Tag: UFC interviews

Interview: UFC on FOX 13’s Jamie Varner Gets Real About Sponsorship Money, Rankings, And Coming Back From a Difficult Year


(Photo via Getty)

By Ben Goldstein

“I’m the best fighter with the worst luck.”

That’s how UFC lightweight Jamie Varner describes his trials and tribulations during the past year, in which he got knocked out by Abel Trujillo in a fight that he was winning, then suffered a TKO loss by ankle-injury against James Krause — in another fight that he was winning.

Varner’s back is against the wall as he returns to the Octagon at UFC on FOX 13, which takes place this Saturday, December 13th, in Varner’s hometown of Phoenix. In this candid interview with CagePotato.com, Jamie Varner opens up about the UFC’s controversial new partnership with Reebok, how he’s trying to rebound from a tough 2014, and his upcoming opponent, Drew Dober. (“I didn’t know anything about him. I still don’t.”) Enjoy, and follow Jamie on twitter and sqor.

CAGEPOTATO.COM: Since it’s such a hot topic these days, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the UFC’s uniform deal with Reebok. Overall, do you think it’s a good thing, a bad thing, or is it still too early to tell?

JAMIE VARNER: It’s a little too early to tell. The organization is becoming more mainstream, the overall operations are becoming more corporate, and I think it’s time to implement some sort of fighters’ union, just to make sure that everything is fair and evenly distributed among the fighters. Because for me personally, about 30-40% of my income comes from sponsorships, and with the way their tier system has been announced, it’s like, champions get the most, #1-5 [ranked UFC contenders] get the second-most, 6-10 the third-most, 11-15 the fourth-most, and then all non-ranked fighters are going to be on the same level.

For a guy like me, I’m not in the top 15, but I’ve beaten a couple guys who are — Edson Barboza is ranked like #11 [Ed. Note: He’s actually #6 now] Donald Cerrone is top 5. So I’ve beaten guys in the top 12. And I have a pretty good audience and presence when I fight, people like to tune in to watch me throw down, so I don’t think that I should be making the same amount as a guy who has never fought on a main card, never got a Fight of the Night bonus. I just don’t really understand how this is all going to work out. I can’t really comment on whether I’m upset or happy with the way everything is. I do like the fact that we are all going to look nice. I like the fact that there is going be a little more structure, and we’re going to be more mainstream by having the uniforms, but the fighters need to be appropriately compensated.


(Photo via Getty)

By Ben Goldstein

“I’m the best fighter with the worst luck.”

That’s how UFC lightweight Jamie Varner describes his trials and tribulations during the past year, in which he got knocked out by Abel Trujillo in a fight that he was winning, then suffered a TKO loss by ankle-injury against James Krause — in another fight that he was winning.

Varner’s back is against the wall as he returns to the Octagon at UFC on FOX 13, which takes place this Saturday, December 13th, in Varner’s hometown of Phoenix. In this candid interview with CagePotato.com, Jamie Varner opens up about the UFC’s controversial new partnership with Reebok, how he’s trying to rebound from a tough 2014, and his upcoming opponent, Drew Dober. (“I didn’t know anything about him. I still don’t.”) Enjoy, and follow Jamie on twitter and sqor.

CAGEPOTATO.COM: Since it’s such a hot topic these days, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the UFC’s uniform deal with Reebok. Overall, do you think it’s a good thing, a bad thing, or is it still too early to tell?

JAMIE VARNER: It’s a little too early to tell. The organization is becoming more mainstream, the overall operations are becoming more corporate, and I think it’s time to implement some sort of fighters’ union, just to make sure that everything is fair and evenly distributed among the fighters. Because for me personally, about 30-40% of my income comes from sponsorships, and with the way their tier system has been announced, it’s like, champions get the most, #1-5 [ranked UFC contenders] get the second-most, 6-10 the third-most, 11-15 the fourth-most, and then all non-ranked fighters are going to be on the same level.

For a guy like me, I’m not in the top 15, but I’ve beaten a couple guys who are — Edson Barboza is ranked like #11 [Ed. Note: He’s actually #6 now] Donald Cerrone is top 5. So I’ve beaten guys in the top 12. And I have a pretty good audience and presence when I fight, people like to tune in to watch me throw down, so I don’t think that I should be making the same amount as a guy who has never fought on a main card, never got a Fight of the Night bonus. I just don’t really understand how this is all going to work out. I can’t really comment on whether I’m upset or happy with the way everything is. I do like the fact that we are all going to look nice. I like the fact that there is going be a little more structure, and we’re going to be more mainstream by having the uniforms, but the fighters need to be appropriately compensated.

You mentioned that 30-40% of your income comes from sponsorships. Has that number held steady in recent years, or have you personally seen the market for sponsors in this sport dry up?

I was making more money, sponsorship-wise, back when I was in the WEC. That was also before you had to pay the [UFC sponsor] tax. But I was able to get big money from sponsors on fight night, and as soon as they implemented the sponsorship tax, money has definitely gone down. As well as the dilution of the sport — I mean there’s over 40 UFC events a year, so the sponsors aren’t paying as much money as they used to because there’s so many shows. So I’ve noticed that with the dilution [of events], the prices have kind of come down a little bit, but nevertheless, just because I’ve been a fan favorite and I’ve been around a long time and I have a great agent — Oren [Hodak] with KO Reps does right by me — I still have been able to make about 30-40% of my income from sponsors. So let’s say I make $20,000 in a fight, I can almost count on having $10,000-$15,000 in sponsorship money. At the end of the year, it totals out to be about 30-40% of my income, from sponsors.

