Author: By Thomas Cunningham

Danny Castillo is known for his trademark retro-style headband. He is also known for being handsome. Just ask him. In fact, he and Ramsey Nijem once had an ongoing debate on Twitter over who was the more handsome of the two. That’s not to mention being known for his hilariously formal weigh-in outfit. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and check it out the day before he fights Charlie Brenneman at UFC 172 on April 26. But more than anything, “Last Call” is known for his work ethic. It’s something wrestlers tend to pride themselves on and Castillo is no exception.”I’m a workhorse. I fe … Read the Full Article Here

It’s not that often that a fighter coming off a loss gets a fight that he couldn’t have picked much better if he had picked it himself, but that’s more or less what happened to lightweight Isaac Vallie-Flagg – albeit in a roundabout way. Originally slated to fight Danny Castillo at UFC 172, Vallie-Flagg will instead be fighting UFC and PRIDE legend Takanori Gomi on the same card on April 26 in Baltimore.Vallie-Flagg lost his last bout with undefeated up-and-comer Elias Silverio. It was something Ike hadn’t had to face in quite a while as he was heading into the bout undefeated in his last doze … Read the Full Article Here

UFC lightweight Isaac Vallie-Flagg has had a rough time lately. An injury forced him out of his fight with Sam Stout and his dad is dealing with cancer. Ike obviously has a great relationship with his dad so, with Father’s Day upon us, we gave him a chance to share a little about his about his dad and what kind of man he is, how he’s doing and what he thinks of his son’s career of trying to beat the snot out of other grown men inside the Octagon. He had no shortage of love and gratitude for the man that, biologically, isn’t his father but in every other sense of what a father should be couldn’ … Read the Full Article Here

“Joe hasn’t changed a bit. Not to say he sucks because he’s really good for a reason, but he does the same things, he fights the same way.”

Taken out of context, the above quote may seem harsh and perhaps even an attempt to bait Joseph Benavidez, whom Ian McCall fights on February 2 at UFC 156, into a trash talking battle. But when you speak to “Uncle Creepy” at length, it becomes clear that he just says what he thinks –no more, no less. He doesn’t sugar coat his own mistakes or shortcomings and he doesn’t exaggerate or embellish his strengths. Consequently, that frankness also applies to other fighters.

In assessing his two fights with Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, McCall says of the first bout, with no hesitation, “I thought I had it but I was excited if it went to a fourth round because then I’d get to beat the s**t out of him.”

Of the rematch, he’s equally frank, “I blew it. I wasn’t focused. I had an off training camp and cut 18-20 pounds in the last 20 hours. They went in and worked on stuff to beat me and I changed up my whole style and that’s not the way I’m going to beat him. I’m going to beat him by fighting the way I like to fight, the way I naturally fight.” And to drive the point home he admits, “It’s no one’s fault but my own.”

Soon after losing to Johnson, Ian was scheduled to fight John Moraga and had to back out due to a knee injury. In sizing up Moraga as an opponent, McCall bluntly states, “He’s pretty good. He finished Ulysses [Gomez] and [Chris] Cariaso but neither fight was spectacular. He’s obviously working his way up.”

After sitting out from the knee injury, things only got worse as some of the consequences of McCall’s wild and troubled past came back to haunt him and he found himself dealing with the police and legal issues. “I was keeping close enough distance to nefarious characters. Someone says something… An actual drug dealer says someone else is a drug dealer and they have to come check on it. They came over to my house and I was cleared of everything but still it’s my own fault for keeping friends like that around.” While allegations of drug dealing were quickly disproven, McCall was charged with driving on a suspended license when traffic tickets he thought he had taken of care of weren’t actually paid. Since he’s still on probation from his sordid past, he wound up having to do the minimum sentence of a month in jail for a parole violation.  

McCall sees that these things, despite being somewhat unfair, have still resulted from choices that he has made.

“I’ve done horrible things in my past. I’ll be the first to admit it. I’ve been open about that. I’ve done drugs, sold drugs and done other crappy things but I don’t do that anymore. So, whatever… it’s in the past.”

