By: Joyce Lynda Valdes
George Roop may be considered one of the more quiet MMA fighters. He served his time on TUF 8: Nogueira vs. Mir, going virtually unnoticed, while more outspoken cast members like Junie Browning and “Diamond” Dave Kaplan stole the spotlight with emotional outbursts, peeing in food, and drunkenly getting knocked out. Yet since the TUF 8 season aired in 2008, Browning and Kaplan’s MMA careers have fallen quite far away from the public eye. And even TUF 8 Winner, Efrain Escudero has been cut from the UFC. But George Roop, who just rejoined the promotion as a Featherweight, has been soldiering on in the WEC with a much talked about DRAW in his fight with Leonard Garcia and an impressive head kick knockout of Chan Sung Jung. Fitting with his humble persona, Roop has taken the time to answer our questions in his own written words as he prepares for his January 22nd UFC: Fight for the Troops 2 bout against Team Tompkins teammate, Mark Hominick.
1. You have trained with your opponent, Mark Hominick for a couple years under Team Tompkins and Shawn Tompkins tutelage. Are you confident that you know every game plan Hominick will have in store for you and in that same regard will he be likely to know and expect all of your moves, as well?
GR: Yes, I believe that I know what he will bring to the table for this fight and he also knows what I bring. Which is going to make for an exciting fight.
2. You had a stellar performance against “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung. Did you plan the head kick that knocked him out or were you as surprised as he was? How much of a fight is game plan and how much is in the moment?
GR: I did plan on kicking the Korean Zombie in the head multiple times but I did not anticipate it to end the fight the way it did. I believe in Mixed Martial Arts you have to be prepared for where ever the fight takes you. Yes, it’s a good idea to come into the fight with a game plan but things change in the fight and you have to adapt in split seconds notice.
3. Did you speak to Shawn Tompkins and Mark Hominick before accepting your fight with Hominick? Despite this fight against Hominick, do you still consider yourself a part of Team Tompkins?
GR: Yes, I spoke with both of them before I accepted the bout. And yes I do consider myself part of Team Tompkins still. I plan on going back there and training after this fight. Tompkins is one of the best coaches in the world and we have a great team there to train with. I understand the relationship that Tompkins and Hominick have. But I am gonna use what he has taught me to win this fight.
4. You have said to me on occasion that if you weren’t fighting you’d have joined the military. Can you tell us what it means to you to fight for the troops?
GR: I’m a very patriotic person, so it means a lot to me to fight for the troops and to raise $$ for the Intrepid fund. The crowd is going to be unbelievable!
5. This fight with Hominick at UFC Fight for the Troops 2, also marks your return to the UFC since the WEC merger. How do you feel to be back with the promotion and is it added pressure now that some say there is a crowding of fighters and the chance to be cut seems that much higher?
GR: It feels great to be back with the UFC and to be fighting at my natrual weight class. It’s about time us smaller guys are going to get the recognition that we deserve. There is no added pressure for this fight. I’m just going to go in there and do my best. And win of course.
6. Josh Grispi was going to be the next contender against Jose Aldo, but Aldo pulled out due to injury and Grispi instead faced a virtual unknown in Dustin Poirier at UFC 125. Did that fight surprise you and what does that tell you about the talent in your division right now?
GR: Actually Hominick was offered the fight with Aldo before Grispi. Hominick opted out of the fight so that he could get his thumb fixed and it would not give him enough time to prepare for a title bout. So to me I feel like Hominick is the #1 contender. I was very impressed with Poirier in his fight with Grispi. He proved that he is going to be a force in the featherweight division. There is a huge amount of talent in my division right now and that makes it just that much more exciting for me to be able to test myself against the best in the world.
7. What do you think about the current Featherweight Champion, Jose Aldo and who do you expect will be next in line for the champ? Who would you like to fight next?
GR: I WANT TO FIGHT ALDO NEXT. I think Aldo is a great champion and an amazing fighter. But I dont play into all the talk of him being unbeatable. He’s just another man and he can be beaten and he can be finished. Just like the Korean Zombie can be knocked out.
8. You have bounced around in the lighter weight divisions, having fought in the UFC previously at Lightweight, and even went down to the 135lb division in WEC, are you most comfortable at 145 and why did it take you some time to figure out what division works best for you?
GR: 145lbs has always been my fight weight. I fought at 145lbs before the ultimate fighter show. But when you get a chance to fight in the UFC, you take that opportunity and run with it. The UFC didn’t have a 145lbs division then. I also flirted with 135lbs for one fight. And that will be the last time I ever do that. Making 135lbs was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. 145lbs is a great fight weight for me and I have found my home.
9. Tell us about your training camp for your upcoming fight. What are the benefits and what are the sacrifices in training you have experienced with not training at a bigger known gym like TapouT with one of the better-known coaches, Shawn Tompkins?
GR: I’ve moved my training camp back home to Tucson, AZ. I’m training at Apex MMA and Boxing Inc. I don’t think that I have made sacrifices being back in Tucson. We have a lot of talent here in AZ. And although Tompkins is one of the best coaches in the world and has taught me a lot, I also have great coaches and training partners here in Tucson.
10. There was a lot of criticism surrounding Leonard Garcia’s Split Decision win over Nam Phan. Dana White even awarded Phan his win bonus. What are your thoughts on that fight? With Garcia as a Draw on your record, would you say the two of you have some unfinished business? (*NOTE: Since this interview was written, Garcia vs. Phan II was announced.)
GR: I thought that Nam won that fight. I’m looking forward to there next fight coming up in March. I think Garcia will be more prepared for the next fight against Nam. As far as me having un finished buisiness with Garcia; I’m not interested in a remach right now. Everybody who saw that fight knows I won and I feel like it would be taking a step backwards in competition. I’m not opposed to fighting him down the road if the UFC and the fans want to see me knock his head off.