I’d like to talk about the year you’ve had, which has been challenging at times, to say the least. That ankle break you suffered against James Krause looked terrible. In terms of the injury itself and the recovery, is it safe to call that the worst injury of your career?

No, it wasn’t the worst injury of my career. The worst injury of my career was definitely when I broke my hand and broke my foot against Donald Cerrone when I was in the WEC back in 2008 — but [the ankle injury] is #2. Yeah, this year’s been a tough year, man. I lost to Abel Trujillo in a fight that I was dominating. It was my first time ever being knocked out in my career. I’ve never even been dropped in training, in sparring, and I spar with monsters like Ryan Bader, CB Dollaway, Carlos Condit. I spar with some tough, tough guys, some pro boxers, and I’ve never gone down with a head shot.

To see the look in Abel’s eyes, to see that he had quit in that fight, that he had given up, that he had accepted defeat, and getting caught the way I got caught, with my hands down? It really sucked. Seriously, I looked into his eyes and he was done, and I was just waiting for the ref to come in and stop the fight. And the next thing I know I’m picking myself up. So kudos to Abel for toughing out the fight, but yeah, this year’s been a tough year. Breaking my ankle in the first minute of the first round with James Krause, and still being able to win the round, but losing that fight. Losing a tough split-decision to Gleison Tibau — I mean that fight I felt like I clearly won. Honestly, dude, I’m the best fighter with the worst luck, but I’m just gonna keep on fighting and keep on bringing it.

As you grow older in the sport, is there anything different you need to do in terms of physical preparation or recovery? Are you doing anything different lately to take better care of your body and prevent further injuries?

I’ve been doing this sport a long time, and plus I was wrestling and boxing in college, so I have a lot of wear and tear on my body. I took a different approach this training camp, which was a little bit longer than some of my past training camps. I used to do 6-8 weeks, and I did 8-10 weeks this time around, and I’ve only been doing two-a-days. I used to do three-a-days, Monday through Friday, and take Saturday and Sunday off. Now, I do two-a-days Monday through Thursday, one workout on Friday, and one workout on Saturday. But the Saturday workout is only an hour long, and I pretty much get the whole day to recover, then I get all day Sunday to recover. As far as being beat up and having injuries during training camp — because that’s when most of our injuries occur, is during training camp — I can’t tell you the last time I had a fight and I wasn’t injured going into it. Before I fought Ben Henderson, I had tore my MCL, I was just going off of cortisone shots in my knee just to survive the training camp and get through that fight, and then pretty much every fight since then I’ve had some sort of injury. From what I hear, most fighters are the same way. You go into almost every fight banged up, a little injured, and that’s the way it is. It’s such a hard sport on your body

You’ll be fighting at UFC on FOX 13 against Drew Dober, a guy who had floated around the regional promotions for a while before getting a UFC contract last year. Had he been on your radar before this fight was announced? Did you know much about him?

I didn’t know anything about him. I still don’t. I’ve seen three fights of his. One of them was against a southpaw so I just turned that fight off after a little while. Another one was against a guy at 170 pounds who was about six inches taller than me, so that fight doesn’t really make any sense. The only fight that really made any sense was a fight that he did about a year ago in a regional promotion that I watched. It went three rounds and he ended up winning the decision, but he got dropped twice in the first round with punches and was put full on into a triangle choke, completely locked up, and was still able to fight his way out and come back and win that fight. So he’s a tough, durable dude that’s gonna be another tough test for me, but I also expect this to be Fight of the Night. It’s gonna be like “Clash of the Titans,” we both like to move forward, we like to throw punches and kicks, we both like to command the center of the ring.

Alright Jamie, it’s lightning-round time. At this point, what do you consider to be the greatest fight of your career?

Rob McCullough and Edson Barboza, those two were the best fights of my career.

What’s the Phoenix Suns Gorilla like in real life? Is he an MMA fan?

The Phoenix Suns Gorilla is an MMA fan, and he’s a very humble, humble dude.

Once in a while, we’ll link to that GIF of you doing the funky chicken and the worm victory dance, after your win over Jason Gilliam? Have you ever thought about bringing that back?

That was UFC 68, and no I have not about bringing that back.

I’ve seen photos on social media of the “green drink” that you make. What exactly goes into that, and are there any special tricks to making it taste good?

There are no tricks into making it taste good. It’s Lacinato kale, a half a Granny Smith green apple, and a half a cucumber, and that’s it. The Granny Smith apple sweetens it up enough to just make it bearable.

Is there anything else you’d like to say before I let you go?

Yeah, I just want to give Body Fortress a shout-out, they’re my main sponsor, and they’re not even allowed in the UFC. They’ve been sponsoring me for two years now — I’m going into my third year with them — and they’re a great company to work for. I use all of their products, off-season and when I’m training for a fight. Their whey isolate and their glutamine are my top two that I use in training camp, and then out of training camp I use their advanced whey protein, their creatine, and their NOS.

**********

Want to win some Body Fortress supplements of your own? Enter our “Gym Motivation” twitter-contest right here!

Behold: The Most Awkward Cat Zingano Interview of All Time

The 2014 Potato Award for “Most Awkward Interview” has been clinched, folks. An aspiring (read: totally untrained and unqualified) MMA journalist named Paulie G interviewed Cat Zingano at the UFC 178 media day yesterday, and came away with the anti-masterpiece of cringeyness you see above. My God, it is so awful. Some highlights.

