There is an old saying, “when it rains, it pours.”Nothing can be closer to the truth when it comes to fight cards being cancelled if your are an MMA fan.It was announced late last night via press release that this Saturday’s Strikeforce card, head…
There is an old saying, “when it rains, it pours.”
Nothing can be closer to the truth when it comes to fight cards being cancelled if your are an MMA fan.
It was announced late last night via press release that this Saturday’s Strikeforce card, headlined by Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez vs Pat Healy, has been cancelled due to Melendez suffering a shoulder injury in training.
Healy, who found found out yesterday evening, gives the timeline of when he found out the fight was postponed.
“I found out about 9:30 PM PST,” Healy told Bleacher Report. “Matt Lindland (Healy‘s manager) called me and started talking about it. He told me he got a call from Sean Shelby (Strikeforce matchmaker) and all he knew was that Melendez tore something in his shoulder and that I wasn’t fighting. Then I read the press release about an hour and saw that the whole card was cancelled.”
A new opponent wasn’t brought up to Healy when he found out the fight with Melendez was off, but he would have still fought on the card if asked.
“If they (Strikeforce) would have given me any opportunity to fight, I would have taken it,” Healy states. “No doubt about it. If they (Strikeforce) had anybody, I would have fought them.”
This is the second time a Zuffa card has been cancelled in exactly a month and Healy felt this card could have been saved.
“I was shocked (on the card being cancelled),” Healy states. “A good card could have been salvaged. I know Josh Thomson said he would have stepped up and other guys said they would have stepped up and fought me. Even if they would have taken just my fight off the card, it would have still been a good card.”
Melendez was obviously disappointed in not being able to defend his title this Saturday and apologized to Healy for having to bow out of the fight. Healy appreciated the noble gesture.
“He texted me and said, “Hey man, I’m sorry and I’m going to heal up and we can do it for real”, Healy said.
“It was a kind gesture from him. I asked him how long he thought he would be out for and he said about five weeks. It looks like it will be a little bit of a wait.”
Healy has always been known as a fighter who likes to stay busy, and feels Strikeforce should possibly schedule an interim title fight if Melendez is out for a lengthy period of time. If that’s the case, a rematch with Thomson makes sense.
“If they (Strikeforce) did an interim title, I would be happy with that,” Healy stated. “I like to fight. I don’t necessarily have to wait for Gilbert, especially if it’s going to be a long wait. I’d be happy to get in there and fight. Josh and I would probably make the most sense, unless they (Strikeforce) brought somebody in from the UFC.”
After everything that has happened in the last 24 hours, Healy is obviously disappointed.
“I was devastated,” Healy stated. “I’ve been working so hard for this. The camp went so well. I felt this was my moment. It was all leading up to this and for it to be postponed is a huge letdown. This definitely the biggest bummer of my career.”
The life of a professional fighter is 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 victoriou…
The life of a professional fighter is 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.
The places we come from and the circumstances that surround us often play tremendous roles in the people we become. Those variables shape and bend us in various directions, but it is up to the people themselves to ultimately submit to those circumstances or rise above them.
Chris Leben has been fighting battles his entire life.
Whether those clashes play out at close distance, where violence is a fast-twitch muscle reaction away or out of the spotlight where the battle is waged in the darkness of solitude, the fight always continues.
The greater problem lies in the fact Leben has always known he is durable. Through the hard knocks of his upbringing to the wars that have made him famous inside of a cage, Leben is a survivor. The engine turns over, the sparks fly, and for better or worse, he will trudge forward through the storm.
But what happens when the rain doesn’t subside? For Leben, the choice was simple: he was either going to drown or fight harder than he ever had.
Long before he was known to the fighting world as “The Crippler,” the now 32-year-old fighter was simply a kid looking for an outlet, and one phone call change his life forever.
“I was a big fan of the UFC as a kid,” Leben told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. “I remember watching the very first UFC fights. One of my old friends always reminds me that when I was in sixth grade I was telling him I was going to be a UFC fighter.
“I wrestled in high school. After high school, if you don’t go onto college, that is the end of competition for most people. For me, about two years after high school it turns out my brother calls me and he’s selling cars out of this car lot U.S.A. Auto Wholesale. He calls me and says, ‘Hey…Matt Lindland and Randy Couture are in the back of this building beating the s*** out of each other.’ I flew down there to see for myself, and that was at the very beginning of Team Quest.
“I liked the camaraderie, seeing the same people everyday, and it was fun. But the switch kind of turned after my very first fight. I invited everyone I knew and I was super-nervous. I ended up winning and that was it, man. There was nothing else in the world that existed after winning that first fight and having that feeling. I was hooked.”
Under the tutelage of future legends and spurred on by the angst of youth, Leben hit the regional scene like a hurricane. He tore his way up and down the west coast, leaving a path of victims in his wake. On the strength of his performances, Leben began to build a name as he won 10 out of his first 11 outings.
Everything appeared to be building up to something larger. When the UFC cast Leben on the inaugural season of its new reality show The Ultimate Fighter, his childhood dream became a reality.
