After the fight is over, when the results appear online as the latest entry on a fighter’s resume, the subtle nuances, close calls, and near misses of the bout fade into the ether. All that remains is a win or a loss, the round and time the fight ended, and the method – decision, submission, or knockout.
While a resume conveys the bare essentials of a fighter’s career – their “tale of the tape” statistics, and an account of who they’ve beaten, who got the better of them, and how both happened – those names, dates, and results don’t tell the whole story. They’re the black and white bits that jump off the page, but the good stuff is in the grey that is often unseen or forgotten over time.
A 15-minute contest that goes to a decision could have more excitement than a bout that ends with a knockout in the closing seconds of the final round. On paper, the former looks like a boring affair, while the latter creates visions of a back-and-forth slugfest in our heads, the reality now lost on a resume, reduced to a handful of words and numbers.
Nik Lentz knows all about a fighter’s resume only conveying part of the story.
The 28-year-old Minnesotan began his UFC career by going unbeaten over his first 18 months in the organization, collecting five wins, with a majority draw with Thiago Tavares in January 2010 standing as the only hiccup. Instead of being propelled up the ranks by his string of success, Lentz’ suffocating brand of grappling and constant trips to the scorecards were the focus; sticking points with fans and critics who dubbed him “boring” while overlooking how difficult it is to go unbeaten in six consecutive trips into the UFC cage.
“The intent has always been there,” laughs Lentz, discussing his string of decision victories. “Regardless of what people want to think, these guys fighting in the UFC are not easy to finish, and I sure wasn’t given an easy road. Nobody was throwing me easy fights; they gave me hard opponents all the time.
“Even the guys who are not well known are still some of the top guys in the weight class in the sport. I was just missing little things – I would be very close to a submission or I would be very close to a knockout, but I was just missing something.”
Following his six-fight unbeaten run, Lentz hit a rough patch, going winless in his next three fights – a “no contest” result against Charles Oliveira was followed consecutive losses to Mark Bocek and Evan Dunham. He needed a change, and opted to hit the reset button on his career by changing camps and changing weight classes.
After an extended association with Greg Nelson and The Academy, Lentz opted to shift his training camps to Coconut Creek, Florida, home of American Top Team, and enlisted nutrition specialist Mike Dolce to make help him make the move to the featherweight division.
Seven months after losing to Dunham, Lentz made his featherweight debut against Eiji Mitsuoka, and everything clicked.
“I always felt like I did pretty well at ’55,” says Lentz, who stopped Mitsuoka just 3:45 into the first round of their UFC 150 encounter. “Once I got new coaches, and started doing all the right things, I realized how wrong I had been preparing. I realized how much I was missing. Sometimes you don’t know how much you’re missing to get to the next level, and you get better coaching, better training.
“Now I’ve got all these new coaches, new tools, a nutritionist, a strength trainer, that just kind of opened my mind to realizing that I could pursue a championship. I always knew that I could be a champion in fighting, but it wasn’t until I got all the new coaches and stuff that it really clicked; that I really thought now is the time that I can actually do it.”
His performance against Mitsuoka appears to have changed the way a lot of people viewed him as well, the UFC brass included. After struggling to climb the ladder in the deep lightweight ranks during his unbeaten run, Lentz’ first-round stoppage win over the Japanese veteran last August has quickly elevated him to the fringes of contention in the featherweight division.
Though the weight class is growing deeper with each passing month as more lightweights opt to relocate south of the 155-pound weight limit, Lentz will look to continue his climb towards championship gold when he squares off with perennial contender Diego Nunes this coming Saturday in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Coming off a victory in a Fight of the Night-winning battle with Bart Palaszewski last October, Nunes has been a fixture near the top of the featherweight division, boasting wins over former WEC champion Mike Brown and Manny Gamburyan, while dropping decisions to former title challenger Kenny Florian and rising contender Dennis Siver.
The 30-year-old Brazilian is viewed by many as a gatekeeper in the 145-pound ranks – a tough out hopefuls need to beat in order to be considered worthy of title contention. Lentz sees his next opponent the same way, and is intent on making another statement as he moves to the next level.
“I was super-excited, but I didn’t do anything different,” admits Lentz of his reaction to the news that he’d be facing the top-10-ranked Nunes in his sophomore appearance in the featherweight division. “It’s always the same: they text me and say this guy, and I always say yes, regardless of who it is. It’s always been the same, so it’s pretty simple, but I do like the matchup. I like the fight. I was real excited once I got a chance to think about it a little more. I’m ready for this. I’m ready to bust through that gate, not just walk through it. I’m ready to kick that sucker down.”
Looking at his resume, it’d be easy to dismiss Lentz and his upward ambitions following just a single appearance in his new division. The focused and candid featherweight contender knows this, but he also knows the wins and losses on his resume don’t tell the whole story.
“It’s all a process. I haven’t always planned it right, and I haven’t always done everything the way you’re supposed to, but I feel like it has all been for a purpose. Looking back and saying something like, `I’m pissed off because people didn’t pay attention’ doesn’t do me any good. People need to pay attention now.
“When I moved down to ’45 and changed over to ATT, I got a lot of new coaches, and everyone started seeing how talented I was, people started saying, `There is so much potential here that you haven’t been using.’ It took a move to ’45 for me to realize that myself. Once that happened, it changed my whole outlook on fighting.
“It was a frustrating process, but I think it has all worked out. Now I know how the game works. Now I know I’ve put the time in. Now I know I can beat the top-level opponents.”
And that’s exactly what he intends to do when he steps into cage with Nunes Saturday night.
“I’m going to be in his face, and he’s not going to be able to handle it. I don’t think he’s ever fought anyone as tenacious and aggressive as me. I don’t think he’ll be able to keep up with all of the parts of the game. I think we’re on the same level when it comes to striking, but once we get into the scrambles, once we get into the wrestling, once we get into the clinch, once we do all these things, I think it’s just going to wear on him.
“(The finish) is going to happen just like Mitsuoka. The same way it happened with him where it was kind of a slow, systematic destruction. He came in, he tried to strike, and he got hit. He tried to go for the takedown on me, which wasn’t his game plan. I blocked his takedown, got on top, and when he tried to stand up, I threw him down a bunch of times, and finally he cracked.
“That’s what’s going to happen with Diego too.”
After the fight is over, when the results appear online as the latest entry on a fighter’s resume, the subtle nuances, close calls, and near misses of the bout fade into the ether. All that remains is a win or a loss, the round and time the fight ended, and the method – decision, submission, or knockout.
While a resume conveys the bare essentials of a fighter’s career – their “tale of the tape” statistics, and an account of who they’ve beaten, who got the better of them, and how both happened – those names, dates, and results don’t tell the whole story. They’re the black and white bits that jump off the page, but the good stuff is in the grey that is often unseen or forgotten over time.
A 15-minute contest that goes to a decision could have more excitement than a bout that ends with a knockout in the closing seconds of the final round. On paper, the former looks like a boring affair, while the latter creates visions of a back-and-forth slugfest in our heads, the reality now lost on a resume, reduced to a handful of words and numbers.
Nik Lentz knows all about a fighter’s resume only conveying part of the story.
The 28-year-old Minnesotan began his UFC career by going unbeaten over his first 18 months in the organization, collecting five wins, with a majority draw with Thiago Tavares in January 2010 standing as the only hiccup. Instead of being propelled up the ranks by his string of success, Lentz’ suffocating brand of grappling and constant trips to the scorecards were the focus; sticking points with fans and critics who dubbed him “boring” while overlooking how difficult it is to go unbeaten in six consecutive trips into the UFC cage.
“The intent has always been there,” laughs Lentz, discussing his string of decision victories. “Regardless of what people want to think, these guys fighting in the UFC are not easy to finish, and I sure wasn’t given an easy road. Nobody was throwing me easy fights; they gave me hard opponents all the time.
“Even the guys who are not well known are still some of the top guys in the weight class in the sport. I was just missing little things – I would be very close to a submission or I would be very close to a knockout, but I was just missing something.”
Following his six-fight unbeaten run, Lentz hit a rough patch, going winless in his next three fights – a “no contest” result against Charles Oliveira was followed consecutive losses to Mark Bocek and Evan Dunham. He needed a change, and opted to hit the reset button on his career by changing camps and changing weight classes.
After an extended association with Greg Nelson and The Academy, Lentz opted to shift his training camps to Coconut Creek, Florida, home of American Top Team, and enlisted nutrition specialist Mike Dolce to make help him make the move to the featherweight division.
Seven months after losing to Dunham, Lentz made his featherweight debut against Eiji Mitsuoka, and everything clicked.
“I always felt like I did pretty well at ’55,” says Lentz, who stopped Mitsuoka just 3:45 into the first round of their UFC 150 encounter. “Once I got new coaches, and started doing all the right things, I realized how wrong I had been preparing. I realized how much I was missing. Sometimes you don’t know how much you’re missing to get to the next level, and you get better coaching, better training.
“Now I’ve got all these new coaches, new tools, a nutritionist, a strength trainer, that just kind of opened my mind to realizing that I could pursue a championship. I always knew that I could be a champion in fighting, but it wasn’t until I got all the new coaches and stuff that it really clicked; that I really thought now is the time that I can actually do it.”
His performance against Mitsuoka appears to have changed the way a lot of people viewed him as well, the UFC brass included. After struggling to climb the ladder in the deep lightweight ranks during his unbeaten run, Lentz’ first-round stoppage win over the Japanese veteran last August has quickly elevated him to the fringes of contention in the featherweight division.
Though the weight class is growing deeper with each passing month as more lightweights opt to relocate south of the 155-pound weight limit, Lentz will look to continue his climb towards championship gold when he squares off with perennial contender Diego Nunes this coming Saturday in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Coming off a victory in a Fight of the Night-winning battle with Bart Palaszewski last October, Nunes has been a fixture near the top of the featherweight division, boasting wins over former WEC champion Mike Brown and Manny Gamburyan, while dropping decisions to former title challenger Kenny Florian and rising contender Dennis Siver.
The 30-year-old Brazilian is viewed by many as a gatekeeper in the 145-pound ranks – a tough out hopefuls need to beat in order to be considered worthy of title contention. Lentz sees his next opponent the same way, and is intent on making another statement as he moves to the next level.