With his past put back into its place behind him, Ian can again focus on his future. He will get his opportunity for redemption inside the octagon when he fights Benavidez this Saturday. While the temptation to indulge in “MMA Math” by comparing McCall’s fight with Johnson to Benavidez’s fight with Johnson, it’s apparent that this isn’t something Ian puts a lot of stock in.

“Joe hasn’t changed a bit. Not to say he sucks because he’s really good for a reason but he does the same things, he fights the same way. He throws kind of wild, looping overhand hooks. I just have to mind myself and pick him apart, kind of like Demetrious did. The same in and out game plan. The only difference is I’m a lot more violent and hit a lot harder [than Demetrious.]”

McCall stresses that he is more focused on working on being at his best rather than game planning too much specifically for Joe. “Defense is a big part of it because he likes to finish people and he’s gonna look to put the power on me, but I always just work on my overall game. That’s why I am who I am and am as good as I am. I work year round to be better at everything.”

“He’s really good, man. But I think I’m technically better in every aspect of the game than him. Things at [Team] Alpha Male don’t really change. They’re all super athletes and they’re really good at what they do but they don’t change. I know now they have Duane [Ludwig] as their stand-up coach, but it’s not like all of the sudden he’s going to become Ramon Dekkers. Just because he has a Dutch style kickboxing coach isn’t going to make him a Dutch kickboxing champion… and if he wants to try and change up his game that quick, even better. I get the crap kicked out of me by actual professional Muay Thai guys all the time. You wanna play that game, let’s roll the dice. I will sleep you”, McCall says before clarifying that he doesn’t see Joe deviating from his bread and butter. “He’s not stupid. He’s gonna play the same game he always does and slug it out and maybe score a takedown. He’s gonna try and take my head off because he’s good at it.”

With Johnson having successfully defended his flyweight belt against John Dodson last Saturday, and the comparatively sparse flyweight division still growing, it’s inevitable to wonder how far away Ian could be from a title shot if he does beat Joe. Yet one has to acknowledge that with Johnson retaining his belt, it’s hard to imagine much interest in a third fight so soon. Trilogies in MMA don’t generally happen within the space of a year.

“He already beat both of us [him and Benavidez] last year so, technically, I don’t think we deserve it, but of course, I would never turn down a fight –especially with Demetrious.”

While McCall doesn’t mind speculating on the what-ifs, he’s not too concerned with things that are out of his control.

“It’s really up to the bosses. I’m here to fight whoever they want me to.”

Ian seems content to do whatever it takes and fight as many opponents as he needs to to earn his way back to the title shot.  Demanding opportunities that haven’t been earned isn’t something McCall agrees with. He uses the example of a fighter who he had never heard of before and who isn’t even in the UFC calling him out.

“If he wants to fight me and call me out, win first, come to the UFC, fight some lower level guys and maybe get a shot at me.”  As to why this guy would call him out, Ian speculates that it may be the next best thing to calling out the champ. “I think it’s because I’m like the uncrowned champion because everyone knows I can beat DJ and everyone knows I beat him the first time. I love calling people out but you have to work for it first”, he explains. McCall emphasizes that this also applies to himself. “People keep asking me about a title shot and I just want to shut up and work. I just want to get to work and fight as much as possible. I’d fight four or five times a year if I get the chance.”

So, keep calm and creep on? “Exactly. Keep calm and creep on.”

“This is the evolution of me, which has turned out pretty good for me so far. If you stop evolving in this sport, you’re screwed.” – Ian McCall

There are two things you have to address when the topic is Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall: the nickname and the mustache.

The newest member of the UFC’s flyweight division never intended to have a nickname, but when his friend’s three-year-old son randomly called him “Uncle Creepy” instead of the usual “Uncle Ian”, it stuck and Ian kept it because he realized it was awesome.  Ian also never intended to have a mustache, but when he randomly grew one, it stuck and he kept it because he realized it was awesome.

You could write a whole book or movie about Ian McCall’s life so far. He was a troubled misfit with a lot of natural talent as an athlete who became a fighter, but wasted a lot of his potential with self-destructive tendencies and yet still accomplished a lot before hitting rock bottom and coming back to become a champion. But for McCall, that was only the first act.

