UFC Betting Sites – The Best MMA Online Bookies
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Quinton Jackson’s career in the UFC has been marked by amazing highs and devastating lows. He has won and defended the light heavyweight title, gone on a literal rampage in an automobile, twice been a coach on The Ultimate Fighter and last year s…
Quinton Jackson’s career in the UFC has been marked by amazing highs and devastating lows. He has won and defended the light heavyweight title, gone on a literal rampage in an automobile, twice been a coach on The Ultimate Fighter and last year suffered a loss to rival Rashad Evans. He is a funny, outspoken […]
UFC 130 Fight Card: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Video Interview
The undisputed champ of the mixed martial arts world these days, Jon “Bones” Jones was in my neighbourhood yesterday appearing at the MMA Expo Show as part of MMA Live 1 London. Bones talked to all his fans, signed every autograph and posed…
The undisputed champ of the mixed martial arts world these days, Jon “Bones” Jones was in my neighbourhood yesterday appearing at the MMA Expo Show as part of MMA Live 1 London. Bones talked to all his fans, signed every autograph and posed for every photo request made, in a pure display of how star […]
Jon Jones Interview: Machida or Rampage? Who Is the Man That Can Beat Him?
Though extremely busy with the grand opening of the UFC GYM in Corona, California, Adam Sedlack, Senior Vice President of UFC GYM, graciously donated some of his time to talk with me about the UFC GYM, a cooperative project between Zuffa, the UFC’…
Though extremely busy with the grand opening of the UFC GYM in Corona, California, Adam Sedlack, Senior Vice President of UFC GYM, graciously donated some of his time to talk with me about the UFC GYM, a cooperative project between Zuffa, the UFC’s parent company, and New Evolution Ventures (NEV), a business co-founded by Jim […]
(There’s no quit in MacGrath, which should make for a barnburner against Aurelio Thursday night – PicProps: TopMMANews)
Matt MacGrath’s biggest weapons might just be his drive and determination.
Much like how he doesn’t let his full time job as a chef and obligations of being a father and husband prevent him from training twice a day, the 31-year-old New Glasgow, Nova Scotia native has never let his status as an underdog prevent him from winning fights he was picked to lose.
A typical day for MacGrath starts at around 4:00 am when he gets up to get ready for work at 5:00 am at the provincial Board of Health in Prince Edward Island. When he gets off at 1:00 pm, he heads home for a brief rest before heading to hone his skills at one of several gyms he trains at to work . Depending on his work schedule the next day, he may make the four-hour trek to his main camp at Titans MMA in Halifax, Nova Scotia. If he has to work the following day he may opt to work out closer to home in the afternoon and evening with family time sandwiched in between training sessions. He says it’s a lot of work balancing work, training and family, but he feels that the sacrifices and perseverance will pay off sooner than later.
(There’s no quit in MacGrath, which should make for a barnburner against Aurelio Thursday night – PicProps: TopMMANews)
Matt MacGrath’s biggest weapons might just be his drive and determination.
Much like how he doesn’t let his full time job as a chef and obligations of being a father and husband prevent him from training twice a day, the 31-year-old New Glasgow, Nova Scotia native has never let his status as an underdog prevent him from winning fights he was picked to lose.
A typical day for MacGrath starts at around 4:00 am when he gets up to get ready for work at 5:00 am at the provincial Board of Health in Prince Edward Island. When he gets off at 1:00 pm, he heads home for a brief rest before heading to hone his skills at one of several gyms he trains at to work . Depending on his work schedule the next day, he may make the four-hour trek to his main camp at Titans MMA in Halifax, Nova Scotia. If he has to work the following day he may opt to work out closer to home in the afternoon and evening with family time sandwiched in between training sessions. He says it’s a lot of work balancing work, training and family, but he feels that the sacrifices and perseverance will pay off sooner than later.
“My wife’s pretty understanding. Lots of times I don’t see her or my daughter for days. My job is a government job so I have benefits, tons of vacation and plenty of sick days if I need time off for fights. I can take up to a two-year leave off of work. If I start leapfrogging forward and things start to take off for me, which is what I’m hoping happens,” he explains. “I can take six months, a year, two years off depending on what I need and if I go even further, I have no problem walking away from it for good. As the doors open I’ll make some changes.”
His next attempt at “leapfrogging forward” will come Thursday night when he takes on seasoned PRIDE and UFC veteran and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Marcus “Maximus” Aurelio at MMA Live 1 in London, Ontario, Canada. Despite taking the bout on just two week’s notice, MacGrath says that he’s confident of his chances of beating Aurelio and that the rewards outweigh the costs of having a brief training camp for such a big fight.