What came to pass on the first season made reality show history. A volatile Leben mixed with the antagonism of Josh Koscheck made the series something fans couldn’t miss on a weekly basis. It was an experience that would forever change the lives of all involved, and it’s something Leben reflects upon fondly.
“Being on the show was pretty much one of those life-changing times in my life,” Leben said. “We were filming the show and none of us knew whether or not that season was going to air or not. At that age, I certainly didn’t understand. Hell, I don’t know if any of us understood the impact that regular TV like that has.
“For my personal life, it was huge. It definitely marked that shift. People were recognizing me wherever I went in the world. As far as the UFC goes, that was my entire goal. Throughout my life, even before the show, my one goal was to make it to the UFC.”
Leben emerged from the show with a fan following and his performances right out of the gate only elevated his status. The UFC pitted him against a host of seasoned veterans to test his mettle, and with grit and determination, Leben found victory. Despite not winning the six-figure contract awarded to the show’s winner, Leben quickly proved he deserved to be on the sport’s biggest stage.
“The way they started me out was good because they put me on the Fight Nights, which were smaller shows,” Leben said. “That was good for me as opposed to throwing me into a big MGM type of pay-per-view type of event. There were only a couple thousand people there and while it was still a bit overwhelming, I think it was good for me.
“In the early part of my UFC career, I was a pretty confident individual. I think it had to do with my age more than anything. But if there was any moment when I really had that feeling that I really deserved to be here it was the victory over Patrick Cote.
“Dana came in the Octagon to shake my hand and he said, ‘Hey buddy, your stock just went up.’ Just having Dana say that to me, and having beat Cote, who we saw give Tito a run for his money. When we were on the show in the house, we watched that fight. For me to actually fight someone I’ve watched on TV, fighting on a big stage, I think that was really the moment when I realized I was where I needed to be.”
The hype behind Leben was at an all-time high, and it was a perfect match for his confidence. With brick hands and an iron chin, he was smashing through everyone the UFC put in his path.
Leben‘s streak of five consecutive victories placed him within reach of a title shot, but before he would be able to step up to the No. 1 contender slot, he would have to face a fresh face in the UFC named Anderson Silva.
“The Spider” was well known in the mixed martial arts world for the skills he displayed in the Pride organization in Japan. Silva was by all means a monster, but it wasn’t enough to dissuade Leben from taking the fight.
Stepping back just isn’t in his genetic make up, and he stepped into the Octagon ready to welcome Silva to the UFC is punishing fashion. Unfortunately for Leben, things went south quickly and ferociously.
“We knew Silva was going to be tough,” Leben said. “My head coach at the time was Matt Hume, who was the head judge for Pride, so obviously he was familiar with Anderson Silva. We knew he was going to be tough going into the fight, but at that time I kind of felt it was a big opportunity for me regardless.
“That is the only fight Matt Hume ever recommended to me not to take. But at the time, I assumed I would win. I figured I would be able to catch him at some point, and obviously that just didn’t happen. I was on such a roll. To be honest, going into that fight I really felt invincible.”
Following the loss to Silva, Leben hit a rough patch. He would find victory in only one of his next three fights and appeared to be well on his way to losing three in a row before a scoring dramatic knockout over fellow slugger Terry Martin late in the final round of their fight.
The victory seemed to reinvigorate Leben, and he punctuated the fact by earning a TKO over AlessioSakara in the first round of their meeting at UFC 82.
With two solid wins under his belt, the UFC matched him up with Season 3 TUF winner Michael Bisping. “The Count” had recently been pinned as the poster boy for the UFC’s “British Invasion,” and with their scrap at UFC 89 taking place in Birmingham, England, Leben knew he would have to do his best work behind enemy lines.
While he would ultimately come out on the losing end of a unanimous decision, the loss was not the worst thing to happen that night.
Shortly after the loss to Bisping, the news became public that Leben had tested positive for stanozolol, a banned performance-enhancing drug. For the failed test, Leben was issued a nine-month suspension and forced to forfeit a third of his fight purse.
The dark clouds began to gather above Leben‘s head. The suspension, coupled with a DUI from a year prior, began to paint an ominous picture that Leben was adrift in dangerous waters.
Leben remained out of the public eye for the duration of the suspension. He worked hard on refocusing his life and preparing for his return to the cage.
As the end of his sentence neared, the UFC announced the heavy-handed fan-favorite would face then undefeated middleweight Aaron Simpson. Leben knew he had something to prove to the world, but a personal grudge between the two fighters had Leben fired up and ready to go.
“In this sport you are constantly trying to re-invent and prove yourself,” Leben said. “At that time I felt I needed to go out and show the world I deserved to be there. I had to prove it was where I was supposed to be.
“When I went to fight Simpson he was undefeated at the time, and was also responsible for tearing out Ed Herman’s knee, who is my best friend. I was definitely motivated for the fight and when I go back and watch it, I would say it is one of my best, if not the best performance I’ve had in my career.”
