Tag: Interview

Interview: Top Prospect Austin Springer and Veteran Fighter Pat Healy Share a Similar Goal

By David Golden

Reaching the highest levels of success in a sport as physically demanding as mixed martial arts can leave an athlete battered and bruised. Often fighters make it to the UFC only to leave defeated both physically and mentally. Many of these fighters disappear into obscurity never to be heard from again, serving as little more than ill warnings to young prospects of the sport.

But every so often a fighter who has been cut from the UFC shows great determination and drive as they work their way back onto the active roster. A return trip to the UFC is something usually reserved for those fighters who have great potential or those who have built up impressive win streaks in smaller promotions showcasing their skills. These are the fighters who often serve as the best examples for young upstarts. Determined and driven fighters like these can make excellent teammates and mentors to fighters who are trying to break through and find their way to the big show.

The post Interview: Top Prospect Austin Springer and Veteran Fighter Pat Healy Share a Similar Goal appeared first on Cagepotato.

By David Golden

Reaching the highest levels of success in a sport as physically demanding as mixed martial arts can leave an athlete battered and bruised. Often fighters make it to the UFC only to leave defeated both physically and mentally. Many of these fighters disappear into obscurity never to be heard from again, serving as little more than ill warnings to young prospects of the sport.

But every so often a fighter who has been cut from the UFC shows great determination and drive as they work their way back onto the active roster. A return trip to the UFC is something usually reserved for those fighters who have great potential or those who have built up impressive win streaks in smaller promotions showcasing their skills. These are the fighters who often serve as the best examples for young upstarts. Determined and driven fighters like these can make excellent teammates and mentors to fighters who are trying to break through and find their way to the big show.

In Portland, Oregon there is a fighter many people believe will make his third trip to the UFC sooner rather than later. That fighter is mixed martial arts veteran Pat “Bam Bam” Healy. At 31 years old, Healy is a veteran of over 50 fights, and that experience will be something he leans on as he continues his journey back to the UFC. Since being released by the UFC in the summer of 2014, Healy has gone 2-0 and has won the Titan FC Lightweight Championship. Having recently changed his training up a bit since the release — splitting his time between Donald Cerrone’s BMF Ranch and Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico — Healy has added new wrinkles to his game and showing growth as a veteran fighter, which is sometimes hard to do.

Healy has spent extended periods of time at all levels of the sport, and a fighter with a well as deep as Healy’s will always be on the radar of UFC matchmakers looking for late replacement or veteran fighters for testing young talent. If an opportunity like that is presented to Healy, it will obviously be the foot in the door he is looking for. This journey back to the top will certainly be challenging, but a veteran like Healy understands the adversity that he will likely be facing. While Healy is pushing forward with his goal to reach the UFC for a third time he is standing side by side with a one of the sports hottest up and coming fighters, Austin Springer, who is looking for his first shot inside the Octagon.

Austin Springer is a prospect that seems to fit the mold of future UFC fighter perfectly. At 23 years old, Springer is 8-0 and is showing no signs of slowing down. Springer has fought for titles in three of his last four fights, and in those matchups, secured bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight championships. Being able to adapt to the challenges of competing in multiple weight classes is nothing that Springer finds too stressful. At 23 years old, Springer is married with two sons, owns his own gym (Gladiator MMA in Vancouver, WA), and trains full time for his chance to punch his ticket to the big show. The pressures that come with being a father, fighter, and businessman might be a challenge for most, but Austin Springer believes that he performs best under pressure.

“Being labeled a top prospect does not add any additional pressure for me. I love being viewed as a top tier pro. I thrive and excel under the brightest lights. If it’s 4th down and we need a big play, I want the damn ball,” said Springer.

After a good bit of success early on in his professional career, Springer got the call from Bellator MMA to fight for their promotion. Springer jumped at the chance and won a unanimous decision over Zach Skinner at Bellator 101 in a fight that he controlled from start to finish. The opportunity didn’t last long, howeverm as Bellator decided not to move forward with the undefeated fighter. Springer has responded to the release by working harder and finishing every fight he has had since the release. For his part, in all this Springer believes in what he is doing and expects to break through in the near future.

“I believe I have absolutely proven that I am ready to compete with the very best fighters in the world…I don’t think there’s anything more that needs to be done to prove I’m at that level. I will however continue to beat top ranked guys, I will continue to pound on the UFC’s front door until they open up and invite me in!”

Clearly the paths of the veteran and the rookie have become parallel. While Springer competes to make his debut with the UFC, Healy looks to be make an elusive third stint with the promotion. With the drive and determination that these two fighters share it seems that little will hold either back from their goal.

