When something gets taken away from you once, you feel sad, but you might get over it pretty quickly.But when the same thing is taken away from you twice, you might be a little more impatient to get it back again.In the case of Strikeforce middleweight…
When something gets taken away from you once, you feel sad, but you might get over it pretty quickly.
But when the same thing is taken away from you twice, you might be a little more impatient to get it back again.
In the case of Strikeforce middleweight Lorenz Larkin, that sentiment is an understatement. Larkin was scheduled to face middleweight champion Luke Rockhold on a Strikeforce show on November 3, but Rockhold had to bow out due to a wrist injury.
According to a report from The MMA Corner, Rockhold has suffered an injury to the same wrist and will not be able fight Larkin at the January 12 Strikeforce event.
However, it took a little while though for Larkin to find out that Rockhold was injured.
“I always find out stuff out over the Internet or get a text,” Larkin told Bleacher Report. “I got a text early this morning from a friend saying Rockhold got injured. I woke up and was like, “What are you talking about?”
“I look on the Internet and stuff starts popping up. I got a hold of my manager and then he got a hold of Zuffa. They told him that he (Rockhold) pulled out of the fight with a wrist injury.”
After talking to his manager, Larkin was naturally disappointed.
“It is extremely frustrating,” Larkin stated. “You are scheduled to fight somebody two times and it doesn’t happen. Now you can possibly be in a situation where there is going to be a last-minute replacement or you aren’t fighting. It sucks. That’s the part of fighting I hate.”
Rockhold has suffered a variety of injuries in his five-year career that have forced him to take substantial time off. That includes a shoulder injury that caused him to not fight from February of 2010 to September of 2011.
With the wrist injury canceling the fight in November and now the one on January 12, Larkin feels that Rockhold isn’t mentally tough enough to be a fighter.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to hate on the guy, he (Rockhold) gets paid,” Larkin stated. “He gets good money. That guy gets $100,000 to fight. When you’re comfortable like that, these types of breaks don’t really matter to that guy.
“Taking eight months off or just not fighting, declining a fight or even just being able to be like, “I don’t feel like fighting.”
“He’s in that position where he can do it because of the money he gets from whatever sponsors pay him a month. He’s in that opportunity. I don’t think Rockhold is mentally tough. I don’t think he still has that hunger that the smaller guys have that aren’t getting the good money. They can fight just to fight.
“Anybody who’s in this organization doesn’t fight just to fight. They fight because they get paid. It is those guys that love to fight, that if they weren’t in Strikeforce or in MMA, then all of these guys would have been locked up because they would be fighting.”
Rumors have been running rampant that the January 12 Strikeforce event could be the last show, after which the fighters from Strikeforce would go over to the UFC. Larkin feels that Rockhold and the people around him are reluctant to face him, as they don’t want Rockhold to potentially enter the UFC with a loss.
“At first (when Rockhold got injured before the November 3rd show) I was thinking I wouldn’t put nothing past him,” Larkin stated. “I was really cool about it. I wasn’t really angry after everything was said and done.
“But now it is like, I wouldn’t say he’s scared, but I think he has too much to lose. If everything happens with Strikeforce and we do go over to the UFC, I just feel like it is a cop-out. He (Rockhold) doesn’t want to fight because potentially he could come into the UFC with a loss. Him and his camp don’t want to do that.
“It is a risk he doesn’t need to take, and I’m pretty sure his camp and managers are telling him, ‘Take the fight for what reason?’
“It’s one of those things where everybody knows he’s going to the UFC. Everybody knows at least which Strikeforce guys are going to the UFC. It’s one of those things where on his side it is like for what, why fight, risk it and lose the belt, go in and not have no bargaining room? Or don’t fight, go in (the UFC) with the belt and have all the bargaining room.”
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.
Sam King is quickly earning a reputation as being something of a quick starter. In less than a year since King made his amateur mixed martial arts debut, the Regina product is undefeated in three bouts—including a stunning first-round knockout an…
Sam King is quickly earning a reputation as being something of a quick starter.