“I was super-excited, but I didn’t do anything different,” admits Lentz of his reaction to the news that he’d be facing the top-10-ranked Nunes in his sophomore appearance in the featherweight division. “It’s always the same: they text me and say this guy, and I always say yes, regardless of who it is. It’s always been the same, so it’s pretty simple, but I do like the matchup. I like the fight. I was real excited once I got a chance to think about it a little more. I’m ready for this. I’m ready to bust through that gate, not just walk through it. I’m ready to kick that sucker down.”
Looking at his resume, it’d be easy to dismiss Lentz and his upward ambitions following just a single appearance in his new division. The focused and candid featherweight contender knows this, but he also knows the wins and losses on his resume don’t tell the whole story.
“It’s all a process. I haven’t always planned it right, and I haven’t always done everything the way you’re supposed to, but I feel like it has all been for a purpose. Looking back and saying something like, `I’m pissed off because people didn’t pay attention’ doesn’t do me any good. People need to pay attention now.
“When I moved down to ’45 and changed over to ATT, I got a lot of new coaches, and everyone started seeing how talented I was, people started saying, `There is so much potential here that you haven’t been using.’ It took a move to ’45 for me to realize that myself. Once that happened, it changed my whole outlook on fighting.
“It was a frustrating process, but I think it has all worked out. Now I know how the game works. Now I know I’ve put the time in. Now I know I can beat the top-level opponents.”
And that’s exactly what he intends to do when he steps into cage with Nunes Saturday night.
“I’m going to be in his face, and he’s not going to be able to handle it. I don’t think he’s ever fought anyone as tenacious and aggressive as me. I don’t think he’ll be able to keep up with all of the parts of the game. I think we’re on the same level when it comes to striking, but once we get into the scrambles, once we get into the wrestling, once we get into the clinch, once we do all these things, I think it’s just going to wear on him.
“(The finish) is going to happen just like Mitsuoka. The same way it happened with him where it was kind of a slow, systematic destruction. He came in, he tried to strike, and he got hit. He tried to go for the takedown on me, which wasn’t his game plan. I blocked his takedown, got on top, and when he tried to stand up, I threw him down a bunch of times, and finally he cracked.
For all his dominant success, questions still swirl around UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos on the eve of his rematch with Cain Velasquez.
Despite earning the title with a 64-second knockout victory over Velasquez last November on FOX, and battering former champion Frank Mir from pillar to post in his first title defense back in May, there are still those wondering whether UFC 155’s main event meeting between the two best heavyweights in the sport will play out in a similar fashion to their first encounter, or if a healthy Velasquez will be able to regain the title and halt dos Santos’ unbeaten run inside the Octagon?
It’s a curious position for the champion to be in heading into what will be the final UFC fight of 2012. “Cigano” has posted a perfect 9-0 record in the UFC, beginning with his spectacular upset win over Fabricio Werdum at UFC 90, and continuing through battles with the likes of Stefan Struve, Roy Nelson, and Shane Carwin before besting Velasquez and Mir in his two most recent outings. Seven of those victories have come by way of stoppage, with dos Santos proving time and again that he possesses a lethal combination of power and speed in his hands.
But as the weeks turned into days, and the days turned into hours leading up to tomorrow night’s main event, the discussion hasn’t centered on the dominance the champion has exhibited in the cage thus far, but rather whether he’ll be able to duplicate his initial performance against Velasquez, even though his last nine outings have provided no reason to question the champion’s capabilities inside the cage.
“I think it’s natural to be curious about how a fighter would do in a scenario where you haven’t seen them before,” admitted the champion in the days leading up to his rematch with Velasquez. “It’s natural to wonder how good a boxer a wrestling specialist is and vice versa. But it’s like I’ve said before – if Plan A works, you’re not going to see my plan B. That doesn’t mean I don’t have Plan B in my back pocket ready to go; it just means I haven’t needed to use it. The truth is, I really like to knock people out.”
Even though that’s exactly what dos Santos did to Velasquez last time they met, questions remain because the American Kickboxing Academy product was struggling with injuries heading into their prime time, network television title tilt last November. While Velasquez’ comments heading into the fight featured the usual rhetoric, his camp changed their tone after the bout, and have continued to discuss the injuries that limited him the first time around in the build-up to the rematch.
Though dos Santos could certainly take umbrage with the string of verbal asterisks the team at AKA has been looking to attach to Velasquez’ performance the first time around, the humble champion takes a more diplomatic approach instead.
“That doesn’t really frustrate me. I had some limitations of my own going into that fight, and there’s no way to know whether a result would have been different if he or I had been 100 percent.
“What I believe is what you saw in that fight – I executed my strategy well, and I won. I had warmed up in the locker room with that exact combination. I heard Coach Dorea calling for me to use it, I used it, and it worked.”
For some, success and familiarity breed complacency, while the trappings of fame bring an inflated sense of self, and the obligations of being champion can often interfere with everything that needs to be done to maintain that status. As the wins and public appearances pile up, training may remain the primary focus, but the intensity and frequency of those efforts can often decrease.
That is not the case with dos Santos.
Though he is appreciative of the attention and eager to capitalize on the new opportunities that have arisen in the year since he ascended to the top of the division, “Cigano” remains intensely focused on doing the things that helped him fulfill his dream of becoming UFC heavyweight champion in the first place.
“I hope this was the first of many years as the UFC heavyweight champion, because it brought me many good opportunities and moments,” admitted the affable 28-year-old Brazilian. “Life got a little busier for me, but I am loving every minute and I’m very appreciative of it all.
“I am very excited and honored to represent Nike,” dos Santos continued, discussing the sponsorship deal he inked with the massive sports apparel company earlier in the year. “The people there are fantastic. I got the chance to visit their Portland headquarters and everybody was very welcoming, and I hosted a great group from Nike down in Salvador, Brazil for some training. They were such a great group of people, so it’s exciting to be working with them and I look forward to long partnership with the company. I think it’s great to see MMA embraced by the world’s best sports brand, and I hope other major companies will follow their lead.
“(But) I don’t let anything interfere with my training; that always has to come in first place. There are a lot more visitors and observers at my training center, and more people stop me and want to talk to me on my way in or out. I am grateful to them for their support, so it’s an honor, not a burden, to have them there. As far as media and appearances, I take the same approach – I am thankful that people are interested in me because that means they support my career. It’s my job to make sure I fit it all into my schedule and don’t let it interfere with training.
“Preparation is the key to my success, and I always work harder than I did the last time around. I would be a fool to underestimate Cain. There is no room for complacency in my camp.”
More than silencing the critics who still aren’t sold on his 64-second win from last November, a second victory over Velasquez on Saturday night would put dos Santos into the UFC record books.
While Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre have enjoyed lengthy reigns atop their respective divisions, stacking up title defenses with relative ease, no heavyweight has been able to successfully and consecutively defend the belt more than twice. Besting Velasquez would bring “Cigano” into a tie with Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, and Brock Lesnar, and leave him one more win away from sole possession of the record.
Having already reached his goal of becoming champion, breaking records and building a legacy as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history are a part of what motivates him going forward, but there is also something far more basic driving dos Santos, and it’s part of why he showed no hesitation in accepting a second meeting with Velasquez.
“I think breaking records and leaving a legacy drives me a lot, but it’s also more simple than that. I am driven by the simple desire to always improve. I want to continue to develop and grow as a fighter. I want to walk out of each training session a little more skilled than I walked in. It’s just part of my nature – anything worth doing is worth doing well, and I always want to give my all in everything I do.
“I welcome fighting Cain again because Cain is the most talented fighter out of all my competition. To be the best, you have to fight the best, so I don’t ever want to take an easy fight. Fighting a guy like Cain requires me to train as hard as I can, and to give my all, and that’s what I want.”
For all his dominant success, questions still swirl around UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos on the eve of his rematch with Cain Velasquez.
Despite earning the title with a 64-second knockout victory over Velasquez last November on FOX, and battering former champion Frank Mir from pillar to post in his first title defense back in May, there are still those wondering whether UFC 155’s main event meeting between the two best heavyweights in the sport will play out in a similar fashion to their first encounter, or if a healthy Velasquez will be able to regain the title and halt dos Santos’ unbeaten run inside the Octagon?
It’s a curious position for the champion to be in heading into what will be the final UFC fight of 2012. “Cigano” has posted a perfect 9-0 record in the UFC, beginning with his spectacular upset win over Fabricio Werdum at UFC 90, and continuing through battles with the likes of Stefan Struve, Roy Nelson, and Shane Carwin before besting Velasquez and Mir in his two most recent outings. Seven of those victories have come by way of stoppage, with dos Santos proving time and again that he possesses a lethal combination of power and speed in his hands.
But as the weeks turned into days, and the days turned into hours leading up to tomorrow night’s main event, the discussion hasn’t centered on the dominance the champion has exhibited in the cage thus far, but rather whether he’ll be able to duplicate his initial performance against Velasquez, even though his last nine outings have provided no reason to question the champion’s capabilities inside the cage.
“I think it’s natural to be curious about how a fighter would do in a scenario where you haven’t seen them before,” admitted the champion in the days leading up to his rematch with Velasquez. “It’s natural to wonder how good a boxer a wrestling specialist is and vice versa. But it’s like I’ve said before – if Plan A works, you’re not going to see my plan B. That doesn’t mean I don’t have Plan B in my back pocket ready to go; it just means I haven’t needed to use it. The truth is, I really like to knock people out.”
Even though that’s exactly what dos Santos did to Velasquez last time they met, questions remain because the American Kickboxing Academy product was struggling with injuries heading into their prime time, network television title tilt last November. While Velasquez’ comments heading into the fight featured the usual rhetoric, his camp changed their tone after the bout, and have continued to discuss the injuries that limited him the first time around in the build-up to the rematch.
Though dos Santos could certainly take umbrage with the string of verbal asterisks the team at AKA has been looking to attach to Velasquez’ performance the first time around, the humble champion takes a more diplomatic approach instead.
“That doesn’t really frustrate me. I had some limitations of my own going into that fight, and there’s no way to know whether a result would have been different if he or I had been 100 percent.
“What I believe is what you saw in that fight – I executed my strategy well, and I won. I had warmed up in the locker room with that exact combination. I heard Coach Dorea calling for me to use it, I used it, and it worked.”
For some, success and familiarity breed complacency, while the trappings of fame bring an inflated sense of self, and the obligations of being champion can often interfere with everything that needs to be done to maintain that status. As the wins and public appearances pile up, training may remain the primary focus, but the intensity and frequency of those efforts can often decrease.
