Tag: Dennis Siver

UFC 132 Live Blog: Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman Updates

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Dennis Siver beats Matt Wiman at UFC 132.LAS VEGAS — This is the UFC 132 live blog for Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Siver (18-7) has won three straight against the likes of Spencer Fishe, Andre Winner and George Sotiropoulos. Wiman (13-5) is also on a three-fight win streak, beating Shane Nelson, Mac Danzig and Cole Miller.

The live blog is below.

More Coverage: UFC 132 Results | UFC News

Round 1: Both guys start off throwing heavy leather right away. Wiman shoots for a takedown, but Siver defends well. They take turns with leg kicks, then Wiman tries a Superman punch that misses. The crowd applauds their high work rate, and Wiman responds by punching his way in and spinning Siver down for a takedown, though the German is back up quickly. Wiman keeps after that takedown, but Siver won’t give it up. Eventually they work back to the center and Siver goes back to work with kicks. Siver whiffs on a big right hand, but transitions into a successful takedown attempt. Wiman threatens with a kimura, and it’s enough to make Siver stand and let him up. Big combo by Siver just misses. Wiman tries a single-leg, then abandons it. Siver lands some good hooks in the final minute, then tries to roll Wiman into an arm lock and ends up on bottom just before the horn. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Siver.

Round 2: Wiman tries for a single-leg off a Siver knee, but again Siver proves tough to put down. Wiman stays after it, drawing the ire of a crowd that has grown accustomed to quick, brutal finishes. Siver tosses Wiman off for a moment, but it’s not so easy to get rid of him. Wiman finally manages to flip him over but almost gets triangled in the ensuing scramble. Wiman working from Siver’s guard now, and somebody is cut, though I can’t tell who from my vantage point. Wiman opens up with elbows from the top, and now it seems like Siver is definitely gushing blood. Wiman gets a warning for trying to find that cut with his own forehead. Wiman hammering Siver from the top now. This is a bloodbath, and getting a good grip is going to be tough for either man. The horn sounds, and Siver is drenched in his own blood due to the cut on his forehead. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Wiman.

Round 3: Wiman wastes little time trying to put Siver down again. He shoots for a single-leg off a Siver knee to the body, then again a moment later. Siver defends well and forces Wiman to give up and start over. Siver tosses off a kick to the head that Wiman blocks before giving him a ‘C’mon, son’ kind of look. Spinning back kick from Siver just off the mark. Superman punch from Wiman, who then thinks briefly about a single-leg before giving up on it. Wiman dives for another single-leg moments later, but Siver is stonewalling him and peppering him with short punches. They tie up against the fence and Wiman jumps into an arm-in guillotine. Siver gets out and Wiman tries to transition to an oma plata before getting back to his feet. Wiman catches Siver’s leg and then kicks his free leg out from under him. Siver rolls to top position, then backs up and puts Wiman down with a low kick of his own. The horn sounds to end it, and this is a very tough fight to call. All the blood that Siver poured onto the mat might make the difference in the end. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Siver.

Dennis Siver def. Matt Wiman via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)

Wiman immediately turns and bolts out of the cage, heading for the exit. He’s going the wrong way if he wants to get back to his dressing room, but no one can catch up to him fast enough to tell him.

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UFC 132 Fight Night Photos
The referee checks on Wanderlei Silva after his knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber knees Dominick Cruz in their UFC bantamweight championship bout at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber exchanges with Dominick Cruz at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz misses a punch against Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz tries to avoid a kick from Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz punches Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz throws a right hand at Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber knees Dominick Cruz at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber takes a breather at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Urijah Faber punches Dominick Cruz at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

Dominick Cruz throws a flying knee at Urijah Faber at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 132 Photos

 

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Dennis Siver beats Matt Wiman at UFC 132.LAS VEGAS — This is the UFC 132 live blog for Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Siver (18-7) has won three straight against the likes of Spencer Fishe, Andre Winner and George Sotiropoulos. Wiman (13-5) is also on a three-fight win streak, beating Shane Nelson, Mac Danzig and Cole Miller.

The live blog is below.

