Author: By E. Spencer Kyte

With all the turbulence at the top of the welterweight division, it’s easy for a contender or two to get lost in the shuffle, overlooked in the discussions of who will emerge from the 170-pound ranks by the end of the year.

Between the Condit-Diaz-St-Pierre situation and the rise of Johny Hendricks and Jake Ellenberger, one fighter who has slipped into the shadows is Martin Kampmann, the 29-year-old Dane known as “The Hitman.”

Part of what has pushed the long-time Xtreme Couture team member into the background is just how well he embodies his nickname inside the cage.

Kampmann is one of the most technical strikers in the sport, and he’s sneaky good on the ground as well. He’s quick, precise, and accurate, with very few wasted movements. Everything is crisp, clean, and on the mark, and at times, that ability to pick opponents apart gets overlooked by the judges in favor of the more demonstrative efforts of his opponents.

You could make a case that Kampmann should be entering Saturday’s UFC on FX 2 main event against Thiago Alves in the midst of a five-fight winning streak. Prior to beating Rick Story at UFC 139 last November, Kampmann dropped a pair of close, debatable decisions to Diego Sanchez and Jake Shields.

The former still eats at him nearly a year later, while he uses the latter as a learning experience.

“I definitely feel that I got screwed when I fought Diego,” Kampmann says curtly, clear evidence that the unanimous decision victory handed to Sanchez still stings a year later. “I should have won that, and everybody knew that I won that fight. He was hurt and beaten up after that fight, and I won it, but I got screwed by the judges.

“When I was fighting Jake Shields, I kept going for submissions, and I ended up losing the fight. If I had played that fight safe and just stayed on top like he was doing, I would have won the decision. I was trying too hard to finish and get a submission, which was a mistake on my part. I should have just stayed on top and pounded him out. I gave that fight away by fighting stupid.”

Eight months after the controversial loss to Sanchez, Kampmann systematically picked apart Story in San Jose, peppering the aggressive and powerful wrestler with his precise boxing.

By all accounts it was a clear victory for Kampmann, which is why a look of panic and confusion swept across his face as UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer read off a split decision (a unanimous decision was later revealed to be the correct verdict).

“You can see the look on my face when that decision was being announced. I thought `What the F?’ I couldn’t believe what I was listening to when they announced that. I was disappointed I didn’t get the finish, but I was relieved that I got the win; I needed that.”

Though he was happy to get back into the win column for the first time since systematically picking apart Paulo Thiago at UFC 115 in June 2010, Kampmann wasn’t satisfied with going to the judges.

“I really wanted to get that finish. I’m tired of going to judges’ decision, especially because they don’t seem to see things my way at all. It doesn’t matter what I do; they have something against me, I guess. I’m going in there to finish Thiago Alves, and the judges won’t have a say.

“I used to always get finishes, but sometimes when you fight the best guys — when you’re fighting top guys — sometimes it can be hard to get the finish within those three rounds. When you’re fighting the best, it can be tough to finish, but I’m definitely going in for the kill. I used to have a bunch of first round finishes, and I used to get finishes all the time. I want to go back to that; I want to finish people.”

After earning three first round finishes in his initial four UFC victories, Kampmann has only earned two finishes since, stopping Alexandre Barros in the second round of his welterweight debut at UFC 93, and submitting Jacob Volkmann just over four minutes into the opening round of their encounter at UFC 108.

His 13 fights in the UFC have produced a 9-4 record and carried him into the top 10 in the welterweight division. More importantly, perhaps, they’ve helped the analytical Kampmann fine-tune his approach in the cage, identifying what works best, and what pitfalls to avoid in his upcoming bout with Alves in Australia.

Kampmann sees what he calls “Intelligent Aggression” as the key, not only in Friday’s UFC on FX 2 main event, but long term. He credits Paul Daley with teaching him the importance of this particular approach.

“If I get hit with a good, solid punch, my first instinct is to step in the pocket, and start firing back because I want to hit that sucker back, but sometimes that’s not the smartest decision. Sometimes you’ve got to take a step back, circle a little bit, take a couple seconds to get your composure back, and then you can go in and try to get him back. It doesn’t have to be right away; that will put you at risk. I definitely learned that from fighting Paul Daley.

“In regards to submissions, the judges don’t really look at submission attempts — they only really look if you do get the submission — so I think I’m maybe going to tone down the submissions, and maybe go for more ground-and-pound should the fight hit the ground.”

Like Kampmann, Alves has drifted into the background of the UFC’s deep and talented welterweight division.

After piling up seven consecutive victories en route to facing Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title at UFC 100, “The Pitbull” hit a rough patch, losing two of his next three fights after dropping a one-sided decision to St-Pierre.

