Author: By E. Spencer Kyte

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.”

Saturday night can’t get here soon enough for Carlos Condit.

After spending the final four months of 2011 in what felt like a constant state of limbo, the 27-year-old will finally get to switch from hitting mitts with coach Mike Winkeljohn to putting his considerable talents to work in the cage. In a fitting twist of fate, Condit will get to take out the frustrations he’s endured against the man who has been at the root of many of them.

Rewind to September: Condit was slated to face UFC legend BJ. Penn in the co-main event of UFC 137, a bout that would be followed by Diaz challenging Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title.

But when Diaz missed a string of media obligations, UFC President Dana White made a change, demoting Diaz from the main event, and elevating Condit. The man known as “The Natural Born Killer” broke down in tears on the phone when White told him the news.

Just 11 days before he was set to fight for the UFC welterweight title, Condit’s dream was put on hold. St-Pierre tweaked his knee in training; their bout was rescheduled for UFC 143, the annual Super Bowl weekend show. Diaz and Penn headlined UFC 137 instead, with Condit assured the outcome of the main event would not have an impact on his upcoming title fight.

On October 29, Diaz battered Penn before throwing down the gauntlet for GSP, questioning the legitimacy of his injury, trying to talk his way back into the fight he lost a month early. By the time White took the podium for the post-fight press conference, Condit’s fight calendar needed adjusting once again.

“There’s been a lot of ups and downs; a lot of excitement and disappointment,” admitted the former WEC welterweight champion. “It’s been crazy, as anybody looking from the outside can imagine. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of focusing on what I need to do — which is train and be prepared for whoever I end up fighting — and this time it ended up being Diaz.”

After shuffling places twice in the last six months, Condit and Diaz will now pair off, a torn ACL sending St-Pierre to the sidelines and the surgical table. With the date of his return to the cage uncertain, the top two welterweight contenders will battle for an interim version of the 170-pound championship on Saturday night.

It’s a fight that has been a long time coming for the 27-5 native of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“I’m stoked to be done with camp. I’m stoked to be finally stepping out there to do what I’ve been training to do for the last six months: to go out there and fight, compete to the best of my abilities.”

While Diaz began his second stint in the UFC with much fanfare and an immediate shot at the welterweight title, Condit has quietly been working his way up the 170-pound ranks.

The last welterweight champion in WEC history, he lost a razor-thin decision to Martin Kampmann in his debut, coming out on the right side of the verdict against Jake Ellenberger in his second Octagon appearance. A come-from-behind victory over Rory MacDonald at UFC 115 caused people to start taking notice, and a first-round knockout of Dan Hardy in his own backyard announced Condit as a potential contender, though he remained behind some of the more established names in the company.

“It’s hard to get out from under the shadow of these guys like (Jon) Fitch, and (Josh) Koscheck, and maybe even Thiago Alves — guys that have been in the division for years and years and years, and all had great wins.”

But now is Condit’s turn in the spotlight.

His savage first round destruction of Dong Hyun Kim was his fourth consecutive victory, the second straight bout that he’s earned Knockout of the Night honors, and the third consecutive contest to produce a post-fight bonus. Though it looked like the gods were against him, Condit’s patience and perseverance has been rewarded, and he’s ready to make the most of it.

“This is a fight I’ve wanted for a really long time, and the fact that it’s happening now, after all this turmoil and craziness with the change of opponents and everything, it really couldn’t have worked out better.

“I think that styles make fights, and I think that this style match-up is going to be extremely exciting. It’s a very tough fight; Nick’s one of the best in the welterweight division. I think there are some guys stylistically that could probably beat him, but I think the matchup between us — we’re very evenly matched. We have similar skill sets, maybe a little bit different approach — different style — but it’s exciting.”

The 28-year-old Diaz is on an 11-fight winning streak that includes nine stoppages, with victories over the likes of Frank Shamrock, KJ Noons, Paul Daley, and Penn. An enigma outside of the cage, Diaz is all business when the lights go up and the fight begins, blending tremendous boxing with a slick submission game.

He’s also adept at shaking his opponents with a barrage of pre-fight banter, an ability and instinctual talent he’s passed on to his younger brother Nathan as well. Condit is prepared for it all — the boxing, the jiu-jitsu, and the verbal jabs.

“Nick likes to get in your head, talk a lot of trash, so I need to stay composed, and step in with the attitude that I always do; just be about my business, and not get sucked into all that other stuff. I just have to fight my fight. No matter what an opponent says or how much trash they talk, I get the opportunity to go in there and beat him down. I can just hold my tongue and let it build, and as soon as the cage door closes, it’s game time.”

