Four years ago, tucked away on the preliminary portion of UFC 95, a 21-year-old Dutch kickboxer made his UFC debut against a heavyweight named Junior dos Santos.
In his previous appearance, his first in the UFC, the Brazilian known as “Cigano” had introduced himself to the MMA world with a stunning first-round knockout victory over Fabricio Werdum. After starching a perennial contender in his debut effort, dos Santos became a dark horse contender himself – someone to keep tabs on as he made his way up the heavyweight ranks.
It took less than 60 seconds for dos Santos to earn his second consecutive first-round knockout victory under the UFC banner, another thunderous right hand felling the baby-faced opponent who shared the cage with him that night at the O2 Arena in London, England.
This weekend, that tall, skinny kid from Beverwijk, Netherlands whose UFC career started with a 54-second loss to the former heavyweight champion will step into the Octagon for the 13th time. He’s now 25, with a 29-5 record that includes a 9-3 mark in the UFC, and riding a four-fight winning streak into a co-main event showdown with former PRIDE star Mark Hunt in the UFC’s return to the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
Once a boy amongst men, Stefan Struve has come a long way in the last four years, and the best is still to come.
“The losses? I don’t care about them anymore,” Struve says of the UFC losses he suffered at the hands of dos Santos, Roy Nelson, and Travis Browne. “The UFC is really the best place for a young guy to learn. You may not become champ right away, but what do you expect from a 21-year-old kid coming into the UFC heavyweight division? You think he’s going to run straight to a title shot? That’s not going to happen.
“In the UFC is where you learn the most, and like I said, those losses – I’m happy those losses happened. I put myself in a position for those guys to hit me the way they did, and that doesn’t happen anymore. We learned from that. We trained so many different things to get my standup better, use my reach more, keep my distance; that’s really starting to play out now.”
Beginning with his initial appearance in the Octagon opposite dos Santos, fans and critics have been waiting for the seven-foot tall Struve to make use of his exceptional length inside the cage.
Early on, the aptly nicknamed “Skyscraper” was too willing to go toe-to-toe with the opposition, who often made their way inside with little resistance. Over his last four fights, however, Struve has showed continued improvement, playing to his strengths, using his height and length to his advantage in wins over Pat Barry, Dave Herman, Lavar Johnson, and Stipe Miocic.
It has all been a learning process for the heavyweight, who has been developing his skills and honing his craft on the biggest stage in the sport.
“The losses made me really look at myself and my fighting, and what needed to be improved the most to go high up in the ranks and keep winning fights,” explains Struve. “I’ve been training with (head coach) Bob (Schreiber) for over 10 years now, and he’s really made me as a fighter. The other trainers just added their qualities, and showed me other things to help me improve even more.
“I’ve been working with Mousid Akhamrane, who is one of the best kickboxing coaches in the world. He’s a multiple time world champion himself, and he’s got a ton of students who he’s turned into world champions. I’m working with Remco Pardoel, who is a UFC veteran, and a pioneer in Europe for MMA. Both my standup and my ground game have improved immensely. I just feel really fit and fresh, and really I’m looking forward to the fight. I’m feeling really good, really confident. I can’t wait to get my fifth win in a row.”
In order to extend his winning streak to five, Struve will need to get through the resurgent Hunt.
Since losing his UFC debut to Sean McCorkle in September 2010, the wildly popular “Super Samoan” has collected three consecutive wins of his own, the most recent of which came last year in the same arena where he’ll face Struve on Saturday night.
At UFC 144, Hunt delighted the Japanese crowd with a first-round knockout win over perennial heavyweight gatekeeper Cheick Kongo. Not bad for a 38-year-old fighter who was expected to happily take a buyout from the UFC several years earlier when they acquired his contract following their purchase of the PRIDE Fighting Championships organization.
“I know what Mark Hunt is going to do,” Struve says confidently. “He’s not going to bring me down; he’s going to come in, close the distance, and make it a brawl; try to land bombs. But when I keep my distance, I’m fine, and when he tries to close the distance, it’s going to be easier for me to take him down, because he needs to come in to hit me. I don’t need to chase him; I can already hit him from a mile away.
“He’s probably one of the hardest punchers in the UFC, but if you look at me, if I fight my fight the way I should, use the game plan we’ve laid out – use my reach, keep my distance – then those punches are no problem because he’s not touching me.
“That’s pretty simple for me, and it’s how I prepare for all my opponents. If I fight my own fight, I keep my distance, and don’t let them come close – even if they take me down, I’m fine on my back. They’re going to have to fight in my guard.”
In a division known for its knockout artists, the long and flexible Struve is just as comfortable fighting off his back as he is standing and striking. Of his 29 career wins, 16 have come by way of submission, including four of his nine UFC victories. It’s another weapon in his arsenal, and another way that the always-entertaining Struve can finish a fight, something he’s done in all but one of his Octagon victories.
“It still bothers me that I have a decision,” laughs Struve, who came away with a majority draw when he went to the scorecards with veteran Paul Buentello at UFC 107. “It’s annoying. I took it on short notice, so I’m going to use that as an excuse.”
Between the two of them, Hunt and Struve aren’t accustomed to seeing the scorecards. That shared penchant for finishing fights and delivering entertaining action inside the cage is one of the reasons so many people are looking forward to Saturday’s contest, Struve included.
“If you look at our records, you don’t expect a decision. I don’t expect a decision. I trained really hard for this fight; I worked on a bunch of new stuff, and I can’t wait to show it. I can’t wait to show the crowd in Japan and the entire MMA world that I truly am one of the best heavyweights in the world.”
Four years ago, Stefan Struve stepped into the Octagon for the first time, lasting just 54 seconds opposite a man who would go on to become heavyweight champion. He could have easily faded into the ether, another in the line of one-and-done competitors or fighters who enjoyed a cup of coffee in the big show but never managed to stick.
Instead, he continued to work hard after every fight, gained experience, and filled out his seven-foot frame, all with an eye on the future, confident that eventually, he would put it all together.
He has.
“If I hit someone with my jab right now, they’re really going to feel it. If you compare that to when I entered the UFC when I was 21 years old, there wasn’t nearly as much power in my shots as there is now.
“I’m not a boy among men anymore, you know? Now I’m a 265-pound, seven-foot monster.”
Four years ago, tucked away on the preliminary portion of UFC 95, a 21-year-old Dutch kickboxer made his UFC debut against a heavyweight named Junior dos Santos.
In his previous appearance, his first in the UFC, the Brazilian known as “Cigano” had introduced himself to the MMA world with a stunning first-round knockout victory over Fabricio Werdum. After starching a perennial contender in his debut effort, dos Santos became a dark horse contender himself – someone to keep tabs on as he made his way up the heavyweight ranks.
It took less than 60 seconds for dos Santos to earn his second consecutive first-round knockout victory under the UFC banner, another thunderous right hand felling the baby-faced opponent who shared the cage with him that night at the O2 Arena in London, England.
This weekend, that tall, skinny kid from Beverwijk, Netherlands whose UFC career started with a 54-second loss to the former heavyweight champion will step into the Octagon for the 13th time. He’s now 25, with a 29-5 record that includes a 9-3 mark in the UFC, and riding a four-fight winning streak into a co-main event showdown with former PRIDE star Mark Hunt in the UFC’s return to the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
Once a boy amongst men, Stefan Struve has come a long way in the last four years, and the best is still to come.
“The losses? I don’t care about them anymore,” Struve says of the UFC losses he suffered at the hands of dos Santos, Roy Nelson, and Travis Browne. “The UFC is really the best place for a young guy to learn. You may not become champ right away, but what do you expect from a 21-year-old kid coming into the UFC heavyweight division? You think he’s going to run straight to a title shot? That’s not going to happen.
“In the UFC is where you learn the most, and like I said, those losses – I’m happy those losses happened. I put myself in a position for those guys to hit me the way they did, and that doesn’t happen anymore. We learned from that. We trained so many different things to get my standup better, use my reach more, keep my distance; that’s really starting to play out now.”
Beginning with his initial appearance in the Octagon opposite dos Santos, fans and critics have been waiting for the seven-foot tall Struve to make use of his exceptional length inside the cage.
Early on, the aptly nicknamed “Skyscraper” was too willing to go toe-to-toe with the opposition, who often made their way inside with little resistance. Over his last four fights, however, Struve has showed continued improvement, playing to his strengths, using his height and length to his advantage in wins over Pat Barry, Dave Herman, Lavar Johnson, and Stipe Miocic.
It has all been a learning process for the heavyweight, who has been developing his skills and honing his craft on the biggest stage in the sport.