– “Are you nice and relaxed? You seem relaxed.” — Already, it’s feeling like a BangBros scene. And the title of the video places it squarely in fanboy territory to begin with.

– “You had a long layoff. You had a little taste of it, right, with the Miesha Tate fight. And now you’re back. Right? And uh, do you think Amanda Nunes’s opponents were tough, that she faced, her first two opponents, in UFC?” LMFAO!!

– Zingano officially checks out of the interview at the 0:51 mark.

The 2014 Potato Award for “Most Awkward Interview” has been clinched, folks. An aspiring (read: totally untrained and unqualified) MMA journalist named Paulie G interviewed Cat Zingano at the UFC 178 media day yesterday, and came away with the anti-masterpiece of cringeyness you see above. My God, it is so awful. Some highlights.

– “Are you nice and relaxed? You seem relaxed.” — Already, it’s feeling like a BangBros scene. And the title of the video places it squarely in fanboy territory to begin with.

– “You had a long layoff. You had a little taste of it, right, with the Miesha Tate fight. And now you’re back. Right? And uh, do you think Amanda Nunes’s opponents were tough, that she faced, her first two opponents, in UFC?” LMFAO!!

– Zingano officially checks out of the interview at the 0:51 mark.

– Paulie G. on Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis: “It was so fast, right? I was there live, at UFC 175? And I was just like ‘holy…’ you know. If it woulda went 30 seconds, I thought Alexis Davis would have really been hurt, you know? So.” WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION, SIR. Meanwhile, Zingano is just sitting there staring at this dummy. Excuse me, this credentialed dummy.

– Paulie G. thanks Zingano for the interview, and a wave of relief washes over her face. Then, he asks if she saw the Amanda Nunes vs. Sarah D’Alelio fight from Invicta FC 4. Zingano says no — she never watches tape on her opponents, and trusts her coaches to tell her what she needs to work on. Paulie is disappointed: “Okay, well. I saw the fight. I thought there might be some things you could take from that, to beat Amanda Nunes.” Zingano thanks him, showing remarkable restraint. Paulie G. hits the stop button on his iPhone video recorder, and walks away thinking that yes, this needs to be shared with the world. Journalism in the year 2014, everybody.

Interview: UFC 169?s Al Iaquinta Discusses His Journey From Wrestling to MMA, Training With the Serra-Longo Crew, And ‘The Ultimate Fighter’


(Iaquinta lands on Piotr Hallman during their bout at UFC Fight Night 30 in October. / Photo via Getty)

By Shawn W. Smith

Armed with a thick Long Island accent and a 5-1-1 pro record, Al Iaquinta joined the cast of the first live Ultimate Fighter in 2012. He stormed through the competition, defeating Jon Tuck, Myles Jury, Andy Ogle and Vinc Pichel en route to the finals, where he fell short to Michael Chiesa.

What many thought would be a difficult matchup for him in his next UFC appearance turned out to be his coming out party, as Iaquinta decisively beat on Ryan Couture for three rounds at UFC 164. A follow-up win over Piotr Hallman established him as one of the many lightweight prospects to watch heading into 2014. His wrestling base with heavy hands is not unlike his Serra-Longo teammate Chris Weidman, who Iaquinta looks up to for inspiration in the gym.

At UFC 169, for the third time in six months, Iaquinta will take to the cage. This time he will take on the debuting Kevin Lee. A submission expert by trade, Lee presents some interesting challenge to Iaquinta, whose two professional losses both came by submission.

CagePotato caught up with Iaquinta ahead of his bout at UFC 169 this Saturday to get his thoughts on Lee, The Ultimate Fighter experience, and much more.

CAGEPOTATO.COM: How was your training camp for this fight?

AL IAQUINTA: Training’s been going good, same as usual. I’m here with Ray Longo and Matt Serra and the team, just getting ready. I’m ready to go. I’m chomping at the bit to get in there.

Does the terrible weather we’ve had in the Northeast make things difficult? At 20 degrees below zero, it must be challenging to get up and into the gym.

Yeah, definitely. It makes things a little difficult, but I kind of like it, going through training camp in the snow. It reminds me of wrestling season. If you go out for a run you’re all bundled up and getting through the elements. It kind of makes me feel like I’m in a Rocky movie. I’m thinking of all the things I’m doing to get ready for this fight and if he’s not doing that, it’s a big disadvantage.

When you have these constant camps in succession, three in the past six months, does it make it difficult to improve your skills?


(Iaquinta lands on Piotr Hallman during their bout at UFC Fight Night 30 in October. / Photo via Getty)

By Shawn W. Smith

Armed with a thick Long Island accent and a 5-1-1 pro record, Al Iaquinta joined the cast of the first live Ultimate Fighter in 2012. He stormed through the competition, defeating Jon Tuck, Myles Jury, Andy Ogle and Vinc Pichel en route to the finals, where he fell short to Michael Chiesa.

What many thought would be a difficult matchup for him in his next UFC appearance turned out to be his coming out party, as Iaquinta decisively beat on Ryan Couture for three rounds at UFC 164. A follow-up win over Piotr Hallman established him as one of the many lightweight prospects to watch heading into 2014. His wrestling base with heavy hands is not unlike his Serra-Longo teammate Chris Weidman, who Iaquinta looks up to for inspiration in the gym.