That is not the case with dos Santos.
Though he is appreciative of the attention and eager to capitalize on the new opportunities that have arisen in the year since he ascended to the top of the division, “Cigano” remains intensely focused on doing the things that helped him fulfill his dream of becoming UFC heavyweight champion in the first place.
“I hope this was the first of many years as the UFC heavyweight champion, because it brought me many good opportunities and moments,” admitted the affable 28-year-old Brazilian. “Life got a little busier for me, but I am loving every minute and I’m very appreciative of it all.
“I am very excited and honored to represent Nike,” dos Santos continued, discussing the sponsorship deal he inked with the massive sports apparel company earlier in the year. “The people there are fantastic. I got the chance to visit their Portland headquarters and everybody was very welcoming, and I hosted a great group from Nike down in Salvador, Brazil for some training. They were such a great group of people, so it’s exciting to be working with them and I look forward to long partnership with the company. I think it’s great to see MMA embraced by the world’s best sports brand, and I hope other major companies will follow their lead.
“(But) I don’t let anything interfere with my training; that always has to come in first place. There are a lot more visitors and observers at my training center, and more people stop me and want to talk to me on my way in or out. I am grateful to them for their support, so it’s an honor, not a burden, to have them there. As far as media and appearances, I take the same approach – I am thankful that people are interested in me because that means they support my career. It’s my job to make sure I fit it all into my schedule and don’t let it interfere with training.
“Preparation is the key to my success, and I always work harder than I did the last time around. I would be a fool to underestimate Cain. There is no room for complacency in my camp.”
More than silencing the critics who still aren’t sold on his 64-second win from last November, a second victory over Velasquez on Saturday night would put dos Santos into the UFC record books.
While Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre have enjoyed lengthy reigns atop their respective divisions, stacking up title defenses with relative ease, no heavyweight has been able to successfully and consecutively defend the belt more than twice. Besting Velasquez would bring “Cigano” into a tie with Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, and Brock Lesnar, and leave him one more win away from sole possession of the record.
Having already reached his goal of becoming champion, breaking records and building a legacy as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history are a part of what motivates him going forward, but there is also something far more basic driving dos Santos, and it’s part of why he showed no hesitation in accepting a second meeting with Velasquez.
“I think breaking records and leaving a legacy drives me a lot, but it’s also more simple than that. I am driven by the simple desire to always improve. I want to continue to develop and grow as a fighter. I want to walk out of each training session a little more skilled than I walked in. It’s just part of my nature – anything worth doing is worth doing well, and I always want to give my all in everything I do.
“I welcome fighting Cain again because Cain is the most talented fighter out of all my competition. To be the best, you have to fight the best, so I don’t ever want to take an easy fight. Fighting a guy like Cain requires me to train as hard as I can, and to give my all, and that’s what I want.”
Chris Leben hasn’t fought under the bright lights in the UFC since last November. He hasn’t had his hand raised inside the Octagon since July 2, 2011, when he knocked out one of his heroes, Wanderlei Silva, in just 27 seconds at UFC 132. Instead of competing in the cage, the 32-year-old has spent the last year striving to earn daily victories over an opponent he’s been battling for years.
For as long as Leben has been in the spotlight, his struggles with drugs and alcohol have been a part of his personal narrative.
Before there was Junie Browning and drunken, shirtless competitors shouting, “Let me bang, bro!” inside The Ultimate Fighter house, there was Chris Leben.
The resident loose cannon on the historic first season of the UFC’s long-running reality TV competition, Leben set the standard for genuine chaotic behavior prior to each season featuring at least one episode where someone has too much to drink and “goes crazy.” By the end of the first season, he had become one of the show’s breakout stars, beginning his run as a lovable rogue fans stood by through the highs and the lows.
Unfortunately for Leben, every high point in his career came with an accompanying low. Quality wins were paired with ugly defeats, his mischievous grin coupled with a disheveled mugshot and a DUI arrest. His first headlining appearance in two years ended in a loss to Michael Bisping, and was followed by a nine-month suspension after Leben tested positive for a banned substance after the bout. What should have been a triumphant return to the cage in his hometown of Portland, Oregon resulted in a lethargic performance and a third-round loss to Jake Rosholt.
Leben won four of his next five, including two fights in three weeks in the summer of 2010, his only loss in that span coming against heavy-handed contender Brian Stann. He returned to England and the top of the marquee for a matchup with Mark Munoz at UFC 138. The fight ended before the third round could begin, a nasty cut over Leben’s left eye bringing the bout to a close. Three weeks later, it was announced that Leben had once again tested positive, this time for the painkillers oxycodone and oxymorphone.
Many thought the UFC would sever ties with the troubled fighter. Instead, Leben was suspended for a year, and the organization sent him to rehab to help the popular fighter stare down his toughest opponent. After 13 months dedicated to figuring out his life, “The Crippler” is ready to return, and start paying back the UFC and the fans who stood by him throughout his rollercoaster career.
“I think I’m more excited for this than any other fight in my life,” admits Leben, who will step into the cage against late replacement Derek Brunson at UFC 155. “It’s been a long road. For me, it really hasn’t been a year off; it’s been a year really dealing with other things, but to finally be able to get back to work – get back to what I do – and now to be doing it in such a different mind frame, it’s exciting.
“It certainly is a lot different now because it’s been very easy for me to focus on what I want to do, and what my goals have been for the last year,” Leben continues, readily opening up about his growth over the last year and the old struggles he’s having to find new ways to cope.
“Now with the fight coming up, all of a sudden, a lot of these old emotions, and that anxiety about how I’m going to perform and wanting to be your best – all that stuff is starting to come up again. Right now it’s about trying to find new, better ways to deal with and manage that pain or that emotion, and I think I’m doing pretty good.”
He sees a counselor on a weekly basis, and the two lay out a game plan for the days ahead the same way Leben would map out his strategy before stepping into the cage. Just like in his fights, sometimes it works to a tee; other times, not so much, but every week, they discuss the good points and the bad, and what they can do to improve things moving forward.
“My wife – she goes with me to every one of my counseling sessions – so she knows everything that I’m going through. She’s part of the game plan too,” he adds. “Stress management has been something I’ve been missing my whole life – just how to deal with stuff when it comes up. That’s something that I feel like I’m doing better (with). I still need some work, but everything is really good right now.”
Those good feelings extend over to Leben’s preparation for his return to the cage, even if he’s had to make a few last minute changes in the wake of his original opponent, Karlos Vemola, being forced to withdraw due to injury.
For the first time in a very long time, the devilishly charismatic cage fighter is already in tremendous shape, something he credits to the team he’s assembled in advance of this fight. He repeatedly praises them, deeming the ensemble the best group of coaches and training partners he’s ever worked with, which is saying a lot considering he cut his teeth in the sport as a member of the legendary Team Quest alongside the likes of Randy Couture, Chael Sonnen, and Matt Lindland in the Pacific Northwest.
Building a team with good chemistry and a singular focus on his performance was imperative for Leben, who says his training camp for his UFC 138 meeting with Munoz in Birmingham, England was rife with issues. Like everything else in the last year, paring down the group of people that he works with has been a struggle, but one that the returning middleweight already believes has made a serious impact on his career.
“My last camp, my coaches were fighting with each other. I really didn’t feel like my performance and me personally were certain people in my camp’s main priorities. That, for me, is huge. Right now, I have – guaranteed – the best camp and the best people that I’ve trained with around me, and I’ve really paid so much more attention to who I’ve surrounded myself with. It’s been a very hard, very difficult process. Some of that filtering was people that I care about, and that to this day I respect and like, but I had to really choose what kind of people I wanted around me. Now, being six weeks out from this fight and having this core group of people that I have, there’s not a price I could put on it.
“Honestly, I would say (I feel) so good that it’s really scary,” laughs Leben in response to the standard training camp, status check question. “I mean, I’ve got some really great coaches. I’ve got the best set of coaches and training partners I’ve ever had around me. Obviously with my head being clearer, I didn’t realize how much a lot of the things I was doing were affecting me. Now when I go out and train – last Saturday is a perfect example: I had four guys that are 220, top-level guys, college wrestlers, and I crushed every one of them. All of them were gassed by the time I was tired. I know that’s a performance that I never would have had this far out from the fight.
“The old Chris Leben would never been where I’m at right now – not even close. The edge is there. That sharpness is there, and at this level, having that edge and that sharpness – yeah, I might be a year older, but I feel quicker, I feel sharper, stronger, and younger than I ever have.
“I think that the year off may have added five years to my overall career. I have been able to go back and work on some of my technical deficiencies that I wouldn’t have been able to work on when I’m getting my “A” game ready to go in there and compete. Sometimes when you’re fighting (every couple of months), you don’t have time to go back and change the fighter that you are because you’re not going to be able to complete that process. There have been several things that I was able to take a look at and improve. I really do believe that the time off has been priceless.”
The time away from the cage has done something more important than give Leben the opportunity to fill some of the holes in his game and refine his technique: it’s given him perspective and a very different set of motivations heading into this fight.
There are myriad reasons why these athletes step into the cage, and they run the gamut from altruistic to entirely selfish. For most, they shift over time, evolving with every win and loss in unison with life outside the cage. Some are chasing records. Others crave the competition. For some, it’s as simple as earning a paycheck in order to provide for their families.
After starting out looking to prove something to himself and others, Leben is now motivated by the desire to motivate others, and repay the tremendous debt of gratitude he feels he owes the UFC and all those who remained in his corner over the years.
“When I first started out, my first couple of fights, I just wanted to prove I was tough. Over the years, my reasons (for fighting) have changed. The motivation for this case – for this fight in particular – it isn’t about me; it’s about me wanting to go in, and put myself in a good place where I can support and take care of my family the way that I want to. And then it’s also for my company, to go out and show them that I appreciate they did for me, and that I’m going to do the absolute best that I can to repay them.
“It means so much that Dana White, Joe Silva, and the Fertittas have helped me out,” continues Leben. “They sent me to rehab. I really feel like now I just want to do nothing more than make them happy – to just go out and put on a good show. Go out and show them that I’m the fighter that I believe I can be, and the fighter that I believe they believe I can be as well because they have kept me around.
“I also want to show the kids that train at my gym – I have a lot of amateur fighters – that if I can do it, they can do it. I go to the jail here in Hawaii every week and talk to the youth, and they know that I’ve been through similar things, and I understand, and I think that more than anything gives them the strength to continue.”