The old Ian McCall cruised by on natural talent and youthful cockiness. He wrestled in high school and college and was taken under the wing of UFC legend Chuck Liddell and longtime contender Antonio Banuelos. Fighting was just something Ian liked doing. Partying was something he liked doing more. We all know how those stories end – in redemption or tragedy. In Ian’s case, it was both.

“When I got into the WEC, it made my problem way worse. I thought I was a rock star. I thought I was the coolest person on the planet. I thought I was the next big thing and maybe I could’ve been but I didn’t take it seriously.”

McCall’s wild ways eventually resulted in him being arrested. He chose to sign up for rehab to avoid jail, but the experience wound up changing his life. Sobriety can be a rough transition for someone whose addict lifestyle defined them, but for McCall, it allowed him to reach his potential and bring what was important into focus. A lot of addicts either get clean or wind up dead or in jail. In Ian’s case, it was all three. At one point, he accidentally overdosed, was clinically dead and spent two weeks in the hospital.

“The doctor did all my vitals and he said ‘I saw you dead on a table, I revived you and two weeks later, you’re in better shape than I’ve ever been in my whole life.’ At that point my dad said to me ‘are you done?’ and I said ‘yeah.’ I was.”

Ian realized that his days of pressing his luck were over and it was time to start counting his blessings and focusing on accomplishing the things he wanted out of life.

“I constantly have to push the envelope, no matter what I’m doing, and this is a healthy way for me to push it.”

Things quickly started to fall into place for the sober and literally reborn Ian. A year ago, Ian McCall dropped down to 125 pounds and believed he could be the best flyweight fighter in the world. The world, however, thought Jussier da Silva was the best flyweight in the world. Ian McCall was a bantamweight that was 1-2 in the WEC – but that was the old Ian. The new Ian, “Uncle Creepy”, wasted no time in accomplishing his goal of proving that he was the best at 125. His very first fight at flyweight was against the aforementioned number one ranked da Silva and Ian knew he wasn’t expected to win.

“The strides I made in the gym since the Dominick [Cruz] fight, obviously no one else saw… They wanted a sacrificial lamb because no one wanted to fight Jussier.”

McCall beat Jussier handily in a unanimous decision win on February 18th of this year. You’d think that beating the number one ranked guy in the world would be enough of an accomplishment, but Ian wasn’t about to slow down. He fought undefeated Dustin Ortiz in May and won another unanimous decision in an exciting fight that Ian dominated. He then finished the Tachi Palace Fights champ, Darrell Montague, via third round submission in August to take the title. McCall was now considered the number one flyweight in the world. All of this happened within six months of dropping down to 125.

However, this wasn’t the end game for “Uncle Creepy”. Ian knew that the UFC had plans to add a flyweight division and he wanted to make sure that when that happened, he’d be on the top of the list of fighters recruited. Mission accomplished. McCall is now a UFC fighter. He’s set to face former bantamweight title challenger Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in a four-man flyweight tournament that also pits another former bantamweight contender, Joseph Benavidez, against highly ranked Japanese flyweight Yasuhiro Urushitani in March of 2012. The winner of those fights will fight each other for the flyweight title.

So, basically, McCall climbed to the top of one mountain to find himself at the foot of another. With some of the best UFC bantamweights dropping down and all the best flyweights from around the world hungrily eyeing that new UFC flyweight belt, McCall knows he’s got a tough road ahead if he wants to go down in history as the first ever UFC flyweight champion. That’s cool with him.

“Now I’ve got to become the real world champion”, Ian asserts. “I want to be able to beat people at what they think they’re good at. I want to be good at everything and I want to be exciting and I want to put people away. I don’t just want to win, I want people to fear me.”

Aside from becoming the number one ranked flyweight in the world and getting a championship belt, Ian reconnected with an ex-girlfriend that also had given up the party lifestyle. She’s now Ian’s wife and they have a newborn baby daughter and two Chihuahuas. “Uncle Creepy” is now a happy and grounded “Papa Creepy” and soon he hopes to be “UFC Champ Creepy”… but that’s act two.

You love Halloween and the UFC, right? Of course you do! Well, here are some ideas for UFC inspired costumes. You can even go all out and have a UFC-themed Halloween Party!