Condit knows he’s in for a battle, but he’s ready, and confident that if he sticks to the game plan, he’ll emerge from Saturday’s headliner as the interim UFC welterweight champion.

“Nick is probably the toughest guy I’ve ever fought. He’s an endurance athlete — he puts tons and tons of pressure on guys — and he’s got some really good skills with his hands; his jiu-jitsu’s great.

“But I just really need to fight my fight. If I do that, I feel like I’m going to walk away with the belt.”

Some people will always stick to the safe path in life, never deviating from the course they’ve already charted, disinterested in exploring the possibilities that come with turning left when your destination is to the right.

Chris Weidman is not one of those people.

The 27-year-old UFC middleweight answered the call to fill the opening opposite Demian Maia this weekend as a part of the UFC on FOX 2 event, taking the most challenging fight of his young career on just 11 days notice.

“I know I’ve got my undefeated record and all that, but I’m looking at the positives. If I win this fight, it’s huge for me,” explained the Hofstra University graduate. “It’s huge for my life, it’s huge for my family, and I’m willing to take the risk of possibly having a loss — which I don’t think is going to happen — because of what a win would mean.
 
“I’d be in title contention at that point. I’d be exactly where I wanted to be in my career. This is exactly what I wanted, and it’s awesome. I’m going to make the best of it. I’m going to go out there and exert as much energy as I possibly can to try and win that fight.”

Weidman has been through this process before, having made his UFC debut on short notice against veteran knockout artist Alessio Sakara last March. It was a risky proposition for the All-American wrestler with just four fights under this belt, but the Baldwin, New York native never hesitated, then or now.

“I said the same thing as this time – ‘Let’s do this!’” Some people thought I was crazy then, but it’s similar. It was high reward, low risk taking a fight on short notice against a tough veteran like Sakara, but at that point, I’m in the UFC, where I want to be.”

After using his high-level wrestling to earn a unanimous decision win over Sakara in his debut, Weidman posted back-to-back first round submission wins over Jesse Bongfeldt and Tom Lawlor to close out 2011. Pushing his record to 7-0, the Matt Serra-Ray Longo trainee entered 2012 as one of the top prospects in the sport, and he wasn’t going to pass up the chance to take a giant step closer to reaching his goal of becoming a UFC champion.

“I know I can do this; I know how hard I can push, and I know about my weight cut. I know I’m going to go in there and fight as hard as I can, no matter how I was training or how my camp was. Having that experience of doing it is big. Before the Alessio Sakara fight, I took a fight on two weeks’ notice.

“My goal is to be world champion and hold that for a while, so I’m taking it one step at a time, and my next step is Demian Maia.

“But this whole thing is surreal,” Weidman admitted with a laugh. “I’m fighting on FOX. It went quick, and I’m excited about it. This is where I’ve been dreaming to be, with the guys I’ve been watching. I think I can beat them, and I want to be where they’re at, and now I’m there, so it’s time to make the best of it.”

While some people would caution Weidman about the risks of facing a former title challenger and top 5 competitor like Maia on short notice, recent events in his life help the unbeaten talent to keep things in perspective.

The day after accepting the biggest fight of his young career, Weidman attended the wake of his uncle, Freddy Weidman, a Vietnam veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart and Silver Star for his service.

“He put himself at true risk,” Weidman said of his uncle, who passed away unexpectedly last week. “With platoon after platoon of the Vietnamese shooting at him, he had to run out to an open field, grabbing more ammo because his team was out of ammo, and bring it back. On top of that, he got blown up with a grenade, and had a bunch of difficulty throughout his life because of that.

“Imagine that — running out into a field when guns are firing at you, and you don’t know whether you’re going to die; that’s risk. Getting into a cage to fight, doing something I love to do is not a risk.”

Weidman wasn’t expecting to return to action until April, but the opportunity to return to the Octagon against an established veteran on network television was too good to pass up.

Maia is easily the toughest opponent to date for Weidman, a sharp and sudden bump up in competition. No one would have questioned him if he chose to stay on course for an April return, and few would fault him if he were to incur a loss to the Brazilian standout under these conditions.

But plans change, and Weidman intends to make the most of the latest last-minute opportunity the UFC has presented him.

“There’s always risks, especially in the UFC because you don’t want a loss on your record, but whatever — you only live once. I’m young, I don’t want to miss opportunities; I want to go out there and make the most of them.