While the motivations have shifted, Leben’s approach once the cage door closes has not. Though switching from Vemola to Brunson brings a few minor tweaks, the basic approach remains the same, just as it has throughout his 10-year career.
“I know what my coaches want me to do, but I’ve fought enough times that I know what happens when I get hit,” Leben admits, the laughter starting before he can finish the sentence.
“I really believe that to be a martial artist you need to be able to adapt and shift, fight any type of opponent. The majority of my training goes into what I want to do anyway. I’m not a guy who necessarily trains to react to my opponent; I kind of want to go out and lead the dance so to speak, so that has been my training mindset, which makes the shift not a terrible thing.
“On the bright side, we’re changing a wrestler for a wrestler; it’s not like I’m getting a K-1 kickboxer now, and I’ve been working on my wrestling defense for months. The one glaring thing is that he has a different lead, so now I’m facing a southpaw. More than anything, I’m just really happy that the UFC was able to come through and give me another opponent. It would have been terrible to put all this work in and not be able to get out there, do what I love to do, and make that money.
“Luckily they had an option for us, and we didn’t try to play any games with `No, we don’t want this guy’ or anything else. In my position right now, beggars can’t be choosers, and I just need to get out there and put on a good show for the UFC and the fans. I think they deserve that out of me, and deserve for me to not complain, and just go out there and do my job, so I’m just happy to be able to do that.”
The candid 32-year-old knows that as his fight draws closer, a lot of emotions and feelings that have been dormant for the last year will be stirred up again. Even though the UFC 155 fight card is stacked with big names and compelling fights, the return of the fan favorite some undoubtedly see as a “two-time loser” will be another challenge Leben will have to tackle head-on.
As he’s done with his counselor every week for the last year, “The Crippler” has already laid out a game plan for how to deal with fight week.
“I know a lot of eyes are going to be on me this fight. I know a lot of people are going to be very judgmental, so it’s about believing in myself, overcoming that, and knowing that I put in the work. I know I’m a great fighter. Dana White, UFC, the Fertittas, they know I’m a great fighter. Doing everything right is going to make a difference.
“I can’t go in there worried about ring rust. I need to go in there knowing I’ve got more fights than anyone in the division. I’ve been here before. As Randy Couture used to tell me, “Hey Chris – the hay is in the barn,” meaning the work is done. Now when that time comes, I can’t allow all the emotion of the past year to come down on me, at least not until after my hand is raised.
“It’s going to be interesting. There is definitely going to be a lot of emotion. Just the fact that I’m back is a winning feeling, but at the same time, I’ve still got a job to do, so I’ve got to put all that away until I can go back after the fight and deal with it. My focus has to be on Derek Brunson.
“I don’t think that my psychiatrist will think this is the healthiest thing, but I’ve got to put it away,” Leben continues with a laugh. “I will have to disassociate to some level, and then go back after the fight to deal with the emotion. I know that when it comes to fight day or fight week, and I’m starting to do all the interviews, the weight cut – there are going to be a lot of eyes, a lot of judgment, and I’m going to have to deal with that. I have to remember to stay strong, and what my goal is, and that is that you can get through all this. You can come back.
With a checkered past that has played out in the media, Leben knows his backstory will always remain a part of the narrative before his fights, but that is what makes Saturday so important to him. After a year away confronting his demons, getting sober, and learning to deal with the struggles of life without his previous vices, the candid knockout artist is ready to start writing the next chapter of his career at UFC 155.
“I was actually just talking to my wife about this, and that is why there is a little more stress for this one. I’m actually dealing with life on life’s terms, and facing the emotions that come with going into a big UFC event. That being said, the last year has truly been a blessing in disguise. It has allowed me to make a lot of shifts and changes in my life, but it was a lot slower pace – very mellow, very centered. With everything picking up, I feel like (everything is building to a crescendo) and December 29 is the shift.
“There are a lot of things we’ve changed since we both go sober – there are a lot of shifts being made in my life right now, and this fight marks the beginning of that – the starting new. Change can be scary. Though it’s good, and it’s probably going to be for the better, it can be a little overwhelming and a little scary.”
That’s why returning to familiar territory – striding back into the Octagon and kicking off the pay-per-view – are so important to Leben. Now that he’s undertaken the daunting task of dealing with his issues outside the cage, this is his next test, and he’s been preparing for it for the last 12 months.
“It’s an honor,” Leben says of getting to compete on the annual New Year’s Eve event. “I think the 4th of July and the New Year’s show are the two biggest shows of the year, and the fact that I have been moved to the pay-per-view does two things: (1) a little more money for my sponsors, which is always nice, and (2) I’m on the meat-and-potatoes, kicking off the big card. That’s where the fights that people want to see are. More than anything, though, I’m just thankful that I have somebody tough I can get in there and put on a show with.”
And that’s precisely what he intends to do on Saturday night.
“My skill set has steadily improved over the years, and in particular over the last year, and I have faith that I’ll be able to cleanly out-strike him. I would like to showcase a little bit of my progression as a fighter. If I get cracked real hard, I think we all know what’s going to happen, and what mode I’m going to switch into, but I don’t think there’s a problem with going out and starting the fight by fighting clean and technical.
“I’m not going to be Michael Bisping – running backwards and jabbing,” he adds with a mischievous chuckle. “I’m going to be pushing the fight, definitely.”
At this point, the outcome doesn’t really matter. The fact that Chris Leben is happy, healthy, and once again preparing to entertain the UFC audience with his personal blend of charisma and crushing blows means he’s already won.
Chris Leben hasn’t fought under the bright lights in the UFC since last November. He hasn’t had his hand raised inside the Octagon since July 2, 2011, when he knocked out one of his heroes, Wanderlei Silva, in just 27 seconds at UFC 132. Instead of competing in the cage, the 32-year-old has spent the last year striving to earn daily victories over an opponent he’s been battling for years.
For as long as Leben has been in the spotlight, his struggles with drugs and alcohol have been a part of his personal narrative.
Before there was Junie Browning and drunken, shirtless competitors shouting, “Let me bang, bro!” inside The Ultimate Fighter house, there was Chris Leben.
The resident loose cannon on the historic first season of the UFC’s long-running reality TV competition, Leben set the standard for genuine chaotic behavior prior to each season featuring at least one episode where someone has too much to drink and “goes crazy.” By the end of the first season, he had become one of the show’s breakout stars, beginning his run as a lovable rogue fans stood by through the highs and the lows.
Unfortunately for Leben, every high point in his career came with an accompanying low. Quality wins were paired with ugly defeats, his mischievous grin coupled with a disheveled mugshot and a DUI arrest. His first headlining appearance in two years ended in a loss to Michael Bisping, and was followed by a nine-month suspension after Leben tested positive for a banned substance after the bout. What should have been a triumphant return to the cage in his hometown of Portland, Oregon resulted in a lethargic performance and a third-round loss to Jake Rosholt.
Leben won four of his next five, including two fights in three weeks in the summer of 2010, his only loss in that span coming against heavy-handed contender Brian Stann. He returned to England and the top of the marquee for a matchup with Mark Munoz at UFC 138. The fight ended before the third round could begin, a nasty cut over Leben’s left eye bringing the bout to a close. Three weeks later, it was announced that Leben had once again tested positive, this time for the painkillers oxycodone and oxymorphone.
Many thought the UFC would sever ties with the troubled fighter. Instead, Leben was suspended for a year, and the organization sent him to rehab to help the popular fighter stare down his toughest opponent. After 13 months dedicated to figuring out his life, “The Crippler” is ready to return, and start paying back the UFC and the fans who stood by him throughout his rollercoaster career.
“I think I’m more excited for this than any other fight in my life,” admits Leben, who will step into the cage against late replacement Derek Brunson at UFC 155. “It’s been a long road. For me, it really hasn’t been a year off; it’s been a year really dealing with other things, but to finally be able to get back to work – get back to what I do – and now to be doing it in such a different mind frame, it’s exciting.
“It certainly is a lot different now because it’s been very easy for me to focus on what I want to do, and what my goals have been for the last year,” Leben continues, readily opening up about his growth over the last year and the old struggles he’s having to find new ways to cope.
“Now with the fight coming up, all of a sudden, a lot of these old emotions, and that anxiety about how I’m going to perform and wanting to be your best – all that stuff is starting to come up again. Right now it’s about trying to find new, better ways to deal with and manage that pain or that emotion, and I think I’m doing pretty good.”
He sees a counselor on a weekly basis, and the two lay out a game plan for the days ahead the same way Leben would map out his strategy before stepping into the cage. Just like in his fights, sometimes it works to a tee; other times, not so much, but every week, they discuss the good points and the bad, and what they can do to improve things moving forward.
“My wife – she goes with me to every one of my counseling sessions – so she knows everything that I’m going through. She’s part of the game plan too,” he adds. “Stress management has been something I’ve been missing my whole life – just how to deal with stuff when it comes up. That’s something that I feel like I’m doing better (with). I still need some work, but everything is really good right now.”
Those good feelings extend over to Leben’s preparation for his return to the cage, even if he’s had to make a few last minute changes in the wake of his original opponent, Karlos Vemola, being forced to withdraw due to injury.
For the first time in a very long time, the devilishly charismatic cage fighter is already in tremendous shape, something he credits to the team he’s assembled in advance of this fight. He repeatedly praises them, deeming the ensemble the best group of coaches and training partners he’s ever worked with, which is saying a lot considering he cut his teeth in the sport as a member of the legendary Team Quest alongside the likes of Randy Couture, Chael Sonnen, and Matt Lindland in the Pacific Northwest.
Building a team with good chemistry and a singular focus on his performance was imperative for Leben, who says his training camp for his UFC 138 meeting with Munoz in Birmingham, England was rife with issues. Like everything else in the last year, paring down the group of people that he works with has been a struggle, but one that the returning middleweight already believes has made a serious impact on his career.
“My last camp, my coaches were fighting with each other. I really didn’t feel like my performance and me personally were certain people in my camp’s main priorities. That, for me, is huge. Right now, I have – guaranteed – the best camp and the best people that I’ve trained with around me, and I’ve really paid so much more attention to who I’ve surrounded myself with. It’s been a very hard, very difficult process. Some of that filtering was people that I care about, and that to this day I respect and like, but I had to really choose what kind of people I wanted around me. Now, being six weeks out from this fight and having this core group of people that I have, there’s not a price I could put on it.