Two weeks before Kampmann rebounded with his win over Story at UFC 139, Alves earned his first submission victory in the UFC, forcing newcomer Papy Abedi to tap to a rear naked choke in the opening round of their encounter at UFC 138.

It was the best Alves has looked in two years, but Kampmann is confident that he has the approach and arsenal needed to beat the long-time American Top Team trainee, and anyone else in the welterweight division.

“I think this fight is going to be a lot of standup; he’s tough to take down. I’m not saying I can’t take him down — I think I can take him down — but I’m going to mix it up. He’s really good at getting back to his feet, so I think the majority of this fight is going to take place on the feet.

“Thiago’s a tough opponent; he’s fought some tough guys. He’s beaten some really tough guys like (Josh) Koscheck, and (Matt) Hughes. He’s not an opponent to take lightly, but I’m going to go in there and beat him, and we’ll take it from there after that.

“First I have to beat Thiago Alves — and I will beat him — but I think I can beat the best guys there are.  I think I can beat anyone in the division. I’m confident in my skills, and I’m confident in myself, so I’d love to get the opportunity to fight the best, and that’s what I’m doing right now.”

While some see this contest as a chance for Kampmann to emerge from the shadows and establish himself as a contender, the talented Dane completely disagrees with that assessment, and where most people put him in the pecking order.

“I am a contender, man!” Kampmann barks, frustrated by the insinuation that he’s one the outside looking in when it comes to the welterweight title chase. “I’m a contender already. I got screwed against Diego. Jake Shields — you could make an argument for that fight even though I gave that fight away by fighting stupid. I can beat the best there is, and I’ve proven that. I am a contender, and I want to fight for the title.

“I’ve got a win over (Carlos) Condit,” Kampmann adds, citing his April 2009 split decision victory over the current interim champion as further proof that he deserves to be considered amongst the top contenders in the welterweight division. “I’m the only guy in the UFC with a win over him, and I’d love to fight him again.”

In fact, Kampmann is the only man to defeat Condit in the last five-and-a-half years. Given the opportunity, he can hang with the interim champion or anyone else in the 170-pound ranks for that matter, because as good as he’s been so far, “The Hitman” promises that the best is yet to come.

“I want to fight the best guys in the division. I’ve fought some of the best guys, and I’ve shown I can beat the best, and I still have a lot more to show. The UFC hasn’t seen the best of Martin Kampmann yet.”

Charles Barkley.

That’s the first name that popped into my head as I sat on the phone with Ian McCall, the top-ranked flyweight in the sport, discussing the improbable journey that has brought him to the UFC, and his desire to be a role model.

Nearly 20 years ago, Barkley famously argued against athletes being role models. His thoughts on the matter were turned into a Nike commercial, and became one of the top anecdotes from his illustrious NBA career.

Unlike Barkley, McCall wants to be someone people look up to, someone who inspires them to chase their passion in life, and someone whose mistakes they can learn from and avoid.

The 27-year-old known as “Uncle Creepy” is candid about his previous struggles with addiction, including the fact that he was clinically dead at one point not all that long ago as a result of an accidental overdose.

“I’m prone to screw ups, just like everybody else,” he says with a laugh. “I’m sure I’ll screw up more in my future, but it’s not going to be like things I’ve done in my past. I have to — just like any other person — you have to live day-by-day. You constantly remind yourself not to do the things that you used to, especially me; I had a passion for doing naughty, naughty things.

“I don’t mind having people see my life and know my life and be able to connect with me on a different level because that’s what it is — you have to show people, `I’m not perfect. This is my life; this is who I am.’ If you want a part of it — party on. Let’s have some fun, have a good time, come hang out. I want to be a fighter that the majority of the world loves. I would like to be a role model.”

While he’ll always battle the demons, McCall’s focus has shifted from the self-destructive behaviors of his past to establishing a better life for his wife and daughter, and making the most of his abilities as a fighter.

“As far as training, I just took it serious,” he says, explaining the changes he’s made in the gym that have helped transform him from a solid-but-unspectacular bantamweight in the WEC to one of the top flyweights in the world.

“I just take it a lot more serious because this is what I want to do with my life. I see my friends who have great things out of other jobs — whatever jobs they may do — and I want to provide a good life for my family and everyone else.”

The results of his newfound focus and determination in the gym started to show just over a year ago.

On February 18, 2010, McCall made his debut with Tachi Palace Fights, the Lemoore, California-based outfit that had become the home of the best 125-pound talent in North America. That night, he squared off with Jussier da Silva, the Shooto South American champion in the 123-pound weight division, universally regarded as the top flyweight competitor on the planet. “Formiga” was undefeated at the time, and McCall was viewed as another opponent the talented Brazilian would beat up inside the cage.