At UFC 169, for the third time in six months, Iaquinta will take to the cage. This time he will take on the debuting Kevin Lee. A submission expert by trade, Lee presents some interesting challenge to Iaquinta, whose two professional losses both came by submission.

CagePotato caught up with Iaquinta ahead of his bout at UFC 169 this Saturday to get his thoughts on Lee, The Ultimate Fighter experience, and much more.

CAGEPOTATO.COM: How was your training camp for this fight?

AL IAQUINTA: Training’s been going good, same as usual. I’m here with Ray Longo and Matt Serra and the team, just getting ready. I’m ready to go. I’m chomping at the bit to get in there.

Does the terrible weather we’ve had in the Northeast make things difficult? At 20 degrees below zero, it must be challenging to get up and into the gym.

Yeah, definitely. It makes things a little difficult, but I kind of like it, going through training camp in the snow. It reminds me of wrestling season. If you go out for a run you’re all bundled up and getting through the elements. It kind of makes me feel like I’m in a Rocky movie. I’m thinking of all the things I’m doing to get ready for this fight and if he’s not doing that, it’s a big disadvantage.

When you have these constant camps in succession, three in the past six months, does it make it difficult to improve your skills?

I’m always training, always in the gym. I’m always in great shape, I just pick it up a little bit when I have a fight and the weeks leading up to the fight. It’s not like I’m out of shape and then going into a hard six-to-eight week training camp. I’m just turning it up a notch when I get that call for the fight.

Is this a kind of pace you’d like to keep up?

Sure, I don’t see why not. I was out for a while when I had a couple of injuries and my knee surgery. This is what I want to do. That’s how you get to the top quicker — staying as active as you can, staying healthy, and staying in the public eye, getting people behind you who want to see you fight and compete.

How did your years wrestling at Nassau Community College help you become the fighter you are?

It was definitely a grueling season. I cut a lot of weight. I know that I can make 155 no problem. I worry more about becoming a better fighter than focusing on the weight cut. I definitely picked up some great skills and great connections at Nassau. Nassau Community College has a bunch of guys in the UFC now and in the past. It’s one of the better junior colleges around and a great place to finish off your wrestling career, or progress your wrestling career if you’re looking towards MMA.

What weight did you wrestle at?

I wrestled at 141.

Wow. I guess I should ask if there’s any chance we’ll ever see you go down to featherweight?

I’m going to say as of right now, no. You never know. Right now I’m enjoying fighting at 155. I’ve grown into the weight class and I’m a pretty good size lightweight. I think I’ve got it down to a science, making the weight and feeling good, being mentally ready to fight and all that.

You’re one of many wrestlers who have really fallen in love with the boxing game. You’ve got heavy hands and you’re usually keeping it on the feet as opposed to using your wrestling. Why do you think so many wrestlers fall in love with boxing?

You know, it’s just something I picked up. I always enjoyed doing it. Even when I was a little kid, I always wanted to be a boxer. I enjoyed watching boxing and just never got into it. I never really knew how to go about starting to box.  I wrestled in school and I found myself boxing in the mornings just to help keep my weight down. That’s how I really got into it. I really enjoy the science behind it. I discovered how it’s not just two guys going in there and just slugging it out. Me and my friends bought gloves and we’d go 30 seconds at a clip and we’d be exhausted. I really learned how to pace myself and use the right technique behind the boxing science. You’re always evolving and learning, always learning new things. Even the best boxer in the world is still picking up new tips in their training.

Your last fight was overseas against Piotr Hallmann. What was that experience like fighting in the United Kingdom?

It was a great experience. I really enjoyed traveling. I got to see Manchester, part of another country I may have never gotten to see if not for that fight. To top it off, I got the victory. It was a great trip all around.

Is there anywhere else you’d like to fight?

I think it’d be really cool if they did a show in Hawaii someday, I’d love to go out to Hawaii. Really anywhere I haven’t been. Anywhere tropical or near the water, I’m always down to take one of those fights for sure.

On the flip side of that, your next fight is in Newark — not too far from your home, certainly nowhere exotic. This will be the closest you’ve had to a hometown advantage since your Ring of Combat days. How does the crowd play into the fight for you?

It should motivate me. I haven’t put too much thought into it. I’m sure in the next few weeks I’ll start to see how many people are going to be coming. It’s good to have my friends and my family there, something that I haven’t had in a while. A lot of them travel to come see me fight, but now everyone is going to be able to go. It’s as close to home as it gets so I’m really excited.

I read on your website that you had 14 amateur fights. That’s quite a few considering the somewhat dismal state of amateur MMA in North America. Why did you have so many amateur fights?

I was just really having fun with it. I was transitioning from wrestling. My first couple of fights I was just looking for the takedown. I was just trying to take guys down, put them on their back and beat them up. I evolved throughout my amateur career. Towards the end I started to get knockouts. I got to do some traveling. I fought an amateur fight in Mexico, which is pretty cool. I was at a gym where I didn’t have anyone pushing me, telling me I was ready to go pro. I got with Ray and Matt and they put me in with some guys sparring who were already in the UFC at the time and I did well. They said, “Look, man. You’re ready to go.” When those guys tell you you’re ready, you gotta believe them. They’ve been around the game long enough and they know what it takes.