Before Leben could relish the grudge match victory over Simpson, he agreed to step in to replace an injured Wanderlei Silva opposite YoshihiroAkiyama. With only two weeks to prepare for another opponent, Leben dove back into the gym. There wasn’t much time to put together a game plan, but Leben knew if it came down to who wanted it more, he was going to win that fight every time.
When the fight got underway, Akiyama immediately set about picking Leben apart. It was a high-paced affair and despite the beating he was taking, Leben managed to remain competitive. Going into the final frame and down two rounds on the judge’s cards, Leben needed a finish to earn the victory.
As the fight entered the final minute, it appeared as if all hope was lost, but with 20 seconds left, Leben sunk in a fight-ending triangle choke and secured the victory. In doing so, the Ultimate Fighter alum had done the unthinkable—defeating two high-caliber opponents less than three weeks apart.
“I felt great,” Leben admitted. “The entire thing was honestly such a whirlwind. Going into the fight with Akiyama, I didn’t have much time to think. It was almost like deja-vu. All of a sudden I was right back in camp just two weeks after my last fight.
“I suppose after the wins I could recognize it as one of the crowning moments of my career. I was pretty happy and I probably celebrated and enjoyed myself a little too much. But it was definitely good for me, my bank account, and everything else in my life.
“The one thing I will say about the Akiyama fight is that my preparation for the Aaron Simpson fight was a huge factor. I kind of feel like since the two fights were so close together, everybody always focuses on the Akiyama fight. Granted, it was an exciting fight, but honestly, I don’t feel I performed as well.
“I think part of that is due to the fact you really can’t peak twice in that short of a time period. It’s also hard to develop and execute a game plan in two weeks after you have just spent a few months training for a completely different style of fighter.
“Don’t get me wrong, the Akiyama fight was absolutely amazing. One thing I do remember is walking back to my corner and asking my coach if that submission came about halfway through the second round. He replied, ‘No Chris, that was at the very end of the third round’ and I honestly had no idea.
“Obviously it was a great fight, but performance-wise I didn’t fight as clean as I would have liked. I think honestly I could have made shorter work out of Akiyama if I would have had a full camp to prepare for him.”
Pulling off the amazing feat put Leben front and center in the spotlight. He was the man of the moment and once again seemed poised to climb the divisional ladder.
This, of course, didn’t slow Leben‘s love for the fast lane down as he was once against arrested, this time for suspicion of driving under the influence following an incident were he crashed his truck. Leben was released after posting bail and returned to his regular regiment.
With the spotlight burning hotter, his status still on the rise, and Leben still firmly positioned in the fast lane, he was quick to accept his next fight against the heavy-handed Brian Stann.
With the entire buzz surrounding Leben‘s amazing back-to-back victories over Simpson and Akiyama, the fans wanted more of the unique brand of violence Leben had to offer. It was something he fully intended to deliver, but the circling storm that had been closing in for years was finally catching up to him.
Rather than the clench-toothed, fired-up Leben the crowd was used to seeing, a drawn out and sluggish fighter entered the cage instead.
In his typical fashion, Leben attempted to go toe-to-toe with the decorated Marine, but quickly found himself crumpled on the canvas at the end of a Stann flurry. It was a humbling moment for a fighter who had spent a career depending on a cast iron chin that suddenly wasn’t there.
“My hat’s off to Brian Stann; he’s an amazing competitor,” Leben said. “I hate even talking about this. Prior to the fight I was backstage and they called my name for me to be on deck and I was in the bathroom on the toilet having diarrhea and puking between my legs. I was trying to warm up and couldn’t get a sweat going. I had the cold chills and when I went out there, things just weren’t the same.
“The punches didn’t feel right and I’m not sure if it was because of the dehydration or not, but there were a lot of other things going on leading up to that fight which came together to get me sick. That ultimately reflected in my performance.”
The loss to Stann put Leben down, but not out. His spirits were low, but when Joe Silva called to offer a bout with his long-time hero Wanderlei Silva, the fire was reignited inside. He once again hit the gym with new-found determination, and come hell or high water, he was going out there to give his idol everything he had.
Leben did just that, leveling one of the most dangerous fighters in the history of the sport in just 27 seconds.
“When I got the call from Joe Silva and found out I was going to be able to fight Wanderlei Silva, I literally broke down in tears,” Leben said.
“When I found out I was slated to fight Wanderlei Silva, that to me was one of those moments in my life where it all came together. I grew up watching this guy, idolizing him, and that fight hit me like wow, I’m really here and this is real.
“Knowing these things gave me the drive to prepare. That and the fear of a coma gave me the motivation to train harder than I’ve ever had before. I went out there, got the job done and it felt amazing.”
The impressive victory over Silva once again put Leben back into the mix in the middleweight division. He was open to all comers and the UFC paired him with Mark Munoz in the main event of UFC 138.
This appeared to be another step in Leben‘s run to the top, but when the bout got under way, it became painfully clear the unhealthy version of “The Crippler” had shown up to fight. After suffering a cut in the second round, the fight was waived off, and Leben was handed the eighth loss of his career.