In less than a year since King made his amateur mixed martial arts debut, the Regina product is undefeated in three bouts—including a stunning first-round knockout and two impressive first-frame submission victories.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, King, a standout wrestler while at Archbishop M.C. O’Neill High School in the Queen City, emphasized that he isn’t surprised by his early success in the world of mixed martial arts.
“Not at all,” the 21-year-old featherweight offered when asked if he was surprised by the success that he has found in the sport. “I spend time in the gym—I’m there every day. I work hard. I’m not surprised by the success—I’ve been putting the time in for it.”
“Sam puts in the time. He’s at the gym every day,” Miles Anstead, an undefeated professional mixed martial artist who has trained with King for much of the past two years, noted earlier this year.
“Sure, he’s definitely a natural, but he puts in the time … He’s a very committed guy.”
King is confident that he will add to his resume and bolster his reputation at Saturday Night Fights 6—where he is to take on Alberta’s Ian Odland in the card’s main event in Regina on Dec. 1.
King is hoping for another fast finish—“I want fights to go as quick as they can,” he offered with a laugh—but he is adamant that all that matters is picking up another victory regardless of how long it takes.
“Ideally, my hand will be raised,” the always confident King said with a slight laugh. “If it lasts two rounds then I’ll be in it for two rounds. We train for longer than two rounds at our gym.”
Ed Kapp is a Regina, Saskatchewan-based freelance journalist. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations were obtained firsthand.
One of the best things about being around UFC event week is that you never know who you’ll run into from the mixed martial arts world.Ray Sefo, K-1 kickboxing legend and now president of new MMA promotion World Series of Fighting, was in…
One of the best things about being around UFC event week is that you never know who you’ll run into from the mixed martial arts world.
Ray Sefo, K-1 kickboxing legend and now president of new MMA promotion World Series of Fighting, was in Montreal to help in the corner of UFC 154 competitor and top welterweight Martin Kampmann.
Sefo is a class act and was gracious enough to chat with me about a few things in the MMA world.
Sefo and WSOF are coming off a successful debut show, held on November 3rd in Las Vegas, and I wondered what he thought of the fighters’ performances in that show.
Oh, I couldn’t praise my fighters enough because they all came and delivered. That night it became a reality. In other words, we had knockouts, we had submissions, we had fights that went the distance, we had controversial decisions. You know it just made it all real, you know what I mean, so I was really pleased with my fighters. I have a lot of respect for them and I thank them for bringing everything on that night.
I wondered if his fighting history gives Sefo an advantage in attracting fighters to fight for his promotion, because they may feel more comfortable and respected compared to a promotion run by a businessman.
That’s what I’ve been told and that’s what I’m hearing which is great, because my biggest job is to make sure the fighters are looked after ,and not saying that some of these other guys who never fought haven’t done that, but you don’t understand the experience or the pressure unless you’ve done it.
All I can say is that I will do the best I can that the fighters in the WSOF, their needs will be met. Obviously it works both ways just like any other relationship, we’ll scratch your back if you scratch ours, you know.
The first WSOF event was a pretty good one, and as Sefo said, it produced a bit of everything for the MMA fan. Was the president able to sit and enjoy it or was he running around dealing with issues when the lights came on?
I was enjoying the show. The great thing about it was, again, I can’t thank my team enough because from PR to publishing to the team in the office to production, everybody did their job, and when everybody does their job, I don’t have to run around like a crazy maniac.
He laughed, and then added:
We were all really pleased with the outcome of the night.
One of my favorite Canadian fighters, The Score Fighting Series featherweight Chris Horodecki cites Sefo as his favorite fighter of all time. I asked Sefo about the future of a young fighter like Horodecki, who has come under tough times outside the cage and is looking to climb his way back to the top of the sport.
I love Chris. Chris is a great kid. He is a great talent. I think sometimes you gotta take a step back to take ten steps forward. As long as he understands that a little setback is a blessing in disguise, and he’s still young, like, so young, yet he has so much experience and I think it’s just a matter of time until he bounces back to that top level.
I wish him all the best. Like I said, he’s a great kid.