“Honestly, I would say (I feel) so good that it’s really scary,” laughs Leben in response to the standard training camp, status check question. “I mean, I’ve got some really great coaches. I’ve got the best set of coaches and training partners I’ve ever had around me. Obviously with my head being clearer, I didn’t realize how much a lot of the things I was doing were affecting me. Now when I go out and train – last Saturday is a perfect example: I had four guys that are 220, top-level guys, college wrestlers, and I crushed every one of them. All of them were gassed by the time I was tired. I know that’s a performance that I never would have had this far out from the fight.
“The old Chris Leben would never been where I’m at right now – not even close. The edge is there. That sharpness is there, and at this level, having that edge and that sharpness – yeah, I might be a year older, but I feel quicker, I feel sharper, stronger, and younger than I ever have.
“I think that the year off may have added five years to my overall career. I have been able to go back and work on some of my technical deficiencies that I wouldn’t have been able to work on when I’m getting my “A” game ready to go in there and compete. Sometimes when you’re fighting (every couple of months), you don’t have time to go back and change the fighter that you are because you’re not going to be able to complete that process. There have been several things that I was able to take a look at and improve. I really do believe that the time off has been priceless.”
The time away from the cage has done something more important than give Leben the opportunity to fill some of the holes in his game and refine his technique: it’s given him perspective and a very different set of motivations heading into this fight.
There are myriad reasons why these athletes step into the cage, and they run the gamut from altruistic to entirely selfish. For most, they shift over time, evolving with every win and loss in unison with life outside the cage. Some are chasing records. Others crave the competition. For some, it’s as simple as earning a paycheck in order to provide for their families.
After starting out looking to prove something to himself and others, Leben is now motivated by the desire to motivate others, and repay the tremendous debt of gratitude he feels he owes the UFC and all those who remained in his corner over the years.
“When I first started out, my first couple of fights, I just wanted to prove I was tough. Over the years, my reasons (for fighting) have changed. The motivation for this case – for this fight in particular – it isn’t about me; it’s about me wanting to go in, and put myself in a good place where I can support and take care of my family the way that I want to. And then it’s also for my company, to go out and show them that I appreciate they did for me, and that I’m going to do the absolute best that I can to repay them.
“It means so much that Dana White, Joe Silva, and the Fertittas have helped me out,” continues Leben. “They sent me to rehab. I really feel like now I just want to do nothing more than make them happy – to just go out and put on a good show. Go out and show them that I’m the fighter that I believe I can be, and the fighter that I believe they believe I can be as well because they have kept me around.
“I also want to show the kids that train at my gym – I have a lot of amateur fighters – that if I can do it, they can do it. I go to the jail here in Hawaii every week and talk to the youth, and they know that I’ve been through similar things, and I understand, and I think that more than anything gives them the strength to continue.”
While the motivations have shifted, Leben’s approach once the cage door closes has not. Though switching from Vemola to Brunson brings a few minor tweaks, the basic approach remains the same, just as it has throughout his 10-year career.
“I know what my coaches want me to do, but I’ve fought enough times that I know what happens when I get hit,” Leben admits, the laughter starting before he can finish the sentence.
“I really believe that to be a martial artist you need to be able to adapt and shift, fight any type of opponent. The majority of my training goes into what I want to do anyway. I’m not a guy who necessarily trains to react to my opponent; I kind of want to go out and lead the dance so to speak, so that has been my training mindset, which makes the shift not a terrible thing.
“On the bright side, we’re changing a wrestler for a wrestler; it’s not like I’m getting a K-1 kickboxer now, and I’ve been working on my wrestling defense for months. The one glaring thing is that he has a different lead, so now I’m facing a southpaw. More than anything, I’m just really happy that the UFC was able to come through and give me another opponent. It would have been terrible to put all this work in and not be able to get out there, do what I love to do, and make that money.
“Luckily they had an option for us, and we didn’t try to play any games with `No, we don’t want this guy’ or anything else. In my position right now, beggars can’t be choosers, and I just need to get out there and put on a good show for the UFC and the fans. I think they deserve that out of me, and deserve for me to not complain, and just go out there and do my job, so I’m just happy to be able to do that.”
The candid 32-year-old knows that as his fight draws closer, a lot of emotions and feelings that have been dormant for the last year will be stirred up again. Even though the UFC 155 fight card is stacked with big names and compelling fights, the return of the fan favorite some undoubtedly see as a “two-time loser” will be another challenge Leben will have to tackle head-on.
As he’s done with his counselor every week for the last year, “The Crippler” has already laid out a game plan for how to deal with fight week.
“I know a lot of eyes are going to be on me this fight. I know a lot of people are going to be very judgmental, so it’s about believing in myself, overcoming that, and knowing that I put in the work. I know I’m a great fighter. Dana White, UFC, the Fertittas, they know I’m a great fighter. Doing everything right is going to make a difference.
“I can’t go in there worried about ring rust. I need to go in there knowing I’ve got more fights than anyone in the division. I’ve been here before. As Randy Couture used to tell me, “Hey Chris – the hay is in the barn,” meaning the work is done. Now when that time comes, I can’t allow all the emotion of the past year to come down on me, at least not until after my hand is raised.
“It’s going to be interesting. There is definitely going to be a lot of emotion. Just the fact that I’m back is a winning feeling, but at the same time, I’ve still got a job to do, so I’ve got to put all that away until I can go back after the fight and deal with it. My focus has to be on Derek Brunson.
“I don’t think that my psychiatrist will think this is the healthiest thing, but I’ve got to put it away,” Leben continues with a laugh. “I will have to disassociate to some level, and then go back after the fight to deal with the emotion. I know that when it comes to fight day or fight week, and I’m starting to do all the interviews, the weight cut – there are going to be a lot of eyes, a lot of judgment, and I’m going to have to deal with that. I have to remember to stay strong, and what my goal is, and that is that you can get through all this. You can come back.
With a checkered past that has played out in the media, Leben knows his backstory will always remain a part of the narrative before his fights, but that is what makes Saturday so important to him. After a year away confronting his demons, getting sober, and learning to deal with the struggles of life without his previous vices, the candid knockout artist is ready to start writing the next chapter of his career at UFC 155.
“I was actually just talking to my wife about this, and that is why there is a little more stress for this one. I’m actually dealing with life on life’s terms, and facing the emotions that come with going into a big UFC event. That being said, the last year has truly been a blessing in disguise. It has allowed me to make a lot of shifts and changes in my life, but it was a lot slower pace – very mellow, very centered. With everything picking up, I feel like (everything is building to a crescendo) and December 29 is the shift.
“There are a lot of things we’ve changed since we both go sober – there are a lot of shifts being made in my life right now, and this fight marks the beginning of that – the starting new. Change can be scary. Though it’s good, and it’s probably going to be for the better, it can be a little overwhelming and a little scary.”
That’s why returning to familiar territory – striding back into the Octagon and kicking off the pay-per-view – are so important to Leben. Now that he’s undertaken the daunting task of dealing with his issues outside the cage, this is his next test, and he’s been preparing for it for the last 12 months.
“It’s an honor,” Leben says of getting to compete on the annual New Year’s Eve event. “I think the 4th of July and the New Year’s show are the two biggest shows of the year, and the fact that I have been moved to the pay-per-view does two things: (1) a little more money for my sponsors, which is always nice, and (2) I’m on the meat-and-potatoes, kicking off the big card. That’s where the fights that people want to see are. More than anything, though, I’m just thankful that I have somebody tough I can get in there and put on a show with.”
And that’s precisely what he intends to do on Saturday night.
“My skill set has steadily improved over the years, and in particular over the last year, and I have faith that I’ll be able to cleanly out-strike him. I would like to showcase a little bit of my progression as a fighter. If I get cracked real hard, I think we all know what’s going to happen, and what mode I’m going to switch into, but I don’t think there’s a problem with going out and starting the fight by fighting clean and technical.
“I’m not going to be Michael Bisping – running backwards and jabbing,” he adds with a mischievous chuckle. “I’m going to be pushing the fight, definitely.”
At this point, the outcome doesn’t really matter. The fact that Chris Leben is happy, healthy, and once again preparing to entertain the UFC audience with his personal blend of charisma and crushing blows means he’s already won.
At the start of the year, Michael Johnson likened the UFC lightweight division to the massively addictive ‘90s arcade fighting game series Mortal Kombat.
Just as anyone hoping to best Goro and Shang Tsung would first have to fight their way through the likes of Sub Zero and Johnny Cage, making the climb to the top of the most talent-rich division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship is a treacherous journey with a new dangerous opponent awaiting your arrival inside the cage.
Johnson’s goal at the start of the year was not to complete the game. Instead, he wanted to put himself in a position where only a few opponents stood between him and ultimate victory. Rather than setting an unreachable goal of being champion, Johnson set his sights on ending the year as a top-10 lightweight, and making 2012 “The Year of The Menace.”
In January, he slid a quarter into the machine. Three wins and 11 months later, Johnson is still playing on that original quarter, and he’s a win away from doing what he set out to do at the start of the year.
“Everything is going good, like everyone can see,” Johnson said confidently. “It means a lot to have some goals set and being on my way to accomplishing them. I’ve had three tough fights, and three big wins, so everything is working good. Everything is lined up in order, and if I don’t get into the top 10, I’m going to be pretty damn close, and I’m definitely going to be ready for next year.”
The 26-year-old lightweight hasn’t coasted through the year unscathed, piling up a string of “Flawless Victories” as he prepares to take on unbeaten prospect Myles Jury at UFC 155 later this month. Johnson has taken a few lumps, and survived a couple tense moments on the way to earning three consecutive wins this year.
In his first bout of the year against Shane Roller, Johnson spent the majority of the third round defending a choke with the three-time All-American wrestler on his back, hooks in, looking to finish. He endured, and earned a unanimous decision, advancing to the next stage of his personal lightweight tournament.
Johnson surprised many by besting former Ultimate Fighter winner Tony Ferguson on short notice in May. “El Cucuy” had beaten a pair of veterans after beating Ramsey Nijem to close out Season 13 of the long-running reality TV competition, but that night, it was “The Menace” who had showed the better footwork and hand speed, earning a clean sweep of the scorecards to take another step up the lightweight ladder.
Two months ago, Johnson’s climb through the division was nearly brought to an abrupt halt.