Several weeks after the loss to Munoz, Zuffa released information that Leben had failed his post-fight drug test due to a mixture of prescription painkillers. The news once again cast Leben into the darkness, and the one-year suspension he was handed placed him in purgatory. But rather than wallow in self-pity, Leben used the situation as the catalyst he needed to seek help.
“When the news of my failed drug test went public, it was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to me,” Leben said. “It’s no secret I’ve had a lot of battles in my personal life and with basically fighting for over 10 years without ever taking a break off, I developed a pretty strong habit for pain medicine.
“Not only did it help with the pain, but I was also self-medicating for anxiety. I had a lot of issues and it’s kind of hard when you grow up the way I grew up and the next thing you know you are thrown in the public eye.
“I had some personal relationships that hit me and damaged me pretty hard. Because of that, over the past few years I really developed a habit for pain medicine. In hindsight, looking back it was all self-medicating because I was having a difficult time living in my own skin.
“What happened happened, and my performances in my fights showed I wasn’t healthy, physically or mentally. Dana White, the Fertittas, and Joe Silva were all so awesome. Obviously I got suspended for a year and it has been hard trying to balance everything financially, but the UFC helped get me into a rehab. Me taking that time to get away from everything, go to rehab and counseling, and now it’s gone full circle.
“Now I go to a youth correctional facility every week. Every Tuesday I’m up there for a couple of hours working with the kids, and I’m working very hard to speak out against prescription medicine abuse and drug abuse in general; overcoming some of the issues I’ve dealt with in my life and what are the right and wrong ways to handle those things.
“Where I’m at now, the person I am now, I can actually look in the mirror and be comfortable. Had my issue not come out and been public, who knows what would have happened? I certainly know my career would have been cut a lot shorter and my life would have only gotten worse.
“Now my life is 100% sober and things are better for me than they’ve ever been regardless of the fact I’m broke and I’ve had to deal with a lot of people saying less than nice things about me. Honestly, being able to take care of this issue has meant everything. The UFC recognizing I have a problem and I’m not a bad person, helping me take care of that issue is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
Following the announcement of his second positive test, parts of the UFC fanbase voiced their opinions on how the organization chose to handle the situation. Where other fighters seemed to have been released on far lesser charges, Leben was seemingly getting opportunity after opportunity.
It is a situation Leben certainly isn’t blind to, but rather than dwell in the negative, he chooses to be thankful for the organization giving him the opportunity to get sober and return to being the type of fighter fans want to see.
“The UFC has every ground to cut me or kick me out,” Leben said. “They’ve been the best organization and stood behind me and for that I’m grateful. To be honest, I’ve asked myself that same question and the only thing I can say is thank God there are people behind me. It just shows me not everybody in this world is out to get you. There are people who have my best interest at heart and they are out to just be good people. It’s an amazing feeling truly and honestly.
“It is hard when you live a life where every move is dissected. Nowadays I don’t get on the Internet. I don’t read interviews. When my students come in the gym and try to tell me about what someone has been saying about me, I tell them I don’t want to hear it. I don’t care because that’s not part of my life.
“What you think about me is none of my business. That is the standpoint I’ve had to take on things of that nature. After rehab and counseling and self-work, I’ve really realized what is important to me and what’s not important. My wife manages my Facebook and my Twitter for the fans, but if you don’t have my number and you don’t know where my gym is, I probably don’t need to talk to you.”
In the time away, Leben invested heavily into digging deep into his soul to find out what was at the root of his problems. In the case of most addicts, drugs are a way of covering up a greater problem and this is certainly true in Leben‘s case. He knows there is still so much work to be done, but he has a foothold on the path that will continue to lead him towards peace of mind.
With the darkened skies beginning to clear, a ray of hope broke through when the UFC announced Leben would be returning to action later this year at UFC 155 against KarlosVemola. It was the perfect reward and came at the perfect time for a man who has dug down deep to battle his demons, and is once again standing tall.
“It’s so exciting to be coming back,” Leben said joyously. “I think I’m already driving my coaches nuts. I want nothing more than to just be training every minute of everyday. When I run into people I haven’t seen in a while, they always tell me that I look one or two weeks out from a fight. They say I don’t look like that out-of-shape, unhealthy-looking Chris Leben we are used to seeing three months out from a fight.
“Hearing that, finally having a date, and after everything I’ve been through this past year, it’s awesome. I’ve had so much time to look back and reflect to realize just how much I love this sport. To realize just how much a part of my life it really is. Now I have a date and I’m going to be able to get back in there to compete and showcase my skills. For me, where I’m at, I couldn’t be happier. I’m so excited.
“The best is absolutely yet to come. Where I’m at right now I’m pretty much crushing everybody. In the nicest way possible, everybody who used to give me a hard run for my money, I’m crushing them. Normally it would be a few weeks out from my fight when my coach has to bring in extra people to alternate rounds but we are already doing that.
“I feel the time off and change of lifestyle, instead of taking a pill and training through the pain; I’ve really been working hard. My strength and conditioning coach has me working on my flexibility and range of motion. I’ve been working on my body mechanics getting massages and acupuncture. I honestly feel 10 years younger. I just can’t wait to get in there and see what my performance is going to be like.”