Would you advise more young fighters to go out there and search for those amateur fights? We see so many young fighters who just want to be a pro MMA fighter, or be able to say that they’re a pro MMA fighter. 

It depends on the individual for sure. For me, I think I definitely needed that amateur experience, but there’s other guys who might come in and don’t need it. Chris Weidman is a perfect example. He skipped the amateur ranks and went right to the pros and look at him now. It all depends on the individual and where you start. That’s why you’ve gotta have a great trainer. You have to put your trust in their hands.

We’re about two years removed from your stint on The Ultimate Fighter. Looking back, what do you think of the experience?

It was a great experience. For someone who wants to be a fighter, that’s the best environment that could be. I’ve seen these guys on some of the seasons complaining about six weeks and whining. My season was 13 weeks and I loved it. Every day I was eating, getting fed what I needed to be fed. I didn’t have to worry about going grocery shopping or anything. I didn’t have to worry about obligations outside of training. It was just eat, sleep and train. I had people driving me to the gym. I had a gym full of guys who were top prospects at 155. I was on Urijah Faber‘s team so I had the whole Alpha Male team there to work with. For a 155-pound fighter looking to do good in MMA, there’s really no better place in the world.

What are your thoughts on Urijah Faber as a head coach? I read that you were out training with team Alpha Male a little bit before this fight.

He’s a great coach. Once his fighting career is over, I think coaching is something he would definitely be good at. He’s such a positive person to be around. It’s easy to get motivated around a guy like that. I’ve been out there to Sacramento, training with those guys for a few weeks at a clip. I always come back so much more motivated with a whole new outlook on the sport and life in general.

You mentioned his positivity and motivation, but what else about Urijah Faber makes him a good coach? 

It’s just the energy he gives off. No matter what happens in training, he puts it into perspective that it’s just a 15 minute fight so give it what you’ve got. The lifestyle of being a fighter, he’s always in shape to fight. He’s always thinking about what he’s putting into his body. He’s always trying to be a better person the next day than he was the day before.

You spent over a year on the sidelines with injuries. How frustrating was it to be on the sidelines and watching other fighters from your season, even fighters you defeated like Myles Jury, really establishing their names in the UFC?

It was tough, for sure. I just kind of kept it in the back of my head that when it’s my time it will be all about me. I just had to wait it out. I think having that year kind of helped clear my head after that long season of The Ultimate Fighter. I got to clear my head, take some time, re-evaluate my weaknesses and turn them into my strengths. It was good for me and now I’m healthy and ready to go. I got some time to make up for and I’m looking forward to doing that.

Your opponent for this bout is the debuting Kevin Lee. After two straight wins, and looking good in both, did you think you’d get an opponent a little bit farther up the pecking order?

For sure. I was definitely surprised when I got an opponent I hadn’t even heard of. Looking at his record and resume, he’s a tough kid. He’s taken care of everyone who has been put in front of him. I don’t think he’s faced anyone even near as good a fighter as I am. I’ve fought guys that are way better than the guys he has fought. He hasn’t fought a Ryan Couture of Piotr Hallmann and he’s taking a big step up. I’m going to definitely welcome him the right way.

Have you had a chance to study Lee yet?

I watched some video when I first signed the fight. Every now and then I’ll throw on the computer and look at some of his fights. For the most part, I’m really worried about myself, my game and improving myself every day.

What’s it like to train with Chris Weidman on a regular basis?

It’s awesome. It’s great seeing a guy who works that hard and has the confidence in himself to do great things and then go out there and do it, it really shows how all this work pays off. We have a good little template over here at Serra-Longo. If it’s paying off for him and I’m doing the same thing, I’m definitely on the right track.

Matt Brown Details Back Injury, Plan for Recovery and How Carlos Condit Is Still on his Mind


(Brown smashes up Jordan Mein at UFC on FOX 7 in April. / Photo via Getty)

By Elias Cepeda

Last week, UFC welterweight contender Matt Brown herniated two discs in his back and was forced to pull out of his scheduled fight against Carlos Condit this Saturday at UFC on Fox 9. As he explained to CagePotato, he initially hoped a cortisone shot would help him feel well enough to fight, but that didn’t pan out.

Now, he’s benched from most physical activity for a month other than his therapy exercises. The good news is that if rehab goes well, Brown could be back training full contact in two months.

“The prognosis for me is basically that for one month I’ve got nothing but rehab. There’s no bending over to pick anything up and I can’t have any impact in any shape or form. No running. Nothing like any of those types of things,” Brown says.

“After two months, assuming rehab goes well, I’ll get a second cortisone shot and should be able to go full contact again.”

If Brown does his physical therapy to a ‘T’, he says he’s told that he should be able to avoid surgery on his back. Despite being so badly hurt, Brown says that he couldn’t bring himself to pull out of the fight on his own.

“I knew in my heart I wanted to do it,” he says.


(Brown smashes up Jordan Mein at UFC on FOX 7 in April. / Photo via Getty)

By Elias Cepeda

Last week, UFC welterweight contender Matt Brown herniated two discs in his back and was forced to pull out of his scheduled fight against Carlos Condit this Saturday at UFC on Fox 9. As he explained to CagePotato, he initially hoped a cortisone shot would help him feel well enough to fight, but that didn’t pan out.

Now, he’s benched from most physical activity for a month other than his therapy exercises. The good news is that if rehab goes well, Brown could be back training full contact in two months.