More Coverage: UFC 132 Results | UFC News

Round 1: Both guys start off throwing heavy leather right away. Wiman shoots for a takedown, but Siver defends well. They take turns with leg kicks, then Wiman tries a Superman punch that misses. The crowd applauds their high work rate, and Wiman responds by punching his way in and spinning Siver down for a takedown, though the German is back up quickly. Wiman keeps after that takedown, but Siver won’t give it up. Eventually they work back to the center and Siver goes back to work with kicks. Siver whiffs on a big right hand, but transitions into a successful takedown attempt. Wiman threatens with a kimura, and it’s enough to make Siver stand and let him up. Big combo by Siver just misses. Wiman tries a single-leg, then abandons it. Siver lands some good hooks in the final minute, then tries to roll Wiman into an arm lock and ends up on bottom just before the horn. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Siver.

Round 2: Wiman tries for a single-leg off a Siver knee, but again Siver proves tough to put down. Wiman stays after it, drawing the ire of a crowd that has grown accustomed to quick, brutal finishes. Siver tosses Wiman off for a moment, but it’s not so easy to get rid of him. Wiman finally manages to flip him over but almost gets triangled in the ensuing scramble. Wiman working from Siver’s guard now, and somebody is cut, though I can’t tell who from my vantage point. Wiman opens up with elbows from the top, and now it seems like Siver is definitely gushing blood. Wiman gets a warning for trying to find that cut with his own forehead. Wiman hammering Siver from the top now. This is a bloodbath, and getting a good grip is going to be tough for either man. The horn sounds, and Siver is drenched in his own blood due to the cut on his forehead. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Wiman.

Round 3: Wiman wastes little time trying to put Siver down again. He shoots for a single-leg off a Siver knee to the body, then again a moment later. Siver defends well and forces Wiman to give up and start over. Siver tosses off a kick to the head that Wiman blocks before giving him a ‘C’mon, son’ kind of look. Spinning back kick from Siver just off the mark. Superman punch from Wiman, who then thinks briefly about a single-leg before giving up on it. Wiman dives for another single-leg moments later, but Siver is stonewalling him and peppering him with short punches. They tie up against the fence and Wiman jumps into an arm-in guillotine. Siver gets out and Wiman tries to transition to an oma plata before getting back to his feet. Wiman catches Siver’s leg and then kicks his free leg out from under him. Siver rolls to top position, then backs up and puts Wiman down with a low kick of his own. The horn sounds to end it, and this is a very tough fight to call. All the blood that Siver poured onto the mat might make the difference in the end. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Siver.

Dennis Siver def. Matt Wiman via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)

Wiman immediately turns and bolts out of the cage, heading for the exit. He’s going the wrong way if he wants to get back to his dressing room, but no one can catch up to him fast enough to tell him.

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Fighter vs. Writer: UFC 132 Picks with Joseph Benavidez

Filed under: UFCNot only is Joseph Benavidez one of the wittiest fighters in the game, he also knows as much or more than anyone about the two main event participants at UFC 132.

Plus, he’s a Joe-Jitsu black belt tie-dye belt and a skilled (or so I h…

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Joseph BenavidezNot only is Joseph Benavidez one of the wittiest fighters in the game, he also knows as much or more than anyone about the two main event participants at UFC 132.

Plus, he’s a Joe-Jitsu black belt tie-dye belt and a skilled (or so I hear) bowler, so why wouldn’t I want to sit down with him for this edition of Fighter vs. Writer?

Benavidez fought two memorable fights with Cruz, and has spent the last few years as one of Urijah Faber’s main training partners, so he has a perspective on this fight that few can match. It’s probably not hard to tell who he’s picking in Saturday night’s main event, but does he have what it takes to go pick-for-pick on the rest of the main card with yours truly? Find out below.

Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber

Benavidez: Faber via submission. “He’s been my main training partner for four years, and I’ve just seen the way he works and the goals he sets for himself. For all these four years, I’ve never seen him more inspired and motivated for a fight. He’s a big part of the WEC going to the UFC, so this is huge for him. He’s a guy who rises to the occasion, and this is the biggest of occasions for him. Not only that, but he obviously has the skills. Dominick will be hard to hit, but he doesn’t do much damage, and Urijah has the grappling edge.”

Fowlkes: Cruz via decision. He’s just too fast and too hard to pin down. He may not have the power to knock Faber out, but I doubt Faber will be able to put his hands on Cruz very much at all, so I’m not sure how much it matters. Faber was a true champ in his time, but that time is over.