“The losses made me really look at myself and my fighting, and what needed to be improved the most to go high up in the ranks and keep winning fights,” explains Struve. “I’ve been training with (head coach) Bob (Schreiber) for over 10 years now, and he’s really made me as a fighter. The other trainers just added their qualities, and showed me other things to help me improve even more.
“I’ve been working with Mousid Akhamrane, who is one of the best kickboxing coaches in the world. He’s a multiple time world champion himself, and he’s got a ton of students who he’s turned into world champions. I’m working with Remco Pardoel, who is a UFC veteran, and a pioneer in Europe for MMA. Both my standup and my ground game have improved immensely. I just feel really fit and fresh, and really I’m looking forward to the fight. I’m feeling really good, really confident. I can’t wait to get my fifth win in a row.”
In order to extend his winning streak to five, Struve will need to get through the resurgent Hunt.
Since losing his UFC debut to Sean McCorkle in September 2010, the wildly popular “Super Samoan” has collected three consecutive wins of his own, the most recent of which came last year in the same arena where he’ll face Struve on Saturday night.
At UFC 144, Hunt delighted the Japanese crowd with a first-round knockout win over perennial heavyweight gatekeeper Cheick Kongo. Not bad for a 38-year-old fighter who was expected to happily take a buyout from the UFC several years earlier when they acquired his contract following their purchase of the PRIDE Fighting Championships organization.
“I know what Mark Hunt is going to do,” Struve says confidently. “He’s not going to bring me down; he’s going to come in, close the distance, and make it a brawl; try to land bombs. But when I keep my distance, I’m fine, and when he tries to close the distance, it’s going to be easier for me to take him down, because he needs to come in to hit me. I don’t need to chase him; I can already hit him from a mile away.
“He’s probably one of the hardest punchers in the UFC, but if you look at me, if I fight my fight the way I should, use the game plan we’ve laid out – use my reach, keep my distance – then those punches are no problem because he’s not touching me.
“That’s pretty simple for me, and it’s how I prepare for all my opponents. If I fight my own fight, I keep my distance, and don’t let them come close – even if they take me down, I’m fine on my back. They’re going to have to fight in my guard.”
In a division known for its knockout artists, the long and flexible Struve is just as comfortable fighting off his back as he is standing and striking. Of his 29 career wins, 16 have come by way of submission, including four of his nine UFC victories. It’s another weapon in his arsenal, and another way that the always-entertaining Struve can finish a fight, something he’s done in all but one of his Octagon victories.
“It still bothers me that I have a decision,” laughs Struve, who came away with a majority draw when he went to the scorecards with veteran Paul Buentello at UFC 107. “It’s annoying. I took it on short notice, so I’m going to use that as an excuse.”
Between the two of them, Hunt and Struve aren’t accustomed to seeing the scorecards. That shared penchant for finishing fights and delivering entertaining action inside the cage is one of the reasons so many people are looking forward to Saturday’s contest, Struve included.
“If you look at our records, you don’t expect a decision. I don’t expect a decision. I trained really hard for this fight; I worked on a bunch of new stuff, and I can’t wait to show it. I can’t wait to show the crowd in Japan and the entire MMA world that I truly am one of the best heavyweights in the world.”
Four years ago, Stefan Struve stepped into the Octagon for the first time, lasting just 54 seconds opposite a man who would go on to become heavyweight champion. He could have easily faded into the ether, another in the line of one-and-done competitors or fighters who enjoyed a cup of coffee in the big show but never managed to stick.
Instead, he continued to work hard after every fight, gained experience, and filled out his seven-foot frame, all with an eye on the future, confident that eventually, he would put it all together.
He has.
“If I hit someone with my jab right now, they’re really going to feel it. If you compare that to when I entered the UFC when I was 21 years old, there wasn’t nearly as much power in my shots as there is now.
“I’m not a boy among men anymore, you know? Now I’m a 265-pound, seven-foot monster.”
At every post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White is hit with the same question three or four times, sometimes more:
“Dana, what’s next for (insert fighter’s name here)?”
When he’s in a good mood, White laughs, makes some joke about how “you guys ask me this every time,” says “He’s in the mix/We’ll have to see,” and moves on to the next question. When he’s grown tired of that line of questioning, he simply says, “I don’t know,” and looks to find the next media member holding a microphone, hoping they’re not going to ask him what’s next for someone else on the dais.
Yet as much as the man standing at the podium is never really fond of the question, there is a group that dislikes the question even more – the fighters themselves.
Think about it.
For the last two month-plus, they’ve spent countless hours per day preparing to step into the cage with someone who will try to punch them in the face, and before they’ve even had a chance to test themselves and the game plan they’ve prepared, we want to know what comes next. Add a title into the conversation, and you have even more questions that have to be asked, but can’t truly be answered.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion is days away from facing off with Dan Henderson, the only man to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously in a major mixed martial arts promotion, and a first-ballot Hall of Famer if there were such a thing in this sport. It is a dangerous matchup, and one that “The Dragon” has been preparing for diligently with his team of coaches and training partners at the Black House facility in Los Angeles.
“Dan Henderson is a great champion; he’s done a lot for the sport, and he has great significance, so it’s hard to talk about (what comes next) before the fight even happens,” Machida says through translator Derek Lee. “It’s hard to say because the fight hasn’t even happened.”
Saturday night, the two light heavyweight standouts will step into the cage together in the co-main event of UFC 157 in a pairing that came together as a result of a chaotic year in the 205-pound ranks.
At the beginning of August, Machida knocked out Ryan Bader, leading to White proclaiming the former champion as the division’s new #1 contender, the man who would face the winner of the impending September showdown between Henderson and champion Jon Jones.
One knee injury, one decision to turn down a short notice fight with a dangerous man, one cancelled event, and six months later, here we are, sitting on the eve of what should be a terrific physical chess match between two proven talents, and we’re fixated on what comes next, leading Machida to a familiar refrain.
“I respect Dan Henderson a lot, and it’s a really tough fight. There really is no point in talking about what comes next until I fight him.”
Thankfully, Machida has been a little more open in his willingness to discuss what his opponent will bring to the cage Saturday night, and how he will come away from the UFC 157 co-main event victorious. Of course, “a little more open” with someone as traditionally reserved with his thoughts as the 34-year-old Brazilian still only gets you about three-percent of the response the same question would elicit from one Chael Patrick Sonnen.
“I think Dan Henderson is a very tough fighter,” Machida started in his assessment of his fistic dance partner on the UFC Countdown show for this event. “He’s a guy with strong hips, but he doesn’t use his wrestling too much. His ground game is very defensive. He has strong striking and good takedowns. He can get out of bad situations.
“I expect Dan Henderson to come very well prepared; he’s very professional in that sense. I will also come very well prepared, and the fans can expect a fight between two fighters that really want to take the next step in their careers.
“Although he is a tough opponent, a guy that has never been knocked out, I have what it takes to knock Dan Henderson out.”
This contest has obvious title implications, with Henderson and Machida resting at #1 and #2 respectively in the latest edition of the UFC rankings. Earlier this month, the former champion shared his belief that the winner of this matchup of the division’s top two challengers should produce the next title challenger.
With the door to question about finishing Henderson and his continued pursuit of the title he once held seemingly ajar, the time seemed right to ask where the man with memorable finishes against Randy Couture and Rashad Evans (to name a few) would rank becoming the first man to knock out the former Pride and Strikeforce champion?
“I don’t want to talk about it too much; I’m not worried about that,” Machida answered through his translator, slamming the door to questions about the future closed, finishing with a familiar refrain. “It’s hard to talk about it before the fight even happens.”
As much as we might want to get annoyed with athletes who trade in clichés and rattle off variations of the same five or six answers in every interview, imagine what it must be like on the other side of the microphone — cameras focused on your face, tape recorders collecting your every word, questions you’ve answered numerous times in the past asked again.
And once more just for good measure, before the inevitable happens.
“What comes next after you beat Dan Henderson?”
Like everyone on the card, it’s a question Machida has been asked countless times in the last two weeks, and dozens more in the last two days. Only with the stoic and pensive karate fighter, he doesn’t begin his answer with “Not that I’m looking past Dan Henderson” before adding a “but” and rolling out his five step plan for regaining the light heavyweight title.
“There really is no point in talking about what comes next until I fight him.”
It may not be what we want to hear, but you can’t knock the logic.
Thankfully, it’s only a couple more days until Machida and Henderson share the cage, and the most popular fight week question stops being a question about the future, and starts to be a question about the here and now; one that is answered with every reporter’s least favorite answer:
“It’s up to Dana and the UFC. I’ll fight whoever they want me to fight.”
