Tag: Interviews

It’s been less than two months since Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche broke down barriers inside the Octagon, and this weekend at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale, the next wave will step up to take their time in the spotlight.

Former Strikeforce bantamweight champion Miesha Tate will square off with Cat Zingano to determine not only who gets the next title shot at 135 pounds, but who will also fill the coaching role opposite of Rousey on the next installment of the reality program.

While two coveted prizes are awaiting the winner, there is more than the spoils of victory at stake. The “Ronda Rousey Show” delivered on all fronts as the bout with Carmouche was action-packed, but more importantly, the pay-per-view numbers came in higher than many expected.

That being said, the critics of women competing in the UFC are still hovering overhead, and that makes the upcoming bout between Zingano and Tate all the more important.

If two of the top bantamweight female fighters in the sport come out and put on an excellent fight, the show will undoubtedly roll on with force. On the other hand, if the two women involved fail to produce an exciting scrap, the progress could stand to lose tremendous momentum.

To put it simply: Everything involved in this situation brings pressure. But Zingano thrives off moments when the chips are down, and she’s ready to make a proper introduction to the UFC fanbase.

The undefeated Colorado-based fighter is fully aware of what is at stake, but believes this is the one thing she was destined to do. In fact, becoming a UFC champion isn’t her only goal; she is in pursuit of greatness.

“It’s a huge compliment to be chosen for this opportunity,” Zingano told Bleacher Report. “I’ve worked very hard and I’m definitely the right girl for the job. I’ve been training my entire life for something like this.

“As a child, I never knew exactly what it was, but I knew I was meant to be great at something. I’m not average. I know what I bring to this sport, and any sport I’ve ever competed in, has been more than what the average person brings. I’m really happy this is the sport that took for me.

“I’ve been involved in many different sports in my life and every time: I came, I saw, I conquered. I did well in every avenue I traveled. With the other sports, they all eventually fizzled out. But with MMA, I’m constantly learning new things and there is always a new challenge.

“I’m improving daily and I have personal goals I am meeting all the time. The matches are a challenge of will vs. will, and to me there is no better competition than that.

 “It’s pretty interesting because I almost feel like I’m in my own TUF tryouts,” Zingano added.”I’m fighting someone and the result could potentially put me in the fighter house and could potentially earn me a title shot. In a weird, roundabout way, it is almost like The Ultimate Fighter because there is something to look past to beyond this fight.

“The only difference is that I refuse to look past this fight. I’m looking at Miesha dead on. I’m taking her very seriously. I know there are added bonuses and prizes to be won if this fight goes well, but nothing will take my eyes off her.

“I’m excited about the opportunities available, but I know in order to get to any of those I need to get through this fight successfully. I don’t want to just be successful, I want to be extraordinary. I want to be amazing and everything will happen the way it’s supposed to.” 

Outside of the main event of UFC 157, Zingano was one of four other women announced as the next round of contract female fighters added to the organization. The promotional push given to the newest faces under the UFC banner immediately came with high expectation, a circumstance which multiplied drastically following the Rousey vs. Carmouche fight.

While this scenario creates a different element of an already pressure-filled situation, Zingano feels there is a separation between her and the rest of the women on the UFC roster. And while a portion of the weight of the moment rests on her, Zingano believes her end goal is far different than the rest of her peers.

“This whole thing is about a personal accomplishment to me,” Zingano said. “I’m not trying to be famous and I don’t want my face on a Wheaties box. I’m really out here because I want to be the best at what I apply myself to. This is what that is.

“Will I be sad if the women’s division dies out? Absolutely because I believe we all worked hard together by putting on great fights in order to get us this far. However, I will feel accomplished I fought hard and made it to the UFC.

“I’ll know I worked hard and cut no corners to get where I’m at. I trained my ass off and I’m absolutely content with the life I have lived and the relationships I’ve built because of joining this sport. Life will go on for me no matter what.