Over the course of 19 fights inside the octagon, Leben has given fans around the world a reason to love the sport. He is a fighter who comes to meet his opposition in the middle of the cage. In a flurry of fists and heart, he is willing to find out who is the better man and who wants it more.
Leben knows that warrior is still inside of him and if the circumstances arise, the instincts that made him a fan favorite will once again arise.
“I would like to tell people they are going to see a leaner, more in shape, more technical, more mature fighter but if this guy whacks me really hard we’ll see if I don’t just revert to the old style where I’m standing in the pocket and throwing heavy.
“I wouldn’t exactly say I’m comfortable standing in the pocket and at close range. But it is just something that is in me. Everyone reacts a certain way when they get hit but for me, that fight or flight mode is different. Something clicks when I get whacked where I just start swinging and I hope they fall own before I do.
“As far as fighting goes, I really draw from my corner and my camp. The people that are around me and are in my life are very special to me. When I get in there to fight, I always remind myself, even though I’m the one in the cage and everyone is watching me, it’s just not as simple as me versus my opponent.
“There are a lot of people who had to make a lot of sacrifices and had to put a lot of effort into helping me out. When I fight, I’m scared to let them down. I know how hard they worked and I want more than anything to get a victory for the people who stand behind me.”
Through the shadows and back to fight another day, Chris Leben is a man who no longer fears the road ahead. Now, he simply looks to enjoy every moment, every step of the way.
The definition of an underdog is a competitor thought to have little chance of winning a fight or contest. That is the role that UFC featherweight Marcus Brimage has dealt with his whole career.
Brimage looks to defy the odds again as he squa…
The definition of an underdog is a competitor thought to have little chance of winning a fight or contest. That is the role that UFC featherweight Marcus Brimage has dealt with his whole career.
Brimage looks to defy the odds again as he squares off against Jimy Hettes tonight to kick off the FX portion of UFC 152, which starts at 8 p.m. ET.
The man known as “The Bama Beast” has been overcoming the odds to succeed his entire life and knows what he has to do to buck that stigma.
“I played football and played nose guard in high school,” Brimage told Bleacher Report. “I had 107 tackles my senior year. “Being an underdog is nothing new to me. I’m always underrated. My coaches tell me that means I’m moving up the food chain since I’m always the underdog. I don’t want to be the guy whose supposed to win. That means I’m not advanced and I’m not moving up. I’m always going to be the underdog until I’m the champion.”
Confidence is something Brimage was lacking due to what happened in The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 and being the first guy to lose in that season. Now in the UFC and with a victory over Maximo Blanco at UFC 145, in a fight people thought Blanco would easily win, now the confidence is back in Brimage.
“In The Ultimate Fighter, I was the first person to fight and I lost first,” Brimage stated. “It was just about being more confident because now I’m in the UFC. The first time (at UFC 145) I was like, “do I belong here?”
“The victory over Blanco felt orgasmic. It was like, “ahh in your face.”
“If I had the time, I would have liked to find everyone that said that (having no chance to win) and would have been like, “haha” and just leave.
“I’m slowly getting used to being the underdog. I’m slowly getting used to the hate. It’s the same scenario with this fight (against Hettes) as well.”
His opponent tonight, the 10-0 Jimy Hettes, looked impressive in his debut at UFC 141 as he defeated Nam Phan via unanimous decision. Brimage was impressed with Hettes’ performance and is expecting a great fight.
“I think his judo is pretty cool with the way he was tossing Nam Phan,” Brimage stated. “He seems like the polar opposite of me. He’s very aggressive, always putting the pressure on. He does the pressure with his wrestling and I put the pressure on with my striking. It’s going to be a great clash.”
UFC 151 will go down in history as being the first event under the Zuffa umbrella that was cancelled. It was cancelled due to Dan Henderson, who was scheduled to square off against Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship suffered a pa…
UFC 151 will go down in history as being the first event under the Zuffa umbrella that was cancelled. It was cancelled due to Dan Henderson, who was scheduled to square off against Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship suffered a partially torn MCL in training.
Then former middleweight title challenger ChaelSonnen was offered the fight against Jones. Sonnen accepted the fight, but when Jones was presented the fight, he declined. After Jones decided to turn down the fight, the UFC cancelled the card.
A lot of the fans were very upset at the cancellation, and that included a lot of the fighters that were supposed to fight on the card. Some fighters on the card have had their fights pushed back to far as December. Charlie Brenneman was one of the fortunate guys who didn’t have to wait to long to get back into octagon.
The welterweight returns three weeks later than originally anticipated as he will face Kyle Noke on the preliminary portion of the card this Saturday at UFC 152. The Brenneman vs. Noke fight can be seen on Facebook, starting at 6:30 PM ET.
It didn’t take Brenneman too long to figure something was up when he received a few curious messages.