Talking with a fighting legend and class act like Ray Sefo was certainly the highlight of my week.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and guest blogger for Sportsnet.ca UFC. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first hand.
The lives of professional fighters are filled with uncertainty; their successes and failures play out in the public eye for all to see. When the cage door closes and the battle of wills begin, it becomes a matter of opportunity. One walks away victorio…
The lives of professional fighters are filled with uncertainty; their successes and failures play out in the public eye for all to see.
When the cage door closes and the battle of wills begin, it becomes a matter of opportunity. One walks away victorious, the other defeated, the outcome sometimes determined by only the slightest of margins.
What happens under the bright lights is what the fans are left to debate, but rarely are they given a glimpse into what it takes to make the walk to the cage in the first place.
This is what the climb looks like. This is The Fighting Life.
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Change is a constant in the life of a professional athlete. Whether it is the city-to-city jump of the free agency era or the progression of the sport itself; modern athletes must be able to quickly adapt to shifting tides.
There is little doubt mixed martial arts is a more insulated environment in comparison to the major sports which currently rule the landscape, but this does not mean fighters aren’t faced with similar obstacles.
In fact, inside the cages of MMA, circumstances tilt in the blink of an eye. Decisions made under fire can produce phenomenal results or become the catalyst to a downfall that plays out in devastating fashion.
UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub has a unique perspective when it comes to the peaks and valleys of professional sports. He invested years pursuing the dream of becoming a professional football player and eventually reached the NFL as a member of the Buffalo Bills practice squad.
But when the momentum of his career began to dwindle, Schaub left the gridiron behind and started down the path to become a mixed martial artist.
The Colorado native has experienced first-hand just how unstable the floor beneath can be when you are attempting to make you way in an ever-changing environment. He knows what it feels like to look in the mirror and realize something you’ve worked your entire life to achieve, is no longer a path you can travel.
Those situations provide a unique blend of adversity impossible to measure by any standard. That being said, those are also the gut-check moments that provide Schaub the confidence to proceed without fear. The 29-year-old not only understands there are going to be setbacks along the way but embraces them for the lessons they provide.
“Here is the thing, man,” Schaub told Bleacher Report. “The most successful people I know, whether it is a quarterback for the New York Jets or a Forbes List-ranked CEO, have all experienced failure in their lives. The guys who succeed have at some point failed in what they were trying to do. It’s going to happen. All you can do is learn from it and move on.
“You can’t dwell on setbacks. If a quarterback throws an interception or makes a bad decision, as long as he learns from that and moves forward, he is going to be just fine. The guys who can’t find the lesson to learn and make the same mistakes, those are the guys who won’t last long.
“I’m a successful person. I feel like I could go into any situation and become successful because I’ve been competing all my life. That being said, I’ve lost before, man. I’ve lost big. But in the bigger picture I’ve won more than I’ve lost, but I make sure to take something away from every time I’ve come up short. I take those lessons and move on. It is all a part of the growth process for me.”
For Schaub, the process he speaks of has come fast and furious. He has only been competing professionally just north of four years. Over that time, he has gone from a former football player competing on a UFC reality show to potential title contender to a fighter attempting to stop the backslide of consecutive losses.
His career as a mixed martial artist hit the fast track following his time on The Ultimate Fighter. On the program’s 10th season, Schaub found himself mixed into an eclectic group of fighters, all with varying levels of experience.
He would battle his way to the finale but ultimately come up short in his bout with Roy Nelson. The loss to “Big Country” was a disappointment for Schaub, but he appreciated the experience of being able to compete amongst on one of the most unique seasons of TUFto date.
“A lot of guys who have been on the show talk about the stigma of being a reality-show fighter but I didn’t feel that way,” Schaub said. “When I was on the show it was different because our season was filled with monsters and guys with a lot of experience outside the UFC.
“I’m not saying the competition level is watered down now because there are a lot of talented guys, but our season was different. We had guys like Roy Nelson who is a former world champion. Mike Wessel and Scott Junk both fought in the UFC previously, and our season was a unique mixture.
“The Ultimate Fighter is normally for guys who are up and coming or guys who have three or four professional fights looking to make a name and get that contract. My season was a little different.