The post Interview: Top Prospect Austin Springer and Veteran Fighter Pat Healy Share a Similar Goal appeared first on Cagepotato.

Portland, Oregon’s Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen to Fight for Lightweight Title at Bellator 136

By David Golden

Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen has been waiting a long time for his chance to fight for the Bellator MMA lightweight title. After winning the season 7 lightweight tournament back in March of 2013 Jansen was set for a clash with then champion, Michael Chandler. However, that fight would never take place. Chandler fell victim to injury, as did Jansen. Two years later, fully recovered from a knee injury that had him sidelined eighteen months, Jansen is ready to return to the cage with the hopes of bringing gold back to Portland, Oregon.

The state of Oregon has long been a hotbed for top-level talent in the world of mixed martial arts, but championships have been relatively scarce as of late. The last person fighting out an Oregon based camp to hold a title with a major promotion was Evan Tanner back in 2005. This decade long drought is likely just feeding the fire that is Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Jansen and get his thoughts on the upcoming title shot against “Ill” Will Brooks at Bellator 136 on April 10. During our discussion Jansen exuded a calm but confident attitude. Jansen seemed excited about the opportunity to fight Brooks he made it clear to me that he knew this day would come, it was inevitable.

The post Portland, Oregon’s Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen to Fight for Lightweight Title at Bellator 136 appeared first on Cagepotato.

By David Golden

Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen has been waiting a long time for his chance to fight for the Bellator MMA lightweight title. After winning the season 7 lightweight tournament back in March of 2013 Jansen was set for a clash with then champion, Michael Chandler. However, that fight would never take place. Chandler fell victim to injury, as did Jansen. Two years later, fully recovered from a knee injury that had him sidelined eighteen months, Jansen is ready to return to the cage with the hopes of bringing gold back to Portland, Oregon.

The state of Oregon has long been a hotbed for top-level talent in the world of mixed martial arts, but championships have been relatively scarce as of late. The last person fighting out an Oregon based camp to hold a title with a major promotion was Evan Tanner back in 2005. This decade long drought is likely just feeding the fire that is Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Jansen and get his thoughts on the upcoming title shot against “Ill” Will Brooks at Bellator 136 on April 10. During our discussion Jansen exuded a calm but confident attitude. Jansen seemed excited about the opportunity to fight Brooks he made it clear to me that he knew this day would come, it was inevitable.

I asked Jansen, considering the injury and the long wait for this title fight how does it feel to know that a shot at the belt is just 2 months away?

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m really looking to make the most of it. I knew it was just a matter of time before I got the title shot since I had already won a past tournament. But then they offered me the Rick Hawn fight as a bit of a test coming off my ACL injury to see what I had done since the surgery. I jumped on that opportunity to help speed things along.”

Being put in a comeback fight with a top contender like Rick Hawn (a former Olympian in judo) when you are widely considered next in line for a title shot wouldn’t be an easy thing to deal with for most people. Jansen however, took the challenge by the horn. Jansen showcased his striking in the bout earning a unanimous decision victory. Not known for his striking Jansen’s standup looked much improved against Hawn. I asked Jansen what has changed in his camp that has helped create this newfound success on the feet?

“Since the injury I started training my kickboxing with Robert Villardi and he has changed everything for me as far as my confidence in both my hands and my kicking game [is concerned]. I feel more comfortable than I ever have before and I have so many more weapons on my feet as a result. My flexibility has gotten a lot better, coach Villardi has me on a good stretching routine and it has been a huge help. I want to be able to take the fight anywhere it goes and every fight starts standing up. Early on in my career I was lacking in that part of my game but now things have really improved.”

Jansen has improved his game in more ways than just his striking. Jansen mentioned to me that not only has his striking improved greatly but his Jiu Jitsu has also seen improvement. Jansen credited this to the addition of the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu program to the Rose City FC family. Head instructor Nathan Orchard is a black belt under Eddie Bravo and Jansen had only positive things to say about Orchard and his team. Even with these improvements to his game Jansen will likely have his hands full when he takes on Will Brooks in April. Brooks is a good wrestler with serious knock out power and excellent speed. I asked Jansen what about Will Brooks impressed him?

“He’s fast, that’s for sure, but I’m not really impressed with his power. I guess I’m just really impressed with his speed but he’s kind of a runner. He goes in and out, in and out. I’m not looking to chase him. I want to make him fight, that’s what I do, I force people to fight and I bully them. I’m really looking to dominate and everything I throw is going to be with bad intentions.”