Chris Leben vs. Wanderlei Silva

Benavidez: Silva via TKO. “Before the Stann fight I didn’t think Leben could get knocked out, but he did, so I guess it could happen again if they’re going to sit there and slug. Wanderlei could definitely catch him with a punch. I think they are going to stand there and swing at each other, and Leben will go down. Plus, Wanderlei’s a legend, so I kind of root for him, even though I love watching Leben fight also.”

Fowlkes: Leben via TKO. Obviously Silva is a sentimental favorite, but I don’t think his chin is nearly as solid as it once was, and being out of action for 16 months won’t exactly make him sharper in the cage. Even if they throw down in the center of the cage, Leben can take it and dish it out better at this point.

Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader

Benavidez: Ortiz via decision. “I think Tito is going to prove a lot of people wrong and come out with a comeback here — maybe not a total comeback — but I think he’ll go out there and get the win, old school ground-and-pound style. I actually think Tito’s boxing is a lot better too.”

Fowlkes: Bader via decision. I admire Benavidez’s optimism, but I’m not such a believer in Ortiz’s boxing, nor do I think he’s right about Bader having weak takedown defense. Bader is younger, quicker, and more explosive. I don’t see where Ortiz holds an advantage.

Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim

Benavidez: Condit via TKO. “He’s always in a super exciting fight and puts just this horrendous pace on people. He really lives up to his name: ‘The Natural Born Killer.’ He goes in there and tries to kill you. He’s going to put a lot of pressure on Kim and get the victory by stoppage.”

Fowlkes: Condit by TKO. Kim absolutely has the power to turn this into a grappling match, and if he does, he can absolutely win it there. But I don’t see Condit going out like that. He’ll come back late in the fight and overwhelm Kim with sheer aggression.

Matt Wiman vs. Dennis Siver

Benavidez: Wiman via decision. “That’s a tough one. Wiman has really good wrestling and has been putting it on people lately, but so has Siver. With Wiman though, I think he’s really hitting his stride right now, and this is going to be one that really catapults him to that next level where he wants to be at in the division.”

Fowlkes: Siver via decision. I simply cannot pick against the underrated Siver, who consistently surprises people and then melts back into the background to be forgotten and then underrated once again. His takedown defense will keep this one standing, and his power will keep Wiman reeling.

Tiebreaker: time of shortest fight

Benavidez: 2:35 of round 1.
Fowlkes: 1:57 of round 1

Benavidez picks Faber, Silva, Ortiz, Condit, Wiman
Fowlkes picks Cruz, Leben, Bader, Condit, Siver

 

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UFC 132: By the Odds

LAS VEGAS — As I relaxed in the sportsbook at the MGM Grand earlier this afternoon, patiently awaiting my complimentary domestic beer and listening to the sounds of tourists gawking at caged lions nearby, I found myself mesmerized by the one prop bet …

Dominick Cruz Urijah FaberLAS VEGAS — As I relaxed in the sportsbook at the MGM Grand earlier this afternoon, patiently awaiting my complimentary domestic beer and listening to the sounds of tourists gawking at caged lions nearby, I found myself mesmerized by the one prop bet the MGM was offering on UFC 132.

If you think the Cruz-Faber main event won’t go the distance, it turns out that you can profit to the tune of $180 for every $100 wagered (that’s what +180 means, smart guy). If you think it will go the distance, you have to put down $220 to make $100 (also known as -220). I’m not ashamed to admit that I must have spent fifteen minutes looking at those odds and trying to talk myself into believing that this fight won’t go the full five, even though I know it probably will.

See, that’s how Vegas gets you. You know there’s a reason for the long odds on some options, but you want to believe. You want to believe in longshots and Tito Ortiz comebacks. In free Cirque du Soleil tickets and especially lucky slot machines. And yet, they didn’t build these monstrous casinos because so many people win. In the end, that free domestic is probably the best deal you’re going to find.

But enough deep thinking. Let’s take a look at how some of Vegas’ sharpest minds see the action going down at UFC 132.