Check and mate.
At every post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White is hit with the same question three or four times, sometimes more:
“Dana, what’s next for (insert fighter’s name here)?”
When he’s in a good mood, White laughs, makes some joke about how “you guys ask me this every time,” says “He’s in the mix/We’ll have to see,” and moves on to the next question. When he’s grown tired of that line of questioning, he simply says, “I don’t know,” and looks to find the next media member holding a microphone, hoping they’re not going to ask him what’s next for someone else on the dais.
Yet as much as the man standing at the podium is never really fond of the question, there is a group that dislikes the question even more – the fighters themselves.
Think about it.
For the last two month-plus, they’ve spent countless hours per day preparing to step into the cage with someone who will try to punch them in the face, and before they’ve even had a chance to test themselves and the game plan they’ve prepared, we want to know what comes next. Add a title into the conversation, and you have even more questions that have to be asked, but can’t truly be answered.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion is days away from facing off with Dan Henderson, the only man to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously in a major mixed martial arts promotion, and a first-ballot Hall of Famer if there were such a thing in this sport. It is a dangerous matchup, and one that “The Dragon” has been preparing for diligently with his team of coaches and training partners at the Black House facility in Los Angeles.
“Dan Henderson is a great champion; he’s done a lot for the sport, and he has great significance, so it’s hard to talk about (what comes next) before the fight even happens,” Machida says through translator Derek Lee. “It’s hard to say because the fight hasn’t even happened.”
Saturday night, the two light heavyweight standouts will step into the cage together in the co-main event of UFC 157 in a pairing that came together as a result of a chaotic year in the 205-pound ranks.
At the beginning of August, Machida knocked out Ryan Bader, leading to White proclaiming the former champion as the division’s new #1 contender, the man who would face the winner of the impending September showdown between Henderson and champion Jon Jones.
One knee injury, one decision to turn down a short notice fight with a dangerous man, one cancelled event, and six months later, here we are, sitting on the eve of what should be a terrific physical chess match between two proven talents, and we’re fixated on what comes next, leading Machida to a familiar refrain.
“I respect Dan Henderson a lot, and it’s a really tough fight. There really is no point in talking about what comes next until I fight him.”
Thankfully, Machida has been a little more open in his willingness to discuss what his opponent will bring to the cage Saturday night, and how he will come away from the UFC 157 co-main event victorious. Of course, “a little more open” with someone as traditionally reserved with his thoughts as the 34-year-old Brazilian still only gets you about three-percent of the response the same question would elicit from one Chael Patrick Sonnen.
“I think Dan Henderson is a very tough fighter,” Machida started in his assessment of his fistic dance partner on the UFC Countdown show for this event. “He’s a guy with strong hips, but he doesn’t use his wrestling too much. His ground game is very defensive. He has strong striking and good takedowns. He can get out of bad situations.
“I expect Dan Henderson to come very well prepared; he’s very professional in that sense. I will also come very well prepared, and the fans can expect a fight between two fighters that really want to take the next step in their careers.
“Although he is a tough opponent, a guy that has never been knocked out, I have what it takes to knock Dan Henderson out.”
This contest has obvious title implications, with Henderson and Machida resting at #1 and #2 respectively in the latest edition of the UFC rankings. Earlier this month, the former champion shared his belief that the winner of this matchup of the division’s top two challengers should produce the next title challenger.
With the door to question about finishing Henderson and his continued pursuit of the title he once held seemingly ajar, the time seemed right to ask where the man with memorable finishes against Randy Couture and Rashad Evans (to name a few) would rank becoming the first man to knock out the former Pride and Strikeforce champion?
“I don’t want to talk about it too much; I’m not worried about that,” Machida answered through his translator, slamming the door to questions about the future closed, finishing with a familiar refrain. “It’s hard to talk about it before the fight even happens.”
As much as we might want to get annoyed with athletes who trade in clichés and rattle off variations of the same five or six answers in every interview, imagine what it must be like on the other side of the microphone — cameras focused on your face, tape recorders collecting your every word, questions you’ve answered numerous times in the past asked again.
And once more just for good measure, before the inevitable happens.
“What comes next after you beat Dan Henderson?”
Like everyone on the card, it’s a question Machida has been asked countless times in the last two weeks, and dozens more in the last two days. Only with the stoic and pensive karate fighter, he doesn’t begin his answer with “Not that I’m looking past Dan Henderson” before adding a “but” and rolling out his five step plan for regaining the light heavyweight title.
“There really is no point in talking about what comes next until I fight him.”
It may not be what we want to hear, but you can’t knock the logic.
Thankfully, it’s only a couple more days until Machida and Henderson share the cage, and the most popular fight week question stops being a question about the future, and starts to be a question about the here and now; one that is answered with every reporter’s least favorite answer:
“It’s up to Dana and the UFC. I’ll fight whoever they want me to fight.”
On Sunday, February 17, 2013, Court McGee reached 2,500 days of sobriety.
“Pretty crazy, huh?” he asked me with a laugh, breaking the silence over the phone when he told me how many days it had been since his last sip of alcohol when we spoke a couple of weeks earlier.
While most pre-fight interviews focus on the previous result and the opponent on deck, speaking with the articulate 28-year-old who embodies the word “fighter” in many ways is always a chance to talk about so much more. There are very few topics that are off limits with McGee, who has never hesitated to discuss his past struggles, present situation inside and outside the cage, or future goals with nothing but complete openness and raw honesty.
Fighting may be his profession, but the cage isn’t just his place of business. As much as he loves the competition, fighting on the biggest stage in mixed martial arts also affords McGee a platform, a way to reach out to those who are struggling and going down the same dangerous paths he managed to survive.
Win or lose, the man who was once clinically dead sees every fight as a chance to show others that you can make it out. It’s a message he carried throughout his winning turn on Season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter, and the same one he will bring to the cage with him when he makes his welterweight debut Saturday night inside the Honda Center in Anaheim, California at UFC 157.
“(Fighting isn’t) the end-all, be-all,” said McGee, who faces veteran Josh Neer this weekend. “Don’t get me wrong: it can feel like that. There are some days when you wake up and think it’s the end of the world, and there are other days where it’s the greatest feeling, but maintaining that sober lifestyle, and knowing that a loss isn’t the end of the world…”
One thing you get used to in talking with McGee is how quickly and frequently he shifts direction when he speaks, leaving sentences dangling without a conclusion as he pivots to a tangential thought.
“You can lose jobs, gain jobs, make a lot of money, lose a lot of money,” he said, re-starting his paused point from a slightly different angle. “But it’s kind of `Are you happy with where you’re at?’ and `Are you happy with what you’re doing?’ and `Do I think I’m doing what my higher power thinks I should do?’ and I am. I’m able to carry the message to people all over the world.”
As we spoke on a Monday afternoon earlier this month, McGee told me he lost a friend the day before. He said it with the flat tone and unwavering voice of a man who has spent a lot of time talking about friends who left this world too early, and one who knows all too well what it’s like to be in the same place.
“He was a great guy. He was funny, a little off – he wasn’t a real popular guy – but there was something about him that was real personable; not a lot of people didn’t get along with him, you know? He was a great guy, and for whatever reason, he overdosed on some sleeping medication. That was Saturday night or Sunday morning.
“I just think that I fight to carry the message to people like that – who haven’t gone over the edge – and think if I can make it out, you can make it out, and that gives me inspiration to show up. That’s one of the things, man – you’ve just got to suit up and show up – and I’ve done that.”
He’ll suit up and show up again on Saturday, looking to halt a two-fight losing streak when he steps into the cage as a welterweight for the first time.
Relocating to the 170-pound ranks was something McGee discussed with his coaches prior to his pairing with Costa Philippou last March. After dropping a unanimous decision to the surging Serra-Longo Fight Team member in Sydney, Australia, he returned to the cage four months later to take on Nick Ring at UFC 149 in Calgary, Alberta, putting his plan to change weight classes on hold once again.
“About a week before I had agreed to fight Costa, I had been talking and thinking about going down to 170, but then I got offered the fight, so it was kind of like, `OK – we’ll take it, and then we’ll go down after.’ Then it was like, `OK, I’ll fight Nick again; I’ve got a good game plan going in. I’ll stick with it, and just worry about cutting down after.’