That’s not how things played out. McCall pulled off the upset, earning a unanimous decision victory over the previously unbeaten Brazilian.

He collected another unanimous victory when he handed Dustin Ortiz the first loss of his career three months later. In August, McCall submitted Darrell Montague via rear naked choke in the third round to become Tachi Palace Fights flyweight champion, cementing his standing as the top 125-pound talent in the sport.

Now McCall is set to make his UFC debut, squaring off with former bantamweight title challenger Demetrious Johnson in one of the two bouts that will determine who will fight to become the UFC’s inaugural flyweight champion. It’s a moment the charismatic and talkative McCall has trouble putting into words.

“After everything that I’ve been through — that I put myself through — and as long as this career has lasted, now it’s serious, and it’s become a lot more serious with the UFC. It’s a dream come true, and something that I’m really looking forward to.”

Joining McCall and Johnson in the four-man tournament to crown the inaugural 125-pound champion are Japanese standout Yasuhiro Urushitani and Joseph Benavidez, another former bantamweight title challenger making the drop down to flyweight for the first time.

Like Johnson and Benavidez, McCall also has a loss to current UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz on his record. He dropped a unanimous decision to “The Dominator” at WEC 38, seven months before he would beat Benavidez for the first time, and 13 months before Cruz defeated Brian Bowles for the title at WEC 47; he hasn’t lost since.

Despite having collected four consecutive victories and establishing himself as the top flyweight in the sport, McCall enters his meeting with Johnson as a significant underdog. It’s a role he accepts without hesitation, happy to have the opportunity to step into the Octagon, and ready to prove the pundits wrong.

“They have more buzz than me,” says McCall of Johnson and Benavidez, the latter of the two standing as the favorite to be crowned the first flyweight champion. “But I have that recognition of being #1 where I was. It’s an honor to be able to face someone like (Demetrious); he’s a great fighter.

“It’s a good way… I wanted to jump right into it; I wanted to jump right into fighting the best, and I get the chance to.”

Someone else might take offense to being the underdog, but not McCall; not after everything he’s been through. This is just another challenge, another obstacle standing in his way, and while it may take some time, McCall is intent on showing that he is the top flyweight in the sport and becoming the first UFC flyweight champion.

“I’m ready to show the world. It’s my time, and I’m super-stoked about it. It’s something that I have to prove, and it’s going to take time for people to know who I am, but I’m not going anywhere.”

Court McGee is not the best athlete in the UFC middleweight division.

He’s not the best striker either. There are others in the 185-pound weight class who are better grapplers than he is as well. The same goes for wrestling. The 27-year-old Ultimate Fighter winner is brutally honest when assessing how he matches up with his fellow middleweight competitors, and the fact that he’s not at the top of the list in any of the aforementioned fundamentals is fine with him.

After all, those things are out of his control.

“I can’t control being the best striker or the best grappler,” said the man whose menacing stare and angry beard stand in stark contrast to the soft-spoken, intellectual man behind them. “I can improve on (those things) and just constantly get better at jiu-jitsu and wrestling and my striking.

“One thing I can control though is my conditioning — getting stronger, and faster, and better, and always changing it. I’ve got a good group of guys — I’ve got Jason Mertlich, I’ve got John Hackleman, I’ve got The Pit behind me — and I’m always able to push the limit on conditioning. It’s a comfortable feeling going into a fight knowing that I can really put it on somebody and recover in a minute, and I can do that for 15 minutes.”

McGee doesn’t tailor each training camp to prepare for the opponent he’s set to face. He hasn’t spent the last two months working on a game plan specific to Costa Philippou, the man he faces Friday night (technically Saturday morning) at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia in the first fight of the UFC on FX 2 broadcast.

He’s studied his opponent enough to know what he brings to the table, but for McGee, the fight is about finding a way to win once the cage door closes, and training camp is about giving yourself the best opportunity to do that come fight night.

“He may be a better striker than me, but I’ll put together my tools, see what I have, and do the best that I can do to figure out how to beat him. I kind of know what he likes to do. He got a pretty good KO in his last fight, and I saw that, so I know he likes to strike, but you never know — he could come out and try to shoot. When the cage door closes and it’s just him and me in there, then it’s up to me to figure out how to beat him.”

Instead of preparing for the opponent he’s about to face, McGee spends his time in the gym training to compete against the toughest opponent he could envision; the person whose abilities and attributes would cause him the most trouble inside the cage. In the process of working to defeat his fictitious foe inside the gym, McGee is also pushing himself to become that man for each of his real life opponents.