Dominick Cruz (-130) vs. Urijah Faber (+110)

Here’s a fight that’s all about speed. Cruz has it in spades, and Faber seems to be losing just a little more of it with each passing year. That’s not to say he’s some slow, broke-down old man, of course. Faber is still one heck of an athlete and an incredibly versatile fighter. But his biggest asset against a hummingbird like Cruz is going to be his mind. Not only is he a veteran who can adapt as the fight goes on, he’s also just so mentally strong that you know you’re not going to break him. Cruz has to stay busy and pepper him with those unpredictable combos of his, whereas Faber needs to get in close and slow this fight down in the clinch and on the mat. The fact that oddsmakers favor Cruz — but just slightly — tells you what they think of cage savvy against indefatigable quickness.
My pick: Cruz. I’ll save it for the parlay, but I think he’ll put Faber on the defensive with his speed and keep him there for five rounds.

Chris Leben (+150) vs. Wanderlei Silva (-170)

The first time I saw this line, I felt sure there had to be some mistake. Did some vandal come along and swap the plus and the minus? Were the bookmakers aware that it is in fact Silva who has been out for the last year and a half, and not Leben? I just don’t get it. I suppose if they square up and throw bombs, you could argue that it’s anybody’s fight. But even then, Silva doesn’t have the chin he once did. And even though Leben got KO’d by Stann, it still took some doing. The way to beat Leben is with straight, crisp punching and enough foot speed to stay away from his left. Silva isn’t known for any of that, especially in recent years. I can see why fans still go for him as a nostalgia pick, but the Pride days are over and time has marched grimly on.
My pick: Leben. I’m not the type of guy to advise you to bet the house, take out a second mortgage, and then bet that too — but if I were that type of guy…

Carlos Condit (even) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (-120)

This is probably the most competitive and most overlooked fight on the card. Kim is a big welterweight who can absolutely smother you on the mat, but Condit just has that raw, tear-your-head-off aggression. The problem is, you come charging in with blind hooks against Kim and you’re going to get taken down. I expect Kim to control the first part of the bout with his patient, methodical grappling, but Condit is never all the way out of the fight until the final bell. His best chance to catch Kim is when the takedown attempts have slowed and he’s entered full-scale desperation mode. Then, his finishing power could make all the difference. If it goes to the judges though, it’s Kim’s night.
My pick: Condit, but this one’s too close. It’s a great way to toss your money out the window, and it has the potential to screw up an otherwise perfect parlay. I’m leaving it alone.

Tito Ortiz (+350) vs. Ryan Bader (-450)

Okay, so you’ve been a huge Tito fan since 1999, and you’d like nothing more than to cash in on your Huntington Beach hero now that everyone else is writing him off. I get that — really, I do. But let me ask you this: how, exactly, do you see Ortiz winning this fight? He’s not going to stand there and outstrike the heavy-handed Bader because, well, when’s the last time he did that to anyone decent? And he’s probably not going to take the guy down and keep him on his back for three rounds because a) Bader knows a thing or two about wrestling, and b) Ortiz is not Jon Jones. So then what? It’s not as if an Ortiz victory is out of the question, but he has so few realistic ways to win. Sorry, but it isn’t 1999 anymore, and Bader isn’t Jerry Bohlander.
My pick: Bader. You won’t make any money off him, but at least you won’t lose it by taking a big risk on Ortiz.

Matt Wiman (+115) vs. Dennis Siver (-135)

Style-wise, you’d think Wiman might have the edge on Siver. But there’s just something about that stocky, scrappy German that makes it impossible to really count him out. Few people gave him much of a chance against Sotiropoulos, but look how that turned out. His takedown defense is solid and he can always hurt you on the feet. If you’re unfortunate enough to be on the business end of one of those spinning backkicks, you probably won’t breathe right for a week.
My pick: Siver. I’ll put it in the parlay, but I can’t go against Siver in any reasonable match-up.

Quick picks:

Anthony Njokuani (-150) over Andre Winner (+120). The man with the last name that everyone pronounces differently is too fast and too dynamic on the feet for Winner to handle.

Melvin Guillard (-280) over Shane Roller (+220). You won’t profit much off this one, but Guillard — at least when he has his act together, as I believe he does now — is a handful for anyone.

The ‘For Entertainment Purposes Only’ Parlay: Cruz + Leben + Bader + Njokuani + Guillard.

