Nijem told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour” that it was his pride that got in the way, and that, along with a Ferguson left, saw his dream of being a TUF champion go out the window.
“It wasn’t nerves as much as my pride got to me a little bit,” Nijem said of his knockout loss to Ferguson. “Tony’s a really good striker, hits hard and has good head movement. People said, ‘You’ll get knocked out if you stand with him,’ and the critics were right on that. I just learned from that to play to my strengths and not play to their strengths.”
Nijem (4-2, 0-1 UFC), who trains at The Pit Elevated camp in Utah along with TUF 11 champ Court McGee, made his reputation in the TUF house as a fun-loving competitor who would go to just about any length for a laugh – including disrobing, leading to his “Stripper Ramsey” nickname catching on. He said bringing a relaxed attitude to his fight game should help him get back in the win column – but if it doesn’t, he can live with it.
“I’m a much better fighter when I’m just out there having fun,” Nijem said. “As long as I’m just out there for the right reasons, I’ll be successful and won’t have any regrets after the fight. If I execute my game plan and still lose and have fun, that’s all I can expect out of myself.”
Nijem fought at welterweight on Season 13 of TUF, but for his UFC 137 fight Saturday against Danny Downes (8-2, 0-1 UFC), he drops back to lightweight. It’s a weight he believes will be beneficial to him because of his size.
The Palestinian-American fighter, who wrestled collegiately at Utah Valley University, said 155 will be a tough cut for him, but one he thinks will pay off. He fought at lightweight once before moving to welterweight for a shot at the UFC in the spring during his TUF season.
“I was fighting at ’55 before I went on the show, kind of bouncing around between (lightweight and welterweight),” Nijem said. “I just feel my size can make up for my lack of experience in the ring. ’55’s a pretty big cut for me. If I was on the show at ’55 the season before, I don’t think I would’ve performed as well. ’70 was a good opportunity for the show, and be able to drop back down to ’55 after.”
Against Downes, Nijem faces an opponent also in search of his first UFC win. The Duke Roufus-trained fighter lost a unanimous decision to Jeremy Stephens at the TUF 13 Finale in June after going 1-1 in the WEC before the merger.
Nijem said he knew from seeing Downes’ fight against Stephens that he might be hard to finish, but believes his skill set can top Downes’.
“Danny is a tough opponent – he’s the kind of person you can never count out,” Nijem said “He’s in shape, he hits hard and he’s there to fight. He’s not easy to finish. But I feel I’m a better fighter, more explosive, more athletic and I’ll be bigger the day of the fight. I’m obviously the better wrestler and grappler. This is a winnable fight for me, but Danny’s tough and I’m … getting ready for a three-round grind.”
Nijem and Downes fight on the preliminary card of UFC 137 on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Their lightweight fight will be one of four prelims that will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook fan page.
UFC 137 is headlined by a welterweight contenders bout between former lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn and former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. That fight became the main event when welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre had to pull out of his title fight against Carlos Condit with an injury last week.
Nijem told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour” that it was his pride that got in the way, and that, along with a Ferguson left, saw his dream of being a TUF champion go out the window.
“It wasn’t nerves as much as my pride got to me a little bit,” Nijem said of his knockout loss to Ferguson. “Tony’s a really good striker, hits hard and has good head movement. People said, ‘You’ll get knocked out if you stand with him,’ and the critics were right on that. I just learned from that to play to my strengths and not play to their strengths.”
Nijem (4-2, 0-1 UFC), who trains at The Pit Elevated camp in Utah along with TUF 11 champ Court McGee, made his reputation in the TUF house as a fun-loving competitor who would go to just about any length for a laugh – including disrobing, leading to his “Stripper Ramsey” nickname catching on. He said bringing a relaxed attitude to his fight game should help him get back in the win column – but if it doesn’t, he can live with it.