“I was working out that morning at nine and then at noon,” Brenneman told Bleacher Report. “I got done with the noon workout and was getting ready to eat my meal. I saw that I had a couple missed calls, which is never good. One was from my brother and the other one was from my manager. Then I received a weird text and I put two and two together. I found out about an hour after everyone else did.”
Brenneman was in complete shock and utter disbelief at first, but after thinking about everything, he knew everything would be okay.
“My immediate reaction was disbelief,” Brenneman stated. “I couldn’t believe it. Then almost immediately, I thought myself, ‘crazy stuff has happened before and this is another step in the journey,'” Brenneman said.
“I was surprised on one hand, but at the same time I immediately thought, ‘I can sort of believe this happened,'” Brenneman said. “I just had to stay even keeled and realize one way or another, this is going to work itself out.”
Fighters across the board have said if they were in Jones’ exact situation, they would have taken the fight regardless of who the opponent was. You can add Brenneman to the list.
“I would have completely, hands down, one million percent said I would have accepted the fight,” Brenneman said. “I mean, you’re the best. If the rules were reversed and Jones was on his honeymoon and they (UFC) wanted him to defend his belt and he wasn’t training, then yea that would have completely made sense (in turning down the fight).”
Some people have said they have lost respect for Jones, but Brenneman isn’t one of them. He just doesn’t respect the decision the champion made.
“I have respect for a lot of people,” Brenneman said. “Those people have done good things and bad things. It balances itself out that way. I can’t say I don’t respect Jon Jones because he is the best in our industry. I just don’t respect his decision (of not fighting Sonnen).”
The fans only see the fighters when they are in the cage, making personal appearances, etc. They don’t see the blood, sweat and tears that go into preparation for a fight. Brenneman is grateful to be fighting so soon after the cancellation of UFC 151, but personally he would have preferred to fight three weeks ago.
“Fight wise, I’m of the lucky ones because I’m fighting Saturday,” Brenneman said. “To be honest, this gave me a full eight week (training camp), which is a typical camp for me. I would have had only about four and a half weeks to train for UFC 151. It may help me in that aspect, but I would have preferred to fight at UFC 151. I felt as great as I ever had.”
“From a personal standpoint, people don’t realize that this is my life. I had plans for September 1. The money I was going to make, I had to completely abort because of what happened and now fighting four weeks later.”
Jimy Hettes is walking proof you don’t have to look dangerous to be dangerous.The 25-year-old doesn’t come equipped with bulk, a mohawk or tattoos, but what he does possess is a slick set of skills which have created nightmares for his opposition thus …
JimyHettes is walking proof you don’t have to look dangerous to be dangerous.
The 25-year-old doesn’t come equipped with bulk, a mohawk or tattoos, but what he does possess is a slick set of skills which have created nightmares for his opposition thus far in his young career. He’s carried his undefeated record on the regional circuit into the UFC and with two solid showings inside the Octagon, a buzz is starting to build.
Hettes made his debut in impressive fashion, submitting TUF alum Alex Caceres in Milwaukee then dishing out a proper drubbing to Nam Phan at UFC 141. During the bout with Phan, Hettes opened a brutally accurate ground-and-pound clinic throughout the fight and when the judge’s scorecards were read (30-25, 30-25, 30-26), they were a proper reflection of the lopsided affair.
He was slated to return to the Octagon in June, but an injury forced him off the card. Hettes is now set to face Marcus Brimage this Saturday at UFC 152. “The Kid” is ready for battle and feels their difference in styles should create an interesting matchup.
“Stylistically, Brimage and I are complete polar opposites,” Hettes said. “He likes to keep it standing and using his wrestling in reverse. I’m more of a grappler who uses his wrestling offensively. It should definitely be a great fight because you have two totally opposite styles clashing.
“Marcus has strong power in his hands. His footwork is good and he has solid defensive wrestling. When he does get taken down he is very good at getting back to his feet. This fight is going to be a testament to see if I can overcome his abilities.
“If fans want to see a great fight where two polar opposites are going at it then tune in. Marcus has a ton of muscle. I look like I’m 12 years old but we are going to go out there and put on a good show.”
When it comes to fight night, Hettes makes no secret about wanting to take the action to the ground where he will look to implement a crafty submission game. Those skills are further highlighted by his particular fashion of ground and pound, which has been some of the best in recent memory.
“I think I have some kind of MMA ADHD,” Hettes said. “I can’t stay still for long. As much as I’d love to hold someone down and eek out a decision, I can’t. I have to keep the hands going and get my opponent moving from position to position. I really try to keep a high pace.
“Ground and pound is my go-to thing. It’s something we work on a lot at the gym. It’s where I feel comfortable. When I get into a fight, a lot of times the game plan just goes out the window. When I’m able to get the fight to the ground where I can really open up, that is where I really feel at home.”
In order to push himself to the next level, Hettes is willing to make sacrifices. When he’s not training in Pennsylvania he is mixing it up in New Jersey with former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and BJJ ace Ricardo Almeida. While the workouts are intense, the light-hearted camaraderie between the fighters creates the perfect environment for Hettes to excel.