“I’m excited that there are people who are supportive of us and I appreciate them. For the people that dislike what we are doing and don’t want us here; that’s their prerogative. I’ve lived through this before.

“Women didn’t belong in men’s wrestling when I was younger. I’m used to seeing both sides of the coin. It’s something I’ve built some really thick skin with over the years, and I really want to go out and represent the women of this sport to the best of my capability.

“I do this for fun,” Zingano added. “It’s these other girls who have something to lose. It’s really just something that is really enjoyable to me. This is my 12th fight including my amateur career. I have experience but my real experience comes from the other matches I’ve had in different aspects of my life.

“To look at a record and to see how many I’ve fought compared to how many times my opponent has fought, I really don’t see how that develops a standard of who a fighter is.

“If you consider the amount of matches or combative situations I’ve been in throughout my lifetime; this is just another form of that. I have a lot of experience and I have a lot of confidence in myself.

“I know sticking true to myself that I’m going to go out there and wow the people. I always have done that. The best part is hearing the crowd cheer and I’m looking forward to hearing that on Saturday night.”

For her first assignment inside the Octagon, Zingano will be facing one of the most recognizable names in WMMA. Miesha Tate is a former Strikeforce champion and is seasoned to competing on the the biggest stages available for female fighters in mixed martial arts.

“Cupcake” brings an aggressive and smothering wrestling style into the cage where her tenacity has been the foundation of her success thus far. That being said, in the moments where Tate has struggled have come when her opponent refuses to allow her to dictate the pace of the fight.

This is exactly the type of heat Zingano intends to bring to Tate on Saturday night and she believes it will cause her opponent fits inside the Octagon.

“All I have is push,” Zingano said. “All I have is moving forward. That is something I often have to apologize to my coaches afterwards because we work weeks and weeks and weeks on game plan and strategy that actually never pan out.

“I’m always apologizing for not listening, but the door closed, they said go and I blacked out. My animal instincts kicked in and figuring out how to win the fight is what happened. Whether they told me to try standing or to go to the ground; it all comes down to how my body decided to react.

“One thing I can always count on is that my heart is always saying, ‘Go, go, go.’ My heart tells me to get there first and to take the fight wherever I want to. I don’t like to wait to see what other people do. I like to get after it, dictate the action and have complete dominance. I think those things are definitely not in Miesha’s favor.

“It’s not even a mental choice of mine. It’s something that naturally happens. It’s just in my blood. We’ll see how it goes, but if I show up myself that night, she’s going to have a lot to deal with. I’m definitely a threat to her style.”

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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The MMA community may be putting Uriah Hall on a pedestal and donning him the next great thing to hit the UFC, but there is one fighter in particular who isn’t prepared to accept that reality.

Kelvin Gastelum is going to do everything in his power to ensure he steals the show this Saturday at the TUF 17 Finale in Las Vegas. And underdog or not, the 21-year-old knows the only thing standing between him and a UFC contract is the lights out striking of Hall.

In fact, if you’ve followed the story lines of this season of The Ultimate Fighter, the Yuma-based Gastelum was the underdog from jump street. He was selected to be a member of Team Sonnen and earned his way into the house by defeating Kito Andrews in the preliminary round.

While his first fight went to the judge’s cards, it would be the only bout of the tournament to do so. With his place in the competition intact, Gastelum set about smashing his way towards the six-figure contract at the end of the road.

All throughout the tournament, Gastelum pulled upset after upset until he secured his place in the finals by defeating Josh Samman. And while he doesn’t quite understand why so many have overlooked him, Gastelum has his biggest opportunity yet to shock the world, and he plans on seizing the moment this Saturday night.

“I’m definitely looking to make another upset,” Gastelum told Bleacher Report. “I don’t know why people keep underestimating me. I have proved them wrong time after time, but it is what it is. This is going to be another great fight and another upset.

“I put the motivation and all the pressure on myself because I really want to win this UFC contract. I want to be The Ultimate Fighter and derail the Uriah Hall hype-train.”