“There were some of us who only had a handful of fights under their belt and there were others who had competed in the UFC before. I think a lot of us came off the show more credible than past seasons because the level of competition was higher.”
“The Hybrid” refused to dwell on what went wrong in the Nelson fight and immediately set about getting back into the Octagon. He wanted to get things moving in a positive direction and two first-round stoppage victories over Chase Gormley and Chris Tuchscherer helped him gain his footing.
But while the victories were a solid boost towards the goals he was looking to accomplish, Schaub didn’t feel his time in the cage was yielding the type of test he was desperately seeking. In order for him to reach the next level, Schaub needed to face tougher competition and he set about making that happen.
“Right after the finale, I get Chase Gormley and Chris Tuchscherer,” Schaub said. “I beat both of those guys in under a minute but that didn’t do anything for me. The fans liked it and the UFC liked it, but as a fighter, I didn’t learn anything from those experiences. After Tuchscherer, I asked for a bigger name in my next fight and the UFC gave me Gabriel Gonzaga.
“With Gonzaga, you can still see it to this day, the guy is a monster. That guy is an absolute nightmare. Going into that fight, I remember thinking to myself that this was going to be the fight where I find out if this sport is truly for me. I was eager to find out if I was actually going to be something in this sport or if I was just going to be another guy. Beating Gonzaga answered a lot of those questions for me. The fight wasn’t even close and I was able to put a striking clinic on the guy.
“After winning that bout, the UFC gave me Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ [Filipovic]. He is a childhood hero of mine and that was my first real fight inside the Octagon. It was a bloody back-and-forth and I ended up knocking him out late in the third round. That was the first fight where I had to use wrestling and other aspects of my skill set and I learned a ton from that fight.
“Those were both great learning experiences for me. I really felt as if I was starting to grow as a fighter and wanted more. Then I called out a guy like Nogueira and that was a huge test for me. When you look at other fighters who have the amount of experience I have, they aren’t jumping in there with these monsters of the sport. “
Following his victory over “Cro Cop” at UFC 128, Schaub’s stock in the UFC rose to new levels. His name began to appear in talk for potential title contention and was possibly a victory or two away from getting a shot at UFC gold. Looking to keep the momentum rolling on his rise to the top, Schaub sought out a fight with former Pride and UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Both men agreed to the fight and the action went down at UFC 134 in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil.
From the opening bell, the leather flew as both men traded heavy punches. Schaub had success early as he found a home on the MMA legend’s chin, but the tide ultimately turned in “Big Nog’s” favor as he backed Schaub into the cage where he scored a knockout. The loss brought all of Schaub’s momentum to a halt. But despite the setback, the opportunity to fight one of the most decorated heavyweights of all time in his home country, was an experience he found positives in.
“Every day, I’m around guys like Shane Carwin, Nate Marquardt, Georges St. Pierre, and Rashad Evans,” Schaub said. “I’m surrounded by the best fighters in the sport. These guys are world champions and I want to be on that fast track. I want in on this special club. I want to be where those guys are at. That is the reason I call out these huge names. I want to be at the top of the sport because I’m surrounded by guys who are there. I see it every day and that provides crazy motivation to reach the level they are at.
“I kind of put my career in hyper-drive in an effort to get myself to the top in the quickest way possible. The downfall is that I don’t have the same experience as a lot of these guys I’m fighting but I’m learning as I go. I’m young in this sport and I see every experience, whether it works out in my favor or not, as an opportunity to learn. Fighting Nogueira in Brazil was crazy for me. It was an awesome experience.”
Following the loss to Nogueira, Schaub once again found himself eager to get back into the win column. That opportunity arose in a fight against Ben Rothwell at UFC 145. In the bout, Schaub attacked Rothwell from the opening bell, landing heavy shots that backed “Big Ben” all the way across the Octagon.
With his opponent dazed and victory seemingly just seconds away, Schaub rushed in for the finish and was caught with a big shot, and the fight ended shortly after.