“I think it’s a good matchup for me; I like it. I’m excited to really show my overall game in this fight, and have fun with the whole thing. I’m 100% focused on Demian Maia, and I just feel like nothing good is going to come out of me losing, so I have to win this fight.”

No one likes to lose.

The actors who walk down the red carpet at the Oscars, stopping to tell Ryan Seacrest they’re just happy to be nominated? They’re lying; they want to win. Being nominated is a tremendous accomplishment, but everyone wants to win. That way you don’t have to summon up all your acting chops to make the “I’m so happy for them” face on live television.

Like the nominees who go home without a trophy and every fighter in the world, Michael Johnson doesn’t like losing either.

Last time UFC fans saw the former Ultimate Fighter finalist, he was the latest lightweight to be caught in a submission by British standout Paul Sass. The October defeat sent the 25-year-old known as “The Menace” back to the gym in search of answers, and what he came up with is an outlook that shows that backwards step could produce forward progress, starting as early as this weekend.

“A lot went wrong,” Johnson laughed when asked to assess his last appearance. “He got me in a weird situation that I didn’t really spend a lot of time on. I got a little confused, and I had to tap before he tore my knee out of place. It was just a mistake that I had to go back and work on, and it’s definitely not happening again anytime soon.

“Sometimes losing can be good. The majority of times they’re horrible, but it’s good to have it happen early, as opposed to later on in my career. This way I actually have time to work on it, get better, and not get caught in it again.

“I went back to the drawing board, spent a lot of time with my jiu-jitsu coach and the many black belts we have in our gym down here, and we work on it every day. Next time I do see something like that, I’ll know exactly what to do, and not just sit there and think about it.”

That drawing board is located in Boca Raton, Florida, where Johnson has spent the last year as a part of the Imperial Athletics team more commonly known as “The Blackzilians.”

Training each day alongside the likes of Jorge Santiago, Gesias Cavalcante, Melvin Guillard, and Rashad Evans, Johnson has seen consistent improvement in his skills, and knows the grueling hours he spends in the gym will eventually pay dividends in the cage.

“Being down here for the last year as opposed to just getting in the game, I’ve improved dramatically. My standup has gotten way better working with Henri (Hooft) who has come over from Amsterdam. My jiu-jitsu has gotten better. Working on my wrestling with Mike Van Arsdale, it’s gone through the roof. I see myself being a better fighter every day.”

Johnson gets to put the past four-months worth of gym time to the test this weekend in Chicago when he faces Shane Roller on the preliminary portion of the UFC on FOX 2 card.

With the tremendous depth in the lightweight division, many look at this as a must-win fight for Johnson. The St. Louis native has a different way of approaching the contest, one that further shows he’s ready to take a step forward in the UFC’s most talent rich division.

“I think every fight is considered a must-win. If you want to go forward in this sport and you want to make yourself known — if you lose, you take a couple steps back, and if you win, you’re in a completely different frame of the business.

“I’m looking at this fight as one where I’m definitely improving and getting better. I’ve had a great, great training camp, and I’m ready to go out here and get a win. I definitely don’t want to sit here and take two losses in a row. That’s really hard to come back from, and then you kind of want to sit around and second-guess yourself. I would say this is a `must not lose’ as opposed to a must-win.”

Some would say the two are the same, seeing only semantic differences between must-win and must-not-lose. As Johnson explains it, the difference is in how you prepare for the fight and execute your game plan when the cage door closes.

“You’ve got to believe in yourself and your coaches. I’ve had a great training camp; all the hard work is done at this point. I’m just ready to get out here and get a fight.

“I can’t get nervous and put a lot of pressure on myself and say, `I have to win this fight. I have to win this fight.’ Everybody wants to win, it’s just one of those things where I have to take all the pressure off myself, and go out there and fight my fight. If you’ve done all the things that you need to do to this point, the win should be the easy part.”

Winning in the UFC is never easy, and Roller will be determined to bring his two-fight losing streak to a halt and hand Johnson a second consecutive loss in the process.

Johnson is confident that won’t happen, and that his meeting with the WEC veteran will be the start of a breakthrough year in 2012.

“He took this fight on short notice, so I’m really not seeing him having the wind or being in the best shape to go three rounds with me. I’m going to feel him out for the first round, put the pressure on him, and then look to finish him in the early second.

“This is definitely going to be a new start for me. I’ve taken a new approach to training; completely rededicated myself to the game. I’ve done everything necessary to be a champion in the future, and this is definitely going to be my coming out party.”