“I’m a much better fighter when I’m just out there having fun,” Nijem said. “As long as I’m just out there for the right reasons, I’ll be successful and won’t have any regrets after the fight. If I execute my game plan and still lose and have fun, that’s all I can expect out of myself.”
Nijem fought at welterweight on Season 13 of TUF, but for his UFC 137 fight Saturday against Danny Downes (8-2, 0-1 UFC), he drops back to lightweight. It’s a weight he believes will be beneficial to him because of his size.
The Palestinian-American fighter, who wrestled collegiately at Utah Valley University, said 155 will be a tough cut for him, but one he thinks will pay off. He fought at lightweight once before moving to welterweight for a shot at the UFC in the spring during his TUF season.
“I was fighting at ’55 before I went on the show, kind of bouncing around between (lightweight and welterweight),” Nijem said. “I just feel my size can make up for my lack of experience in the ring. ’55’s a pretty big cut for me. If I was on the show at ’55 the season before, I don’t think I would’ve performed as well. ’70 was a good opportunity for the show, and be able to drop back down to ’55 after.”
Against Downes, Nijem faces an opponent also in search of his first UFC win. The Duke Roufus-trained fighter lost a unanimous decision to Jeremy Stephens at the TUF 13 Finale in June after going 1-1 in the WEC before the merger.
Nijem said he knew from seeing Downes’ fight against Stephens that he might be hard to finish, but believes his skill set can top Downes’.
“Danny is a tough opponent – he’s the kind of person you can never count out,” Nijem said “He’s in shape, he hits hard and he’s there to fight. He’s not easy to finish. But I feel I’m a better fighter, more explosive, more athletic and I’ll be bigger the day of the fight. I’m obviously the better wrestler and grappler. This is a winnable fight for me, but Danny’s tough and I’m … getting ready for a three-round grind.”
Nijem and Downes fight on the preliminary card of UFC 137 on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Their lightweight fight will be one of four prelims that will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook fan page.
UFC 137 is headlined by a welterweight contenders bout between former lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn and former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. That fight became the main event when welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre had to pull out of his title fight against Carlos Condit with an injury last week.
The MMA Hour is back in your life on Monday. Here’s who will be stopping by for our 105th show.
* Thomas Gerbasi, the author of “UFC Encyclopedia” and the editorial director for Zuffa, will be in studio to talk about his new book and his work on UFC.com and Strikeforce.com.
* Ramsey Nijem will talk about his UFC 137 bout against Danny Downes on Saturday night.
* Featherweight Bart Palaszewski will discuss his move to 145 pounds and his fight against Tyson Griffin at UFC 137.
* “King” Muhammed Lawal will discuss what’s next for him and will help us preview Saturday night’s UFC pay-per-view.
Of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193, 212-254-0237 or 212-254-0714.
*** You can also stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.
Watch the replay below. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.
The MMA Hour is back in your life on Monday. Here’s who will be stopping by for our 105th show.
* Thomas Gerbasi, the author of “UFC Encyclopedia” and the editorial director for Zuffa, will be in studio to talk about his new book and his work on UFC.com and Strikeforce.com.
* Ramsey Nijem will talk about his UFC 137 bout against Danny Downes on Saturday night.
* Featherweight Bart Palaszewski will discuss his move to 145 pounds and his fight against Tyson Griffin at UFC 137.
* “King” Muhammed Lawal will discuss what’s next for him and will help us preview Saturday night’s UFC pay-per-view.
Of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193, 212-254-0237 or 212-254-0714.
*** You can also stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.
Watch the replay below. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.
It’s been an interesting road, but after nearly eight years, Jeff Curran is back in the UFC.
Curran will return to the promotion at UFC 137 next week against former bantamweight title challenger Scott Jorgensen in Las Vegas in a bout that was moved to the main pay-per-view card on Friday. It’s another shot with Zuffa and the UFC that Curran said he begged for, and a fight against a top contender that he jumped at the chance to get.
On Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour,” Curran told host Ariel Helwani that he’s always been physically ready – but now he believes he’s more mentally ready than he ever was before and it’s time to “put up or shut up.”