In a matter of seconds inside the cage where crucial mistakes were made, Schaub suddenly found himself in the uncomfortable position of being on the outside looking in at the divisional elite. For a fighter who had put so much emphasis upon getting to the top of the heap, the slide in position was the most difficult aspect for Schaub to deal with.
In order to swing the momentum back into his favor, it was going to take the type of fight that carried both high risk and reward. Fortunately for Schaub, he was able to find that in knockout artist Lavar Johnson and they will throw down at UFC on Fox 5 on Dec. 8 in Seattle, Wash.
“In every fight, I feel as if my back is against the wall or I could be fired,” Schaub said. “But that is why my fighting style is the way it is. I put on exciting fights and I don’t want there to ever be a fight where people can look back on my career and say, ‘man, that Schaub fight was boring.’ That is not my style and that is why I have the fans I have. I also think that is why the UFC appreciates me the way they do.
“Is there a lot riding on this fight with Lavar? Hell yeah, man. I’m not that naïve to say there isn’t pressure riding on this fight but good things happen to good people. All I can do is train hard, bring my A game, and put it all on the line.
“I think a lot of guys in the heavyweight division are scared of Lavar. He might be the hardest-hitting fighter in the weight class but that is why I called him out. If Lavar and I reach into our tool bags I think he’ll bust out a hammer and maybe a screwdriver. If I bust into mine I have one of those crazy Swiss Army knives and all sorts of tools. That is going to be the difference in this fight. I’m a mixed martial artist and he’s a boxer.
“This fight is for the fans. I’m not going to let them down. The first thing I think about is my family and the fans. When I lose a fight, that feeling of letting everyone down is heavy. I know they want it as bad as I do and this fight is for them. He is going to have to kill me to get me out of the Octagon. I got this one and I’m not going to let anyone down.
“I’m still relatively early into my career and I’m learning every time out. Against Ben Rothwell, my inexperience showed. I rocked him then came in kind of lazy and I paid dearly for it. I’m learning and once I get it all down; I’m telling you, brother, it is going to be a fun ride.”
As his MMA skills continue to evolve, Schaub has also traded the cold Denver weather for an ocean view in Los Angeles. The decision to relocate came from the opportunity to train in the Orange County area, a location considered by many to be the Mecca of American MMA.
Schaub splits his training time between Mark Munoz’s Reign Facility and rolling on the mats with Ryron Gracie at the Gracie Academy. On any given day, some of the best fighters in the world stroll through those gyms and Schaub is excited to learn as much as he can whenever the opportunity arises.
While the benefits of training in Los Angeles have proven perks, when it is time to fine-tune the final stages of his training, he returns to Denver to get into fight mode.
“I live full-time in L.A. and train with Mark Munoz at Reign three or four times a week. It’s about an hour drive up there that I make. The rest of the time when I’m in L.A., I’m at the Gracie Academy with Ryron Gracie. I do my everyday training in Los Angeles and then about five or six weeks out from a fight, I come to Denver and train with the usual suspects.
“I came to L.A. because I needed a change. I kind of put things in cruise control when I was in Denver where I was just going through the motions. I had to address that because it’s not my style. When I say ‘camp’ there is no ‘camp’ for me. This is a lifestyle.
“I could fight this weekend if the UFC asked me to. I’m always in shape, always ready to go, and when I come to Denver, it is to get into that fight preparation mode that’s different from my everyday training. Coming back to Denver is my way of flipping that switch.
“Out in L.A., there are so many different guys to work with and so many different coaches. Training with guys like Mark Munoz and Ryron Gracie every day is crazy. It’s beautiful out there and everything is gorgeous. Personally, I need to be near the water. I hit the gym and train every day, but in a way, going to the ocean helps me clear my head and provides an escape from the grind of training. The ocean helps me disconnect and get away when I need to.”
With the hectic grind of training and the recent rough patch he is experiencing in his career, keeping a positive perspective is crucial for Schaub. Assisting him at every turn is roommate and close friend Tim Tebow. The former Denver Bronco turned New York Jet has experienced one of the most meteoric rises in the current era of professional sports and has remained positive despite the setbacks he’s had to deal with.
