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Fun. It’s been the buzzword for UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes thus far in 2010, and if you go by the results that have seen him follow up his 2009 win over heated rival Matt Serra with finishes of Renzo Gracie and Ricardo Almeida, you might just start seeing every fighter throw off the baggage that comes with the fighting life and just embrace the joy of competition.

Nah, it can’t be that easy. Not in a game where you’re dealing with the pressure to perform, the pressure to win and keep your job, and the pressure of keeping up with your peers in the race towards a title shot. But therein lies Hughes’ secret. At 37, the Hillsboro family man has done all there is to do in this sport. He’s won the welterweight title twice, he’s beaten the best fighters of his era, he’s already been inducted into the Hall of Fame, and as far as job security, you get the feeling that he will have a place in the UFC for as long as he wants one.

In other words, he could have lost to Gracie and Almeida, or lose to BJ Penn in their UFC 123 rubber match this Saturday, and it wouldn’t erase what he has already accomplished. That’s got to be a feeling of freedom few fighters have the luxury of experiencing. It can make fight week and the fight itself downright, well, fun.

“Maybe subconsciously that is what’s going on, but I don’t think about that stuff,” said Hughes when asked whether not worrying about his legacy has freed him up to enjoy each moment he still has in the Octagon. “I’m just really looking at having a good time with my training partners, having a good time in the Octagon with my opponent, and that’s what’s keeping me in the game and what keeps a smile on my face when I wake up in the morning. I’m really having a lot of fun, no matter if I’m training, traveling or competing.”

Yet beyond all this ‘feel good’ stuff, the fact remains that quietly and under the radar, Hughes has just put together a three fight winning streak against quality opposition, something many didn’t expect to see after he lost three out of four fights from late 2006 through 2008. And though he expected to take the rest of the year off after he submitted Almeida at UFC 117 in August, the phone soon rang with an old friend on the other end of the line.

“(UFC President) Dana White came to me and proposed this matchup (with Penn),” said Hughes. “I’ve always wanted to have the rubber match with BJ, so I was able to move my schedule around and take the fight. It’s good because I want the matchup, I know BJ wants it, and I actually think that it’s actually a fight that the public wants to see as well.”

They do, and the buzz around the UFC 123 co-main event has been getting louder and louder this week, as fans get ready to see whether Hughes’ late-career hot streak continues or if Penn can right his ship after losing two in a row. And at the core of it all is that this fight will break the 1-1 tie that saw Penn win their first bout in 2004 and Hughes even the score two years later in 2006. Four years is a long time in the fight game, and despite winning the rematch in emphatic fashion via third round TKO, Hughes believes that he can better his performance the third time around.

“I think there’s a lot of improvement I can do,” he said. “At the end of the second round, he had me in a bad choke, and he did very well in the first round, so there’s improvement I can make, and everybody wants that rubber match because if I win the rubber match, it’s like winning all three matches, but if I lose, it’s like I lost all three. That’s the way I look at it.”

Plus, winning big in the rubber match eliminates any questions about the second win, which saw Penn claim that a second round rib injury left him at less than one hundred percent in the third frame.

“I never really listen to fighters after a loss and what they say,” said Hughes. “But if BJ had some hurt ribs after the last fight, then I definitely want to beat him when he’s a hundred percent, and not let him have a reason for losing the fight.”

And really, that’s as far as it gets when it comes to any pre-fight verbal jousting. Both have shown an enormous amount of respect for each other. In fact, when speaking with Penn before the bout and asking him for his thoughts on Hughes, ‘The Prodigy’ simply responded, “I like Matt Hughes. He’s all right.” Maybe it’s being older and wiser or just figuring that at this point, the matchup alone sells itself without any additional trash talk.

Me, I think that in some ways, Hughes and Penn see a lot of themselves in each other. They’re both high-level athletes, both intense competitors, and both have weathered the ups and downs of the sport. Hughes has even been where Penn is right now, looking to bounce back from two losses in a row. If you didn’t know that they will be trying to punch each other in the face this Saturday, you could call them kindred spirits.

“Oh sure, twice in my career I’ve lost two in a row and it’s one of those things where you’ve just got to know that you can get through it and get that next win, and turn things around,” said Hughes. “And that can be at any time. It could have been two months ago when BJ took this fight that he revamped his mind and got mentally tough out there and put his winning gameplan together. So that’s why I’ve got to prepare for the best BJ Penn out there.”