“Everything’s going great,” Curran said. “It’s kind of like I knew where I need to be to be able to focus on my fighting, and (the past personal problems) seem like such a long way away sometimes. Everything is revamped and going smoothly in my personal life, everything’s going smoothly in my gym, and I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”
Curran (33-13-1) took a short-notice fight against future UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra at UFC 46 in January 2004. He lost a unanimous decision, but went on to a nine-fight winning streak outside the promotion. After a loss in his lone fight for Pride, the Illinois-based fighter went on another winning streak, one that got him a shot at the WEC not long after it had been purchased by Zuffa.
After a win in his first fight for the promotion since WEC 4, Curran got a shot at featherweight champion Urijah Faber and was submitted in the second round. He said that loss started a domino effect for him, mentally, and after four straight losses – all to WEC champions or title challengers – he was cut by the WEC in August 2009.
“Physically, I was prepared as ever for all my fights in the WEC,” Curran said. “For Urijah, I just got caught. After that, it was a spiral in my mental focus. I don’t know what made them turn the table and give me (another) opportunity. But at this point, it doesn’t really matter. I’ve got to get out there and prove myself.”
Curran has won four of five fights since his last loss in the WEC, a split decision loss to Takeya Mizugaki. His one loss in that stretch came in a Bellator event in Chicago, not far from the gym he runs in the city’s northern suburbs that is the training home to the likes of former UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver and UFC featherweight Bart Palaszewski, who also will fight at UFC 137.
But Curran said even at the Bellator fight, in April 2010, he wasn’t where he needed to be mentally for Bryan Goldsby, who beat him in a unanimous decision. He said there had been a temptation to sit back and wait for the WEC to call (before it merged with the UFC), since matchmaker Sean Shelby had said they might have a fight for Curran later in the year.
WIth his cousin Pat making his Bellator debut on the same show – the start of what would be his improbable run through the lightweight tournament to a $100,000 pay day and an eventual shot at Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez – Curran said he felt pressure to take the fight, even though he wanted to pull out.
“We decided I needed to make some money – I was having some financial problems,” Curran said. “And part of getting Pat into the lightweight tournament was having both cousins on the same show in Chicago. I kinda stepped in and took one for the team, even though I tried to pull out of the fight. I just didn’t want to make up a lie. I was asking to be released and they wouldn’t’ do it because I was the main event in Chicago. I was going to pull an injury card, but I didn’t. So I just went forward with it. That’s one fight I regret taking – not that Goldsby didn’t earn the win.”
Even two wins in his own XFO promotion after the loss to Goldsby had him unsure what his next step might be. He beat Billy Vaughan in May, but said that a loss to him likely would have meant his retirement from the sport.
“I was training hard, I was in great shape,” Curran said. “I thought if I can’t beat these guys, nothing against them, I don’t deserve to be in the UFC. I thought I needed to finish Billy Vaughan to get back in the UFC, but I think that was enough for them to say, ‘Jeff looked good, he was back meaning business.'”
And now that he’s back, fighting at bantamweight where he believes he has his best shot instead of featherweight or lightweight, Curran said he has to take advantage of what might be his last opportunity in the world’s biggest promotion.
“I think about it every second of the day,” Curran said. “I was just at a Keith Urban concert and there were 20,000 people there, and I just sat there with chills and thought, ‘The pressure.’ I’m not intimidated by it. I’ve been in all the big shows. But what it all encompasses is that I finally fought my way back, and it’s either put up or shut up – embarrass myself or get out there and do my thing.”
It’s been an interesting road, but after nearly eight years, Jeff Curran is back in the UFC.
Curran will return to the promotion at UFC 137 next week against former bantamweight title challenger Scott Jorgensen in Las Vegas in a bout that was moved to the main pay-per-view card on Friday. It’s another shot with Zuffa and the UFC that Curran said he begged for, and a fight against a top contender that he jumped at the chance to get.
On Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour,” Curran told host Ariel Helwani that he’s always been physically ready – but now he believes he’s more mentally ready than he ever was before and it’s time to “put up or shut up.”
“Everything’s going great,” Curran said. “It’s kind of like I knew where I need to be to be able to focus on my fighting, and (the past personal problems) seem like such a long way away sometimes. Everything is revamped and going smoothly in my personal life, everything’s going smoothly in my gym, and I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”
Curran (33-13-1) took a short-notice fight against future UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra at UFC 46 in January 2004. He lost a unanimous decision, but went on to a nine-fight winning streak outside the promotion. After a loss in his lone fight for Pride, the Illinois-based fighter went on another winning streak, one that got him a shot at the WEC not long after it had been purchased by Zuffa.
After a win in his first fight for the promotion since WEC 4, Curran got a shot at featherweight champion Urijah Faber and was submitted in the second round. He said that loss started a domino effect for him, mentally, and after four straight losses – all to WEC champions or title challengers – he was cut by the WEC in August 2009.
“Physically, I was prepared as ever for all my fights in the WEC,” Curran said. “For Urijah, I just got caught. After that, it was a spiral in my mental focus. I don’t know what made them turn the table and give me (another) opportunity. But at this point, it doesn’t really matter. I’ve got to get out there and prove myself.”
Curran has won four of five fights since his last loss in the WEC, a split decision loss to Takeya Mizugaki. His one loss in that stretch came in a Bellator event in Chicago, not far from the gym he runs in the city’s northern suburbs that is the training home to the likes of former UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver and UFC featherweight Bart Palaszewski, who also will fight at UFC 137.
But Curran said even at the Bellator fight, in April 2010, he wasn’t where he needed to be mentally for Bryan Goldsby, who beat him in a unanimous decision. He said there had been a temptation to sit back and wait for the WEC to call (before it merged with the UFC), since matchmaker Sean Shelby had said they might have a fight for Curran later in the year.
WIth his cousin Pat making his Bellator debut on the same show – the start of what would be his improbable run through the lightweight tournament to a $100,000 pay day and an eventual shot at Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez – Curran said he felt pressure to take the fight, even though he wanted to pull out.
“We decided I needed to make some money – I was having some financial problems,” Curran said. “And part of getting Pat into the lightweight tournament was having both cousins on the same show in Chicago. I kinda stepped in and took one for the team, even though I tried to pull out of the fight. I just didn’t want to make up a lie. I was asking to be released and they wouldn’t’ do it because I was the main event in Chicago. I was going to pull an injury card, but I didn’t. So I just went forward with it. That’s one fight I regret taking – not that Goldsby didn’t earn the win.”
Even two wins in his own XFO promotion after the loss to Goldsby had him unsure what his next step might be. He beat Billy Vaughan in May, but said that a loss to him likely would have meant his retirement from the sport.
“I was training hard, I was in great shape,” Curran said. “I thought if I can’t beat these guys, nothing against them, I don’t deserve to be in the UFC. I thought I needed to finish Billy Vaughan to get back in the UFC, but I think that was enough for them to say, ‘Jeff looked good, he was back meaning business.'”
And now that he’s back, fighting at bantamweight where he believes he has his best shot instead of featherweight or lightweight, Curran said he has to take advantage of what might be his last opportunity in the world’s biggest promotion.
“I think about it every second of the day,” Curran said. “I was just at a Keith Urban concert and there were 20,000 people there, and I just sat there with chills and thought, ‘The pressure.’ I’m not intimidated by it. I’ve been in all the big shows. But what it all encompasses is that I finally fought my way back, and it’s either put up or shut up – embarrass myself or get out there and do my thing.”
Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, VideosThe MMA Hour is back in your life on Monday at 1 p.m. ET for our 104th show. Here’s a list of who will be stopping by:
* Former middleweight turned light heavyweight Rich Franklin will talk about his rec…
The MMA Hour is back in your life on Monday at 1 p.m. ET for our 104th show. Here’s a list of who will be stopping by:
* Former middleweight turned light heavyweight Rich Franklin will talk about his recent shoulder surgery and what’s next for him.