With speed being the obvious concern I asked Jansen what he was doing in camp to prepare for the speed of a guy like Brooks?

“The trick to beating Will Brooks is training with guys that are faster than Will Brooks and Carson [Frei] and Ian [Loveland] are definitely faster than he is. It won’t be a huge shock to my system when I get in there with Brooks because the guys I’m training with are so fast and talented.”

Jansen went on to praise his teammates in preparing him for this fight. He is proud of the guys around him and made it clear that he thinks the world of them. He specifically mentioned the young upstart, Carson Frei. Jansen praised the work ethic and determination of the young fighter from Idaho and believes that Frei has helped put him in position to defeat Will Brooks at Bellator 136.

Since suffering the ACL injury Jansen has taken the time to get himself healthy and he is trying to stay on a path that will keep him healthy. Jansen mentioned multiple times that his health, both mentally and physically, are very important to him. He wants to be sure he can maintain a high level of performance in and out of the cage. Jansen mentioned specifically that he is working with a sports massage therapist, Bill Proppe, who Jansen is very thankful for. That, in combination with an intense yoga program and two separate stretching programs has been instrumental in keeping Jansen healthy.

From two years to now just two months the wait is nearly over for Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen. Between now and fight night you can find Jansen grinding away at the gym, holding a pose at a yoga class or stretching out with coach Villardi. What you won’t find is Jansen taking time off. Jansen is eager to show the world just what he brings to the table and whether it be a one round lopsided victory or a five round war Jansen will be ready to bring a title back to Oregon.

The post Portland, Oregon’s Dave “The Fugitive” Jansen to Fight for Lightweight Title at Bellator 136 appeared first on Cagepotato.

Cole Presley Finds Balance in Inaugural ‘Shogun Fights’ Title Chase

By Chris Huntemann, Columnist

Ed note: As part of a new, ongoing series here at CagePotato, Maryland-based writer Chris Huntemann will be sitting down with several local MMA prospects, discussing everything from training regiments to what got them into the sport. Enjoy. 

When it comes to mixed martial arts, Maryland welterweight fighter Cole Presley couldn’t have picked a much better fighter to emulate than former UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

“I once heard GSP say ‘in racing you need a good driver and a good car. If you have a very good car but a bad driver, you’re not going to win the race. If you have a very good driver and a bad car, you’re not going to win either. So I have a good car and a good driver, which is even more important,’” said Presley, who fights with Clinch Academy in Frederick, Maryland, and is fighting for the inaugural Shogun Fights welterweight title on April 18 in Baltimore, Maryland.

By Chris Huntemann, Columnist

Ed note: As part of a new, ongoing series here at CagePotato, Maryland-based writer Chris Huntemann will be sitting down with several local MMA prospects, discussing everything from training regiments to what got them into the sport. Enjoy. 

When it comes to mixed martial arts, Maryland welterweight fighter Cole Presley couldn’t have picked a much better fighter to emulate than former UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

“I once heard GSP say ‘in racing you need a good driver and a good car. If you have a very good car but a bad driver, you’re not going to win the race. If you have a very good driver and a bad car, you’re not going to win either. So I have a good car and a good driver, which is even more important,’” said Presley, who fights with Clinch Academy in Frederick, Maryland, and is fighting for the inaugural Shogun Fights welterweight title on April 18 in Baltimore, Maryland.

“This quote couldn’t be truer and speaks volumes on the philosophy of conditioning in MMA,” Presley said. “I am a full time union pipe fitter, so I must balance my career and my MMA training carefully or else it can wear on me mentally.”

Presley squares off against Micah Terrill for the Shogun Fights welterweight title after previously competing as a lightweight. He believes a step up in weight class will work to his advantage.

“I have put on some extra muscle, but I am trying to be careful about it so my athleticism carries over to the welterweight division,” Presley said. “I have always been a big lightweight being that I am 6’1 and usually cut from 175 pounds.”

Presley has been a martial arts fan since childhood and was introduced to MMA after ordering the UFC 36 pay-per-view (without his mother’s permission). He first competed in judo and kempo kickboxing, and started his amateur MMA career in 2007. Presley’s mother isn’t the only member of his family to agonize over his decision to embrace MMA.

“My family hates the fact that I fight, but unfortunately for them it is my passion,” Presley said. “My dad’s favorite sport is golf, so that gives you an idea of how different our sports worlds are.”

Presley is very confident leading into his fight against Terrill, which he attributes to his training camp. “Training has been going great,” he said. “I am injury free and I have been doing conditioning and strength training for a steady six weeks now. I have done limited sparring, which has been optional, but I plan on picking up the pace with live sparring within the next few weeks.”