“Immediately after, I called (UFC matchmaker) Joe (Silva) and said, `My next fight is going to be at welterweight.’ It was part of the game plan for a while, but I thought the matchups were good. It ended up working out the way it did, but everything worked out the way it was supposed to, you know what I mean? I just have to be okay with the way things work, accept the way things are, and try to make the best of my decision, the decision of the judges, and try to kick some ass on the next one, you know?”
McGee felt he did enough to earn the victory against the former in Australia, and just about everyone who saw the fight with the latter believed he should have been declared the winner in Calgary.
Some fighters who find themselves on the wrong side of a questionable decision never miss a chance to remind you that the judges robbed them. As much as he still disagrees with the final scorecards, McGee’s reasons for focusing on the positive elements of each contest are fairly standard when it comes to the world of fighting, and a sharp dose of reality when examined in terms of the life the fighter used to live.
“I used them as an experience to try and grow from,” explained McGee, whose record now sits at 3-2 in the UFC and 13-3 overall following his consecutive setbacks. “It’s `what can I learn from it?’ and `what can I take positive from it?’ instead of making everything negative, and blaming everybody else. That would stop me from being the best I could be, and that would stop me from being able to carry the message.
“If I dwelled and `I should have had this’ and `I should have had that’ – if I had everything I wanted, I’d be f***ing dead right now or in prison, you know what I mean? I kind of make the best of it because things are a lot better than I could have ever imagined them to be.
“Don’t get me wrong: losing is really difficult to deal with as a professional athlete,” laughed McGee as he resumed. “It hurts your pride, hurts your ego, you start second-guessing, and you go through a lot of emotions that a lot of people wouldn’t understand unless they’ve been through it, but that’s part of it; that’s part of the journey.”
As a competitor, McGee is focused on avoiding the anguish of a third straight defeat on Saturday night. Just as he has since his first fight, he’s ready to suit up, show up, and put his skills to the test in the cage.
As always, it’s about much more than just the outcome of the fight.
“It’s not just fighting any more – it’s a business, it’s a job, it’s a career. I have a family that I have to support, and the responsibility of being a dad. And then the most important responsibility is staying sober, because I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if I didn’t maintain my sobriety.
“A loss, a win – what matters to me is that I show up every day, just like I showed up to practice today. I felt good today, but there are Mondays where I don’t want to be there, and I don’t want to practice; I feel terrible, but the point is that I show up. It’s the same thing that I show up for my children. I tell my wife I love her, and I clean the living room even though I don’t want to. It’s the last thing I want to do, but it’s my living room too.
“By me showing up every day, I can show someone else in the world that if I can show up and do this every day, doing the best I can do – whether I win or lose, I’m still me, I’ve shown up, and I’ve done the best I can do – maybe they’ll take a little bit of inspiration from that, and they’ll show up for whatever they need to show up for, whether that’s bagging groceries at WalMart or helping their wife clean the living room.”
Suit up and show up, every day, no matter what you’re doing. You never know who your efforts will inspire.
Court McGee has done it every day for the last 2,500 days, and the outcome of Saturday’s fight won’t stop him for continuing to do the same come Sunday morning.
On Sunday, February 17, 2013, Court McGee reached 2,500 days of sobriety.
“Pretty crazy, huh?” he asked me with a laugh, breaking the silence over the phone when he told me how many days it had been since his last sip of alcohol when we spoke a couple of weeks earlier.
While most pre-fight interviews focus on the previous result and the opponent on deck, speaking with the articulate 28-year-old who embodies the word “fighter” in many ways is always a chance to talk about so much more. There are very few topics that are off limits with McGee, who has never hesitated to discuss his past struggles, present situation inside and outside the cage, or future goals with nothing but complete openness and raw honesty.
Fighting may be his profession, but the cage isn’t just his place of business. As much as he loves the competition, fighting on the biggest stage in mixed martial arts also affords McGee a platform, a way to reach out to those who are struggling and going down the same dangerous paths he managed to survive.
Win or lose, the man who was once clinically dead sees every fight as a chance to show others that you can make it out. It’s a message he carried throughout his winning turn on Season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter, and the same one he will bring to the cage with him when he makes his welterweight debut Saturday night inside the Honda Center in Anaheim, California at UFC 157.
“(Fighting isn’t) the end-all, be-all,” said McGee, who faces veteran Josh Neer this weekend. “Don’t get me wrong: it can feel like that. There are some days when you wake up and think it’s the end of the world, and there are other days where it’s the greatest feeling, but maintaining that sober lifestyle, and knowing that a loss isn’t the end of the world…”
One thing you get used to in talking with McGee is how quickly and frequently he shifts direction when he speaks, leaving sentences dangling without a conclusion as he pivots to a tangential thought.
“You can lose jobs, gain jobs, make a lot of money, lose a lot of money,” he said, re-starting his paused point from a slightly different angle. “But it’s kind of `Are you happy with where you’re at?’ and `Are you happy with what you’re doing?’ and `Do I think I’m doing what my higher power thinks I should do?’ and I am. I’m able to carry the message to people all over the world.”
As we spoke on a Monday afternoon earlier this month, McGee told me he lost a friend the day before. He said it with the flat tone and unwavering voice of a man who has spent a lot of time talking about friends who left this world too early, and one who knows all too well what it’s like to be in the same place.
“He was a great guy. He was funny, a little off – he wasn’t a real popular guy – but there was something about him that was real personable; not a lot of people didn’t get along with him, you know? He was a great guy, and for whatever reason, he overdosed on some sleeping medication. That was Saturday night or Sunday morning.
“I just think that I fight to carry the message to people like that – who haven’t gone over the edge – and think if I can make it out, you can make it out, and that gives me inspiration to show up. That’s one of the things, man – you’ve just got to suit up and show up – and I’ve done that.”
He’ll suit up and show up again on Saturday, looking to halt a two-fight losing streak when he steps into the cage as a welterweight for the first time.
Relocating to the 170-pound ranks was something McGee discussed with his coaches prior to his pairing with Costa Philippou last March. After dropping a unanimous decision to the surging Serra-Longo Fight Team member in Sydney, Australia, he returned to the cage four months later to take on Nick Ring at UFC 149 in Calgary, Alberta, putting his plan to change weight classes on hold once again.
“About a week before I had agreed to fight Costa, I had been talking and thinking about going down to 170, but then I got offered the fight, so it was kind of like, `OK – we’ll take it, and then we’ll go down after.’ Then it was like, `OK, I’ll fight Nick again; I’ve got a good game plan going in. I’ll stick with it, and just worry about cutting down after.’
“Immediately after, I called (UFC matchmaker) Joe (Silva) and said, `My next fight is going to be at welterweight.’ It was part of the game plan for a while, but I thought the matchups were good. It ended up working out the way it did, but everything worked out the way it was supposed to, you know what I mean? I just have to be okay with the way things work, accept the way things are, and try to make the best of my decision, the decision of the judges, and try to kick some ass on the next one, you know?”
McGee felt he did enough to earn the victory against the former in Australia, and just about everyone who saw the fight with the latter believed he should have been declared the winner in Calgary.
Some fighters who find themselves on the wrong side of a questionable decision never miss a chance to remind you that the judges robbed them. As much as he still disagrees with the final scorecards, McGee’s reasons for focusing on the positive elements of each contest are fairly standard when it comes to the world of fighting, and a sharp dose of reality when examined in terms of the life the fighter used to live.
“I used them as an experience to try and grow from,” explained McGee, whose record now sits at 3-2 in the UFC and 13-3 overall following his consecutive setbacks. “It’s `what can I learn from it?’ and `what can I take positive from it?’ instead of making everything negative, and blaming everybody else. That would stop me from being the best I could be, and that would stop me from being able to carry the message.
“If I dwelled and `I should have had this’ and `I should have had that’ – if I had everything I wanted, I’d be f***ing dead right now or in prison, you know what I mean? I kind of make the best of it because things are a lot better than I could have ever imagined them to be.
“Don’t get me wrong: losing is really difficult to deal with as a professional athlete,” laughed McGee as he resumed. “It hurts your pride, hurts your ego, you start second-guessing, and you go through a lot of emotions that a lot of people wouldn’t understand unless they’ve been through it, but that’s part of it; that’s part of the journey.”
As a competitor, McGee is focused on avoiding the anguish of a third straight defeat on Saturday night. Just as he has since his first fight, he’s ready to suit up, show up, and put his skills to the test in the cage.
As always, it’s about much more than just the outcome of the fight.
“It’s not just fighting any more – it’s a business, it’s a job, it’s a career. I have a family that I have to support, and the responsibility of being a dad. And then the most important responsibility is staying sober, because I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if I didn’t maintain my sobriety.