“You are who you surround yourself with,” Schaub said. “Tim is one of the most positive, hard-working individuals I know. He’s super-focused, determined, and always looking at the positives in every situation. That is why our friendship works.
“I don’t think I would have made it as far as I have if I didn’t have total belief in myself. There is no one who believes more in me than me. I know I can do this. I know I am going to be the UFC champion one day and it’s only a matter of time. There are going to be bumps in the road, setbacks I have to deal with, but I have learned from the mistakes I’ve made.
“Even in this recent rough patch, things haven’t been that negative around me. They certainly could have been because this sport has a way of focusing on the negatives, but the fact things have remained positive is a testament to the fans I do have.
“If you have haters and people that doubt you means you are doing something right. I’m the most positive person there is. I think the vibe I give out attracts other positive people and I believe that is the main reason I don’t receive all the negative attention.
“Have I made some mistakes in my last two fights? Hell yes, I have. Do people realize I have talent and there is a lot of potential there? I truly think so. I really feel this is the reason fans stick by me. “
At the end of the day, when Schaub assesses everything he’s been through up to this point, it all comes down to the quality of the journey. He knows all the talk of potential and best-laid plans can and will change in the blink of an eye. It is because of his own unique personal experience that he makes sure to appreciate every step along the way.
Schaub knows what it is like to be standing on the other side of the fence and he uses those memories to push further, to work harder, than he ever has before.
“What a lot of people don’t know or may be shocked to find out is five years ago I was that super fan,” Schaub said. “The first UFC was in my hometown of Denver, so I’ve been a fan of the sport since the beginning. I went to a Mr. Olympia show and the UFC had a booth there. I’ll never forget that day because Wanderlei Silva, Josh Koscheck, and Forrest Griffin were there signing autographs.
“I waited in line for over two hours to get an autograph from them. I was the super-fan. I know what it is like to be on the other side of the rope and if you have a bad experience with a fan, it’s a bad thing. They are who makes the sport one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
“We have amazing fans in the UFC. They will wait two hours in a line. I know exactly what they are feeling because not too long ago I was in their shoes. I know what it is like to meet one of your favorite fighters. To be able to shake their hand, get an autograph, and they appreciate you. I’ll always make time for the fans because they make this thing special. It will always be my style.
“It’s totally surreal for me. I know people say it is cliché, but if you set your mind to something and believe it is possible, you can achieve it. I know that sounds corny, but I’m living proof it is possible. A few years back I was in line waiting for autographs, but I took the athletic ability I have, trained my butt off, and now I’m the one sitting at the table signing autographs.
“Someday people are going to look back on my career or at my fight record and say, ‘Remember when Schaub lost to Nogueira and Rothwell? Man that’s crazy.’ People are going to look back at those fights and see they were my launching pad to becoming a UFC champion.
“I’m telling you, man, the changes I’ve made have everything clicking. I’ve taken this time to recognize the mistakes I’ve made and make the adjustments. This is going to be the launching pad to a crazy career inside the Octagon.”
Sam Stout is ready to gain his footing in the UFC lightweight division. As a seasoned veteran in one of the organization’s most competitive weight classes, “Hands of Stone” has faced a path filled with peaks and valleys. Every time the 28-year old Onta…
Sam Stout is ready to gain his footing in the UFC lightweight division. As a seasoned veteran in one of the organization’s most competitive weight classes, “Hands of Stone” has faced a path filled with peaks and valleys. Every time the 28-year old Ontario-native has managed to gain momentum, a setback has followed in some form or fashion.
Following the roughest year of his life where he lost mentor, coach and close friend Shawn Tompkins, Stout has not only regained his focus as a professional fighter, but is ready to push ahead in order to take his career to the next level.
His first step back onto the right track came in his trilogy bout with Spencer Fisher at “UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida” in Atlantic City. With their first two throwdowns going the distance and each fighter claiming a victory apiece, the final installment was winner take all. For Stout, the fight meant more than simply closing the door on his battles with Fisher, but finally moving in a positive direction after a year of dark times.
