UFC 130 was supposed to feature the third and decisive battle between UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edger and Gray Maynard. Because of injuries both men have during training camp, we’re left with former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Quinton &…
UFC 130 was supposed to feature the third and decisive battle between UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edger and Gray Maynard.
As a mixed martial artist, Manny Gamburyan has one simple—albeit ambitious—goal; before he calls it a career, the man they call “The Anvil” dreams of owning a championship belt in the UFC’s featherweight division. Coming off a loss at…
As a mixed martial artist, Manny Gamburyan has one simple—albeit ambitious—goal; before he calls it a career, the man they call “The Anvil” dreams of owning a championship belt in the UFC’s featherweight division.
Coming off a loss at the hands of Jose Aldo at WEC 51 in September of last year—Gamburyan’s first title-shot as a professional mixed martial artist—“The Anvil” is now looking to work his way to the top of the UFC’s featherweight division.
In a little more than six weeks, in what will mark the end of near nine month lay-off from professional competition, Gamburyan will face Tyson Griffin at UFC LIVE: Marquardt vs. Johnson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Manny Gamburyan about his goal in the sport, his upcoming bout with Griffin, and the prospect of taking a run at the UFC’s featherweight championship.
What were your goals when you started in this sport?
To be a champ.
Any other goals?
Nope; to be a champ.
Why is that?
Growing up and being in the sport for many years, I realize that if you’re a true fighter, your only goal should be to be the champ.
Was there ever a time when that wavered in your mind?
Nope.
You always believed in your goal?
I was believed in my goal and I still believe in my goal.
How do you feel about what you were able to accomplish in the WEC?
I feel really good. I feel really good dropping from 155 to 145. It was a good trade, but now it’s even better; we’re back in the UFC and we have our own division at 145.
How does it feel to be back in the UFC at a division that better suits you?
It feels better. I should be more focused now, I should be more prepared, and I’m ready to make it to the top again and fight for the belt, again.
How did you find out that the WEC had been absorbed by the UFC?
I thought that it would happen—sooner or later—but I didn’t think it was going to be this early and it is what it is. For me, it doesn’t matter where I fight—the WEC or the UFC—but now that I’m back in the UFC, it’s even better.
How did you react to the news?
Normal, you know? I got really happy and I called my manager and asked him if it was true or if it was a rumour and he said it was true.
Do you feel like you’re coming home to the UFC?
Most definitely. I fought with the UFC, went to the WEC, and now I’m back home.
How confident are you this time around?
Very confident—I’m very confident. I train very hard—I put hours into it every day to prepare myself for upcoming challenges.
How are you feeling going into your upcoming challenge in six weeks?
I’m feeling very great; I’m feeling very confident. I believe that he is a gamer; he has what it takes, and he’s coming out of a good camp, so I’m getting ready for that fight, trying to get a ‘W’, and move on.
What problems do you feel Tyson poses to you?
To be honest with you, he’s not going to do anything that I haven’t seen before. I’ve rolled with him—not as my training partner—but I’ve trained with him a couple times. He’s durable; he’s got good stand-up, he’s got good wrestling—but so do I. We’re going to go out there and bang.
Do you feel training with Tyson gives you any type of advantage going into your match?
Not really, because training doesn’t mean anything, you know? Somebody can get dominated during training, but this is fighting—this is real. I’m looking forward to this fight. I’m very excited for this fight.
What do you think Tyson’s game-plan will be going into this fight?
I don’t know. Whatever his game-plan is, I don’t think he’s going to stick with it—I’m sharp everywhere. That’s my game, man; if I have to stand with him and box in the Octagon then I’m down with throwing them. He’s got a good camp, so I know he’s going to be ready. I expect—100 per cent—to see the best Tyson Griffin … He’s a very good fighter. He has a lot of good fights in the UFC, but now he’s been having some problems; he’s been losing lately and he decided that 145 is his weight-class. It’s not an easy cut, though; it’s not even an easy cut for me, either—I’m going to be pretty heavy for him, so let’s see how he’s going to respond. I’m going to go out there and put on a clinic.
Do you have a prediction for how it’s going to end?
I’m really bad with predictions, but at the end of the day, my hand is going to be raised and I’m going to have a ‘W’, I’m going to come back home and have a rest and start looking forward to the next one.
What would a win over Tyson in June mean to you?
It’s not like I’m fighting for the belt or anything; it’s just another fighter—and that’s how I look at it. He’s got a big-name, he’s got some good fights, and he’s a good fighter, he can impose his will, he’s got power, but we’ll see how he responds to me. I’m a different type of fighter than I was one year ago or two years ago—I’ve improved a lot and I’m trying to improve more and more.
How much better do you feel you are now than when we last saw you in the Octagon?
I’m a lot better, you know? I understand the stand-up game better now, I know how to control myself, my wrestling is getting way better, and my take-down defence and my submissions have improved dramatically.
Assuming you win, where do you see yourself in the UFC’s featherweight division?
