doing just that, but they’re now out the way. The only other one is Chris “Sick Note” Weidman, who is retired or got a bad injury or an eyestrain or whatever the **** it is. He’s taking time off again in his short career. He’s only had about three fights, and he’s taking time out again. I wish him all the best, but you haven’t got all day – you haven’t got forever – and before you know it, his career will be past, and he’s spent most of it sat on his ass.
“Just (one last thing) about Chris Weidman,” he continued. “He co-opted this (criticizing of me by Belcher and Boetsch), saying `Every time Bisping’s in these situations he loses, and he hasn’t got the head for the high-pressure fights.’ Well, Chris Weidman’s never been in a high-pressure fight in his life. I’ve fought legends and the best of the best; his biggest win is Demian Maia, who’s now at welterweight, and who never really set the world on fire, so he just needs to shut the **** up for a second. When he’s been in those situations, maybe he can talk, but he hasn’t been there yet.”
Bisping has, and he’s back for a third time.
Being unsuccessful in his two previous attempts to clear this hurdle is a bitter pill for the Briton to swallow. The fact that he finds himself “here” for a third time, however, is a point of pride for the middleweight, who carries a 24-4 record that includes an impressive 13 wins inside the Octagon into Saturday night’s pivotal contest with Belfort.
“I think it’s a testament to my fighting ability and my character that I’m here – still plugging away trying to get to the top,” offered Bisping. “A lot of guys might go on a run towards the title, they get defeated, and then they go away. After that, they lose interest, lose heart, fade into obscurity, and you don’t really hear of them. Maybe they’ll have a couple of fights on the undercard, but I’m here.”
While he fully expects to make good on the old adage “the third time’s the charm” tomorrow night in Sao Paulo, Bisping is quick to acknowledge that Belfort presents a lot of challenges, and he’s honest about what a loss means for his immediate title aspirations.
That’s why he was so quick to accept this challenge.
“Vitor Belfort is the hardest fight in the middleweight division outside of Anderson Silva in my opinion,” he opined. “And (beating him) puts me in a very good place. The UFC called me up and offered me this opportunity, and I took it straight away; I didn’t even think about it.
“A lot of people asked me, `Why’d you take that fight? That’s pretty dangerous,’ and I was like, `(a) it’s a huge opportunity, (b) this is what I do, and (c) if I can’t beat Vitor Belfort, then I don’t deserve to fight for the title anyway; it’s as simple as that.’”
But Bisping believes this is his time. He’s been “here” before, and feels he’s never been more prepared to take the next step in his career than he is right now.
“This is the best version of me that I’ve ever been. I’ve made a lot of improvements, and I’m up against it. Vitor Belfort is a tough, tough fight; just as tough as Chael (Sonnen) or Dan Henderson or the other two that I’ve lost to. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be tough, but I believe in myself. I believe in my preparation, and my training, and I believe that I have the tools to beat Vitor Belfort.
“Of course, he thinks the same thing, and that’s what is going to make it an amazing fight. I’m truly excited to go down there and prove to the world that I can beat this caliber of fighter. I know I can. My coaches know I can. I’ve just got to deliver it on the night.
“I’ve done everything I can. My skill set is the best it has ever been. Obviously, Vitor has some unique problems for me to overcome. He hits hard and fast, he’s very athletic. He’s very experienced, (and) he’s got great jiu-jitsu. He’s a southpaw, so that’s a bit of a problem as well, but I’ve trained very, very hard, and my head movement is better than it has ever been. I believe I’m going to be the bigger guy, the stronger guy. I’m just as fast as he is. I believe that I have the bigger heart, and the bigger will to win.
“I’m going to go out there and out-fight Vitor Belfort. I don’t know how it’s going to come, but whatever it takes to do, I will win. I will not give up, and as long as there is a beat in my heart, I will continue to fight.”
And should he lose, don’t think this will be the last you hear from Michael Bisping.
“God forbid, if I fail, I’ll dust myself off, and I will climb up that mountain one more time, and I will keep going until I do it. I’m destined to be world champion, and I will be one day.”
“Here” is one step shy of fighting for the UFC middleweight title.
The 33-year-old from Manchester who now calls Orange Country home first arrived “here” following his first stint as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. After six weeks of trading verbal jabs and crosses with Dan Henderson, “The Count” shared the cage with the former PRIDE champion at UFC 100, a shot at middleweight champion Anderson Silva believed to be the spoils that awaited the victor.
Bisping memorably came out on the wrong end of things, the GIF of his defeat becoming immortalized on forum threads throughout the MMA community, a constant reminder of what was a good night gone horribly bad. To his credit, Bisping has found a way to embrace the outcome, signing off his first guest blog on Yahoo! Sports earlier this month with a cheeky nod to the now iconic image — “Hit me up on Twitter @bisping, as ever, Hendo gifs are welcome.”