“The prognosis for me is basically that for one month I’ve got nothing but rehab. There’s no bending over to pick anything up and I can’t have any impact in any shape or form. No running. Nothing like any of those types of things,” Brown says.

“After two months, assuming rehab goes well, I’ll get a second cortisone shot and should be able to go full contact again.”

If Brown does his physical therapy to a ‘T’, he says he’s told that he should be able to avoid surgery on his back. Despite being so badly hurt, Brown says that he couldn’t bring himself to pull out of the fight on his own.

“I knew in my heart I wanted to do it,” he says.

“In my head I knew it probably wasn’t the best idea but I couldn’t get myself to say it out loud. I needed [my family and coaches] to push me to pull out of the fight.”

Brown admits that watching or even talking about fights right now is a bit of a bummer for him, given that he was so close to a huge fight and now can’t even move without pain. He doesn’t allow for self-pity to set in, however.

“I can’t change it so I just need to go about my way and enjoy the fights,” he says of the UFC on Fox 9 card.

As for when he does return to fighting, Brown’s immediate target hasn’t changed.

“Carlos Condit is still on my mind,” he says. “I definitely want to still fight him if that works out.”

UFC on FOX 9 Interview: Matt Brown Discusses His Tough Road to the Top, And How MMA Saved His Life


(“I’ve been at the bottom. When I lost three in a row I thought I was cut for sure. I have no fear of that. I can look at it and say there’s worse things in life that could happen.” / Photo via Getty)

By Shawn Smith

A real-life Rocky if there ever was one, Matt Brown is not your typical MMA fighter. He didn’t wrestle in college and he doesn’t have the polished good looks that will land him on posters. He turned to mixed martial arts as a way out of a lifestyle that was killing him, and it has been anything but a smooth ride to the top of the UFC welterweight division. Three straight losses in 2010 had many, including him, questioning whether or not he was a UFC-caliber fighter.

Now with six straight wins in the UFC, Brown will get the most challenging opponent of his career. On December 14th at UFC on FOX 9, he’ll take on former title contender Carlos Condit in what is sure to be an explosive bout. We recently spoke to Matt to get his thoughts on the fight that could launch him into title contention, how MMA saved his life, his experience on TUF, what he thought about Georges St. Pierre‘s controversial win over Johny Hendricks, and so much more. Enjoy.

CAGEPOTATO.COM: What was it about mixed martial arts that drew you to the sport?

MATT BROWN: The first time I saw it was Tank Abbott way back in one of the first UFC events. That got me kind of interested. The first one that really got me was Sakuraba vs. Royce Gracie in Pride. I thought “man, this is freaking amazing.” It was something I wanted to be a part of in some way.

The draw is mainly the intensity and the authenticity of the sport. The UFC says it best: It’s as real as it gets. That’s a rare thing in life and in sport.

I find it funny you say Sakuraba and Gracie because they were so grappling-based and you’re more of a knockout guy.

At that time with the knowledge I had of MMA, Royce was unstoppable. He was the epitome of a UFC fighter. He was this mysterious guy who came in and did all these things that no one had seen before. It was amazing. The fact that [his fight against Sakuraba] lasted an hour and a half, it was like watching a movie. I don’t know what it was about that fight, but even to this day it’s a pretty amazing fight to me.


(“I’ve been at the bottom. When I lost three in a row I thought I was cut for sure. I have no fear of that. I can look at it and say there’s worse things in life that could happen.” / Photo via Getty)

By Shawn Smith

A real-life Rocky if there ever was one, Matt Brown is not your typical MMA fighter. He didn’t wrestle in college and he doesn’t have the polished good looks that will land him on posters. He turned to mixed martial arts as a way out of a lifestyle that was killing him, and it has been anything but a smooth ride to the top of the UFC welterweight division. Three straight losses in 2010 had many, including him, questioning whether or not he was a UFC-caliber fighter.

Now with six straight wins in the UFC, Brown will get the most challenging opponent of his career. On December 14th at UFC on FOX 9, he’ll take on former title contender Carlos Condit in what is sure to be an explosive bout. We recently spoke to Matt to get his thoughts on the fight that could launch him into title contention, how MMA saved his life, his experience on TUF, what he thought about Georges St. Pierre‘s controversial win over Johny Hendricks, and so much more. Enjoy.

CAGEPOTATO.COM: What was it about mixed martial arts that drew you to the sport?

MATT BROWN: The first time I saw it was Tank Abbott way back in one of the first UFC events. That got me kind of interested. The first one that really got me was Sakuraba vs. Royce Gracie in Pride. I thought “man, this is freaking amazing.” It was something I wanted to be a part of in some way.

The draw is mainly the intensity and the authenticity of the sport. The UFC says it best: It’s as real as it gets. That’s a rare thing in life and in sport.

I find it funny you say Sakuraba and Gracie because they were so grappling-based and you’re more of a knockout guy.

At that time with the knowledge I had of MMA, Royce was unstoppable. He was the epitome of a UFC fighter. He was this mysterious guy who came in and did all these things that no one had seen before. It was amazing. The fact that [his fight against Sakuraba] lasted an hour and a half, it was like watching a movie. I don’t know what it was about that fight, but even to this day it’s a pretty amazing fight to me.

You received your nickname “The Immortal” after surviving a heroin overdose. It sounds melodramatic, but would you credit mixed martial arts with saving your life?

Absolutely, 100 percent. There wasn’t anything else that grabbed my attention like the martial arts did. Nothing else created that drive in me to improve myself. That just gave me a reason and motivation to improve myself and it was something to wake up everyday and look forward to. It saved me.