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UFC 132 Cruz vs Faber: Previews, Predictions, and Analysis of Entire Card

The UFC takes its talent from Pittsburgh at UFC Live 4 to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for UFC 132 this Saturday, July 2nd.The feature matchup of the evening is current bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defending his title against the prev…

The UFC takes its talent from Pittsburgh at UFC Live 4 to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for UFC 132 this Saturday, July 2nd.

The feature matchup of the evening is current bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defending his title against the previous WEC Featherweight Champion, Urijah Faber.

Additional bouts include a middleweight slug-fest between the ultra aggressive and extremely exciting Wanderlei Silva and the heavy-hitting Chris Leben.

Tito Ortiz makes his return to the famed Octagon to challenge the right hand and wrestling prowess of Ryan Bader.

An extremely talented and dynamic welterweight, Carlos Condit, will face off against Dong Hyun Kim and rounding out the night’s main card action will be a lightweight duel matching the German kick-boxer Denis Siver against Matt Wiman.

Please follow along as I dissect all the night’s fights including the preliminary matchups on Facebook and the exciting main card action.

Enjoy the fights.

I welcome your comments.

Todd Seyler

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Kindly follow me on Twitter and the internet karma will be returned too you

Begin Slideshow

UFC 132 Fight Card Preview: Dennis Siver and the Lightweight Division

UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2 features some incredibly exciting fights throughout the entire card. This isn’t just a night to order the Pay-Per-View—this is a night to sit down for six hours and watch the preliminary fights on Facebook and Spike TV a…

UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2 features some incredibly exciting fights throughout the entire card. This isn’t just a night to order the Pay-Per-View—this is a night to sit down for six hours and watch the preliminary fights on Facebook and Spike TV as well.

While there are intriguing match-ups throughout, including a Bantamweight title fight, this card, more than any other, will seriously alter the Lightweight Division.

Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman, Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller, George Sotiropoulos vs. Rafael dos Anjos and Anthony Njokuani vs. Andre Winner are all fights that contain potential major players in the division.

I’ve made my predictions already, but let’s take a look at who could potentially match-up the best with the top of the division. 

Begin Slideshow

Exclusive: Instead of Dwelling on His Problems and Past Mistakes, George Sotiropoulos Is Focusing On Coming Up With Solutions

For George Sotiropulos, the past four months since his disappointing UFC 127 loss to Dennis Siver have been about finding a balance in his life between training and all of the extrinsic factors that prevented him from focusing fully on it. According to G-Sots, who has been noticeably absent from the limelight since the fight, he has set the wheels of change in motion to ensure that he isn’t being stretched too thin and that he continues to improve as a fighter and as a person.

We caught up with the UFC lightweight contender recently and spoke with him at length about the fight with Siver, the factors that he feels contributed to the first “real” loss on his record and the steps he’s taken to make sure he makes the best of the learning experience to ensure that he doesn’t make the same mistakes twice inside and outside of the Octagon.

Check out the extensive interview after the jump.

For George Sotiropulos, the past four months since his disappointing UFC 127 loss to Dennis Siver have been about finding a balance in his life between training and all of the extrinsic factors that prevented him from focusing fully on it. According to G-Sots, who has been noticeably absent from the limelight since the fight, he has set the wheels of change in motion to ensure that he isn’t being stretched too thin and that he continues to improve as a fighter and as a person.

We caught up with the UFC lightweight contender recently and spoke with him at length about the fight with Siver, the factors that he feels contributed to the first “real” loss on his record and the steps he’s taken to make sure he makes the best of the learning experience to ensure that he doesn’t make the same mistakes twice inside and outside of the Octagon.

Check out the extensive interview below.


It’s been a few months since we last spoke. What have you been up to since then?

Things are going really well. Training’s going well and I’m on track. I’m very focus. Weight’s not an issue. My weight’s actually really good. Everything’s going really well. I’ve progressed everything and everything’s in the last phase of my training and I couldn’t be happier.

 

Where have you been training?

I’ve been training here at home in Washington at Fisticuffs [Boxing and MMA] and [in Beaverton, Oregon] at Impact [Jiu-Jitsu] with my regular crew.  I spent some time in LA with Eddie [Bravo] working on jiu-jitsu, but for the most part I’m doing everything out here. I work on my boxing at Fisticuffs with Leonard Gabriel and my jiu-jitsu at Impact.