Heavy-handed Team Alpha Male member Danny Castillo dropped Johnson early in the first round of their October encounter, and looked poised to put away the confident and charismatic member of the South Florida-based fight team known as “The Blackzilians.” But just as he did against Roller, Johnson pushed through the rough patch, and survived the round.
A minute and change into the second, the fight was over, and “The Menace” was taking another step forward in his journey towards contention.
“I wouldn’t go so far as saying I have to put another quarter in the machine,” Johnson laughed, reflecting on his first-round struggles against Castillo. “It’s more like I lost that first matchup, but it’s the best of three for fighting games. I lost that first matchup, and then I came back, and he wasn’t able to continue to a best of three. That’s how I’m looking at that one.
“Overcoming those adversity points – the Shane Roller fight where he was on my back for the whole third round, and me having to defend, and then having a pretty intense first round where I had to get out of some things with Danny – it definitely makes it more enjoyable to come out of those positions and come out on top in those fights. It’s made it extremely satisfying.
“Like I’ve always said – first round knockouts are great, but I’m not the type of guy that wants to just go in there and finish fights quickly. I want to fight for a while, and let people actually see the growth and improvement that is coming along with me as a fighter.”
Looking back over his first six UFC appearances, Johnson’s development is obvious. While the athleticism that made him Georges St-Pierre’s first pick and the early favorite on Season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter remains, his footwork, conditioning, and overall striking skills are all vastly improved. His three wins this year have already delivered Johnson to where he wanted to be when “The Year of The Menace” began against Roller, but that isn’t causing him to press pause on his journey.
“They offered me a fight, and I wanted to get four in before the end of the year, so I wasn’t going to turn it down,” Johnson said of his decision to face-off with the undefeated, but relatively unknown Jury next weekend in Las Vegas. “Myles is a good guy; he’s very well rounded, and undefeated. Me beating him might not boost me up in the rankings as much as I want, but that’s okay. I don’t turn fights down. If they offer me a fight, I’m going to take it regardless of whether it’s the best thing for me moving up in the rankings or not.
“I’m just going to go in there and fight because I’m honored to be on a card like this. A New Year’s Eve card in Vegas is huge, and it’s my first pay-per-view, so I definitely wasn’t going to pass that up.”
The bout with Jury allows Johnson to cross “fight on a pay-per-view event” off his personal Bucket List, but the surging lightweight is competing on the preliminary portion of the card. Rather than stew on what some would perceive as a snub, Johnson is proud to be fighting on one of the biggest events of the year alongside some of the organization’s premier athletes, and intends to maximize his airtime by putting on a show against “The Fury” on December 29th.
“This card is stacked with huge superstars in this sport. I’ve been watching these guys since I started and before I started, and that’s another bonus. It’s a privilege to fight with these guys. I’m not on the main card, but I’m going to make sure that my fight gets shown twice; I definitely want to make the pay-per-view as one of the extra fights. It’s added motivation to go in there and prove to the UFC and our fans that I’m serious and really looking to make a run for this title (in 2013).
“I feel like I deserve to be on a main card,” admitted Johnson. “That’s a huge chip I have on my shoulder, and I’m going to keep fighting to get my fight televised twice. If that’s the case, I’ll stay on the undercard if they’re going to show my fight twice because that means it’s getting seen that much more than the others. It’s just going to have to play out until they have to put me on the main card.”
A win over Jury completes the task Johnson set out to accomplish at the start of the year. With a number of pivotal lightweight matchups already scheduled – and a few recognizable names relocating to the featherweight ranks – earning a fourth consecutive victory to close out the year should put Johnson in a position to share the cage with the best the division has to offer in early 2013.
It’s a scenario Johnson has admittedly already started thinking about, and one that he’s unsure how to tackle.
“I want to fight as much as possible, but I also understand that gym time is way more important that fight time. I feel that’s where you’ve got to go learn, but if I can get four fights again next year, that’d be great. I’m just going to stay grounded, continue to work on my weaknesses, fight every guy they offer me, and see how that goes.
“Next year has to be bigger than this year,” continued Johnson. “I’m going to get bigger name opponents, and tougher opponents. Not saying that these other guys weren’t tough – I think every guy in the lightweight division is tough, and has the potential to beat anybody. That being said, whoever they give me, whatever kind of year the UFC wants me to have, that’s the kind of year I’m going to have. As many fights as they offer me, I would never say no to a fight. We’ll see what 2013 has for me, but first I have to get through Myles.”
Just as every interview we have done this year has revolved around Mortal Kombat and carried the title “The Year of The Menace,” each one has also come with the same predicted outcome, and neither one of us are ready to break from the pattern and potentially jinx things now.
“It never changes,” Johnson laughed when prompted for a breakdown on how his fight with Jury would play out. “It’s never going to change no matter who I’m fighting – I’m always going to go in here and try to get a knockout. In my mind, I think I can knock out anybody and everybody I fight; that’s always going to be the same. If you ask me this question and hear me say, `I’m going to take him down and submit him,’ we can start wondering what’s happening.
“I’ve been working extremely hard in this training camp, and I just want to go in there and fight – put on an extremely entertaining fight for the fans, and go in there and get another bonus check. I’m just going to fight hard and look for the knockout.
“Whether it comes early or it comes late, at any time in this fight if I hurt Myles, I’m not letting him off the hook – I’m going to get him out of there.”
At the start of the year, Michael Johnson likened the UFC lightweight division to the massively addictive ‘90s arcade fighting game series Mortal Kombat.
Just as anyone hoping to best Goro and Shang Tsung would first have to fight their way through the likes of Sub Zero and Johnny Cage, making the climb to the top of the most talent-rich division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship is a treacherous journey with a new dangerous opponent awaiting your arrival inside the cage.
Johnson’s goal at the start of the year was not to complete the game. Instead, he wanted to put himself in a position where only a few opponents stood between him and ultimate victory. Rather than setting an unreachable goal of being champion, Johnson set his sights on ending the year as a top-10 lightweight, and making 2012 “The Year of The Menace.”
In January, he slid a quarter into the machine. Three wins and 11 months later, Johnson is still playing on that original quarter, and he’s a win away from doing what he set out to do at the start of the year.
“Everything is going good, like everyone can see,” Johnson said confidently. “It means a lot to have some goals set and being on my way to accomplishing them. I’ve had three tough fights, and three big wins, so everything is working good. Everything is lined up in order, and if I don’t get into the top 10, I’m going to be pretty damn close, and I’m definitely going to be ready for next year.”
The 26-year-old lightweight hasn’t coasted through the year unscathed, piling up a string of “Flawless Victories” as he prepares to take on unbeaten prospect Myles Jury at UFC 155 later this month. Johnson has taken a few lumps, and survived a couple tense moments on the way to earning three consecutive wins this year.
In his first bout of the year against Shane Roller, Johnson spent the majority of the third round defending a choke with the three-time All-American wrestler on his back, hooks in, looking to finish. He endured, and earned a unanimous decision, advancing to the next stage of his personal lightweight tournament.
Johnson surprised many by besting former Ultimate Fighter winner Tony Ferguson on short notice in May. “El Cucuy” had beaten a pair of veterans after beating Ramsey Nijem to close out Season 13 of the long-running reality TV competition, but that night, it was “The Menace” who had showed the better footwork and hand speed, earning a clean sweep of the scorecards to take another step up the lightweight ladder.
Two months ago, Johnson’s climb through the division was nearly brought to an abrupt halt.
Heavy-handed Team Alpha Male member Danny Castillo dropped Johnson early in the first round of their October encounter, and looked poised to put away the confident and charismatic member of the South Florida-based fight team known as “The Blackzilians.” But just as he did against Roller, Johnson pushed through the rough patch, and survived the round.
A minute and change into the second, the fight was over, and “The Menace” was taking another step forward in his journey towards contention.
“I wouldn’t go so far as saying I have to put another quarter in the machine,” Johnson laughed, reflecting on his first-round struggles against Castillo. “It’s more like I lost that first matchup, but it’s the best of three for fighting games. I lost that first matchup, and then I came back, and he wasn’t able to continue to a best of three. That’s how I’m looking at that one.
“Overcoming those adversity points – the Shane Roller fight where he was on my back for the whole third round, and me having to defend, and then having a pretty intense first round where I had to get out of some things with Danny – it definitely makes it more enjoyable to come out of those positions and come out on top in those fights. It’s made it extremely satisfying.
“Like I’ve always said – first round knockouts are great, but I’m not the type of guy that wants to just go in there and finish fights quickly. I want to fight for a while, and let people actually see the growth and improvement that is coming along with me as a fighter.”
Looking back over his first six UFC appearances, Johnson’s development is obvious. While the athleticism that made him Georges St-Pierre’s first pick and the early favorite on Season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter remains, his footwork, conditioning, and overall striking skills are all vastly improved. His three wins this year have already delivered Johnson to where he wanted to be when “The Year of The Menace” began against Roller, but that isn’t causing him to press pause on his journey.
“They offered me a fight, and I wanted to get four in before the end of the year, so I wasn’t going to turn it down,” Johnson said of his decision to face-off with the undefeated, but relatively unknown Jury next weekend in Las Vegas. “Myles is a good guy; he’s very well rounded, and undefeated. Me beating him might not boost me up in the rankings as much as I want, but that’s okay. I don’t turn fights down. If they offer me a fight, I’m going to take it regardless of whether it’s the best thing for me moving up in the rankings or not.
“I’m just going to go in there and fight because I’m honored to be on a card like this. A New Year’s Eve card in Vegas is huge, and it’s my first pay-per-view, so I definitely wasn’t going to pass that up.”
The bout with Jury allows Johnson to cross “fight on a pay-per-view event” off his personal Bucket List, but the surging lightweight is competing on the preliminary portion of the card. Rather than stew on what some would perceive as a snub, Johnson is proud to be fighting on one of the biggest events of the year alongside some of the organization’s premier athletes, and intends to maximize his airtime by putting on a show against “The Fury” on December 29th.
“This card is stacked with huge superstars in this sport. I’ve been watching these guys since I started and before I started, and that’s another bonus. It’s a privilege to fight with these guys. I’m not on the main card, but I’m going to make sure that my fight gets shown twice; I definitely want to make the pay-per-view as one of the extra fights. It’s added motivation to go in there and prove to the UFC and our fans that I’m serious and really looking to make a run for this title (in 2013).