“A loss, a win – what matters to me is that I show up every day, just like I showed up to practice today. I felt good today, but there are Mondays where I don’t want to be there, and I don’t want to practice; I feel terrible, but the point is that I show up. It’s the same thing that I show up for my children. I tell my wife I love her, and I clean the living room even though I don’t want to. It’s the last thing I want to do, but it’s my living room too.
“By me showing up every day, I can show someone else in the world that if I can show up and do this every day, doing the best I can do – whether I win or lose, I’m still me, I’ve shown up, and I’ve done the best I can do – maybe they’ll take a little bit of inspiration from that, and they’ll show up for whatever they need to show up for, whether that’s bagging groceries at WalMart or helping their wife clean the living room.”
Suit up and show up, every day, no matter what you’re doing. You never know who your efforts will inspire.
Court McGee has done it every day for the last 2,500 days, and the outcome of Saturday’s fight won’t stop him for continuing to do the same come Sunday morning.
Five years and 16 consecutive wins after losing his MMA debut, Ryan Jimmo finally made his way into the Octagon.
Seven seconds later, the 31-year-old Canadian stood in the center of the cage, smiling as he broke out his patented celebratory dance, a rock-solid “robot” that ended with a full front split.
The journey to UFC 149 in Calgary, Alberta last summer was a circuitous one, as he threw hands across his home and native land in various organizations, ultimately settling in Edmonton for an extended run in the country’s premier organization, the Maximum Fighting Championship.
After racking up nine consecutive victories prior to his MFC return, Jimmo rattled off four more wins to arrive at a title shot, and then defeated fan favourite Dwayne Lewis to claim the vacant light heavyweight title. In his next two outings, “The Big Deal” defeated current Ultimate Fighter contestant Zak Cummings and former PRIDE and UFC competitor Sokoudjou by decision to run his winning streak to 16 straight.
Half of those 16 wins – including six out of seven following his return to the MFC – came by way of decision, earning Jimmo an unappealing reputation as a decision fighter; someone more interested in making sure he added another win to his resume than entertaining the fans.
It’s that reputation and string of results that made his blistering debut knockout of Anthony Perosh all the more impactful.
“I’ve nailed guys with a right hand lots of time in a fight, and lots of time in training, so I don’t know if my power was ever put into question,” offered the engaging Canadian, who celebrated his 17th consecutive victory with a cigar and a couple cold bottles of Alexander Keith’s India Pale Ale.
“I had done a lot of decisions, but because I was fighting in a different league, and if you lose in a league outside of UFC, sometimes you don’t get a chance at the UFC, so I had to fight more conservatively. It was good to be on a bigger stage where it’s worth taking the risk. In the smaller shows, if you take a big risk, if you win, it’s like `Good knockout.’ You’re going to make a highlight reel, and that’s about it.”
The streaking light heavyweight competitor explained the risk/reward assessment involved with opening up his style by combining two of Las Vegas’ staples – fighting and poker.
“It’s like poker – you’re not going to put $15,000 in the pot if all you’re going to win is $100; it’s not worth it. They’re bad pot odds to take a risk like that, so you play safe and conservative. But if you put $15,000 in and you can win $100,000, it’s worth the risk. I didn’t get anything before for taking the risk; now I get an appropriate amount back.
“It was good to be on a bigger stage where it’s worth taking the risk. If you take a big risk and you get it, you get a big bonus check.”
Jimmo did just that with his performance last July against Perosh, netting an additional $65,000 for Knockout of the Night after his near UFC record finish. Next up for the New Brunswick native is a showdown with James Te Huna, a heavy handed New Zealander who also holds a first-round TKO win over Perosh, and has posted a 4-1 record since joining the UFC roster in February 2010.
After a long journey to arrive on the biggest stage of the sport, it would have been understandable had Jimmo taken a little time to bask in his impressive debut win, but instead, the former Canadian National Karate champion opted to get right back into the gym to focus on putting forth an equally spectacular performance in his sophomore showing in the UFC.
“I started training right after my last fight. I took a week where it was a little bit easier, but I was still riding a bike, doing the right things. I’ve been back here since October, so it’s almost been like an extended camp.”
“Here” is Delray Beach, Florida, home of the Jaco Hybrid Training Center and “The Blackzilians,” the talented fight collective that includes Rashad Evans, Alistair Overeem, and fellow UFC on FUEL 7 competitor Jorge Santiago. Following a long stretch spent training in Edmonton, moving south not only offered a warmer year-round climate, but a serious upgrade in training partners and coaching.
“I’ve always had good instructors, but what are down here are superior training partners,” explained Jimmo, who stands as the lone Canadian on the team known by the portmanteau originated by Evans to describe its initial composition.
“The coaches are awesome down here as well, but I get world-class training partners down here. Before, my sparring partners were maybe an amateur boxer with two or three fights, and I would have to just work. I would have to do things like just try to hit him with jabs for a whole round or just evade and use head movement for a round; I’d have to pick out little spots and just try to work on them. Now I have guys with complete games who are better than me who can help bring me up to the next level.”
While many have talked about how this weekend’s fight card has been overshadowed by the stacked pay-per-views that bookend it on the UFC fight calendar for February, Jimmo has paid no mind to what else is happening in the organization.
Though he has an idea of the course he’d like to take to reach the top of the loaded light heavyweight division, his focus has been trained on Te Huna for some time, and won’t waver until after his hand is raised in the Octagon Saturday night inside Wembley Arena in London.
“I have a fight in 10 days. I don’t know what you’re talking about otherwise. Does that answer your question?” responded Jimmo when asked about his fight and this card being stuck between a pair of powerhouse pay-per-view events. “I have a fight in 10 days, and I don’t know about any other cards that are happening, and I’m focused on that. I don’t even know that the other things are happening. I didn’t know it was Christmas, so when you say, `Does this overshadow you?’ I don’t feel it overshadows anything because I don’t even know it’s happening.
“I just simply want to perform excellently, to the top of my ability. Afterwards we can worry about being a superstar and getting noticed. Superstars get noticed because they perform with excellence inside of the cage. I don’t know about the other stuff because I don’t think about it.”
“I have a bit of a road map,” added Jimmo, “but you can’t plan how you’re going to step off the curb a block and a half from where you’re at, you know? You put one foot in front of another, and make sure to show up for this fight. After that I can reassess my options. I have to make sure I nail this fight pinpoint on and perform very excellently, and then we go from there.”
As for predictions, the surging light heavyweight opted to keep things real simple: “I think people can expect some fireworks… and another installment of The Robot.”
Five years and 16 consecutive wins after losing his MMA debut, Ryan Jimmo finally made his way into the Octagon.
Seven seconds later, the 31-year-old Canadian stood in the center of the cage, smiling as he broke out his patented celebratory dance, a rock-solid “robot” that ended with a full front split.
The journey to UFC 149 in Calgary, Alberta last summer was a circuitous one, as he threw hands across his home and native land in various organizations, ultimately settling in Edmonton for an extended run in the country’s premier organization, the Maximum Fighting Championship.
After racking up nine consecutive victories prior to his MFC return, Jimmo rattled off four more wins to arrive at a title shot, and then defeated fan favourite Dwayne Lewis to claim the vacant light heavyweight title. In his next two outings, “The Big Deal” defeated current Ultimate Fighter contestant Zak Cummings and former PRIDE and UFC competitor Sokoudjou by decision to run his winning streak to 16 straight.
Half of those 16 wins – including six out of seven following his return to the MFC – came by way of decision, earning Jimmo an unappealing reputation as a decision fighter; someone more interested in making sure he added another win to his resume than entertaining the fans.
It’s that reputation and string of results that made his blistering debut knockout of Anthony Perosh all the more impactful.
“I’ve nailed guys with a right hand lots of time in a fight, and lots of time in training, so I don’t know if my power was ever put into question,” offered the engaging Canadian, who celebrated his 17th consecutive victory with a cigar and a couple cold bottles of Alexander Keith’s India Pale Ale.
“I had done a lot of decisions, but because I was fighting in a different league, and if you lose in a league outside of UFC, sometimes you don’t get a chance at the UFC, so I had to fight more conservatively. It was good to be on a bigger stage where it’s worth taking the risk. In the smaller shows, if you take a big risk, if you win, it’s like `Good knockout.’ You’re going to make a highlight reel, and that’s about it.”
The streaking light heavyweight competitor explained the risk/reward assessment involved with opening up his style by combining two of Las Vegas’ staples – fighting and poker.