There are a lot of good guys out there, like I said. There are a lot of top-guys, and nobody knows who the next contender is. Right now it’s Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes, but there are a lot of good guys out there; Erik Koch, Kenny Florian, and there are a lot of up-and-coming fighters—you can name them all day. The division is pretty stacked and I’m not looking past anyone; my next opponent is Tyson Griffin and I’m going to start from there and move on.
What do you feel you can accomplish in the UFC?
Like I said, my goal is to fight all of the best fighters and take on tough-fights—I never look for an easy-fight or anything like that—and I think I can be a champ in 2012. I want to improve myself, get that belt, and feel like a king for a while.
I guess it might be hard to put a number on it, but how close to you think you are to getting another shot at Jose’s featherweight championship?
It all depends on Dana White and Joe Silva and the UFC organization. Like I said, I wasn’t expecting to get the title-shot in the WEC; Josh Grispi was next in line, but I got the call for the title-fight, so I don’t know. One or two fights, maybe? We’ll see. Maybe one more fight and then I’ll get another title-shot again.
What would that featherweight championship belt mean to you at this point in your career?
It would be the best thing in the world; it’s like winning the gold medal in the Olympics [laughs]—there’s no other way that I could explain it to you. That’s my dream; to have that belt around my waist and feel like a king inside the Octagon and be happy.
Have you thought about how much longer you’d like to compete?
Well, I don’t know. I just turned 30, so I’m not saying that I’ve got another 10 years to go—I don’t know. Hopefully I have another four or five good years to go. As long as I’m healthy and training the way that I want to train, I can go. I’m not going to say that I want to be the next Randy Couture—because you know what? That’s a given. If I’m feeling it and feeling that I’m improving, I feel that I’m still capable of fighting—I’ll fight. Because of that, I can’t give you a prediction about how much longer I’d like to fight.
Have you thought about what you might like to do when you’re done fighting?
I don’t know, man. I’ll probably open up my own school and give my talent and knowledge to other kids to help them improve. I’m not the best teacher or anything like that, but I’ve got years and years of experience, so I could probably be a pretty good teacher and help other people be good fighters also.
What do you feel the future holds for you?
I don’t know—fighting, still. I can’t tell my future from a year or two from now, so we’ll see. We’ll see how it goes.
Is there anything that you’d like to say to your fans while you have this opportunity?
I, first of all, want to thank all of my training partners, my coaches, my family, and my fans out there. Watch me fight on June 26—it’s going to be on Versus and hopefully I’ll be on the televised card. It’s going to be a great fight; expect fireworks. I’m going to go out there and do my thing.
UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre defended his title for the sixth consecutive time on April 30 in front of a North American record crowd of 55,000 people. The feat seems even more impressive when a person factors in the eye injury that…
UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre defended his title for the sixth consecutive time on April 30 in front of a North American record crowd of 55,000 people. The feat seems even more impressive when a person factors in the eye injury that he suffered in the first round. Greg Jackson, one of GSP’s trainers, commented after the fight that he was worried about Georges’ eye, and was concerned it could be a future problem.
In a recent interview with ESPN.com, St-Pierre said he expects to make a full recovery. He has admitted he still has blurred vision, but is confident it will only get better with time.
All of the champs’ future plans have been put on hold until he can get his present situation resolved, but St-Pierre is determined to be back in the Octagon soon.
St-Pierre stated, “My medical condition is called Hyphema. My vision is still blurry and my eye sensitive but the blood in my eye has now been absorbed. My retina is fine as well and my vision will come back to 100%.
One thing is certain, MMA is better off with St-Pierre. We can only hope for a speedy recovery.
Ross Pointon the fighter—not the character—is back. Despite being finished in two separate weight classes on The Ultimate Fighter season three by eventual winners Kendall Grove and Michael Bisping, Pointon’s Stroke-on-Trent, England &…
Ross Pointon the fighter—not the character—is back.
Despite being finished in two separate weight classes on The Ultimate Fighter season three by eventual winners Kendall Grove and Michael Bisping, Pointon’s Stroke-on-Trent, England “anyone, anytime” attitude (in addition to unprofessional antics like eating an entire pizza after weigh-ins) have made him one of the most memorable personalities during the show’s five-year Spike TV run.
Winless in two Octagon appearances following his reality stint and a sub-.500 record (6-10) in his four years as a professional left a lot to be desired though. So after a three-year break from the sport, “The Gladiator” plans to demonstrate that his skills have matched up with his character upon his return. He steps in the cage versus another TUF alumni, Dean Amasinger, for “Ultimate Challenge 21: Stand Your Ground” on June 25 at the Troxy in London.
“My last opponent Mark Brown never turned up, you know what I mean? That was in Ultimate Challenge. I know Amasinger is going to turn up. He’s training hard,” the British San Shou Champion told Bleacher Report. “He’s a good scalp for a first fight back. I’m gonna train hard. What will happen will happen on the night.”
The 31-year-old last competed in the now-defunct Cage Rage promotion in May 2008 when he rebounded from a gruesome cut stoppage to Marius Zaromskis by ending Ross Mason’s night early with a heel hook. The victory was his second by way of tap out in three contests—surprising for a fighter that called submissions “silly” repeatedly on national TV.