* UFC light heavyweight Brandon Vera will discuss his UFC 137 fight against Eliot Marshall.
* Heavyweight Matt Mitrione will return for another installment of “The Mitrione Minute.”
* Bantamweight Jeff Curran will talk about returning to the UFC to fight Scott Jorgensen at UFC 137.
* MMA agent turned entrepreneur Ken Pavia will talk about selling his MMA agency and teaming up with Takedown Fight Media.
* And MMA Fighting’s Ben Fowlkes will dissect the news making headlines around the MMA world.
Of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193, 212-254-0237 or 212-254-0714.
*** You can also stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.
Watch the replay below. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.
(Editor’s note: The MMA Hour is now over and the video will be available Tuesday or Wednesday.)
After 10 months of answering questions about Leonard Garcia, at least Nam Phan finally can change his response.
Phan first fought Garcia last December at the TUF 12 Finale in Las Vegas, a Fight of the Night-winning slugfest that saw him come out on the short end of a split decision. Though Phan outstruck Garcia in every round, according to Fight Metric, two judges gave Garcia two rounds. The third agreed with most of the fans, as well as the vast majority of MMA media – and gave all three rounds to Phan.
After UFC 136 a week ago in Houston, though, Phan finally got a little closure – and his first UFC victory – with a unanimous decision in another slugfest with Garcia in the rematch. He hopes it’s the one people will ask him about now.
“(The first loss) stung pretty bad,” Phan told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour.” “People were telling me, ‘You got robbed!’ over and over again, reminding me. I tried not to dwell on it, but it took awhile.”
In the rematch, Phan (17-9, 1-2 UFC) was mostly dominant – leaving little doubt in the first two rounds. Though Garcia seemed to hurt him in the third and had him backing up several times, Phan still set a UFC record for most significant strikes landed in a fight, according to FightMetric’s tabulations.
Nam’s 174 significant strikes landed in the 29-28 unanimous decision win passed Chris Lytle in his win over Matt Serra at UFC 119. Phan credited his boxing background, including four professional fights, for his success in the standup game.
“It isn’t always about the power – it’s about the high punch count,” Phan said. “My coach said ‘You have to compete in boxing to get good at striking.’ I started training with him in 2003, and started competing in amateur boxing, Golden Gloves, and then I went to compete in professional boxing. I don’t have a passion for boxing. I don’t love it like I love mixed martial arts. I only did boxing to improve my mixed martial arts skills.”
After 23 pro MMA fights, including a loss in the WEC and a pair of losses in Strikeforce, Phan got a shot at the UFC on “The Ultimate Fighter.” And though he didn’t make the finals, he still got a crack at the promotion. And now he has a win after starting with a pair of losses.
Though the first loss to Garcia had the MMA world screaming robbery, including UFC president Dana White, Phan still knew a third straight loss could be problematic going into the Garcia rematch. But he said he tried to put that out of his mind.
“I wasn’t even thinking about a two-fight losing streak or that I might get cut,” Phan said. “I was going in there to have fun and to make this my best performance ever. This could be my last pitch, and if I strike out I’m going home. So I’ve gotta hit this ball out of the ballpark, man. I can’t take the UFC for granted and (I have to) realize I could get cut. I’ve got to know I’m expendable.”
Now that Phan can breathe a small sigh of relief that he will be sticking around in the UFC for a while, he can start thinking about what might be next for him.
After two Fight of the Night wins in his first three fights, he knows the kind of opponent he’s looking for next.
“Whoever it is, I want that person to put (on) a good fight with me.”
After 10 months of answering questions about Leonard Garcia, at least Nam Phan finally can change his response.