“I feel like I deserve to be on a main card,” admitted Johnson. “That’s a huge chip I have on my shoulder, and I’m going to keep fighting to get my fight televised twice. If that’s the case, I’ll stay on the undercard if they’re going to show my fight twice because that means it’s getting seen that much more than the others. It’s just going to have to play out until they have to put me on the main card.”
A win over Jury completes the task Johnson set out to accomplish at the start of the year. With a number of pivotal lightweight matchups already scheduled – and a few recognizable names relocating to the featherweight ranks – earning a fourth consecutive victory to close out the year should put Johnson in a position to share the cage with the best the division has to offer in early 2013.
It’s a scenario Johnson has admittedly already started thinking about, and one that he’s unsure how to tackle.
“I want to fight as much as possible, but I also understand that gym time is way more important that fight time. I feel that’s where you’ve got to go learn, but if I can get four fights again next year, that’d be great. I’m just going to stay grounded, continue to work on my weaknesses, fight every guy they offer me, and see how that goes.
“Next year has to be bigger than this year,” continued Johnson. “I’m going to get bigger name opponents, and tougher opponents. Not saying that these other guys weren’t tough – I think every guy in the lightweight division is tough, and has the potential to beat anybody. That being said, whoever they give me, whatever kind of year the UFC wants me to have, that’s the kind of year I’m going to have. As many fights as they offer me, I would never say no to a fight. We’ll see what 2013 has for me, but first I have to get through Myles.”
Just as every interview we have done this year has revolved around Mortal Kombat and carried the title “The Year of The Menace,” each one has also come with the same predicted outcome, and neither one of us are ready to break from the pattern and potentially jinx things now.
“It never changes,” Johnson laughed when prompted for a breakdown on how his fight with Jury would play out. “It’s never going to change no matter who I’m fighting – I’m always going to go in here and try to get a knockout. In my mind, I think I can knock out anybody and everybody I fight; that’s always going to be the same. If you ask me this question and hear me say, `I’m going to take him down and submit him,’ we can start wondering what’s happening.
“I’ve been working extremely hard in this training camp, and I just want to go in there and fight – put on an extremely entertaining fight for the fans, and go in there and get another bonus check. I’m just going to fight hard and look for the knockout.
“Whether it comes early or it comes late, at any time in this fight if I hurt Myles, I’m not letting him off the hook – I’m going to get him out of there.”
Fans know that when Joey Beltran’s name is on the fight card, they’re going to get at least one knock down, drag out, back-and-forth battle. It shouldn’t be any different when he returns to the Octagon this Friday (Saturday in Australia) – a week after his 31st birthday – to take on Igor Pokrajac as part of the UFC on FX event from Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Originally scheduled to face Aussie MMA pioneer Anthony Perosh on the event that will also serve as the finale for “The Smashes,” a change of plans occurred when Perosh was felled by something that sounded totally harmless, but turned out to be one of the most gnarly injuries of the year.
“I got the text message early in the day, and my first response was, ‘what the hell? You can’t deal with a toe injury?’” laughed Beltran, recalling his reaction to Perosh’s injury withdrawal. But this was no ordinary toe injury.
Perosh broke the big toe on his left foot, a photo of which quickly made its way around the Internet, showing the post-injury digit bent at a 45-degree angle, bone exposed. “Shortly thereafter the picture got leaked, and then it was, “That’s okay. You get a pass.” That was pretty brutal.”
Opponent changes can often produce a letdown, but in Beltran’s case, the shift from Perosh to Pokrajac has him even more excited about making the trip to Australia.
“It’s going to be real fun, and I couldn’t pick a better opponent,” said Beltran, who lost his UFC light heavyweight debut to surging New Zealander James Te Huna back in July. “When I found out that Anthony Perosh got hurt, I texted my manager and said, “Let’s get Igor!” I know that he’s a tough Croatian. It’s going to be a war, it’s something that the fans are going to like, and it’s also somebody that I can work with, and can have some success against.”
After beginning his UFC career with consecutive wins in the heavyweight division, success has eluded Beltran in all but one of his last six trips into the Octagon. Consecutive losses to heavy hitters Stipe Miocic and Lavar Johnson brought his first run with the promotion to an end last January. He contemplated retirement, but instead decided to drop to light heavyweight and continue pursuing his passion. When teammate Brandon Vera was selected to square off with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, “The Truth” suggested the UFC called Beltran to fill his place opposite James Te Huna.
The duo threw down as the co-main event of July’s UFC on FUEL TV event headlined by Chris Weidman’s win over Mark Munoz, and while Beltran came out on the losing end of the decision yet again, the optimistic light heavyweight competitor sees far more positives than negatives in his performance.
“The thing about me is that I’m realistic and I know myself. I’m a little hard-headed – it takes me a while to learn, and I often have to learn stuff the hard way. In my profession, that can be a little painful, but I feel like I learned a lot from that Te Huna fight. I see that I had decent success in that fight, did some good things, but just made a lot of stupid decisions.
“I have 15 minutes of film to go off of to critique myself, and I really feel that mentally I’ve come to a point in my career where it’s starting to make sense. I know that I have these skills, and I know that I have these tools, and it’s just about when do I want to pull it out, so I’m excited for this fight.
“I’ve had a long time between fights, which is what I wanted after that Te Huna fight; I didn’t want to rush back in. Now I’m really hungry; I really want to fight. I physically want to fight someone, and it’s been a long time since I’ve felt that.”
Though his return to the cage produced another entertaining performance, it also produced another loss, and as much as putting forth exciting efforts that fans walk away talking about is important, wins and losses are what ultimately determine how long you remain a part of the UFC roster.
Few people escape extended losing streaks, and there is even less wiggle room for a fighter embarking on their second tour of duty with the company. That leaves Beltran in a precarious position where his fighting style and future employment could potentially be in opposition of each other.
An admitted brawler with a desire to please the fans and send them home talking about his fight whether he wins or loses, Beltran has never once asked for a lesser opponent or turned down a tough fight. While his struggle to find the win column of late certainly turns up the pressure heading into his bout with Pokrajac, a leopard can’t change its spots.
“I’m not going to lie and say there isn’t a little bit of nervousness and a sense of pressure heading into this fight, especially coming off of a loss, but at the end of the day, I’m going to be me no matter what, and I only know one way how to fight.
“That being said, my team and I have been working on a lot of things where I can still produce those entertaining fights, but do it in a more intelligent way that produces more wins and saves my brain. I’m going to keep my same aggressive style, and push the pace, but be a little bit more intelligent about it. At least I hope so. You never know with me. As soon as we get in the cage, the game plan kind of goes out the window when we start scrapping.
“I’ve been really, really working hard on listening to my corner to the point that if they say, `Throw a right hand,’ it’s a right hand right away, so that I can develop a synergy going into the fight. They can be my eyes so that if they say, `Reset Joey, push for the takedown,’ whatever it is they see, then they can navigate me through my craziness. That’s all part of the mental part of the game, and I’m ready for that. I’m excited. This guy is coming for a war, and I’m ready for that. I know it’s going to hurt, but I know it’s going to be fun.”
While fans and critics may question Beltran for continuing to employ the same style that has left him battered, bruised, and bloodied coming out of each of his previous UFC appearances, the man known as “The Mexicutioner” believes his consistent approach in the cage and the resulting savagery that ensues are a big part of the reason the UFC was ready to bring him back in the first place.
“I think the reason why I’m here in this company and the reason why Joe Silva and Dana like me – I think Dana likes me; I don’t know though – is because they know we’re going to deliver,” offered Beltran, cackling at his uncertainty about the UFC President’s personal feelings for him.
“I guarantee now that it’s Igor Pokrajac and myself fighting, you have to think if not Fight of the Night, at the very least it’s going to be crazy and everybody is going to leave at the end of the night talking about it.
“Even the fights that I lose are pretty crazy,” continued Beltran. “Even me getting knocked out that one time was so gnarly because people were like, “Oh my god!” I’m not going to lie – it was bad for obvious reasons, but still, people left talking about that more than anything else that card.
“I look at it like it’s my job, it’s how I make money, how I support my family, and if I’m breathing while I’m in the Octagon, I’m swinging. And Joe Silva knows that about me, so it’s all good. I’ll fight whomever he asks me to fight because I believe in the vision that he has. I just feel that Joe Silva knows what I bring to the table, how I bring it, and he just matches me up with people where we’ll produce exciting fights.
“He envisions this is going to be a great fight, and I think it’s going to be.”
Fans know that when Joey Beltran’s name is on the fight card, they’re going to get at least one knock down, drag out, back-and-forth battle. It shouldn’t be any different when he returns to the Octagon this Friday (Saturday in Australia) – a week after his 31st birthday – to take on Igor Pokrajac as part of the UFC on FX event from Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Originally scheduled to face Aussie MMA pioneer Anthony Perosh on the event that will also serve as the finale for “The Smashes,” a change of plans occurred when Perosh was felled by something that sounded totally harmless, but turned out to be one of the most gnarly injuries of the year.
“I got the text message early in the day, and my first response was, ‘what the hell? You can’t deal with a toe injury?’” laughed Beltran, recalling his reaction to Perosh’s injury withdrawal. But this was no ordinary toe injury.
Perosh broke the big toe on his left foot, a photo of which quickly made its way around the Internet, showing the post-injury digit bent at a 45-degree angle, bone exposed. “Shortly thereafter the picture got leaked, and then it was, “That’s okay. You get a pass.” That was pretty brutal.”
Opponent changes can often produce a letdown, but in Beltran’s case, the shift from Perosh to Pokrajac has him even more excited about making the trip to Australia.
“It’s going to be real fun, and I couldn’t pick a better opponent,” said Beltran, who lost his UFC light heavyweight debut to surging New Zealander James Te Huna back in July. “When I found out that Anthony Perosh got hurt, I texted my manager and said, “Let’s get Igor!” I know that he’s a tough Croatian. It’s going to be a war, it’s something that the fans are going to like, and it’s also somebody that I can work with, and can have some success against.”
After beginning his UFC career with consecutive wins in the heavyweight division, success has eluded Beltran in all but one of his last six trips into the Octagon. Consecutive losses to heavy hitters Stipe Miocic and Lavar Johnson brought his first run with the promotion to an end last January. He contemplated retirement, but instead decided to drop to light heavyweight and continue pursuing his passion. When teammate Brandon Vera was selected to square off with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, “The Truth” suggested the UFC called Beltran to fill his place opposite James Te Huna.