“I think about what would be the hardest and toughest opponent for me to fight, and what comes to mind is he’s going to be difficult to submit, he’s difficult to knock out, and he’s got conditioning for days, and he pushes the pace. For me, that would be the hardest opponent, so that’s who I try to be — I try to be that person.”

So far, it seems to be working.

In each of his two post-TUF appearances to date, McGee turned the fights into a test of wills and a battle of attrition, and was the one who had his hand raised in the end. He submitted veteran Ryan Jensen in the third round of their UFC 121 encounter after looking lethargic in the first, and followed it up 11-months later with another performance that highlighted his unmatched ability to continue pushing forward against Dongi Yang.

For McGee, it comes down to two things: what you’ve done in the gym leading up to the fight, and why you’re stepping into the cage in the first place.

“I know what it takes to compete against that high level; now it’s just whether or not you’re willing to get in shape, and that to me is the hardest thing to do. Besides cutting weight, the conditioning is the hardest thing, man.

“It’s hard to show up and condition three, four, five times a week, and throw a 130-pound ball around, and run sprints on an incline on a treadmill, and do this, do that, and Tabata this, and throw weight around, and kettlebell this, and sprint this, and push a thousand-pound wheelbarrow up a hill. That’s the hard stuff.

“If it was up to me, going in and sparring five times a week? Shoot, man — that’d be awesome. I love the sparring. I love the fighting part of it. It’s the hard conditioning where you just borderline want to give up on life and you’ve still got another 20 or 30 second sprint to go — that’s the hard stuff.

“Were you willing to take the steps necessary to get the best results? Showing up every day through the little injuries, big injuries, or the time off, having a lot of fights or not having a lot of fights, or the press or the lack thereof, or the money or not much money.

“That’s another thing too as to why I think I’ve been successful,” continued the Ogden, Utah native. “The money is the payoff that I can better take care of my family with, and that’s important, but it’s not the most important. (First and foremost), I can carry the message to other people who struggle with drug addiction and things like that; to know that if I can make it out, they can make it out.”

McGee, like fellow UFC on FX 2 competitor Ian McCall, battled addictions earlier in his life, and was once clinically dead as a result of a heroin overdose. He’s been clean since April 2006.

“Secondly, if you get rid of all the crowd — you get rid of all the friends that are watching you— and it’s just me and Costa Philippou in there, I still have the same desire to win whether or not there is money on the line. If we’re fighting, do I have that desire to win? Do I still want to fight and will I go after it? And I do, and that’s what I love. Two, three minutes into that fight and we’re trading punches — we’re tired, you’ve been hit, and you’re hurt — that’s what I like: I like that spot. I like to be in there, and that’s a big difference.”

Having come through his battles with drug addiction and endured the early lean years as a professional to be where he is today has had a significant impact on McGee, as you would expect. It’s shaped his approach to both his life and his craft, giving him a clearer picture of what’s important, and it goes way beyond wins and losses.

“Growing up, I thought money was a big priority in life, and now that I’ve made a little bit, I’ve come to realize that it’s not all that important. Just as long as you can get by, pay the bills, be happy, and support (yourself and your family), you’ve got to find what you love to do.

“Money comes and goes, friends come and go, but the connection with a higher power is something that I have, and the ability to do something that I love — martial arts — for a living, and the pay out that I can take better care of my family has given me the ability to appreciate the little things in my life.

“I bought a home, so I’m a home owner now, and that’s really a cool thing, but I still drive the same car that I got my wife in high school — ’99 Saturn; just the base model Saturn. I’m a real simple guy. Being able to talk to other martial artists, and being able to carry a message to other people who are struggling through my martial arts, and through my fighting, I feel privileged. I really feel privileged.

“I just celebrated five years of doing MMA,” continued McGee. “October 26, 2007 I quit my job as a plumber to pursue a career as a professional MMA fighter, and I struggled for a long time. It’s still a struggle, but I do it because I love it; I love to be in the fight. God’s given me the ability to compete, and train, and fight, and I’m going to keep doing it until I lose that desire – that desire to win while I’m in there.”

Don’t expect that desire or McGee go away any time soon.

 

 

Personally and professionally, 2011 was an arduous year for Jake Shields.

Over the previous five-plus years, the American Jiu-Jitsu practitioner had defeated the likes of Martin Kampmann, Dan Henderson, and Carlos Condit to become one of the top pound-for-pound competitors in the sport.

When the year began, Shields stood as the #1 contender in the UFC welterweight division, riding a 15-fight winning streak into the main event of UFC 129, the biggest show in the organization’s history, against its biggest star, Georges St-Pierre.