“I kind of suspected that someone from one of these Ontario cards was going to fall of, so I was preparing to replace somebody. I was already in top shape from my last fight. Then I heard that it was Cory McDonald that was out and I was asked if I could fight Marcus, and I accepted it right away. I didn’t take it because of who he was, I took the fight because it’s been tough for me to get a fight with anybody in Canada. I want to fight one of the top guys in the country so I can move up in the rankings, but no one would take a fight with me,” MacGrath points out. “There aren’t too many 170s that I wouldn’t take a fight with and Marcus is a natural 155er moving up, so it’s certainly a good opportunity for me and I’m looking forward to it. He’s definitely the biggest name I’ve fought for sure. I certainly think if I can walk away with a win here I can leapfrog up the rankings and maybe get some important phone calls in the near future.”
Although he finds himself once again in the familiar role of underdog, MacGrath says when people bet against him they usually end up wishing they hadn’t, especially if they haven’t done their homework
“I’m used to people picking against me. I kind of thought they brought me in to lose my last fight because I knew that the promoter was British and so was my opponent, Dean Amasinger. I kind of knew that’s what was going on, but I just thought he was such a one-dimensional fighter that he really didn’t hold any advantages over me, so I knew I could prove them wrong,” he says. “I had too many tools to beat him with. I only saw his one opportunity to beat me being by knockout, but I think I even won the stand-up battle against him. I felt good in that fight. Now that I watched it I think I could have pushed the pace a little more and maybe even got the finish.”
A black belt in judo who says he prefers to rely on his wrestling pedigree that goes back to his high school days, MacGrath says that his level of judo is comparable to anyone’s in MMA, but the reason he doesn’t use it much is because of the impracticality of some of its techniques.
“To be honest, my level of judo is probably at the same level as Karo [Parisyan’s]. As I made the transition to MMA I did a lot of wrestling too and I felt that wrestling was a better base overall. A lot of times when you’re doing hip throws and stuff like that you’re giving up your back and I don’t like to do that,” MacGrath says. “I like to stay square and it seems like I’m doing a lot more wrestling. It’s all relative. Judo, wrestling, gi, no-gi – it’s really all the same sport to me. I still practice judo but I’m coaching more judo than competing. When I’m training for fights I mostly train my wrestling. I still do the odd thing from judo, but that’s where my base on the ground originates from.”
It’s funny to MacGrath looking back that he now finds himself on the cusp of making it to the upper echelons of the sport, considering he had no interest in fighting when he first began training in MMA.
“I was going to Titans in Halifax to improve my ground work for judo. I was still competing back then and I had no interest in competing in MMA. I watched a few of these fight cards and they asked me to fight a bunch of times and eventually I just said yes,” he recalls with a chuckle. “I loved the training. I won my first fight in 60 seconds and I never looked back. My first couple fights I thought, ‘Maybe I’ll go and make 500 bucks. I’m training and in shape anyway, so why not?’ I’d go away to a judo or a wrestling tournament in Toronto for the weekend and it would cost me 500 to 700 bucks to compete because they’re amateur sports. Why not train hard, be fit, test your skills against someone and make a couple bucks? I’m really looking forward and I’d love to be able to quit my job and pay my bills and feed my family by fighting.”
Throughout his career, the biggest complaint that MacGrath’s opponents have made about the polite Nova Scotian aren’t about something he has said or done, it’s the fact that his fight footage is about as hard to find as the holy grail. MacGrath says that might change eventually, but until then he’ll take any leg up he can get over the competition.
“Claude Patrick called me “The Ghost” because he couldn’t find any information on me at all. It’s just a matter of time before more clips of my fights end up online, but until that happens I’ll enjoy the advantage I have. When I fought Amasinger I watched every one of his fights half a dozen times. The same with Marcus,” he explains. “I can watch every one of his fights, one here and one there and pick out certain things. His style really hasn’t changed. If I had as many fights as Marcus Aurelio on the Internet, my career must be really moving forward.
(Having proven his colorful past is behind him, Ford wants the opportunity to prove he’s a future UFC welterweight contender – PicProps GUHDAR photography)
Heading into the stiffest test of his young MMA career – a main event tilt with embattled former UFC welterweight contender Karo Parisyan Thursday night at MMA Live 1 in London, Ontario, Canada, Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford is remarkably calm and focused at the challenging task that lies ahead.
In spite of the fact that he has another bout booked a few weeks after his fight with Parisyan he says it isn’t because he’s taking “The Heat” lightly, it’s because he wants to keep putting in work until certain promoters can’t ignore him any longer.