Georges St-Pierre:  To be the welterweight champ for Halloween, draw a fleur de lis tattoo on your right calf and his Kanji tattoo on your chest. Enter the party with a headband and a gi then remove that and begin performing the essence of the “costume”: a French-Canadian accent and GSP’s most famous catch phrases. “I’m not impressed with your performance”, “‘e can’t ‘andle my riddum” and “I’m the best Georges St-Pierre I’ve ever been”.

Roy Nelson (Old School): All you need is a beard, a mullet and a belly. The belly can be real or prosthetic – depending on your body type.

Roy Nelson (2.0): Same as above but with less belly and a lot more beard. The beard can also be real or prosthetic – depending on your facial hair situation.

Dan Hardy: A bright red Mohawk spiked up high will leave little doubt which UFC fighter you’re dressing up as. Don’t forget to affect a British accent – unless of course, you already have one. Don’t forget to call everyone “mate”

Chael Sonnen: Love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him. You can wear a Chael Tapout shirt or his limited edition “Make the Walk” Team Sonnen shirt.  But the real key to being Chael is memorizing his many hilarious and controversial quotes and saying them at the appropriate time. If there’s a guy dressed as Anderson Silva at the party, be sure to put your finger in his chest and call him out, telling him that you are in fact the “true middleweight champion”. If there isn’t an Anderson Silva at the party be sure to accuse him of ducking you to anyone who will listen. If there are any Brazilians at the party, assure them that it is just a costume to avoid a fight breaking out.

Jon Jones: Just get yourself a UFC Championship replica belt and get some sort of tubing to extend your arm length a good 6 or 7 inches to replicate the longest reach (84.5”) in the UFC. A little pre-party crimefighting doesn’t hurt either.

Dennis Hallman:  This one isn’t for the modest soul. Get the tightest, shortest baby blue speedos you can find, write “training mask” on them and wear confidently. Short blond hair will add to the costume.

Brian Ebersole: This requires some chest hair, enough to shave into the signature up arrow. The “hairrow” if you will. If you don’t have your own chest hair, feel free to glue some hair in an arrow shape to a flesh colored shirt. Where you get the hair is up to you, but be sure to follow all local laws and statutes as well as basic sanitary practices.

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: Dye your hair bright yellow, Wear a TUF Team Miller shirt with Miller crossed out and Mayhem written in. Practice your hearty Mayhem laugh. Recruit people to join your Mayhem Monkey Cult. For added realism, if you have access to a Dachshund, bring it to play Mayhem’s dog, Gator.

Nick Diaz: Mean mug everyone at the party, especially the person dressed as Mayhem Miller. Refer to everything as “whatever”. Alternately, don’t show up to the party but make a youtube video the next day derisively referring to the party as a beauty pageant. Either way, be sure to shout out Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and “the 209” as often as possible.

“Danny Boy” Downes: If you’re more the nerdy, intellectual UFC fan, then you’re probably already a “Danny Boy” fan. Wear Dan’s signature green & white Carling jersey, glasses and carry a book. For added effect carry a huge wallet packed with coffee cards and whip it out when people ask you for your ID. Say something along the lines of “I swear I’m 25, my ID is in here somewhere…. I fight in the UFC you know? Seriously.”

Anthony “Showtime” Pettis: Grow a soul patch on your chin, get a flesh colored shirt and draw the Showtime tattoo on the upper back. Run up walls at your own risk.

Josh Koscheck: To pull off the “Kos”, you need a curly blond wig and the guts to pull mild pranks on everyone at the party – especially the guy dressed as GSP. Perhaps, hide his gi three or four feet from where he left it. Happy Halloween! You’ve been Kos’d!

Steven Seagal: While not a UFC fighter, Mr. Seagal has been seen at many UFC events and reportedly helped train a few fighters like Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida. Seagal’s signature look involves a black do rag on his head and yellow shooting glasses. Offer to teach other people at the party your “deadly arts”.

Dana White: If you’re bald or have access to a bald “wig”, you can be the UFC President. Be sure to curse liberally, assuming you’re in company that won’t be offended by that sort of language. Ask people if they want to be an F-in’ fighter. Tweet from your phone frequently. Hand out bonuses for the best costumes. Count the amount of people at the party and announce that number as “the gate”.