Stout displayed a diverse attack in the trilogy’s final three rounds. In addition to his usual style of “stand and bang”, he found success in the wrestling department, as he took Fisher down time and time again throughout the fight.
When the final bell sounded, Stout found victory on the judge’s cards. It was the step he needed at the perfect time, and with Mark DellaGrotte in his corner, Stout felt his confidence return.
“I was definitely feeling more comfortable in that fight,” Stout told Bleacher Report. “Having Mark DellaGrotte in my corner was a big confidence booster. That is something I always had with Shawn Tompkins because I had a lot of confidence in him. I knew he knew what he was doing. I knew that every fight I went into he had already played it out in his mind a million times and thought about it as much as he could. Having Mark in my corner was a big help to my confidence and I think that showed in my last fight.
“There are some world class wrestlers in the division and guys who have come from great wrestling pedigrees. It’s something I’ve really been working diligently on for the past few years. In my last fight against Spencer Fisher I decided to kind of throw it into the mix. I’ve been telling everyone for a long time I’ve been working on my wrestling and going out and using it in my last fight has really given me a lot of confidence in that department. I’m feeling really good about it now and fans can expect to see more wrestling out of me for sure.”
The next opportunity Stout will have to display his improved skill set will come this Saturday night when he steps into the Octagon to face Tri-Star product John Makdessi at UFC 154. Where “The Bull” got off to a quick start in the UFC, he has struggled as of late, and Stout believes having logged more time on the sport’s biggest stage will factor heavily into the matchup.
“I believe experience is a big thing in this game,” Stout said. “I believe it 100%. Being prepared is one of the biggest things you can do in a fight. I don’t believe he is going to bring anything I haven’t seen before. I’ve watched all his fights in the UFC, really studied him, and I’m coming in with a good game plan. I think the difference in our experience is going to show in this fight.
“John is predominantly a stand-up fighter. I don’t believe he has anything I’ve never seen before. He is good, tricky, and throws a lot of interesting techniques with spinning backfists and spinning back-kicks. He throws stuff I’m typically used to seeing on a day-to-day basis but I think I’m going to have an answer for anything he brings to the table.”
While the fight with Makdessi will hold no bearing on the current title picture, it doesn’t stop Stout from setting his sights at the top of the division. For the past seven years he has competed in the 155 pound weight class and believes the time has come to make his run towards the top. Stout understands what it will take for him to get there and that it is a journey taken one step at a time. The next obstacle on his path is Makdessi, and Stout intends to bring more to the cage than the Montreal native can handle.
“I’m bringing a really diverse game plan,” Stout said. “It’s not just going to be standing and trading for three rounds. I know fans love those fights but it’s about me maturing as a fighter. I’ve been trying to do that and I really want to keep John Makdessi guessing. I want to confuse him and that’s what I plan to do in this fight.
“I’m 28-years old, and while that is still young, I’ve been fighting for the UFC for seven years now. I believe I’m just now starting to come into my prime and it’s time for me to make that title run. I can’t afford any losses on my record.
When you have doubts about yourself, the best way to overcome those doubts is to face them head on. Johny Hendricks had that problem in his fight in May with Josh Koscheck. That doubt is now gone, as he heads into UFC 154 in the co-main …
When you have doubts about yourself, the best way to overcome those doubts is to face them head on. Johny Hendricks had that problem in his fight in May with Josh Koscheck. That doubt is now gone, as he heads into UFC 154 in the co-main event against Martin Kampmann in a pivotal welterweight bout.
UFC 154 takes place this Saturday night from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and the main card airs live on pay-per-view starting at 10 p.m. Eastern.
Questions were surrounding Hendricks when faced off with former welterweight title contender Josh Koscheck at UFC on Fox 3 in May. Was Hendricks’ knockout victory over Jon Fitch in twelve seconds at UFC 141 a fluke? Could he win another big fight? Hendricks put all of those questions to rest, as he defeated Koscheck by split decision. The Oklahoma native feels more relaxed for this fight than the Fox show.