“It’s like poker – you’re not going to put $15,000 in the pot if all you’re going to win is $100; it’s not worth it. They’re bad pot odds to take a risk like that, so you play safe and conservative. But if you put $15,000 in and you can win $100,000, it’s worth the risk. I didn’t get anything before for taking the risk; now I get an appropriate amount back.
“It was good to be on a bigger stage where it’s worth taking the risk. If you take a big risk and you get it, you get a big bonus check.”
Jimmo did just that with his performance last July against Perosh, netting an additional $65,000 for Knockout of the Night after his near UFC record finish. Next up for the New Brunswick native is a showdown with James Te Huna, a heavy handed New Zealander who also holds a first-round TKO win over Perosh, and has posted a 4-1 record since joining the UFC roster in February 2010.
After a long journey to arrive on the biggest stage of the sport, it would have been understandable had Jimmo taken a little time to bask in his impressive debut win, but instead, the former Canadian National Karate champion opted to get right back into the gym to focus on putting forth an equally spectacular performance in his sophomore showing in the UFC.
“I started training right after my last fight. I took a week where it was a little bit easier, but I was still riding a bike, doing the right things. I’ve been back here since October, so it’s almost been like an extended camp.”
“Here” is Delray Beach, Florida, home of the Jaco Hybrid Training Center and “The Blackzilians,” the talented fight collective that includes Rashad Evans, Alistair Overeem, and fellow UFC on FUEL 7 competitor Jorge Santiago. Following a long stretch spent training in Edmonton, moving south not only offered a warmer year-round climate, but a serious upgrade in training partners and coaching.
“I’ve always had good instructors, but what are down here are superior training partners,” explained Jimmo, who stands as the lone Canadian on the team known by the portmanteau originated by Evans to describe its initial composition.
“The coaches are awesome down here as well, but I get world-class training partners down here. Before, my sparring partners were maybe an amateur boxer with two or three fights, and I would have to just work. I would have to do things like just try to hit him with jabs for a whole round or just evade and use head movement for a round; I’d have to pick out little spots and just try to work on them. Now I have guys with complete games who are better than me who can help bring me up to the next level.”
While many have talked about how this weekend’s fight card has been overshadowed by the stacked pay-per-views that bookend it on the UFC fight calendar for February, Jimmo has paid no mind to what else is happening in the organization.
Though he has an idea of the course he’d like to take to reach the top of the loaded light heavyweight division, his focus has been trained on Te Huna for some time, and won’t waver until after his hand is raised in the Octagon Saturday night inside Wembley Arena in London.
“I have a fight in 10 days. I don’t know what you’re talking about otherwise. Does that answer your question?” responded Jimmo when asked about his fight and this card being stuck between a pair of powerhouse pay-per-view events. “I have a fight in 10 days, and I don’t know about any other cards that are happening, and I’m focused on that. I don’t even know that the other things are happening. I didn’t know it was Christmas, so when you say, `Does this overshadow you?’ I don’t feel it overshadows anything because I don’t even know it’s happening.
“I just simply want to perform excellently, to the top of my ability. Afterwards we can worry about being a superstar and getting noticed. Superstars get noticed because they perform with excellence inside of the cage. I don’t know about the other stuff because I don’t think about it.”
“I have a bit of a road map,” added Jimmo, “but you can’t plan how you’re going to step off the curb a block and a half from where you’re at, you know? You put one foot in front of another, and make sure to show up for this fight. After that I can reassess my options. I have to make sure I nail this fight pinpoint on and perform very excellently, and then we go from there.”
As for predictions, the surging light heavyweight opted to keep things real simple: “I think people can expect some fireworks… and another installment of The Robot.”
For the first time in his mixed martial arts career, Paul Sass is looking to rebound from a loss.
After rattling off 13 consecutive victories to begin his career – including a trio of first round submission wins in the UFC – the British jiu-jitsu specialist returned to home soil last September, only to have his moment in the sun turn into a nightmare evening he’d much rather forget.
“Honestly, I don’t remember,” said the soft-spoken Team Kaobon representative with a chuckle when asked about the closing sequence of his UFC on FUEL TV encounter with Matt Wiman last fall in Nottingham. “And I don’t really want to relive that either. I’m trying to put that behind me, put that away with this fight now.”
Though the contest held true to Sass’ previous UFC appearances in terms of ending in the first round, it was the 24-year-old Liverpool native who was on the wrong side of the submission finish. While he controlled the early portion of the contest with his relentless search for limbs, it was Wiman who was able to find a finishing hold, latching onto an arm out of a scramble along the cage. Sass tried valiantly to defend, but the veteran lightweight Wiman was able to extend the arm, forcing the local favorite to tap and incur his first career defeat.
Now, just a little over four months after tasting defeat for the first time, Sass is prepared to step back into the cage, and get back into the win column, as he squares off with Team Alpha Male’s Danny Castillo Saturday night at Wembley Arena when the UFC returns to FUEL TV.
In a time when fighters are more well-rounded and diverse with their offense as ever before, Sass is a throwback to the days when specialists ruled the cage.
He has earned submission finishes in 12 of his 13 career victories, with his signature triangle choke known as the “Sassangle” accounting for nine of those wins. While he’s continually working to improve the other facets of his game, the talented ground fighter isn’t trying to disguise his desires when the cage door closes.
“Jiu-jitsu is obviously what I’m best at, so I want to get it to the ground as soon as I can. If that means I have to pull guard, I will do, (in order to) take them down and look for a submission. That’s just where I’m most comfortable.
“That was the move I was catching when I was younger; I was just getting everyone with the triangle,” explained Sass, who counts Jacob Volkmann, Michael Johnson, and fellow British UFC fighter Jason Young among those he’s submitted thus far. “Then I was learning new set-ups for it, and I’ve kept progressing with it – finding new ways to get it. Sometimes it’s there and I just go for it as soon as possible. It’s become my favorite move, and a move that I get more than anything.”
Getting the chance to get back into the cage this quickly after suffering the first defeat of his career was a great fit for Sass. Getting the chance to do it on home soil was a welcome surprise.
“I didn’t expect it when I got told there was going to be one at Wembley like four or five months after the one in Nottingham,” Sass said of the UFC’s decision to return to England this weekend after having reserved their British stop for later in the fall each of the last three years. “I think it was a shock to everyone when it came back so quick.
“My coach told me I was fighting at Wembley against Danny, and I just said, `Yeah.’ I couldn’t say no; I want to get back to my winning ways. I know he’s a good wrestler and he’s got a powerful right hand, and that’s all I need to know really. Either it goes my way, and I get a submission win or – well, I can’t afford to lose, really.”
That’s the reality Sass sees right now as he prepares for this fifth UFC appearance. Despite starting his career with 13 consecutive victories, that initial loss last September has brought his momentum to a screeching halt, and he has little interest in thinking about what a second straight defeat bring.
In a sport where “everyone eventually loses,” toting around as impressive a record as Sass had heading into his bout with Wiman last fall can be a blessing and curse. Each fight is accompanied by whispers about when the streak will end, the desire to maintain a perfect record ratcheting up the pressure of performing another notch or two.
While the loss to Wiman remains a memory buried away in his head and a bitter taste in his mouth, Sass acknowledged that there is a slight sense of relief that comes with no longer having the weight of an unblemished record on his shoulders as he enters the cage this weekend.
“It put sort of pressure on me – trying to keep the winning streak – so that’s gone now,” Sass admitted. “I’m going to come back ten times stronger now, and I have that defeat out the way. I can put that behind me, and just get back to my winning ways; make my way back up.”
They say you learn the most from your defeats, and that before you can truly know how to win, you must first experience losing.
Sass had done exceptionally well prior to having experienced his first professional setback. If that means he’s only now prepared to put it all together and make a real run in the 155-pound ranks, everyone in the lightweight division better step up their efforts when it comes to their submission defense – especially when it comes to defending the triangle.
For the first time in his mixed martial arts career, Paul Sass is looking to rebound from a loss.
After rattling off 13 consecutive victories to begin his career – including a trio of first round submission wins in the UFC – the British jiu-jitsu specialist returned to home soil last September, only to have his moment in the sun turn into a nightmare evening he’d much rather forget.
“Honestly, I don’t remember,” said the soft-spoken Team Kaobon representative with a chuckle when asked about the closing sequence of his UFC on FUEL TV encounter with Matt Wiman last fall in Nottingham. “And I don’t really want to relive that either. I’m trying to put that behind me, put that away with this fight now.”