While Gastelum‘s journey through the tournament was impressive, in comparison to Hall’s run it was relatively silent. With every trip into the Octagon, the New York native produced highlight reel material as he disposed of his opposition in brutal fashion.

Hall’s elimination-round knockout of Adam Cella looked more like an execution, and the video footage of the brutal finish hit made headlines at every major MMA media site. The moment appeared to have a ripple effect on the opposition to come as Hall’s next two opponents appeared to be trigger shy and timid once they entered the cage with Hall.

Gastelum recognizes where Hall’s past opposition were beaten before they stepped in to fight, and promises this won’t be the case when the cage door close this weekend in Las Vegas.

“The guys that he fought weren’t there mentally or prepared physically,” Gastelum said. “They didn’t bring the fight like I’m going to. The plan is to keep the pressure on him and get right in his face. This is going to be a war because I’m not going to go down and he’s not going to go down. This is going to be a battle of wills and we are going to see who wants it more.”

Regardless of what happens at the finale on Saturday night, Gastelum will always have the unique experience of being on The Ultimate Fighter under his belt.

As a member of a season being heralded as one of the best in the series history, Gastelum was able to train and be mentored by a fighter who proved to have amazing coaching chops in Chael Sonnen.

While the fighting this season certainly delivered, Sonnen‘s job guiding his team of young, up-and-coming fighters was definitely one of the highlights of the experience for Gastelum. 

“Chael should win an award for ‘Coach of the Year,” Gastelum said. “It was great working with him. I was a huge fan of his before I went on the show and had a chance to meet him. It was an honor to work with him and his team.”

“It was awesome to be a part of, and Chael really brought the team together. He made it more of a team environment which made the experience that much better.”

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

Lead photo courtesy of MMAOddsBreaker.com.

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Brian Stann is approaching a crossroads in his mixed martial arts career.

The 32-year-old former Marine and Silver Star medal recipient has been trading leather inside the cage for the better part of a decade, garnering acclaim for his knockout power and tenacity along the way. While the former WEC light heavyweight champion struggled to gain traction under the UFC banner after dropping down into the middleweight division, “The All-American” worked his way to contender status in the 185-pound weight class.

Stann made his way up the divisional ladder by winning three consecutive bouts, two of which came by way of stoppage over the likes of Chris Leben and journeyman Jorge Santiago. Unfortunately for the Pennsylvania-based fighter, that momentum would come to a halt in his next outing against Chael Sonnen at UFC 136 in Houston.

Despite getting back into the win column by knocking out Alessio Sakara in his next showing, Stann would see his position in the upper tier of the middleweight division fade as he suffered back-to-back losses to Michael Bisping and Wanderlei Silva.

While his most recent bout against “The Axe Murderer” was an instant classic and “Fight of the Year” candidate, another notch in the loss column was a difficult blow for the ultra-competitive Stann to handle, and has brought him to a place in his career where a decision has to be made.

That being said, Stann believes there is plenty of time to assess the future of his mixed martial arts career. And while those decisions will undoubtedly come in the future, Stann has shifted his focus to the here and now, which is his position as an analyst for the UFC for the promotion’s events on Fox and Fuel TV.

Since joining the broadcast team, Stann‘s easy presentation and educated delivery has been warmly received by the UFC fan base. He will resume those duties this weekend when UFC on Fuel TV 9 kicks off from Stockholm, Sweden, where he hopes to deliver another solid performance. 

While the role is certainly a departure from mixing it up with the world’s best fighters inside the cage, the position presents plenty of interesting challenges for Stann.

“I take the preparation for this job very seriously,” Stann told Bleacher Report. “What I look for when I’m breaking down a fighter is how to convey what is happening in a fight, or what I think is going to happen, in a manner the fans can understand. At the same time, I want to do it in a way that will help to educate the more casual fans who don’t understand that much about technique.

“It kills me when I watch certain fights and I hear fans booing. Or you are in a place and you hear someone say a fight sucks because you know it is actually a great fight. I’m watching it and know it’s going back and forth like a chess match and I want to educate the fans so they can find some of the more technical fights more enjoyable because they will be able to understand what is happening.