“It just came up the way it did. I haven’t even been thinking about my other fight, the only fight that I’ve been thinking about for the last eight weeks is Karo Parisyan, and I could care less about the next fight I have coming up right now. Karo Parisyan’s been on my mind when I go to bed, when I wake up, and even when I’m sleeping. I never take any of my opponents lightly, especially Karo Parisyan. I’ve seen what he’s done in the sport, so obviously I’m not coming in thinking I’m just going to walk through him,” Ford explains. “I’ve been training my ass off, every day. What I’m looking to do is run through him, so it is what it is. My overall goal is for Mr. Dana White to give me a call, and give me my shot. I’m going to keep putting the work in and do what I can for him to realize that I’m ready for the UFC. And you know, he’s the boss, so it’s up to him and the Fertitta brothers, so it’s up to them to want me to be a part of their organization.”
(Having proven his colorful past is behind him, Ford wants the opportunity to prove he’s a future UFC welterweight contender – PicProps GUHDAR photography)
Heading into the stiffest test of his young MMA career – a main event tilt with embattled former UFC welterweight contender Karo Parisyan Thursday night at MMA Live 1 in London, Ontario, Canada, Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford is remarkably calm and focused at the challenging task that lies ahead.
In spite of the fact that he has another bout booked a few weeks after his fight with Parisyan, Ford says it isn’t because he’s taking “The Heat” lightly, it’s because he wants to keep putting in work until certain promoters can’t ignore him any longer.
“It just came up the way it did. I haven’t even been thinking about my other fight, the only fight that I’ve been thinking about for the last eight weeks is Karo Parisyan, and I could care less about the next fight I have coming up right now. Karo Parisyan’s been on my mind when I go to bed, when I wake up, and even when I’m sleeping. I never take any of my opponents lightly, especially Karo Parisyan. I’ve seen what he’s done in the sport, so obviously I’m not coming in thinking I’m just going to walk through him,” Ford explains. “I’ve been training my ass off, every day. What I’m looking to do is run through him, so it is what it is. My overall goal is for Mr. Dana White to give me a call, and give me my shot. I’m going to keep putting the work in and do what I can for him to realize that I’m ready for the UFC. And you know, he’s the boss, so it’s up to him and the Fertitta brothers, so it’s up to them to want me to be a part of their organization.”
Although he admits that a win over Karo would do wonders for his already successful 14-3 MMA career, Ford denies that he is looking at using Parisyan as a steppingstone, because steppingstones don’t hit you or try to throw you on your head when you step on them.
“I’m never one to take an opponent as a steppingstone. I’m just taking him as a game opponent that will help my career, and I just want to fight. Karo Parisyan’s been in there with George St Pierre and he lost by decision,” he points out. “He beat Nick Diaz. He beat Chris Lytle. He beat Matt Serra. He’s beaten a lot of top guys if you look at his record. He’s fought a who’s who of MMA. I want to step up my competition and fight these tough opponents, and he’s a tough opponent.”
Ford says that contrary to what some of Parisyan’s critics are saying about him being a shell of his former dangerous self due to his highly publicized battle with prescription painkillers and anxiety, he is expecting the Armenian judoka to be very well-prepared and in shape for the fight, which is why he sequestered himself in Vancouver away from his home in Edmonton for the majority of the past eight weeks to ready for the bout.
“Yeah, Karo’s had his problems and whatnot but he can overcome those problems. People don’t know what people are like on a personal level, on a day to day basis, so they can say whatever they want, but at the end of the day, they’re the ones paying for the tickets to come watch us fight, no matter what’s going on in our personal lives. Me, I’m not a guy who really listens to what the fans say, because I’m a guy that takes a lot of criticism already because of my past,” he says. “Karo’s doing what he’s doing, and I’m pretty sure he’s getting in shape, and he’s going to be in shape for this fight. If he’s not, I don’t know why he would take a fight against me, because I’m one of those guys who is very dedicated and is in the gym day in and day out. I’m not training for the last Karo Parisyan who fought in the UFC, or the Karo Parisyan before that. I’m training for the 2006 and 2007 Karo Parisyan – the dude that everybody was scared to fight. I’m ready for him to come with the best that he’s got, and I’m going to be ready to do the same.”
Ford is especially sympathetic to Parisyan’s plight because his own past mistakes are continually brought up and used against him. Having spent time in jail a decade ago for an assault he was found guilty of when he was, as he says, “young and stupid,” Ford has turned his life around thanks to MMA and has become a responsible father and a mentor to troubled youth who he spends a portion of his free time speaking with about the downfalls of being on the wrong side of the law.