Though the contest held true to Sass’ previous UFC appearances in terms of ending in the first round, it was the 24-year-old Liverpool native who was on the wrong side of the submission finish. While he controlled the early portion of the contest with his relentless search for limbs, it was Wiman who was able to find a finishing hold, latching onto an arm out of a scramble along the cage. Sass tried valiantly to defend, but the veteran lightweight Wiman was able to extend the arm, forcing the local favorite to tap and incur his first career defeat.
Now, just a little over four months after tasting defeat for the first time, Sass is prepared to step back into the cage, and get back into the win column, as he squares off with Team Alpha Male’s Danny Castillo Saturday night at Wembley Arena when the UFC returns to FUEL TV.
In a time when fighters are more well-rounded and diverse with their offense as ever before, Sass is a throwback to the days when specialists ruled the cage.
He has earned submission finishes in 12 of his 13 career victories, with his signature triangle choke known as the “Sassangle” accounting for nine of those wins. While he’s continually working to improve the other facets of his game, the talented ground fighter isn’t trying to disguise his desires when the cage door closes.
“Jiu-jitsu is obviously what I’m best at, so I want to get it to the ground as soon as I can. If that means I have to pull guard, I will do, (in order to) take them down and look for a submission. That’s just where I’m most comfortable.
“That was the move I was catching when I was younger; I was just getting everyone with the triangle,” explained Sass, who counts Jacob Volkmann, Michael Johnson, and fellow British UFC fighter Jason Young among those he’s submitted thus far. “Then I was learning new set-ups for it, and I’ve kept progressing with it – finding new ways to get it. Sometimes it’s there and I just go for it as soon as possible. It’s become my favorite move, and a move that I get more than anything.”
Getting the chance to get back into the cage this quickly after suffering the first defeat of his career was a great fit for Sass. Getting the chance to do it on home soil was a welcome surprise.
“I didn’t expect it when I got told there was going to be one at Wembley like four or five months after the one in Nottingham,” Sass said of the UFC’s decision to return to England this weekend after having reserved their British stop for later in the fall each of the last three years. “I think it was a shock to everyone when it came back so quick.
“My coach told me I was fighting at Wembley against Danny, and I just said, `Yeah.’ I couldn’t say no; I want to get back to my winning ways. I know he’s a good wrestler and he’s got a powerful right hand, and that’s all I need to know really. Either it goes my way, and I get a submission win or – well, I can’t afford to lose, really.”
That’s the reality Sass sees right now as he prepares for this fifth UFC appearance. Despite starting his career with 13 consecutive victories, that initial loss last September has brought his momentum to a screeching halt, and he has little interest in thinking about what a second straight defeat bring.
In a sport where “everyone eventually loses,” toting around as impressive a record as Sass had heading into his bout with Wiman last fall can be a blessing and curse. Each fight is accompanied by whispers about when the streak will end, the desire to maintain a perfect record ratcheting up the pressure of performing another notch or two.
While the loss to Wiman remains a memory buried away in his head and a bitter taste in his mouth, Sass acknowledged that there is a slight sense of relief that comes with no longer having the weight of an unblemished record on his shoulders as he enters the cage this weekend.
“It put sort of pressure on me – trying to keep the winning streak – so that’s gone now,” Sass admitted. “I’m going to come back ten times stronger now, and I have that defeat out the way. I can put that behind me, and just get back to my winning ways; make my way back up.”
They say you learn the most from your defeats, and that before you can truly know how to win, you must first experience losing.
Sass had done exceptionally well prior to having experienced his first professional setback. If that means he’s only now prepared to put it all together and make a real run in the 155-pound ranks, everyone in the lightweight division better step up their efforts when it comes to their submission defense – especially when it comes to defending the triangle.
Yves Edwards’ fighting career is just about old enough to drive.
The 36-year-old lightweight veteran had his first official fight in October 1997, though there were surely a couple other fights before that which don’t appear on his resume. Over those 16 years, Edwards has traversed the country, and made trips to Canada, Japan, and Russia, amassing a 42-18-1 record competing in organizations big and small against recognizable names and relative unknowns alike.
At one point early in his career, he was viewed as the uncrowned king of the UFC lightweight division, and his flying head kick finish against Josh Thomson at UFC 49 remains immortalized in the company’s pre-main card hype video.
In addition to mastering Thugjitsu — which is officially defined as “the modern art of the beatdown” — Edwards has also become proficient in the art of pre-fight psychological warfare.
On the day of weigh-ins, while everyone else is waiting to step on the scale, counting down the seconds and minutes before they can once again let food pass through their lips, you’re likely to find Edwards in the back, snacking on a candy bar or cookies, an early reward for making weight without issue.
“There are times where on the day of weigh ins, I’ll get down to 152 pounds, but the next day, I’m still 175, so I feel real good about the cut, and I still feel strong the next day,” said Edwards, explaining the origin of the on-the-scale snacking routine that has become his signature in recent years. “If I get down to ’52, I go ahead and eat before the weigh ins, and I can enjoy myself while everybody back there are a little bit miserable.
“I just remember cutting weight for Golden Gloves and other stuff as an amateur, and then getting on the scale as a pro realizing that I made my weight cut, and this is a really miserable time. Everybody is uncomfortable, everybody feels bad, and I’ve learned how to make the weight cut best for myself.
“I like trying to make myself as comfortable as possible, as soon as possible, and I love sweets. Getting on the scale while I’m eating something delicious and that other guy is miserable – it may not affect him in the fight itself, but it might piss him off a little bit. He’s back there miserable and I’m nibbling on something while he’s still spitting into a cup to make sure that he’s under.”
This weekend, the seasoned professional welcomes former Strikeforce fighter and Team Jackson-Winkeljohn member Isaac Vallie-Flagg into the Octagon. While Valllie-Flagg made it known that he likes “anything chocolate,” the UFC newcomer better not be expecting Edwards to share his snacks on Friday.
“I stopped giving people my food after I gave Sam (Stout) one of my Oreos,” admitted Edwards, who was knocked out by the Canadian with a vicious left hand at UFC 131 one day after the two chowed down on cookies during their pre-fight face-off. “It’s not going to happen again, but it’s nice to know that he likes chocolate. Maybe I’ll have some chocolate and not let him have any; that will piss him off.”
At a time when many veteran fighters are showing signs of decline, cashing paychecks on the regional circuit, or have already hung up their four-ounce gloves for good, Edwards is still in the thick of things in the deepest, most competitive division in the UFC.
His blistering first-round knockout win over Jeremy Stephens two months ago lifted his record to 4-2 during his second stint on the biggest stage in the sport, and continued to show that while he may be the senior statesman of the active competitors in the lightweight division, he continues to be a tough out for anyone who stands opposite him inside the cage.
Part of what has contributed to his longevity and ability to continue to compete at a high level is Edwards’ approach to training.
“When I game plan for my opponent’s strengths, I game plan like I’m fighting the best guy at that thing, no matter what his strength is,” explained Edwards, who is based in Austin, Texas, but also trains with the all-star collection of athletes at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida.
“If his strength is kickboxing and his wrestling is not the best, I’m not training just to beat his wrestling; I’m training to try and be successful against a guy at (Georges St-Pierre’s) level. That’s what my mentality is. I know I’m not at GSP’s level of wrestling offensively or defensively, but that’s what I look at when I look at an opponent. I try to train for that level of guy in that aspect of the game.
“If I’m worried about wrestling, I’m worried about GSP. He’s a weight class higher and someone I will never fight, but that’s the guy I’m training for, you know? I’m training for Anderson Silva when it comes to standup. I’m training for Marcelo Garcia when it comes to straight jiu-jitsu.”
More than anything, though, the fact that Edwards continues to enjoy the process of preparing for a fight and the day-to-day quest to improve in all areas is what keeps him adding more fights to his already lofty appearance total.
“It’s still fun. I’m still having a good time. I don’t not enjoy it,” laughed Edwards, who has earned stoppages in 33 of his 42 career wins. “I think about that sometimes. A couple months ago I was training with Gleison Tibau, and he was throwing a little bit hard. We were wearing (MMA training gloves), but he was hitting me a little hard in the face – he was on top, and I was trying to get up – and it was hard to get up. I was thinking to myself, `He’s hitting me hard.’ Right after that, I thought, `Oh well. I guess I gotta get up because this is still kind of fun.’ That’s the thing, you know?
“I’m never not having a good time. Even if I’m in the gym, I’m extremely tired or getting beat up, I’m still having a good time. I’m sure I would be having a better time if I were winning the round or winning the moment, but even at that point I’m still enjoying it. It’s still a challenge, it’s still a lot of fun, and I still want to get better – and I feel I am still getting better – so I guess that’s motivation. When I feel like I’m not improving and I can’t make any more gains, then I guess the desire may start to fade.”