“I have also started my sprinting routine this week and have begun focusing on technique training,” Presley added. “This next month is where it all comes together and I plan on peaking the week of the fight, which is a very relaxed week leading up to weigh-ins and the fight itself.”

Presley plans to take full advantage of the opportunities provided to him by Shogun Fights, especially since he’s giving himself a limited window in MMA.

“I am 28 years old and I have no plans on fighting past 35, so I plan on making the most of the several years I have left,” he said.

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also shares his thoughts on the UFC, Bellator, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, or follow him on Twitter: @mmamaryland.

Ronda Rousey Discusses Possibility of Fighting a Man in Daily Beast Interview

Ronda Rousey is one of the biggest draws in mixed martial arts, winning 10 of her 11 career fights in the first round and needing 96 seconds to win each of her last three UFC women’s bantamweight title fights, but don’t think she’s looking to fight a man anytime soon.  Even though fans have speculated […]

Ronda Rousey is one of the biggest draws in mixed martial arts, winning 10 of her 11 career fights in the first round and needing 96 seconds to win each of her last three UFC women’s bantamweight title fights, but don’t think she’s looking to fight a man anytime soon.  Even though fans have speculated […]

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Hi-larious Quote of the Day: Vitor Belfort Thinks It’s “Unfair” That He’s Being Drug-Tested So Much


(“Hey bro, the supplement ladder is too high.” via Belfort’s instagram.)

Vitor Belfort is getting frustrated, y’all, and it’s easy to see why. “The Phenom’s” middleweight title shot against Chris Weidman has been delayed a half dozen times already, and was most recently pushed back to May after the champ once again went down with an injury. With each delay, the 37-year old finds himself drawing closer and closer to TRT-withdrawal-induced mortality, and to top it all off, he’s being unfairly drug-tested up the whazoo.

What’s that, you’ve taken some issue with our use of the term “unfairly”? Well take it up with Belfort, who despite passing his most recent random test, is still inexplicably being tested at every turn leading up to his UFC 187 title fight with Weidman. As he told the Brazilian media (as translated by MMAFighting):

In 2013, I was the only one (tested randomly). I was tested seven times for my fight with Weidman. Seven times. Did they test my opponent seven times?


(“Hey bro, the supplement ladder is too high.” via Belfort’s instagram.)

Vitor Belfort is getting frustrated, y’all, and it’s easy to see why. “The Phenom’s” middleweight title shot against Chris Weidman has been delayed a half dozen times already, and was most recently pushed back to May after the champ once again went down with an injury. With each delay, the 37-year old finds himself drawing closer and closer to TRT-withdrawal-induced mortality, and to top it all off, he’s being unfairly drug-tested up the whazoo.

What’s that, you’ve taken some issue with our use of the term “unfairly”? Well take it up with Belfort, who despite passing his most recent random test, is still inexplicably being tested at every turn leading up to his UFC 187 title fight with Weidman. As he told the Brazilian media (as translated by MMAFighting):

In 2013, I was the only one (tested randomly). I was tested seven times for my fight with Weidman. Seven times. Did they test my opponent seven times?

The funny thing is that everybody is clean, nobody do anything wrong. But when they started testing everybody, how many got caught? Forty percent? That shows that for the system to work, everybody has to be tested equally. If they come test me for my fight with Weidman, they have to go test Weidman as well on the same date, same time. That’s an equal system. It has to be fair. It’s not fair that they test me seven times and only test him once. 

Now, one one hand, Belfort is 100% correct here. Anderson Silva’s positive test has more or less shown us that *every* fighter on the UFC’s roster needs to be tested on a near-constant basis if the promotion ever hopes to clean up its PED epidemic. Random testing should be equal across the board regardless of a certain fighter’s past, especially in the case of a title fight. And to be fair to him, The Nevada State Athletic Commission hasn’t exactly been consistent in making good on their promise to test him “until the day he retires” until recently.

On the other hand, Belfort’s refusal to acknowledge that his own choices in the past *might* be playing a role in all this is just…classic him. Here’s a guy who has not only been busted for PEDs before, but has violated the limits of the sport’s TRT policies back when that sh*t was legal. Weidman, on the other hand, has never tested positive for anything other than excess gabagool in his lifetime. Should both fighters be tested on an equal basis in the months leading up to their fight? Sure. But to act as if the scales are being inexplicably and unfairly weighed against Belfort is an even more laughable statement.

All that being said, can you imagine how pissed Belfort will be when Weidman blows out his knee in April?