 

It’s been a while since you last tasted defeat, which, coupled with the fact that you lost your last fight at home in Australia probably made it doubly hard to deal with. You’re not an excuse maker. You’re more so the type of guy that – win or lose – is back in the gym Monday morning working on things you could have done differently. How differently, perhaps as a result of maturity, did you deal with this lost than your last one five years ago?

That’s pretty much what I did.  I definitely wasn’t happy about [the loss]. It was pretty disappointing, to say the least. I got back into the gym pretty much straightaway. I reviewed quite a bit of footage from the fight, made some notes and paid quite a bit of close attention to everything I did in the fight, in training and also on a personal level outside of training. I made a lot of adjustments to my life itself so I can focus more of my time on training and the fight and not be distracted by anything. I’ve come such a long way in my training and this sport that I knew I needed to tweak some things, so I made some subtle adjustments to ensure I improve and learn from the mistakes I made in my last fight.

 

The last time we spoke, you mentioned that one of the toughest things to get used to when you returned from living and training in Japan was that it was tough to find motivated training partners with the work ethic of the teammates you had there. Was that part of the adjustment you’re referring to or is it more a combination of factors you felt were lacking in your camp for the UFC 127 fight with Dennis Siver?

No, it was a combination of things. My training partners are actually pretty good. I’m surrounded with a dedicated bunch of guys. The guys I train with in boxing are really serious and they’re always there. The same with the wrestlers, jiu-jitsu and muay thai guys – they’re always there. I just think I was trying to do way too much outside of training that consumed way too much of my time. I was taking care of too much when I should have been resting or focusing on different aspects of training. Trying to manage myself just consumed way too much of my time. Now I’ve sort of delegated some stuff away to people around me and it’s allowed me to focus on doing what I need to do to be a better fighter.

 

It seems like some of the distractions were some of the media obligations you had for your last fight. I know it’s an important part of being a fighter and that the UFC urges that you guys are very hands on in social media and interacting with fans and the media, but when you’re as busy as you are it must become tough to balance with training and your everyday life since it takes a ton of time and energy and is very consuming. We haven’t heard much from you since February, so I figured you may have sequestered yourself away out of the limelight to focus your time on training. Is it safe to say that sometimes the PR duties are hindering to your training and  ultimately to your performance?

That’s the truth. Unfortunately, it’s the reality. I did around thirty interviews [each] for my last three fights and that’s not including all of the interviews I did for the UFC [for their website, the countdown show and the pay-per-view broadcast], which are pretty comprehensive. I have a lot of Australian media commitments that I fulfill as well, so I spent a lot of time and energy setting up and doing interviews. This time around I haven’t had that problem because I’ve taken a step back. Because I’m not fighting on the pay-per-view, it means less media focus on me. All of these things add up. They just consume you and your time. I was always in a rush – in a frenzy – and I never had a spare minute. It got so out of hand that it made life very difficult.

 

I think that’s one of the things fans and the media don’t take into account when they analyze fighters, is that you’re people with your own lives and issues just like everyone else. You’re not supermen. It must be tough dealing with how fickle they can be. Some people crumple you up and throw you away after a loss and say things like “He was never that good anyway,” or “He was overrated.” Look at Dan Hardy. He was a fan favorite and a media darling until he lost a few fights in a row. Now everyone has turned on him and is writing him off as being a “has-been” or a “never-was.” Do you find that the reality is when you’re on top, everybody wants to talk to you and claims to be a fan and then you lose, you realize that it was all artificial?

Yep. That’s exactly how it is. It’s the truth. Everybody loves a winner. People, when they see you fall are like, “Yep, there it is.” Winning is great and I’m all about winning, but part of this business is if you can’t deal with a loss, you ain’t gonna make it. I was very disappointed about that last fight, but I’ve moved on. The emotions that I experienced have run their course and I’m moving on. That loss is not something that’s going to destroy my life. I look at the positive side  and I look at the adjustments I have to make to better myself and rather than focus on the problem, I’ve created a solution. I’ve implemented some strategies and methods and that’s all I can do. I have everything put into action and I’m just working on it.