For now, that desire is still going strong, and is bolstered this time around by the opportunity to compete on the same card as his close friend and long-time training partner Tyron Woodley. The two always corner each other, and have discussed the possibility of fighting on the same event for a number of years, dating back to Edwards’ days with EliteXC.
With Woodley, a former Strikeforce welterweight title challenger, moving to the UFC roster and stepping up to replace Erick Silva opposite Jay Hieron later in the night on Saturday, the two will get to cross another item off their individual Bucket Lists.
“As soon as the Strikeforce-UFC merger was going to happen, I got excited about the fact that I would possibly get to fight on the same card as my big baby brother. For it to be for his first time up, I’m excited about it.
“I’m really excited to be sharing it rather than having one of us there supporting the other. We’ll both be out there at the same time; we’ve got our own things to take care of and we’ll be there together all the way through. I plan on opening the show and setting the stage for him to come out and close it in a very similar fashion.”
Having spent nearly 16 years inside the cage trading leather with some of the best in the business, Edwards has a very firm grasp on where he stands and what his prospects look like going forward.
It’s that understanding continues to make him one of the most entertaining fighters in the lightweight division, and promises to make his bout this weekend a can’t-miss engagement.
“I don’t feel like my window is closing, but I completely understand that I’m 36 now, and it probably is. At the very least, I know it’s not as open as it was 10 years ago, so I want to go out there and make it as exciting as I possibly can, and demonstrate what thugjitsu is at its highest level while the sport is at the highest level its been at. I want to go out there and put on a show, man, and I’m not going to hold anything back, that’s for sure.
“Once thugjitsu hits, don’t blink.”
Yves Edwards’ fighting career is just about old enough to drive.
The 36-year-old lightweight veteran had his first official fight in October 1997, though there were surely a couple other fights before that which don’t appear on his resume. Over those 16 years, Edwards has traversed the country, and made trips to Canada, Japan, and Russia, amassing a 42-18-1 record competing in organizations big and small against recognizable names and relative unknowns alike.
At one point early in his career, he was viewed as the uncrowned king of the UFC lightweight division, and his flying head kick finish against Josh Thomson at UFC 49 remains immortalized in the company’s pre-main card hype video.
In addition to mastering Thugjitsu — which is officially defined as “the modern art of the beatdown” — Edwards has also become proficient in the art of pre-fight psychological warfare.
On the day of weigh-ins, while everyone else is waiting to step on the scale, counting down the seconds and minutes before they can once again let food pass through their lips, you’re likely to find Edwards in the back, snacking on a candy bar or cookies, an early reward for making weight without issue.
“There are times where on the day of weigh ins, I’ll get down to 152 pounds, but the next day, I’m still 175, so I feel real good about the cut, and I still feel strong the next day,” said Edwards, explaining the origin of the on-the-scale snacking routine that has become his signature in recent years. “If I get down to ’52, I go ahead and eat before the weigh ins, and I can enjoy myself while everybody back there are a little bit miserable.
“I just remember cutting weight for Golden Gloves and other stuff as an amateur, and then getting on the scale as a pro realizing that I made my weight cut, and this is a really miserable time. Everybody is uncomfortable, everybody feels bad, and I’ve learned how to make the weight cut best for myself.
“I like trying to make myself as comfortable as possible, as soon as possible, and I love sweets. Getting on the scale while I’m eating something delicious and that other guy is miserable – it may not affect him in the fight itself, but it might piss him off a little bit. He’s back there miserable and I’m nibbling on something while he’s still spitting into a cup to make sure that he’s under.”
This weekend, the seasoned professional welcomes former Strikeforce fighter and Team Jackson-Winkeljohn member Isaac Vallie-Flagg into the Octagon. While Valllie-Flagg made it known that he likes “anything chocolate,” the UFC newcomer better not be expecting Edwards to share his snacks on Friday.
“I stopped giving people my food after I gave Sam (Stout) one of my Oreos,” admitted Edwards, who was knocked out by the Canadian with a vicious left hand at UFC 131 one day after the two chowed down on cookies during their pre-fight face-off. “It’s not going to happen again, but it’s nice to know that he likes chocolate. Maybe I’ll have some chocolate and not let him have any; that will piss him off.”
At a time when many veteran fighters are showing signs of decline, cashing paychecks on the regional circuit, or have already hung up their four-ounce gloves for good, Edwards is still in the thick of things in the deepest, most competitive division in the UFC.
His blistering first-round knockout win over Jeremy Stephens two months ago lifted his record to 4-2 during his second stint on the biggest stage in the sport, and continued to show that while he may be the senior statesman of the active competitors in the lightweight division, he continues to be a tough out for anyone who stands opposite him inside the cage.
Part of what has contributed to his longevity and ability to continue to compete at a high level is Edwards’ approach to training.
“When I game plan for my opponent’s strengths, I game plan like I’m fighting the best guy at that thing, no matter what his strength is,” explained Edwards, who is based in Austin, Texas, but also trains with the all-star collection of athletes at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida.
“If his strength is kickboxing and his wrestling is not the best, I’m not training just to beat his wrestling; I’m training to try and be successful against a guy at (Georges St-Pierre’s) level. That’s what my mentality is. I know I’m not at GSP’s level of wrestling offensively or defensively, but that’s what I look at when I look at an opponent. I try to train for that level of guy in that aspect of the game.
“If I’m worried about wrestling, I’m worried about GSP. He’s a weight class higher and someone I will never fight, but that’s the guy I’m training for, you know? I’m training for Anderson Silva when it comes to standup. I’m training for Marcelo Garcia when it comes to straight jiu-jitsu.”
More than anything, though, the fact that Edwards continues to enjoy the process of preparing for a fight and the day-to-day quest to improve in all areas is what keeps him adding more fights to his already lofty appearance total.
“It’s still fun. I’m still having a good time. I don’t not enjoy it,” laughed Edwards, who has earned stoppages in 33 of his 42 career wins. “I think about that sometimes. A couple months ago I was training with Gleison Tibau, and he was throwing a little bit hard. We were wearing (MMA training gloves), but he was hitting me a little hard in the face – he was on top, and I was trying to get up – and it was hard to get up. I was thinking to myself, `He’s hitting me hard.’ Right after that, I thought, `Oh well. I guess I gotta get up because this is still kind of fun.’ That’s the thing, you know?
“I’m never not having a good time. Even if I’m in the gym, I’m extremely tired or getting beat up, I’m still having a good time. I’m sure I would be having a better time if I were winning the round or winning the moment, but even at that point I’m still enjoying it. It’s still a challenge, it’s still a lot of fun, and I still want to get better – and I feel I am still getting better – so I guess that’s motivation. When I feel like I’m not improving and I can’t make any more gains, then I guess the desire may start to fade.”
For now, that desire is still going strong, and is bolstered this time around by the opportunity to compete on the same card as his close friend and long-time training partner Tyron Woodley. The two always corner each other, and have discussed the possibility of fighting on the same event for a number of years, dating back to Edwards’ days with EliteXC.
With Woodley, a former Strikeforce welterweight title challenger, moving to the UFC roster and stepping up to replace Erick Silva opposite Jay Hieron later in the night on Saturday, the two will get to cross another item off their individual Bucket Lists.
“As soon as the Strikeforce-UFC merger was going to happen, I got excited about the fact that I would possibly get to fight on the same card as my big baby brother. For it to be for his first time up, I’m excited about it.
“I’m really excited to be sharing it rather than having one of us there supporting the other. We’ll both be out there at the same time; we’ve got our own things to take care of and we’ll be there together all the way through. I plan on opening the show and setting the stage for him to come out and close it in a very similar fashion.”
Having spent nearly 16 years inside the cage trading leather with some of the best in the business, Edwards has a very firm grasp on where he stands and what his prospects look like going forward.
It’s that understanding continues to make him one of the most entertaining fighters in the lightweight division, and promises to make his bout this weekend a can’t-miss engagement.
“I don’t feel like my window is closing, but I completely understand that I’m 36 now, and it probably is. At the very least, I know it’s not as open as it was 10 years ago, so I want to go out there and make it as exciting as I possibly can, and demonstrate what thugjitsu is at its highest level while the sport is at the highest level its been at. I want to go out there and put on a show, man, and I’m not going to hold anything back, that’s for sure.
Four years ago, tucked away on the preliminary portion of UFC 95, a 21-year-old Dutch kickboxer made his UFC debut against a heavyweight named Junior dos Santos.
Yves Edwards