He now calls the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif. home after joining the renowned gym three months ago to ensure his comeback will feature an ever-evolving Ross Pointon.
“When I got on The Ultimate Fighter, it was the wrong time in my career. I was still learning, whereas a lot of those guys came from good, solid camps. I believe now I’ve done the time,” he said. “Like I said, knowledge is power. It’s experience—everything. I’m still learning. I’ve still got loads to learn. My game is getting stronger all the time being at AKA.”
Pointon puts ego aside training alongside his former opponent, DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis, among other top fighters at AKA. It’s so his career can continue down the winning path he left it at before Cage Rage went under.
Posters were made for a world welterweight title bout in the organization versus champion Che Mills, but the bout never materialized. The resulting barren UK MMA landscape and money were reasons why “The Gladiator” walked away from prizefighting.
“Nothing was really going on. I thought I was worth more money than people were offering me. I chose to make money in other avenues, you know what I mean?” said Pointon, who promotes his eight fight card under his Gladiator Promotions UK banner on June 11—just two weeks before his fight. “But now I’m getting back into the fight game. Now I’m getting back to where I need to be, which is the UFC, do you know what I mean?”
Pointon travels from the home he shares with his girlfriend Christine—whom he credits with his increased maturity and focus—in Monterey an hour each way to be at AKA. He hopes his time at AKA bolsters UK MMA since he’ll be sharpening his techniques to represent England in the UFC as best he can and by taking training tips back to the gym he operates in his hometown in England. As a promoter, he provides a platform for young talent to flourish in their national scene before garnering international attention via the UFC like he once did.
Amidst all the changes, Pointon promises the biggest change is he’s not just a brawler anymore—he’s a full mixed martial artist.
Still, some things never change as illustrated by his parting words to Amasinger: “Good luck on June the 25th. Expect a war because I’m coming for a war.”
Danny Acosta is the lead writer at FIGHT! Magazine. Follow him on twitter.com/acostaislegend
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is one of the best fighters at 205 lbs, but his coach Rafael Cordeiro hopes he can recapture his dominance that made him a champion. But since the former UFC light heavyweight champion has reunited with his longtime coach, Co…
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is one of the best fighters at 205 lbs, but his coach Rafael Cordeiro hopes he can recapture his dominance that made him a champion.
But since the former UFC light heavyweight champion has reunited with his longtime coach, Cordeiro said he plans to fix some of his weaknesses that were present in his loss to Jon Jones at UFC 128.
“The training here will make him stronger, but we’re not a miracle house,” Cordeiro told Sherdog.com.
“This is a place where he’ll work hard, a place where he’ll make sure he’ll never again fight like he did against Jones.”
The talks of Rua joining Kings MMA came at the request of Cordeiro, who will help the Brazilian prepare for his upcoming bout against Forrest Griffin at UFC Rio. Rua and Griffin last met in 2007, in a bout that saw Griffin upset his opponent in unpredictable fashion, in which Griffin earned the victory via rear naked choke.
At the time, Rua was making his debut for the UFC and was highly touted as the best light heavyweight in the world.
Cordeiro added that bringing Rua into Kings MMA was discussed prior to his title bout against Jones.
“We talked before the Jon Jones fight, but some family issues prevented him from coming to the U.S.,” Cordeiro said.
“It was easy to convince him because of our friendship and affection.”
And it is because of their friendship that has Cordeiro convinced Rua will evolve and perform better at UFC Rio.
“I was his coach from the time he was a white belt until he was a black belt. No one knows him as I do, and I can say there is a lot we can add here to improve on his game.”
The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 winner Jonathon Brookins has been forced to withdraw from his lightweight bout with Jeremy Stephens at The Ultimate Fighter Season 13 Finale. This is being reported today by Sherdog.com. Stepping in for Brookins wil…
The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 winner Jonathon Brookins has been forced to withdraw from his lightweight bout with Jeremy Stephens at The Ultimate Fighter Season 13 Finale. This is being reported today by Sherdog.com.
Stepping in for Brookins will be former WEC talent Daniel Downes who has been beaten only once as a professional. Fighting out of the Wisconsin’s Roufusport camp, Downes lost in his WEC debut last June to Chris Horodecki. But “Danny Boy” rebounded with a unanimous decision win over Tiequan Zhang at WEC 53 in December.
The details and the extent of the Brookins’ injury were not disclosed. His last fight was in December of last year where he won a decision over Michael Johnson to claim the TUF 12 title.
Known for his punching power and his “dead ahead” approach, Jeremy Stephens has won three of his last four contests inside the Octagon. The 24-year-old “Lil Heathen” has faced some tough fighters in his young career. In May of 2010, he edged out fellow striker Sam Stout in a hard-fought tilt. Then, in September, he followed it up by putting on a great performance in a close-decision loss to top contender Melvin Guillard.
Stephens has had one fight this year, knocking out veteran Marcus Davis on New Years Day.
The Ultimate Fighter Season 13 Finale will take place on June 4th at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. It will headline a pivotal fight with major lightweight implications when contender Clay “The Carpenter” Guida takes on former WEC champion Anthony Pettis.