The 33-year-old dropped a unanimous decision to the currently sidelined welterweight champion, his first loss since December 2004. The sting of losing to St-Pierre was nothing compared to the devastating loss Shields suffered four months later.

In late August, Shields’ father and manager, Jack, passed away; he was 67-years-old.

Scheduled to headline Ultimate Fight Night 25 in New Orleans, Louisiana less than a month later against the surging Jake Ellenberger, Shields went through with the fight, saying at the time that it was what his father would have wanted him to do.

The bout lasted just 53 seconds. Before Shields had time to get comfortable in the cage, Ellenberger caught him with a knee that dropped him to the canvas, before pouncing on his downed opponent, and pounding out the finish. After five years without a loss in the cage, Shields had suffered back-to-back defeats in the span of five months, and a far more painful loss outside of the Octagon as well.

“Six months ago was a tough time, losing my father; he was my manager, we were really close,” said Shields. “Losing him right before going into the Ellenberger fight was tough, and then walking in there, and getting clipped by a knee early on — in the first minute — and losing that.

“It was a tough time — losing my dad, and the fight — I was a little depressed after that. It took me a couple of months to get my head back together, and start training again.”

No one would have questioned Shields had he opted to withdraw from the Ellenberger fight. With five months to reflect the situation, he sees no point in second-guessing his choice to fight.

“It was a tough decision to make back then, but it’s one of those things — you go out there and get clipped. You can’t go out there and have regrets or make excuses. It’s unfortunate that the night didn’t turn out the way I wanted, but I can’t go out there and have regrets about it. If I had pulled out, I probably would have had regrets about that. I made the decision, and now I have to live with it. All I can do is come back even stronger than ever in this fight.”

Shields returns to the cage Saturday night, welcoming Japanese star Yoshihiro Akiyama to the welterweight division.

Always considered undersized for the middleweight ranks, the 36-year-old judoka finally makes the move down to the 170-pound weight class in the midst of a three-fight losing streak, and having earned just a single victory — a controversial split decision win over Alan Belcher at UFC 100 — since signing with the UFC in February 2009.

After having squared off with the Canadian superstar St-Pierre in front of 55,000-plus fans in the raucous Rogers Centre last April in Toronto, Saturday’s contest will mark the second time in 10 months that Shields has taken on the “hometown favorite” in front of a massive audience.

He has no issues stepping in against Akiyama on his home turf, and appreciates the show of faith from the UFC, putting him right back on the main card despite his current two-fight skid.

“I have no problem going and fighting people in their hometowns where they’re the favored ones,” admitted the former Shooto, EliteXC, and Strikeforce champion. “And it’s great that even after my back-to-back losses, the UFC hasn’t lost faith in me; they’ve still put me as one of the top fights on this card. It means a lot that they still have that faith in me, and I want to go out and show them that they’re not making a mistake, and put Akiyama away.”

Having suffered a pair of defeats professionally, and one of the greatest losses anyone can face in his personal life, Shields is using the trials and tribulations of last year as motivation to help him get back on track in 2012, beginning this weekend at UFC 144.

“I think I’m more motivated,” Shields said when asked how the last year has impacted his approach to his career. “Going on a six-year winning streak, and then having back-to-back losses, losing my father — it was a tough year for me in 2011. I want to change that, get that behind me, and start out fresh this year, starting with Akiyama; put on a great performance, and get back into title contention.

“Right now I’m in a great headspace; I feel great. As far as training goes, I feel the best I’ve ever felt. I just can’t wait to get out there and fight. If I feel the way I do (now) in the fight, I have no doubt that I’ll go out there, perform well, and bring home the victory.”

Shields mixed things up for this training camp, moving around more than he had in previous camps in order to get a fresh look or two in preparation for his return to the Octagon.

“I do the majority of my training with Cesar Gracie still — with Nick (Diaz), Nate (Diaz), (Gilbert Melendez), and those guys — but I spent a week out with Michael (Bisping), and the guys at Imperial (Athletics). It gave me some different sparring partners, some different looks; helped me see a few different things. I think it’s always good to stay open-minded and try to expand what you’re doing.”

After well over a decade in the sport, Saturday night’s contest will mark the first time Shields has stepped into the cage on a two-fight losing streak. Not only is he hungry to get back into the win column, but Shields also sees his return to Japan as the ideal location to commence the next chapter in his career.

“Japan is where I first started making a name for myself. I was completely unknown and they brought me out to fight (Hayato) “Mach” Sakurai — who was #2-ranked fighter in the world at that time — and I went out there and pulled a huge upset.

“Pretty much no one picked me, and that kind of got me started on my career as a real professional fighter. To go back to where I got my career started is great. I want to go out there and re-energize my career where I first got it going 10 years ago.”