He was “here” this time last year as well, stepping up on short notice to fight Chael Sonnen as part of the UFC on FOX show in Chicago. A little more than a week before the event, Bisping vacated his spot opposite Demian Maia to replace the injured Mark Munoz opposite Sonnen. Again a chance to square off with Silva hung in the balance, and again Bisping came up short, losing a close unanimous decision to “The Gangster from West Linn.”
One win and 12 months later, the former Ultimate Fighter winner is “here” again, set to step into the cage with former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort in the main event of Saturday’s UFC on FX event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a win over “The Phenom” the only thing standing in between him and a shot to fight for championship gold.
It’s clear that being in this position means a great deal to Bisping, who toggled between genuine openness and “turned up to 11, selling the fight” mode when we discussed this weekend’s main event and everything that comes with it late last week.
“I’ve never actually won the #1 contender match-up – I’ve had it twice, and I lost both times,” he started, explaining what a victory would mean by retracing his journey to this point. “For me, I could clearly look at people hand-on-heart and say, `I’m the #1 contender. I beat Vitor Belfort. I beat Brian Stann. I beat Chael Sonnen, even though I was robbed, and outside of Anderson Silva, I’m the best middleweight in the world.’
“I’m not here by accident. I haven’t been in the UFC for seven years because I can talk and give a decent interview. I’m still here seven years later, and not because I’ve got a British accent, and the UFC want the British market. I’m here seven years later because I can back up what I say, and when I beat Vitor Belfort, I’m the #1 contender and #2 fighter in the world.
“You see these guys in the UFC that get thrown around – they’re covered in blood, they’re swimming in their own blood, and they just barely survive. Every time I’m in there, even the ones that I’ve lost are highly competitive, highly contentious split decisions. I can survive with the best in the world. I believe that I’m one of the best, and that I can beat the best, I’ve just got to prove that, and that starts by beating Vitor Belfort.”
He knows there will be some, perhaps many, who cast his comments off as cliché – the same things he said heading into each of his previous “title eliminator” contests, and the same things most every fighter says heading into most every fight.
While securing the title shot that has previously eluded him is his primary motivation heading into Saturday’s showdown with Belfort, Bisping concedes that the opportunity to silence his critics is driving him as well.
“A lot of people have come on board these days, but there is still a lot of criticism – a hell of a lot of criticism of me as a person, and my fighting ability, and I take that personally. I want the respect that I think I deserve. People that train with me, my coaches, they know what I’m capable of. I know what I’m capable of, but I do have my critics.”
Laughing as he finished the sentence, Bisping admitted that he will occasionally spend some of his downtime combing through threads on The Underground forum, checking out what people have to say about him. It’s an endeavor that usually takes some time, as the outspoken Brit is always a popular topic of conversation.
“They’ll go on for quite a lot of pages, not just two or three comments,” he said, recounting his findings. “It’s like 10-15 pages of insults, so I’m certainly a hot topic to talk s*** about. I suppose when it’s all said and done, that’s a good thing.
“As long as people are talking about me, that’s what I’m here to do” he continued, the laughter giving way to a genuine discussion about his public image, actions, and the way he’s perceived. “I’m here to put on fights people are interested in, and whether they cheer for me, boo me, or whatever – as long as there is interest, I’m happy. I want my fights to spark interest, people to debate who is going to win or lose. I want people to be fired up for the fights, and I think I do a pretty good job of that.
“I’d like to say that all the a**hole moves that I pull are just an act, but unfortunately I’m a real person,” he offered candidly. “I never put an act on; I am who I am. Sometimes I’ll talk up the fight a little bit because I’m trying to generate interest, but I am who I am. I stand by what I say. Do I make mistakes? Yes I do. Do I apologize for them? Yes I do. I’m not perfect; I’m a human being, and I **** up all the time. Everything that comes out of my mouth is me, unfortunately. I am who I am, and I will always be the same. If people like it, awesome, and if they don’t, they can go to hell.
“I’m not really much of a trash talker, really,” he added with complete sincerity. “Unless you start talking about me. If you start talking about me, well, then the gloves are off, and I’m just fighting fire with fire.”
Earlier this month, Bisping took the time to take aim at a trio of critics that share space with him in the middleweight division, offering his personal assessment of Alan Belcher and Tim Boetsch’s performances at UFC 155. Just so he didn’t feel left out, he also made a point of mentioning fellow contender Chris Weidman as well.
“People say I look like an a**hole and not very classy saying things like that, but hold on a minute,” began Bisping, readying his retort. “If you go back and look at these guys on Twitter, and look at their interviews, they were talking s**t. Alan Belcher’s been calling me out for an eternity. As long as I’ve known Alan Belcher, him and his ****ing tattoo have been calling me out. Forgive me if I gloat a little bit when he comes up short, and looks basically like an embarrassment to himself.