“I feel more relaxed now than the Fox show because I knew that fight (with Koscheck) could be a number one contender’s fight and Josh was a tough opponent,” Hendricks told Bleacher Report. “I knew he was a good wrestler and had knockout power. That’s scary going into a fight like that. I knew it was going to be a battle. I never get nervous.
“With Josh though, it was a little bit different. I knew he had just changed gyms, knew he was going to train harder and wanting to win that much more. I knew that I had to prepare myself for the best Josh Koscheck. I was wondering if I was ready for that next step in my career. I needed to test myself with Jon Fitch. Now that I got to test myself against Josh Koscheck, I’m like, “Ok, now I’m ready for that next step.”
With the Koscheck fight done and having reflected on the fight, Hendricks felt Koscheck was a litmus test to prove he can hang at this level.
“Everything is a test in my book,” Hendricks states. “Everything is a challenge. Kampmann poses a lot of challenges, but I’m not as worried about him as I was against Josh. I didn’t know if I was ready. You believe you are doing everything right. Your doing this and your doing that and all of a sudden it comes to be that time, you sort of question that.
“You ask yourself, “Am I ready for that next level? “
“You get that victory and your level of confidence gets turned up a little more. You start to believe in yourself that much more and then you start training that much harder. You know that you are one step away from a title shot. I keep pushing myself and the next thing you know I am about to fight on the same card as Georges and Carlos.”
Martin Kampmann is on a three fight winning streak having defeated Rick Story, ThiagoAlves and Jake Ellenberger to get to this fight. Hendricks feels Kampmann got lucky along the way, but knows the Las Vegas native poses a lot of problems.
“He (Kampmann) was lucky to submit ThiagoAlves,” Hendricks states. “If the fight would have went to the judges’ scorecards, Alves wins the fight. Kampmann‘s a tough fighter. You have to put him out. You can’t make those mistakes against him. You saw with Thiago and saw that with Elllenberger. They had him hurt and they tried to do something else.
“With Kampmann, you have to make sure every punch counts. Don’t start flurrying, make every shot count.”
With all of that being said about Kampmann, the former four-time All-American collegiate wrestler from Oklahoma State feels Koscheck is a tougher fight than Kampmann.
“I think Koscheck was a heck of a lot tougher opponent,” Hendricks states. I know Kampmann‘s tough, don’t get me wrong. I’m training though like I’m fighting Josh again. I have trained with Kampmann, but never fought him. So I trained like I just got done with the Koscheck fight. That’s how I am training for this fight with Kampmann.
“Then after this fight, if I win, I’ll be training like I did for this fight for GSP or Condit.”
No decision has been made whether Hendricks/Kampmann will determine a number one contender to face the winner of the main event between Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit. There has been speculation that if St-Pierre wins, a superfight with middleweight champion Anderson Silva will take place. Hendricks doesn’t know what will happen if he’s victorious, but feels different things could play out for whoever wins the fight.
“There’s a couple different ways you can look at it,” Hendricks states. “What if the UFC tells me, “Johny you aren’t ready for GSP. We will give you a little time off to prepare for GSP as he fights Anderson Silva.”
“The UFC can also if Kampmann wins, “We don’t want to give Kampmann this title shot just yet as well.”
Hendricks feels the main event is going to come down to how healthy St-Pierre’s reconstructed knee holds up and Condit‘s takedown defense. “Bigg Rigg” doesn’t know who is going to win, and really doesn’t know who will emerge victorious. All he is focused on is winning against Kampmann and getting a shot at the belt.
“It’s tough decision right now because I don’t know how GSP really is feeling,” Hendricks states. “We don’t know how Carlos Condit‘s takedown defense is. It has probably gotten better, but it really depends on GSP‘s knee. If it has gotten better like I think it has, then he is going to take Condit down.
“If he is not going to be able to take him down, then I think Carlos Condit has the better standup.
“I don’t have a preference on who wins the main event. I just want a shot at the belt. Whoever has the belt, that’s who I want to face.”
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.
When something gets taken away from you once, you feel sad, but you might get over it pretty quickly.
When you have doubts about yourself, the best way to overcome those doubts is to face them head on. Johny Hendricks had that problem in his fight in May with Josh