UFC light heavyweight Cyrille “The Snake” Diabaté (17-7-1) is admittedly as much of a fan of the sport of mixed martial arts, as he is a a fighter and a trainer. So when UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre came to wish him luck in one of his past fights, Diabaté says he lost focus momentarily and was looking to get get an autograph once the shock wore off.
The French kickboxer isn’t afraid to admit that he admires many of the fighters who belong to the same promotion as he does, and he also thinks “it’s bullshit” that some fighters deny feeling the same way.
Diabaté is coming of a unanimous decision victory over Steve Cantwell in the last preliminary bout of UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann which aired on the promotions Facebook page.
Speaking to FightersOnlyMagazine.co.uk, Diabaté talkeda bout his win over Cantwell clearing up what he feels were misconceptions about the bout, as well as his own personal run ins with UFC middleweight Michael Bisping.
Oh yeah, I’m a big fan. I’m as much a fan as I am a fighter and a trainer. I was in the locker room once and GSP came in and said ‘Hello. Good luck with your fight. I hope you win and do your thing.’ I was focused on my fight ahead then I was like ‘Damn, that’s GSP!’ That’s the fan in me… then later I was like ‘Let’s get a photo with him!’
Fighters that say, or pretend, that they don’t admire other fighters for whatever reason; it’s bullshit. When you start training it’s because you admire those guys, it’s because you’d like to be like them. Even though you practice, get experience and become a pro-fighter recognised on a global scale, it doesn’t mean you stop admiring those guys.
I’m not the kind of guy that pretends he doesn’t admire Shogun, or GSP, or Silva ,or all those guys. I still get goose bumps when I see an amazing knock-out or submission.