You got your start in the UFC after being on The Ultimate Fighter. What are your thoughts on that experience looking back?

It was a great experience. I had a good time for the whole show. I think I was fortunate to be on one of the seasons where we had a lot of serious guys. We didn’t have a lot of jokers and no one was trying to cause any problems. I enjoyed it up until  I lost. I hurt my ankle pretty bad and when I lost the fight I couldn’t train, so I basically was sitting around the house with nothing to do.

Knowing you as a quiet person, it seems an odd decision that you’d want to compete on the reality show. What was it about TUF that was appealing to you?

Just the chance to fight in the UFC, there was nothing else to it. I didn’t expect to get picked on the show. I was surprised and shocked when they chose me. I didn’t think I had the personality, but I guess they saw something else.

Were you a fan of The Ultimate Fighter before joining the cast on season 7?

Yeah, absolutely. I was a fan since the first season.

We’re almost 10 years into The Ultimate Fighter now. Do you think it’s still the best avenue for fighters to enter the UFC?

I guess it depends on your situation. Everybody is a little different. It can definitely be a positive thing and a good way to do it.

At one point in your UFC tenure you had lost three straight fights, and four of five. What if anything was going on in your life at that point that led to those defeats?

I can look back and find many reasons, but I don’t think they’re good reasons. I was going through a hard time and had some things going on in my life, but there’s no reason it should have caused me to lose fights. I think it was more about reacting to situations and how I let them affect and distract me. I’ve learned from that since. I’ve learned how to control my mind a little better and handle things a little better.

Do you think you’re a better fighter because of that experience?

In some ways, yeah. I’ve been at the bottom. When I lost three in a row I thought I was cut for sure. I have no fear of that. I can look at it and say there’s worse things in life that could happen.

Did you ever question yourself as to whether or not you were a UFC-caliber fighter?

There were times when I said “look, if I can’t beat these fighters then I don’t deserve to be here anyways.” I knew I had it in me to beat them, but that doesn’t really matter. If you’re not winning, you’re not winning. I was just fortunate to be given a second chance and everything has worked out since.

You’ve now won six fights in a row in arguably the most talent-filled division in the UFC. What do you credit with the turnaround?

I don’t really credit one specific thing. It’s more a matter of going into the gym and working hard. I pride myself on working as hard, if not harder, than anybody else. I stay consistent and I don’t get out of shape or fat. I don’t have to cut insane amounts of weight. I watch my diet as well. I’m a believer that if you work hard enough at anything, good things will happen and that’s what has happened. I didn’t really change much of anything. I just kept working hard and kept my eyes on the road ahead.

How important do you see the mental aspect of fighting?

The mental aspect is gigantic. During training camp you’re building your physical shape for the fight. When it comes down to the fight itself, as long as you did everything physically proper, then the fight is 90 to 100 percent mental.

You keep busier than most fighters on the roster, with this being your seventh fight since February of 2012. Do you think staying busy makes you a better fighter?

If I’m not hurt and I have the ability to fight, then I want to be in there fighting. I don’t see the point in sitting around. I’m not getting any younger. I keep working hard and keep testing myself. I am in this sport to fight. I take a week or two off after every fight. That’s three vacations a year. That’s more than 99 percent of other jobs out there.

You’ve said on multiple occasions that you’re in this sport to build a legacy and be one of the best ever. Where does that drive to be successful come from?

Gosh, I don’t know where it comes from. It’s just natural for me. It’s human nature, I guess. We all want to be successful, we all want to be the best at what we do. It’s just in my blood.

You talked about getting into the sport to get away from bad habits. When did it switch from a hobby to something you wanted to be very good at?

The first day I walked in the gym I wanted to be very good at it. I don’t really do anything that I don’t want to be really good at.

Nearly all of your losses have come by submission. As a veteran of the sport, is it difficult to make the changes necessary to fill that void in your game, or is that just part of the job?

It’s not difficult. I’m constantly working on my grappling, my wrestling and my jiu-jitsu. It’s just one of those things. I don’t pick it up as quickly as I do striking and boxing. I think my jiu-jitsu is getting a lot better. I think my jiu-jitsu was good enough where I shouldn’t have been getting submitted when I was. Basically, I was doing everything I could to not end up in a grappling match and that was the reason I was getting submitted. Rather than properly trying to fight my way out or grapple with the guys, I was constantly trying to find a way not to be grappling. That wasn’t necessarily the right way to go about it.

So now you try and be ready for the fight to go anywhere.

Exactly. I try and be more open-minded in a fight and be willing to fight from all positions, rather than being stubborn and dead set on one style of fighting.

Now you’ve got the most difficult test of your career in Carlos Condit. What do you bring that he hasn’t seen before? What makes you different?

I don’t know, that’s hard to say. He’s fought a lot of really tough top guys. I don’t know if I’ll bring anything he hasn’t seen before. Just because you’ve seen it before doesn’t mean I’m not going to do it better.

What difficulties does he present?

He definitely brings a lot to the table. I think the biggest thing is his toughness and composure, whether he’s being beaten up or not. He’s never finished until he’s finished. You’re going to have to fight him from bell to bell.

I would argue the same attributes could be said about you. Do you see yourselves as similar fighters?