“I’m just tired of people criticizing me for stuff that happened 10 years ago, but that’s what fans do, right? They’re your biggest critics. They need to look at me now, and what I’ve done with my life, and that this is what I do for my life now,” Ford says. “I fight and I look after my family. I fight because I love to fight. God has plans for me, so I’ll wait for the UFC to call. “
In spite of naysayers who point out that Ford’s colorful past will prevent him from making it to the UFC, the fact that he made something out of himself should be enough to give him the chance he deserves. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson whose 2008 hit-and-run incident made headlines around the world has spoken on many occasions about how he made ends meet as a teenager living on his own by dealing drugs. As did Strikeforce standout Lyle Beerbohm, whose remarkable 180-degree turn from drug-addicted criminal to highly-touted fighter has garnered him praise and respect from both fans and the MMA and mainstream media. All Ford wants is to be given the same benefit of the doubt and opportunity, as he should.
“I know for a fact, the UFC would sell out shows no matter what in Edmonton without Ryan Ford. But I’ve got to say that I believe that I’m the next best thing to come out of Canada since George St. Pierre. Everybody talks about all these other guys, but I’ve been in this sport for less years, and been training and fighting for less years than most of the guys in the country, and I’ve put a stamp on my name and I make sure people know who I am,” he says. “If I get a chance to fight in the UFC I can guarantee that that crowd’s going to go wild when I walk out, and when I fight.”
Until he gets that call, Ford plans to keep on keepin’ on by fighting as much as possible. With a two-fight deal in place with MMA Live and one with Aggression that will see him square off with fellow Canadian Nick Hinchliffe June 10 in Edmonton, Ford says his future looks bright, especially for fans who come to show that he’s fighting at who haven’t seen him fight.
“I’ve just been looking for opportunities to fight wherever, and the guys at MMA Live gave me the right contract and the right opportunity. I’m looking to grow my fan base as big as I can get it – market that Ryan ‘The Real Deal’ Ford brand. I hope that I have a lot of supporters that come out Thursday night and if they aren’t fans, at the end of the night, there will be a lot more,” Ford predicts. “If you can expect one thing from me it’s an exciting fight, the same as in every fight that I fight. Now that they’ve opened it up in London, I signed a two-fight deal with MMA Live, so this isn’t the only show that people in London are going to be able to watch me on. I’ll be coming back after this fight, and I’ll be making sure to put on another exciting show just like the one I’m planning on putting on against Karo on Thursday night.”
(You’re joking, right?He used a fake penis for his urine test? Doesn’t that make him gay?)
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was on MMAFighting’s The MMA Hour yesterday and he expressed his distaste with being paired up with a replacement Matt Hamill at UFC 130 when his original opponent Thiago Silva was forced off the card after being suspended for falsifying a urine test to hide steroid use.
“Thiago Silva is the type of guy I would love to fight because he has great stand up and he comes to fight most of the time, so I was looking forward to fighting a guy like that,” Jackson explained. “Matt Hamill wasn’t on my radar at all. I wasn’t excited at all. But then again, not a whole lot gets me excited.”
(You’re joking, right?He used a fake penis for his urine test? Doesn’t that make him gay?)
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was on MMAFighting’s The MMA Hour yesterday and he expressed his distaste with being paired up with a replacement Matt Hamill at UFC 130 when his original opponent Thiago Silva was forced off the card after being suspended for falsifying a urine test to hide steroid use.
“Thiago Silva is the type of guy I would love to fight because he has great stand up and he comes to fight most of the time, so I was looking forward to fighting a guy like that,” Jackson explained. “Matt Hamill wasn’t on my radar at all. I wasn’t excited at all. But then again, not a whole lot gets me excited.”
(Video courtesy of YouTube/Road2Rampage)
Hammil has been quoted as saying he plans on breaking the former UFC light heavyweight champion’s will, and in the video above, besides eating Greek twice a week, he says that he plans to do so on the feet.
Jackson scoffed at the notion.
“He’s just got to jive himself up so he actually thinks he can stay with me. If you’ve seen my fights over history, I don’t think my will gets broken too often for anybody to even say that. Matt Hamill is a great wrestler and stuff like that, but I’ve got more experience than him and I’ve fought a lot tougher people than he’s fought,” he pointed out. “He’s got a while to go before he can say he can break anybody’s will.”
He went on to tell host Ariel Helwani that he will be the one deciding the outcome of the bout and that he will do so in emphatic fashion.
“I just know that I plan to go out there and be very aggressive and very exciting,” he said. “That’s all I know.”