“Progress is a big key but I think a lot of fighters burn themselves out,” Hettes said. “Training three times a day can not only wear your body out, but your spirit as well. At our gym we have fun. We bust each other’s balls and we are always laughing. Those Jersey boys they have a different style. They make fun of me because they think I’m a redneck from PA. I don’t always get their style but what are you going to do?
“It’s great because we get in great training, but we have fun in the process. That makes you look forward to training the next day. It’s not where you wake up and it’s something you have to force yourself to do. Our training is fun and you want to be there. I’m getting more comfortable in my career. I’m learning to keep my anxiety down and making the cage my second home.
“Frankie is the man. It’s a blessing to be able to work with someone of his caliber on a daily basis. It’s a great thing to have. Now that Frankie [Edgar] dropped down to 145 pounds, I think he is going to beat Jose Aldo and become the new champion.”
Hettes has all the makings to become a future star in the UFC and he takes the hectic world of professional fighting in stride. This is work to Hettes, and he knows the level in which he is currently competing will only get tougher the further up the ladder he goes. Hettes is excited for the future, and is thankful to everyone who has helped him out along the way.
“I would like to give a special thanks to everyone surrounding me this fight,” Hettes said. “I’d also like to give a big thank you to my sponsors InstaLoans.CA, Smart Stop Self Storage, Punishment, Hayabusa, Microtech, MGR Construction and KOreps.”
In the UFC, things are rarely simple these days. Fighter injury has created chaos at every turn, forcing entire cards to be reshuffled and divisional pictures to be slowed to a crawl.It would be easy for fighters, especially surging contenders, to beco…
In the UFC, things are rarely simple these days. Fighter injury has created chaos at every turn, forcing entire cards to be reshuffled and divisional pictures to be slowed to a crawl.
It would be easy for fighters, especially surging contenders, to become frustrated, but Johny Hendricks doesn’t allow himself to get wrapped up in things he can’t control. Instead Hendricks plunges deeper into the grind, knowing the hard work of today will bring him closer to the ultimate goal of holding championship gold.
Becoming a UFC champion has been the one constant on his mind since he made the decision to become a professional fighter. With his upcoming fight with Martin Kampmann at UFC 154 set to decide the next contender to the crown, Hendricks has the opportunity to take one step closer to making his dream a reality.
“I believe a win over Kampmann gets me the title shot but I’m looking forward to proving it,” Hendricks told Bleacher Report. “I have to prove I want that belt. People always say if you think about becoming a champion too much it will cause you to overlook people. I disagree. I think about it every day. I’ve dreamed about it for the past four years or going back to when I started this.
“I didn’t think I’d be any good at MMA but I still dreamed that one day I could be a UFC champ. All that does is provide more fuel to the fire and make me push to become that much better. Going out there and winning the belt is the only thing that matters.”
The former Oklahoma State wrestler is no stranger to accolades. Hendricks won two national titles during his collegiate career and has parlayed his talent and work ethic into a solid start in MMA.
“Big Rig” has found success in 14 out of his first 15 fights. On the strength of those performances, he has solidified himself as a top contender in a revitalized welterweight division. Hendricks has steadily picked up momentum during his climb, but it was his two most recent victories over upper-tier staples Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck which have cemented Hendricks’s place amongst the divisional elite.
While Hendricks is proud of his achievements thus far, he’s on a mission to prove he’s the best welterweight in the world.
“Nothing is ever given to you and you have to earn everything,” Hendricks said. “That is the way I was raised. I want to go out there and earn it. That is what I’ve been doing this entire time. I’m trying to put myself in the position where I can earn that opportunity.
“The good Lord blessed me with a lot of things and the only thing I have to do is wake up and train. Knowing that is pretty amazing. I see plenty of people who still have to go out there and work a full-time job on the side of their fighting career. I’m ecstatic to be where I’m at in my career but I’m not satisfied. Nobody cares who you are until you get that belt.”
Following his win over Koscheck earlier this year, Hendricks believed he was going to be next in line. But due to the injury to champion Georges St. Pierre and the UFC instituting an interim title into the mix, the traffic atop the division came to a grinding halt. The situation ultimately pushed Hendricks to the sidelines where he was forced to wait for the action to resume.
“I think things stalled a bit in the division but I can’t blame Condit for the choice he made,” Hendricks said. “I was standing on the sidelines but when people started calling out Kampmann, I had to step up and say something. I believe I’m the number one contender outside the Interim belt and I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. I figured GSP would be back sooner but he wasn’t and things kind of turned into a crap shoot.”
When Hendricks received word he would be fighting Kampmann at UFC 154, everything began to fall into place. He could now see his road to the top, and mixing it up with a tough opponent the likes of Kampmann has Hendricks fired up.
“I’m looking forward to this fight with Kampmann,” Hendricks said. “He’s a tough opponent. I know the guy so I’m pretty excited to see how I do against someone I know and have trained with. That’s thrilling to me. For some reason I’ve always wanted to fight someone I know and see how I overcome those challenges.