The duo threw down as the co-main event of July’s UFC on FUEL TV event headlined by Chris Weidman’s win over Mark Munoz, and while Beltran came out on the losing end of the decision yet again, the optimistic light heavyweight competitor sees far more positives than negatives in his performance.
“The thing about me is that I’m realistic and I know myself. I’m a little hard-headed – it takes me a while to learn, and I often have to learn stuff the hard way. In my profession, that can be a little painful, but I feel like I learned a lot from that Te Huna fight. I see that I had decent success in that fight, did some good things, but just made a lot of stupid decisions.
“I have 15 minutes of film to go off of to critique myself, and I really feel that mentally I’ve come to a point in my career where it’s starting to make sense. I know that I have these skills, and I know that I have these tools, and it’s just about when do I want to pull it out, so I’m excited for this fight.
“I’ve had a long time between fights, which is what I wanted after that Te Huna fight; I didn’t want to rush back in. Now I’m really hungry; I really want to fight. I physically want to fight someone, and it’s been a long time since I’ve felt that.”
Though his return to the cage produced another entertaining performance, it also produced another loss, and as much as putting forth exciting efforts that fans walk away talking about is important, wins and losses are what ultimately determine how long you remain a part of the UFC roster.
Few people escape extended losing streaks, and there is even less wiggle room for a fighter embarking on their second tour of duty with the company. That leaves Beltran in a precarious position where his fighting style and future employment could potentially be in opposition of each other.
An admitted brawler with a desire to please the fans and send them home talking about his fight whether he wins or loses, Beltran has never once asked for a lesser opponent or turned down a tough fight. While his struggle to find the win column of late certainly turns up the pressure heading into his bout with Pokrajac, a leopard can’t change its spots.
“I’m not going to lie and say there isn’t a little bit of nervousness and a sense of pressure heading into this fight, especially coming off of a loss, but at the end of the day, I’m going to be me no matter what, and I only know one way how to fight.
“That being said, my team and I have been working on a lot of things where I can still produce those entertaining fights, but do it in a more intelligent way that produces more wins and saves my brain. I’m going to keep my same aggressive style, and push the pace, but be a little bit more intelligent about it. At least I hope so. You never know with me. As soon as we get in the cage, the game plan kind of goes out the window when we start scrapping.
“I’ve been really, really working hard on listening to my corner to the point that if they say, `Throw a right hand,’ it’s a right hand right away, so that I can develop a synergy going into the fight. They can be my eyes so that if they say, `Reset Joey, push for the takedown,’ whatever it is they see, then they can navigate me through my craziness. That’s all part of the mental part of the game, and I’m ready for that. I’m excited. This guy is coming for a war, and I’m ready for that. I know it’s going to hurt, but I know it’s going to be fun.”
While fans and critics may question Beltran for continuing to employ the same style that has left him battered, bruised, and bloodied coming out of each of his previous UFC appearances, the man known as “The Mexicutioner” believes his consistent approach in the cage and the resulting savagery that ensues are a big part of the reason the UFC was ready to bring him back in the first place.
“I think the reason why I’m here in this company and the reason why Joe Silva and Dana like me – I think Dana likes me; I don’t know though – is because they know we’re going to deliver,” offered Beltran, cackling at his uncertainty about the UFC President’s personal feelings for him.
“I guarantee now that it’s Igor Pokrajac and myself fighting, you have to think if not Fight of the Night, at the very least it’s going to be crazy and everybody is going to leave at the end of the night talking about it.
“Even the fights that I lose are pretty crazy,” continued Beltran. “Even me getting knocked out that one time was so gnarly because people were like, “Oh my god!” I’m not going to lie – it was bad for obvious reasons, but still, people left talking about that more than anything else that card.
“I look at it like it’s my job, it’s how I make money, how I support my family, and if I’m breathing while I’m in the Octagon, I’m swinging. And Joe Silva knows that about me, so it’s all good. I’ll fight whomever he asks me to fight because I believe in the vision that he has. I just feel that Joe Silva knows what I bring to the table, how I bring it, and he just matches me up with people where we’ll produce exciting fights.
“He envisions this is going to be a great fight, and I think it’s going to be.”
Dustin Poirier’s loss to “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in May wasn’t the catalyst for him to change camps. It was more like the final piece of data that convinced him it was indeed time to uproot from his home base of Lafayette, Louisiana …
Dustin Poirier’s loss to “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in May wasn’t the catalyst for him to change camps. It was more like the final piece of data that convinced him it was indeed time to uproot from his home base of Lafayette, Louisiana and find a new place to settle down.
Throughout his climb up the ranks in the WEC and UFC, the 23-year-old featherweight trained under Ultimate Fighter alum Tim Credeur as the star student at his Gladiators Academy gym. The partnership had worked pretty well, with Poirier first gaining recognition for his UFC 125 upset of Josh Grispi, and then his starring turn in the outstanding documentary Fightville.
Two more wins moved “The Diamond” into contention in the 145-pound ranks, and set him up opposite Jung in a main event showdown in May on FUEL TV. The entertaining affair ended with Poirier getting submitted in the fourth round, and a few months later, he announced a change of address.
“It was a hard decision, but we were talking about it before my last fight; we knew it was getting to that time,” Poirier said of the decision to depart his long-time home. “I didn’t have the guys to show up every day and push me, and I needed to be around top-caliber guys. Tim knew that, and I knew that too.
“That’s not saying that the guys at Gladiators aren’t good, but it’s different when you’re training with those guys and then you get in the cage and fight the best guys in the world. You want to be seeing that on a daily basis. That’s what we knew had to happen, and that’s why I moved here.”
“Here” is Coconut Creek, Florida and American Top Team, the revered fight camp that has produced a constant stream of top contenders across a number of organizations over the years, including former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown, Thiago Alves, and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.
It’s a major change for Poirier, both personally and professionally.
Rather than pack his bags for Florida when it came time for him to prepare for a fight, Poirier and his wife Jolie opted to relocate permanently. Deciding to leave home was difficult, but it was something the driven and motivated young featherweight knew was necessarily in order to further his career and work towards achieving his ultimate goal.
“It’s a huge sacrifice,” offered Poirier. “Everything I love and everything I have was in Louisiana, where I’m from and grew up. My family is there – just the security of being comfortable, knowing everybody, and stuff like that – but these chances don’t come over and over again.
“I’m in the UFC, and I want to be a world champion, so I decided to do what I had to do, and make sacrifices. I’m selling my house in Louisiana, and just completely moved out here.
“I’m a guy that trains year-round,” he continued. “After a fight, I might take a week off at the most and then I’m back in the gym, so I just felt like doing training camp somewhere – I would be prepared for fights, but I wouldn’t be getting better all around. If you just do camps and you don’t train between that, you’re just getting into shape and sharpening what you already have. Between fights, you can learn new stuff, try new stuff, and have some fun, so it was important for me to be around those kinds of guys all the time. That’s why I’m here.”
The first chance Poirier has to showcase the improvements he’s made since filing his change of address forms comes this weekend against Jonathan Brookins. Like Poirier, the enigmatic TUF winner is in need of a reset, having lost his last outing and two of his first three since besting Michael Johnson by unanimous decision to enter the fraternity of Ultimate Fighter winners on Season 12.
Though he gives Brookins’ praise without prompting and knows there are areas where his upcoming opponent is dangerous, the quietly charismatic and always entertaining Poirier is chomping at the bit to return to the cage and get back into the win column.
“He’s a grinder; he slows the pace down in his fights and wears guys down; he presses them up against the fence, beats them up, and grinds out wins. He’s dangerous there. I think he’s a lot stronger than he looks. He’s a big ‘45er – he’s tall and long and he has really good wresting, so I have to use my wrestling and my boxing to keep a good distance, and I have to keep my back off the fence.
“This is going to sound cheesy, but this is my passion,” remarked Poirier, laughing at his use of a timeless cliché. “Every day I wake up and try to better myself. All day, every day, everything I do is to be a better fighter. This is my job, my hobby; this is everything to me. Winning another fight means everything for me, and I feel like I’m going to go in there and make a statement.
“I have a bunch of amateur fights and 14 pro fights, and I’ve never lost two fights in a row in my life. I can’t even picture myself losing another fight. I’m trying to stay relevant, and I’m trying to be a name people want to see fight – someone the UFC puts on main cards. I’m trying to provide for me and my wife, and the only way to do that is to win fights.”
While the loss to Jung wasn’t the reason Poirier decided to relocate, it does serve as daily motivation for the intensely driven featherweight with the 12-2 record. He’s watched it numerous times, dissecting every second of the back-and-forth affair to figure out what he did right, what he did wrong, and where he could have pressed harder in order to try and put away the resilient “Korean Zombie.”
The loss eats at him; talking about it increases the sharpness of his words and the force of his delivery. He has designs on establishing himself as one of the best in not only the featherweight division, but the sport as a whole, and doesn’t want to feel the sting of defeat again.
“It sucks to have (another) loss on my record – I can never have that back. It’s another person who defeated me. He conquered me that night. I can never get that back, and that hurts me because I’m a warrior – I want to battle, and I want to win every fight. I want to be a legend, so I have to take it and learn from it. I feel like one day I’m going to get my chance to fight him again, and I’m going to do what I should have done in the first fight. Looking back on it, it was a huge learning experience for me, and I’m hoping to not make those mistakes again.”
That’s why this weekend’s bout with Brookins is so important.
The featherweight division continues to grow deeper with each passing month as lightweights move down the scale and promising young talent keeps climbing the ladder. Back in May, Poirier was on the brink of a title shot. Seven months later, he’s buried behind a list of contenders that doesn’t look like it will be getting shorter any time soon.
As a result, Poirier plans on making the most of his return to the cage to expedite his return to title contention in the featherweight ranks.
“The ref is going to be ripping me off of him,” Poirier offered flatly. “I’m going to hurt him with hard shots, he’s going to cover up, and the ref is going to be pulling me off of him. I’m coming to defeat Jonathan Brookins by any means necessary.”
After the fight is over, when the results appear online as the latest entry on a fighter’s resume, the subtle nuances, close calls, and near misses of the bout fade into the ether. All that remains is a win or a loss, the round and time the fight ended, and the method – decision, submission, or knockout.
Chris Leben
Dustin Poirier