“The same with Tim Boetsch. He was calling me out saying I haven’t got what it takes, and all the rest of it. I thought the pair of them looked dismal to be quite frank, so of course I’m going to take a little pop at them. Why not? They take pops at me.
“The way I see it is that they just cleared the way for me to fight for the title. Of course, I’ve got to get past Vitor Belfort first, and I intend on doing just that, but they’re now out the way. The only other one is Chris “Sick Note” Weidman, who is retired or got a bad injury or an eyestrain or whatever the **** it is. He’s taking time off again in his short career. He’s only had about three fights, and he’s taking time out again. I wish him all the best, but you haven’t got all day – you haven’t got forever – and before you know it, his career will be past, and he’s spent most of it sat on his ass.
“Just (one last thing) about Chris Weidman,” he continued. “He co-opted this (criticizing of me by Belcher and Boetsch), saying `Every time Bisping’s in these situations he loses, and he hasn’t got the head for the high-pressure fights.’ Well, Chris Weidman’s never been in a high-pressure fight in his life. I’ve fought legends and the best of the best; his biggest win is Demian Maia, who’s now at welterweight, and who never really set the world on fire, so he just needs to shut the **** up for a second. When he’s been in those situations, maybe he can talk, but he hasn’t been there yet.”
Bisping has, and he’s back for a third time.
Being unsuccessful in his two previous attempts to clear this hurdle is a bitter pill for the Briton to swallow. The fact that he finds himself “here” for a third time, however, is a point of pride for the middleweight, who carries a 24-4 record that includes an impressive 13 wins inside the Octagon into Saturday night’s pivotal contest with Belfort.
“I think it’s a testament to my fighting ability and my character that I’m here – still plugging away trying to get to the top,” offered Bisping. “A lot of guys might go on a run towards the title, they get defeated, and then they go away. After that, they lose interest, lose heart, fade into obscurity, and you don’t really hear of them. Maybe they’ll have a couple of fights on the undercard, but I’m here.”
While he fully expects to make good on the old adage “the third time’s the charm” tomorrow night in Sao Paulo, Bisping is quick to acknowledge that Belfort presents a lot of challenges, and he’s honest about what a loss means for his immediate title aspirations.
That’s why he was so quick to accept this challenge.
“Vitor Belfort is the hardest fight in the middleweight division outside of Anderson Silva in my opinion,” he opined. “And (beating him) puts me in a very good place. The UFC called me up and offered me this opportunity, and I took it straight away; I didn’t even think about it.
“A lot of people asked me, `Why’d you take that fight? That’s pretty dangerous,’ and I was like, `(a) it’s a huge opportunity, (b) this is what I do, and (c) if I can’t beat Vitor Belfort, then I don’t deserve to fight for the title anyway; it’s as simple as that.’”
But Bisping believes this is his time. He’s been “here” before, and feels he’s never been more prepared to take the next step in his career than he is right now.
“This is the best version of me that I’ve ever been. I’ve made a lot of improvements, and I’m up against it. Vitor Belfort is a tough, tough fight; just as tough as Chael (Sonnen) or Dan Henderson or the other two that I’ve lost to. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be tough, but I believe in myself. I believe in my preparation, and my training, and I believe that I have the tools to beat Vitor Belfort.
“Of course, he thinks the same thing, and that’s what is going to make it an amazing fight. I’m truly excited to go down there and prove to the world that I can beat this caliber of fighter. I know I can. My coaches know I can. I’ve just got to deliver it on the night.
“I’ve done everything I can. My skill set is the best it has ever been. Obviously, Vitor has some unique problems for me to overcome. He hits hard and fast, he’s very athletic. He’s very experienced, (and) he’s got great jiu-jitsu. He’s a southpaw, so that’s a bit of a problem as well, but I’ve trained very, very hard, and my head movement is better than it has ever been. I believe I’m going to be the bigger guy, the stronger guy. I’m just as fast as he is. I believe that I have the bigger heart, and the bigger will to win.
“I’m going to go out there and out-fight Vitor Belfort. I don’t know how it’s going to come, but whatever it takes to do, I will win. I will not give up, and as long as there is a beat in my heart, I will continue to fight.”
And should he lose, don’t think this will be the last you hear from Michael Bisping.
“God forbid, if I fail, I’ll dust myself off, and I will climb up that mountain one more time, and I will keep going until I do it. I’m destined to be world champion, and I will be one day.”
Jay Hieron’s fighting career mirrors the initial path he took to the cage – trying and difficult, but one that builds character and resolve.
John Dodson
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Michael Bisping