“In the past, Kampmann’s opponents have overlooked him when he gets into the Octagon. They do very well against him in the first round but the first round doesn’t mean anything. You see it time and time again. He gets beat up a bit in the first round and his opponent will get over-confident. Next thing you know Kampmann is getting his hand raised. That’s one thing he does very well. No matter how the fight is going, he is always in the fight.
“Nothing excites me more than knowing the guy I’m facing is coming out there to fight. That is absolutely Kampmann’s mind set. My past couple fights have been that way. I know the guys I’m facing are going to bring the fight. That’s exciting to me. You know you are going to be in front of someone who really wants to fight you. It’s not always that way. Sometimes you get in with someone and you really don’t know if they want to fight you. When it happens that way it can quickly turn into a boring fight. I don’t have to worry about that with Kampmann because I know it’s going to be a great fight.”
A Hendricks victory at UFC 154 should put him in the position to be staring down the barrel of his long-awaited title shot. Several weeks ago the only factors in the equation were the 170-pound fighters involved, but now there is talk of a St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva showdown if GSP gets past Condit. Hendricks certainly understands the appeal but doesn’t believe the weight class is by any means cleaned out.
“If the same guys who are at the top of the division now are the same guys St. Pierre has already fought; I can understand him venturing out,” Hendricks said. “Now there is a new wave of guys who have made it to the Top 5 and I believe if I beat Kampmann, GSP should have to stick around. He has never fought me before and it is an interesting matchup. I also understand the entertainment side of the sport and why people talk about super fights, but I really can’t worry about any of that.
“After my fight with Kampmann, maybe then I’ll start worrying about it. Right now that super-fight talk doesn’t mean anything to me because if I don’t win, then who cares?”
While Hendricks’ wrestling skills are matched by few in mixed martial arts, it has been the power in his hands which has made the difference as of late. In a division where the majority of the action takes place on the canvas, Hendricks has displayed one-shot put-away power. His big left hand is a force to be reckoned with and the power is on his side every time he steps into the cage.
“I do my power is a big advantage in this weight class,” Hendricks said. “Every fight I’m in I know I’m one punch away. No matter what the situation, I’m one punch away from finishing it. It could be the third round and my corner is telling me I have to knock this guy out; I know I don’t have to go out there and rush. I have to stay calm and focus on hitting someone as hard as I want to.
“You can’t over-think or be over-confident that you can’t be taken down. If you watch some of my fights I’ve been taken down. For example in the Koscheck fight, I shouldn’t have thrown that knee. I should have backed away and thrown an uppercut but I saw a window to throw the knee and he was able to get a take down off of it. Even though you think you are a better wrestler, all it takes sometimes is one take down and you could get finished on the ground.
“You can prepare all you want for a fight but as soon as the bell rings; everything changes. It all takes a different shape where everything you’ve worked on and done to prepare might change in an instant. You might do something a little different and throw your opponent off in some sense where he doesn’t move the way you anticipated. You have to go out there with a bunch of different game plans and just see what happens. You have to live for the moment, be present in the moment, and be ready to capitalize on whatever opportunities come your way.”
As Hendricks continues his journey through the sport, he makes sure to appreciate every minute of the ride. He takes the time to appreciate the fans because he knows it is the fans who make everything in his life possible. Hendricks approaches every interaction with new-found excitement. He believes it is the relationship with the UFC fanbase which will push the sport to greater heights.
“I think interacting with the fans is a big part of what makes the sport grow,” Hendricks said. “We don’t have to be these brutes people once believed we were. We don’t have to be those people to sell tickets. Nowadays you see a lot of guys fighting who have college educations. They are educated but they didn’t want to spend their lives sitting behind a desk. I have a college degree and I didn’t want to live in an office with a 9 to 5 job. I was young, knew I still wanted to compete and fighting was the path I chose. That is what I see is the biggest difference.
“Fans are starting to get to know the fighters and not just wanting to see brutal fights. Not only that, but the press is getting so big on it, you guys in the media are giving us the opportunity to show people who we are. People are getting to see us on a different level and not just as guys who go in a cage and beat people up.
“I have children and I want them to be able to look back on my life and know I was a nice guy. I want them to know their father was genuine and wasn’t afraid to go out of his way to help someone out. I live that way because I that’s what I want them to be. I want them to be humble and to do that I can’t be out here doing one thing and teaching them another. What good is it if they can look up the things I did and it was opposite of what I taught them?”
Outside of his impressive record and talents displayed in the cage, Hendricks has recently gained notoriety in another aspect. The welterweight contender has sported one of the most tremendous beards in recent memory. It is quickly becoming his calling card and fierce as it may be, Hendricks uses the beard to signal his start down the warpath towards Kampmann.
“The beard will be there on fight night,” Hendricks laughed. “As soon as I found out I was fighting Kampmann and started training, the beard started growing. I’ve been training for awhile but it’s difficult when you are in the gym but don’t know who you are preparing for. Now I know and the fun is about to start. The beard is growing and I can’t wait to showcase it.”
The life of a professional fighter is filled with uncertainty; their successes and failures play out in the public eye for all to see.