Yeah, I think we’re really similar. We’re similar in a lot of different ways. The only difference is that he has fought higher-level guys and succeeded where I haven’t. To me this is a big step up in my career and a chance for me to get into the upper echelon.

There’s an argument to be made that you were an underdog in your last three bouts, and you’re certainly an underdog against Carlos Condit. Do you relish in the role of underdog?

To be honest, I don’t even think about it that much. It’s irrelevant to me.

To you it’s just two guys who have skills and are competing?

Yeah, I see him as a guy across the cage from me who wants to fight. It’s irrelevant to me if other people think I’m going to lose the fight. Obviously I think I’m going to win, so what does it matter what other people think?

Once again you’ll be fighting on a FOX main card bout. Do you take that as a compliment to your exciting style?

Yeah. Dana nicknamed me “Mr. FOX”. It’s pretty flattering to me, I think it’s pretty cool.

Do you like fighting on FOX?

Yeah, but it’s pretty much all the same. Every arena, every locker room, every hotel. They’re all pretty much the same thing.

You really seem to look at this as a job and it doesn’t seem to be about the fame. Do you come from a blue-collar family?

I would actually disagree with that. I don’t actually look at this as a job. I do come from a hard working family. When I talk about it, I do say it’s my job and I take it seriously. Ultimately, it’s not really a job. I get up everyday and I do what I want to do. I do what I love to do. It’s more of a lifestyle. A job, you go to work and come home and forget what you did. I live this.

After your victory over Mike Pyle, you uncharacteristically called Georges St. Pierre out. What sparked those comments?

That’s the fight everybody wants. If I have to ask for it, I have to ask for it. I’m on a six-fight winning streak. Guys have gotten title shots for less than that. Why not ask for it?

Does a win over Carlos Condit make you the number one contender?

I think it should. He’s at number two and a win over him should put me at number two. A seven-fight win streak and beating the number two contender — I don’t know what else I’d have to do, really.

Out of curiosity, how did you score the controversial GSP vs Hendricks bout?

I watched it, but I didn’t actually score it. I don’t know who should have won on the judges’ scorecards, but at the end of the fight I had the feeling that Hendricks won that fight. Whether he won the points, I don’t know. He won the fight.

What Was Up With Johny Hendricks Last Night on Fox Sports Live? [VIDEO]

(Props: FOX Sports Live)

Is he delirious from the weight cut? Did somebody spike his cough syrup? Did he just get poked in his right eye? Did somebody interrupt his nap? Is he blazed as hell? What’s with all the blinking? There has to be an explanation for why Johny Hendricks seemed a little…impaired…during his FOX Sports Live appearance last night, hyping his UFC 167 main event with Georges St. Pierre. We’ve transcribed a couple highlights below, but seriously, you should watch this thing yourself and tell us what you think.

On whether GSP should be scared of him: “A-hah-hah, you know what, here’s the thing…uh…it’s…to each their own, y’know? I’m not scared of anybody. Uh, whenever you get in the Octagon, just do what you do, y’know? Um. He might be, I don’t know, y’know, here’s the thing. It doesn’t matter. Uh…all I want is a win.”

On his squabble with GSP over drug testing: “I don’t need drugs to win. A-heh. Youknowwhattimean? If I’m at 220, I don’t look like I’m at 170. I’m fat, out of shape, and I love my life. Youknowwhattimean? I don’t need steroids. I don’t need steroids to have power. If I had power…if I had steroids, I wouldn’t be at 170. I’d probably be at 205. The way that I eat and the do all that stuff so here’s the thing, is that one person has accused me of something or ‘read between the lines’…uh, y’know, Georges had six fights, err six years to prove his innocence of people accusing him of stuff. He wants to prove it with me, he just chose the wrong person.”

Ed. note: At 7:23-7:26, we see that the split-screen presentation is just bullshit, and that Georges and Johny are really in the same room, sitting next to each other. Good work, FOX.


(Props: FOX Sports Live)

Is he delirious from the weight cut? Did somebody spike his cough syrup? Did he just get poked in his right eye? Did somebody interrupt his nap? Is he blazed as hell? What’s with all the blinking? There has to be an explanation for why Johny Hendricks seemed a little…impaired…during his FOX Sports Live appearance last night, hyping his UFC 167 main event with Georges St. Pierre. We’ve transcribed a couple highlights below, but seriously, you should watch this thing yourself and tell us what you think.

On whether GSP should be scared of him: “A-hah-hah, you know what, here’s the thing…uh…it’s…to each their own, y’know? I’m not scared of anybody. Uh, whenever you get in the Octagon, just do what you do, y’know? Um. He might be, I don’t know, y’know, here’s the thing. It doesn’t matter. Uh…all I want is a win.”

On his squabble with GSP over drug testing: ”I don’t need drugs to win. A-heh. Youknowwhattimean? If I’m at 220, I don’t look like I’m at 170. I’m fat, out of shape, and I love my life. Youknowwhattimean? I don’t need steroids. I don’t need steroids to have power. If I had power…if I had steroids, I wouldn’t be at 170. I’d probably be at 205. The way that I eat and the do all that stuff so here’s the thing, is that one person has accused me of something or ‘read between the lines’…uh, y’know, Georges had six fights, err six years to prove his innocence of people accusing him of stuff. He wants to prove it with me, he just chose the wrong person.”

Ed. note: At 7:23-7:26, we see that the split-screen presentation is just bullshit, and that Georges and Johny are really in the same room, sitting next to each other. Good work, FOX.