Close your eyes and try to picture a fighter with more than 45 fights under their belt, a guy who has been competing for more than a decade.

What do you see?

Chances are you see a battle-hardened veteran, a forty-something who has been around the block a time or two. You most likely picture a faded star, someone left trading on his name and accomplishments that came a long time ago, fighting on the regional circuit in front of a couple thousand fans at best.

What you probably don’t picture is a 28-year-old featherweight contender with a crooked, hot pink Mohawk and a mischievous grin preparing to make his second trip into the Octagon next weekend at the famed Saitama Super Arena, where thousands of Japanese fans will watch him compete.

You don’t picture Bart Palaszewski.

The vast amount of experience he has accumulated at a relatively young age isn’t the only facet of the long-time Team Curran trainee that makes him different from most of his peers either.

Ask Palaszewski a question and he’ll give you an honest answer — no clichés, no filters, and no sugarcoating. Regardless of the subject, “Bartimus” gives it to you straight, a departure from the “stock answers” approach most athletes employ these days.

“I was always told you’re as good as your last fight,” began the 35-14 featherweight who has fought in an alphabet soup of organization over his ten-year career when asked about his upcoming opponent, Hatsu Hioki.

“That’s what Monte Cox always told me over the years, and Monte knows his stuff. If his last fight impressed anyone, they have got to be a hardcore Hatsu Hioki fan. I mean, personally, I think he lost the fight, and I hope he performs the same way against me.”

Considered one of the top 145-pound fighters in the world, Hioki made his UFC debut in October at UFC 137, earning a split decision victory over George Roop that many believe should have went the other way. Explanations for his poor performance started being offered as soon as scorecards were read, with the ubiquitous Octagon jitters leading the way.

Earlier in the night, Palaszewski made his first appearance in the Octagon as well, dropping to featherweight for the first time. He knocked out UFC veteran Tyson Griffin just past the halfway mark of the opening round, earning Knockout of the Night honors in the process.

He says Hioki wasn’t the only one suffering from Octagon jitters that night, which is precisely why he’s not buying it as an excuse for his poor performance.

“I had jitters, but you’ve just got to get out there and do it. Just because I have more fights doesn’t mean I don’t get nervous before a fight; I get nervous before every single fight. I’m nervous for this fight.

“I don’t care if I have 10 fights in the UFC — it’s still a UFC fight. Every fight is going to be against a top opponent in a big, big show, so the Octagon jitters will never go away, bottom line.

“I beat Tyson, and now I went from a guy that was Top 10, now I’m stepping up again and fighting a guy who’s Top 5. Should I have jitters again? It’s constantly going to be like that. Ready-made excuse maybe?”

Palaszewski isn’t really concerned about the explanation — he’s too busy preparing for the biggest test and most important fight of his career.

He knows that regardless of his tepid performance against Roop, Hioki is a talented competitor who earned his place in the upper echelon of the featherweight division by beating some of the best fighters the 145-pound ranks have to offer. While he wasn’t impressed with what he saw four months ago at the Mandalay Bay, Palaszewski knows he’s in for a challenge.

That’s precisely why he asked for this fight in the first place.

“Hioki’s actually a fight we asked for. Before my fights, I always make up my list with my coaches and my management — guys we’re going to go after in case I lose or if I win a fight,” explained the former member of the IFL’s Quad City Silverbacks. “We got to turn the winning list into the UFC last time, and Hioki was at the top of the list.

“I’m extremely excited that the UFC granted me my wish, and they think I’m worthy of fighting a top contender like Hioki. But like I said, it was a fight that I wanted; it wasn’t a fight that was luck of the draw or the UFC throwing the fight at me. I think I match up with him really well, and it’s going to be a good fight.

“I think a win over Hioki will definitely propel me to being in the running (for a title shot), but I’m not looking past Hioki. He’s a tough dude, obviously; he’s a top contender. He’s top 5 in the world, he’s got an amazing record, he’s got everything backing him up, so I’m just looking at him, concentrating on him 100 percent.”

Featherweight champion Jose Aldo is blazing a path of destruction through the division. Having already collected victories over Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian, and the previously unbeaten Chad Mendes, it’s conceivable that the winner of this fight could be the next man to challenge the 145-pound dynamo for divisional supremacy.

In typical fashion, the former WEC lightweight contender gives an earnest assessment of his place in the pecking order, before trailing off into what can only be described as “Bart being Bart.”

“I’m 100 percent Hioki right now, and personally, I think there are guys ahead of me. I think there are a lot of guys that have more wins, and in my eyes, they deserve a shot sooner than me.

