Filed under: UFC
I’m currently in Sydney, Australia preparing for my fight this weekend against B.J. Penn, and the days can’t pass by soon enough. This fight with B.J. represents the kind of match I want to be involved in at this stage of my career and and I’m determined to make the opportunity count on Saturday night (Feb. 26).
I respect B.J. immensely and have always wanted to fight him one day, and Saturday offers me that chance. As everybody knows by now, B.J. is one of the true icons and pioneers of this sport and is still one of the best fighters out there today. He’s in his prime, he’s ambitious and he’s a great scalp to have for any fighter in the world.
You never really know how good you are until you fight these kind of legends. This is going to be a great test for me and a great opportunity to show the world who I am and what I’m all about. Throw all that in with the fact that I’m headlining an event in Australia, and it’s almost overwhelming to try and explain how excited I am right now.
One of the great things about mixed martial arts is the diversity of styles it offers. Some fighters like to stand up and strike, others look to go to the ground as quickly as possible, and some of us put it all together and feel comfortable wherever the fight goes. I have always prided myself on being well-rounded, well-conditioned, durable and able to break the will of my opponent.
I have only lost one fight in my 14-bout UFC career, and it’s fair to say that one loss probably had more of an impact on my future results than any of my wins. The sole defeat happened in August 2008 against UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, and was my most high-profile fight to date. The experience, though frustrating at the time, has rounded off any rough edges I may have had and allowed me to mature and evolve as a fighter. Nobody likes to lose, but, in this case, the setback has served me well. 
Much has been made of a video I posted on my YouTube channel, 