Phan first fought Garcia last December at the TUF 12 Finale in Las Vegas, a Fight of the Night-winning slugfest that saw him come out on the short end of a split decision. Though Phan outstruck Garcia in every round, according to Fight Metric, two judges gave Garcia two rounds. The third agreed with most of the fans, as well as the vast majority of MMA media – and gave all three rounds to Phan.
After UFC 136 a week ago in Houston, though, Phan finally got a little closure – and his first UFC victory – with a unanimous decision in another slugfest with Garcia in the rematch. He hopes it’s the one people will ask him about now.
“(The first loss) stung pretty bad,” Phan told host Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour.” “People were telling me, ‘You got robbed!’ over and over again, reminding me. I tried not to dwell on it, but it took awhile.”
In the rematch, Phan (17-9, 1-2 UFC) was mostly dominant – leaving little doubt in the first two rounds. Though Garcia seemed to hurt him in the third and had him backing up several times, Phan still set a UFC record for most significant strikes landed in a fight, according to FightMetric’s tabulations.
Nam’s 174 significant strikes landed in the 29-28 unanimous decision win passed Chris Lytle in his win over Matt Serra at UFC 119. Phan credited his boxing background, including four professional fights, for his success in the standup game.
“It isn’t always about the power – it’s about the high punch count,” Phan said. “My coach said ‘You have to compete in boxing to get good at striking.’ I started training with him in 2003, and started competing in amateur boxing, Golden Gloves, and then I went to compete in professional boxing. I don’t have a passion for boxing. I don’t love it like I love mixed martial arts. I only did boxing to improve my mixed martial arts skills.”
After 23 pro MMA fights, including a loss in the WEC and a pair of losses in Strikeforce, Phan got a shot at the UFC on “The Ultimate Fighter.” And though he didn’t make the finals, he still got a crack at the promotion. And now he has a win after starting with a pair of losses.
Though the first loss to Garcia had the MMA world screaming robbery, including UFC president Dana White, Phan still knew a third straight loss could be problematic going into the Garcia rematch. But he said he tried to put that out of his mind.
“I wasn’t even thinking about a two-fight losing streak or that I might get cut,” Phan said. “I was going in there to have fun and to make this my best performance ever. This could be my last pitch, and if I strike out I’m going home. So I’ve gotta hit this ball out of the ballpark, man. I can’t take the UFC for granted and (I have to) realize I could get cut. I’ve got to know I’m expendable.”
Now that Phan can breathe a small sigh of relief that he will be sticking around in the UFC for a while, he can start thinking about what might be next for him.
After two Fight of the Night wins in his first three fights, he knows the kind of opponent he’s looking for next.
“Whoever it is, I want that person to put (on) a good fight with me.”
* Bellator bantamweight champion Zach Makovsky will stop by the studio to talk about his Bellator 54 non-title fight against Ryan Roberts. He’ll also do a couple of T-shirt giveaways from his sponsor, Yoked Up apparel.
* And MMA Fighting’s Mike Chiapetta will look at all the storylines coming out of UFC 136.
Of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193, 212-254-0237 or 212-254-0714.
*** You can also stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.
Watch the replay below. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.
* Bellator bantamweight champion Zach Makovsky will stop by the studio to talk about his Bellator 54 non-title fight against Ryan Roberts. He’ll also do a couple of T-shirt giveaways from his sponsor, Yoked Up apparel.
* And MMA Fighting’s Mike Chiapetta will look at all the storylines coming out of UFC 136.
Of course, we’ll be taking your calls. Give us a shout at: 212-254-0193, 212-254-0237 or 212-254-0714.
*** You can also stream the show live on your iPhone or iPad by clicking here.
Watch the replay below. Subscribe to The MMA Hour on iTunes: audio feed here; video feed here. Download previous episodes here. Listen to the show via Stitcher here.
For young fighters trying to make their names through the UFC‘s “Ultimate Fighter” series, it doesn’t get more pressure-filled than the TUF finals. 
It’s been an interesting road, but after nearly eight years, 
After 10 months of answering questions about 