“Obviously, if the UFC says `Go’ I’m one of those guys that — if the UFC says, `Jump!’ I don’t even ask, `How high?’ I just start jumping. If it’s not good enough, I keep trying harder and harder to jump higher. If they tell me, `You’re up against Jose’ I’m going to do it, but if not, I’m focused on the next step.

“But the UFC hasn’t said anything to me. There’s a lot of chatter online, but that doesn’t mean squat unless it comes out of the UFC’s mouth, which doesn’t make sense because the UFC doesn’t have a mouth.”

As the laughter subsides, the reflective and serious side of Palaszewski returns as the conversation shifts to the strange odyssey that has been his professional career, which started with a loss to former WEC champ Cole Escovedo in 2002.

“Shoot — I was in high school when I started fighting. I was a young kid, and I was doing it for fun. I mean, I still do it for fun, but it just happens that it’s my job too; it’s a hobby and a job all at once.

“I take it seriously from that point of view because it is my job, but it’s that much easier to get up in the morning because it’s something that I love to do. It’s not like I have to go answer to some #$$%^&^ at work, telling me what to do. I’m extremely happy, and I’m very… I don’t even know… I’m ecstatic about it. I get to do in life what I love to do.”

Palaszewski hit a rough patch a few years ago when he was putting more energy into what he calls “The Fighter Lifestyle” — partying, staying out late, and sleeping all day. That stopped prior to his fight with Zack Micklewright at WEC 50. Now instead of spending his mornings recovering from the previous night’s activities, he hangs out with his daughter.

The always honest Palaszewski knows it’s no coincidence he’s found success and climb to the brink of contention in the featherweight division now that he’s found what works best for himself outside of the cage.

“At this point, I’ve just grown up I think. I’ve seen a sports psychologist, and that’s the thing: I always had performance anxiety because I was just a kid, man. I was kid fighting in a man’s world. At this point, I’m growing up; I know what needs to be done.”

Palaszewski points to his performance against Griffin in October for proof that the changes he’s made are paying dividends, and says things are right on schedule for his showdown with Hioki in Saitama this coming weekend.

“The first cut was easy. I know this is going to sound weird, but it was easier than making ’55 because I had to be so strict with my diet, and I had to be so strict with my roadwork that (making) ’45 was easy. I spent a lot of time on the treadmill, elliptical, and everything else you can think of.

“I was so light heading out to Vegas, and I was so strict, my mind was set on making ’45. I didn’t do a practice cut or anything; I signed the fight for ’45, and that was it. I figured out a diet plan, and the pounds were coming off just right that we didn’t have to adjust anything. This weight cut has been going well — I’m actually lighter than I was at this point last time, so I’m happy.

“It’s cool that Saitama has held so many historic fights in MMA; it’s going to be huge. It’s a great arena, and it’s definitely a different experience. Japanese fans compared to US fans are two different worlds — you’re going to have 30,000-plus people there and you’re going to be able to hear a pin drop. I’m stepping into enemy territory, so I guess I’ve got something even more to prove now.”

When asked for his thoughts on how the fight with Hioki would play out, he answered the same way he does with every question — honestly, with a dash of “Bart being Bart” for flavor.

“I’m going to be in Beast Mode, homie! I’m gonna kick some butt!”

Last year, the song “Coming Home” became a staple on the mixed martial arts circuit. Whether in their home state, province, city, or town, the man born Sean John Combs and his band Dirty Money echoed through countless venues, providing the soundtrack for numerous fighters as they made their walk to the cage.

Jake Ellenberger could choose to bump the man who brought Biggie to the masses as he makes his way to the Octagon on Wednesday night, as for the first time in more than six years, the Omaha native is fighting at home.

Back then, the 26-year-old University of Nebraska at Omaha product was a perfect 6-0, preparing to take on Brian Daley in the main event of All Fighting Championships 4: New Hitter.

A lot has changed since then.

Ellenberger returns home with a 26-5 record, headlining his second consecutive UFC event, and riding a five-fight winning streak. He’s 9-1 over his last ten fights and hasn’t tasted defeat in more than two years, dating back to the back-and-forth battle with new interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit that marked his debut on the sport’s biggest stage.

Heading into the UFC’s debut event on FUEL TV, the welterweight division remains under construction.

Champion Georges St-Pierre is on the sidelines after being on the surgical table, his return not expected until late in the year. Nick Diaz lost a close fight to Condit on February 4th, and is now staring at a suspension, while perennial contender Jon Fitch was starched on the second to last day of 2011, leading to Johny Hendricks making a rapid move up the 170-pound ranks.