Quote of the Day: Dennis Siver Thinks Conor McGregor Should “Stick His Predictions in His Ass”


(Siver finishes Paul Kelly with a brutal spinning back kick at UFC 105. Unfortunately, all footage of this fight was lost in the Great Zuffa Fire of 2010.)

According to the advertisements that punctuated yesterday’s Packers-Cowboys game, Conor McGregor will be headlining Fight Night 59 in Boston this weekend. His opponent is something of a mystery man — a UFC newcomer hailing from parts unknown — hence the promotion’s inability to secure any footage of his previous fights. Which seems odd to me, because this mystery gentleman (Dennis Si-ver, am I saying that right?) is apparently of a high-enough caliber to earn McGregor a featherweight title shot should he emerge victorious.

Sarcasm aside, it’s safe to say that the 18-fight UFC veteran (and current +750 underdog. Can you say #1 CONTENDER MATCH!!) has been largely overlooked by the press heading into his fight with McGregor. Maybe the language barrier is to blame, or maybe it’s because Siver is not so easily wowed by the opulence of a drop-top Ferrari tour around Vegas. In any case, it’d be nice to actually hear how the #10 ranked featherweight feels about his “notorious” opponent, fighting in a main event, and being completely counted out in said main event, right?

Well thanks to the always reliable (Deutschland) MMA media, we finally can. In a recent interview with GroundandPound.de, the Russian-born, German-raised fighter took full advantage of his one-stop media tour, pulling a GSP when assessing McGregor’s skillset and laughing off the idea that he wouldn’t last more than two minutes against the Irishman. It was undeniably awesome.

Siver’s strong words are after the jump. 


(Siver finishes Paul Kelly with a brutal spinning back kick at UFC 105. Unfortunately, all footage of this fight was lost in the Great Zuffa Fire of 2010.)

According to the advertisements that punctuated yesterday’s Packers-Cowboys game, Conor McGregor will be headlining Fight Night 59 in Boston this weekend. His opponent is something of a mystery man — a UFC newcomer hailing from parts unknown — hence the promotion’s inability to secure any footage of his previous fights. Which seems odd to me, because this mystery gentleman (Dennis Si-ver, am I saying that right?) is apparently of a high-enough caliber to earn McGregor a featherweight title shot should he emerge victorious.

Sarcasm aside, it’s safe to say that the 18-fight UFC veteran (and current +750 underdog. Can you say #1 CONTENDER MATCH!!) has been largely overlooked by the press heading into his fight with McGregor. Maybe the language barrier is to blame, or maybe it’s because Siver is not so easily wowed by the opulence of a drop-top Ferrari tour around Vegas. In any case, it’d be nice to actually hear how the #10 ranked featherweight feels about his “notorious” opponent, fighting in a main event, and being completely counted out in said main event, right?

Well thanks to the always reliable (Deutschland) MMA media, we finally can. In a recent interview with GroundandPound.de, the Russian-born, German-raised fighter took full advantage of his one-stop media tour, pulling a GSP when assessing McGregor’s skillset and laughing off the idea that he wouldn’t last more than two minutes against the Irishman. It was undeniably awesome.

Everyone thinks I’ve already lost the fight. You can’t hype someone after four fights. In his last fight he has looked good, but the battle was only two minutes or so. For me he landed a fluke punch [against Dustin Poirier], because until then, the whole thing was even. And his fights before that were also nothing special. I’m not impressed at all. He promised to beat me in two minutes, but he can stick that prediction in his ass.

When I finish him on Sunday, I’ll laugh. I can understand all that shit talking in front of the camera, but when he does it privately, behind the scenes, that proves to me he is an asshole.

You hear that, Conor? MY BOY DENNY SEEVES IS NOT IMPRESSED!!!

Truthfully, I’m at something an impasse when it comes to the McGregor-Siver matchup. While I know that McGregor is the kind of brash, marketable personality that the UFC is in increasingly dire need of these days, I would literally give 2 liters of my own blood for the chance to see Dana White’s immediate reaction following a Siver upset (which would hopefully include the angry application of some lip balm). I would bathe in his rage, and it would be glorious.

It’s good to know that fate is on my side, at least. The MMA Gods are nothing if not a vengeful group of bitter misanthropes who get off on our sadness, and throwing a wrench into the hype-machine that is McGregor seems like the perfect opportunity to remind us (and the UFC) not to count our chickens before they hatch. Either that, or they’ll tear CM Punk’s ACL a week out from his first scheduled UFC fight…

I’m onto you, MMA Gods.

–J. Jones