“The part that I find most challenging in the entire process is to ensure that I don’t insult any of the fighters you are breaking down. Of course when you are talking sports it never should be that way. But let’s be honest. When you get to this level of the sport and you are fighting in the UFC; you take it very personal. When you hear somebody breaking down your skills, saying you aren’t that good in a certain aspect, no fighter can help becoming a little bit resentful.

“I think that is important because anyone who gets to this level is obviously one of the best in the world at their craft. I think they should be recognized as that. I think there is a way to analyze and breakdown fighters and be honest about their skills while still being respectful.”

In the realm of mixed martial arts, a fighter can develop and progress his skills on a day-to-day basis through rigorous training inside the gym. The conditions are a bit different on the broadcasting side of things, and in some cases, fighters can be a bit shaky when they take up the analyst role.

In that regard Stann hit the ground running. And while he has never had any formal television training, he believes his military career provided all the preparation he needed.

“It hasn’t been that difficult getting used to working in front of a camera,” Stann said. “I certainly can’t say I’m a natural or anything. But I think the reason it comes a little bit easy to me in that regard is because I’ve had to do a ton of public speaking throughout my career in the military.

“The Naval Academy is basically a leadership factory and you are constantly having to talk in front of a crowd. Obviously being a Marine Corps officer every day is public speaking. When you are in command of hundreds of Marines and constantly giving presentations, I think I have a lot of experience in that field and that made it an easier transition when coming into broadcasting and analysis.”

When Stann steps on set to work analysis for UFC on Fuel TV 9, it comes just north of a month since his most recent fight against Silva. Stann squared off with “The Axe Murderer” in an epic, back-and-forth scrap for the ages, with Silva earning the second-round TKO victory.

In his post-fight interview, Stann told Jon Anik he was going to take some time to think about his future in the sport. And while several weeks have passed since the tilt, Stann is in no hurry to determine his future in mixed martial arts.

“I’m probably right in that same status as I was following the fight,” Stann said. “I have a few lingering injuries but I’m still in the gym helping guys train and doing some coaching as well. It’s difficult and I think it is important to disconnect as a fighter because you can make rash and emotional decisions in the moment.

“You see it where a guy will say he’s done fighting or he’s taking time off, but then he’s right back at it. For me, there are a lot of things for me to weigh out. There have been a lot of changes in my life in the last two years. Having to change training camps, not because I wanted to, but because of family issues. My wife is pregnant with what will be our third child and there are a lot of things going on in my personal life where I need some time away from fighting. Time away from training intensely to focus on the things I need to focus on and I will make a decision from there.”

“It was very difficult,” Stann added when he described trying to balance his emotions after the fight. “Even my wife couldn’t understand it when she heard me talk about the fight. It really is nice when fans come up and thank you for putting on a great performance, giving that much effort and saying they were really entertained. That really does mean an awful lot to me.

“But people will say there are no losers in a fight like that and I will remind them that actually there are. I have another loss next to my record and I didn’t get my win bonus. That’s money that is not in my family’s bank account and money that is not going towards the financial goals that I have for my family. Trust me, there are losers in fights like that.

“I haven’t found any more comfort than I would naturally just because it was an exciting fight. A loss is still a loss. I’m glad I was able to put on the type of performance the UFC expects from people they put in main events. That was important to me. When you book me in a main event, that meant something to me and there was no way I was going to go in there and be conservative.”

Whether Stann‘s future involves several more performances inside the Octagon or a career sitting at the broadcast table, he will approach his profession with full focus. 

“I’m not going to commit my name to something and not have it be done 100 percent,” Stann said. “Whatever I do, I go all out and do it with everything I have. But I’m not rushing any decisions. Some times you just need to step away from the fight game and take a break. I’m going to spend some time with my family and let the chips fall, but there is no way I’m going to do anything without giving 100 percent.”

 

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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