Ellenberger is a part of that group at the top of the heap, a victory over Diego Sanchez Wednesday night at the Omaha Civic Auditorium potentially all that’s standing in the way of a rematch with Condit and a chance to claim UFC gold.

 “I can’t really… I don’t really know the emotion,” admitted Ellenberger when asked what it would be like to get a victory in the UFC in his own backyard. “I’ve put so much work and dedication in; I’m just really excited to show that. I’ve always been honored to be a part of and to compete in the UFC, and now to headline an event in my hometown is fantastic. It’s extremely exciting, for sure.”

Fighting in Omaha will also give Ellenberger a chance to compete in front of his family and friends, including his mom, who wasn’t exactly thrilled when her son announced that he wanted to be a professional cage fighter.

“When I first said I wanted to fight, my mom was pretty against it. I was living with her at the time, and she actually kicked me out of the house. She said, `If you’re gonna fight, you’re not gonna live here.’ I said, `Alright, see ya.’”

Ellenberger laughs, and then makes it perfectly clear that both he and his twin brother Joe, a 12-1 lightweight, have full parental support when it comes to their fighting careers.

“She’s become a lot more educated (about the sport since then). My brother had been competing in wrestling most of his life, and we were always very, very competitive, so eventually she just came to be a big supporter. Both my parents are actually huge supporters of what we do.”

While Joe returns in regional action early next month, Jake is ready to take the next step towards becoming UFC welterweight champion, a journey that began in earnest when he decided to pack his things and move to California to train full time.

“The decision was easy. I had made a lot of friends out there, so the move was a pretty simple choice. I’m focused on becoming a world champion, so I’ve surrounded myself with the best coaches and fighters I can. I’ve gained more, and become more of a fighter in the last year than I have in my other six-and-a-half years fighting.”

The powerful welterweight known as “The Juggernaut” has spent the last year training alongside Mark Munoz, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, and Kryzsztof Soszynski at Munoz’s Reign Training Center, as well as working with legendary Chute Boxe Academy founder Rafael Cordeiro and the collection of all-stars at Kings MMA. It’s a combination that has instilled Ellenberger with a great deal of confidence as he continues on his quest to stand atop the welterweight division.

“It’s a good feeling out there with really good people – Mark Munoz, Rafael Cordeiro, guys that are just awesome to be around. There’s definitely an energy about some of the guys that I’ve been around, and I think it’s going to be the deciding factor in becoming a champ.

“I want to fully maximize my potential. I kind of look at the guys that I train with and my coaches (and think), `Why wouldn’t I be confident?’ At Kings (MMA) when I spar, I fight against some of the best fighters in the world every day, so when I go into a fight, my confidence is huge.

“Fighting is such a mental game; it’s all about confidence,” continued Ellenberger. “If you truly believe you can become a world champion, it’s going to happen. If you don’t, and you doubt it, for sure it’s not going to happen. I completely believe I will become world champion — I just don’t know when it’s going to be.

“For now, I’ve really just tried to focus on one fight at a time, control what I can control, and move forward with each fight. I’m in no hurry. I’m young, and I’m still learning — I’m learning every day — so I’m just focused on Diego.”

After being upset by British prospect John Hathaway in his welterweight return, Sanchez has climbed back into contention on the strength of back-to-back wins over Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann.

The man who won the middleweight competition on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter has always been a crowd pleaser because of his aggressive approach in the cage, a quality Ellenberger has come to respect in his opponent.

“The thing I respect about Diego is that anybody he’s ever fought, he’s always come to fight. There are not a lot of guys like that; there really isn’t. Win or lose, he’s going to fight. He’s a goer; he’s a straightforward guy, and I’ve always respected that about him.”

Wednesday night’s main event stands to be an explosive and entertaining affair.

Not only has Ellenberger collected consecutive first-round knockouts, and four finishes during his current five-fight run of success, but each of Sanchez’s last four victories have earned he and his opponent a Fight of the Night bonus, with his epic encounter with Clay Guida being recognized as Fight of the Year for 2009 by numerous outlets.

The hometown favorite is prepared for whatever his meeting with Sanchez may bring, and promises to give the partisan crowd something to cheer about at the end of the night.

“I feel like I can win this fight anywhere that it goes, and I’m prepared to fight the whole time. It kind of goes back to that confidence — I’ve been fighting against some of the best Muay Thai guys and some of the best wrestlers in the world every day, so I’m confident that there’s nothing he’s going to bring that I don’t see everyday or haven’t seen before, truthfully.

“I’ve prepared for the long, grueling, not fun fight, but that’s how we do it, you know? That’s what we train for. I know I’m going to win this fight. I can’t tell you when and how, but I will leave with my hand raised, there’s no doubt about that.”