Hughes has seen Penn at his best, but he also knows that there’s another Penn out there.

“BJ’s come in with great gameplans and in great shape against people like Kenny Florian and Sean Sherk and he’s looked really, really good,” said Hughes. “And then there are the other matchups, and the first one that comes to mind is Frankie Edgar. He (Edgar) was able to use a lot of motion and kinda dance around him a little bit. It depends on which BJ shows up - the guy that’s gonna come in with a sound gameplan and some good training, or the guy that’s gonna come in and just think his natural tools are gonna win. It will be interesting to see when this match is over which BJ Penn I got.”

Regardless, we know which Matt Hughes we’re going to get. Rejuvenated, sharp, well-trained, and yeah, you know it’s coming – a guy just looking to have some fun.




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The word was out on Dennis Hallman, and he knew it.

“I was a one round wonder,” said the 13-year MMA veteran of his rep for putting in a solid first round and then fading in the next two.

He fought according to form early in his UFC 117 bout against young gun Ben Saunders, winning the first frame, leaving “Killa B” two rounds to get things right and take the victory. The Floridian’s corner knew what was going to happen next – it was just the way Hallman fights went.

“Okay, he’s gonna gas now,” they told Saunders.

Hallman, more than three months removed from the bout, smiles at what he heard when he watched the fight back on video. “That was my favorite thing about that fight.”

That was because when he came out for rounds two and three, he was able to deliver the same fight and pace that he did in the first five minutes, and when the final bell tolled, he had earned a unanimous decision victory, his first in the UFC in nearly a decade. But his newfound cardio wasn’t due to some miracle workout or a few extra miles of roadwork – it was because he finally found out what had been holding him back for years and years. And it had nothing to do with anything in the gym.

“I’ve had years and years of chronic illness which has affected my performance,” said Hallman. “In May, after the John Howard fight (in December of 2009), I was having severe problems and I went and got checked out and I got diagnosed with celiac disease. Since then, the doctors have given me hormone therapy and put me on medication and it showed in my fight against Ben Saunders. That was only three months after being off gluten and being on the corrective medication, and in my fights I actually have cardio now and I can actually perform into the second and third round.”

Plagued by this disease, which is caused by an adverse reaction to gluten (which is found in wheat, rye, barley, and other grains), Hallman has managed to compile an amazing 65-13-2 (1 NC) record, and he hasn’t been fighting cupcakes, as the names Matt Hughes, Jens Pulver, Frank Trigg, Denis Kang, Caol Uno, and Dave Menne immediately jump out at you. But after this revelation, you have to wonder, if he’s been this good at less than a hundred percent on a consistent basis, how good could he have been?

“I don’t look at life like that,” he said. “I look at it like moving forward and learning from things that happened. I think that everything happens for a reason the way it’s supposed to happen. I have good faith in God and believe that he controls all things and so I think that was meant to be so I could learn the lessons in life that I need to learn.”

But it was a complicated puzzle for Hallman to solve, especially considering that he had been to doctors before about his lack of stamina over an extended period of time – like in a fight.

“I got misdiagnosed my entire life,” he said. “One time they told me I had a thyroid problem and then they had me on glucose for a while. It was just a bunch of misdiagnoses. They kept telling me that they figured out what was wrong with me, and none of it worked. I would still try to compete and then gas out in a minute or two. My adrenal gland would dump and not replenish.”

That was bad enough when he was winning fights, which he did more often than not. When he lost, it crushed him, and the whispers around the fight game that he was simply not training hard left marks as well.

“It’s devastating mentally,” said Hallman. “You start to doubt your own ability and I just wouldn’t know what to do, and then I would get criticized for being out of shape, but my training partners knew that I would train just as hard as anybody else, if not harder. I could be in really good practice shape and never gas out in the gym, but when it’s the real thing, your adrenal gland dumps and no matter what, I would just be done.”

In a lot of ways, the 34-year old hit rock bottom last December against Howard, another up and comer with designs on adding a high-profile name to his resume. Yet for over 14 and a half minutes, it was the old vet showing the youngster some MMA tricks as he compiled an insurmountable lead on the scorecards.  

“The John Howard fight, I take nothing away from him, he’s a superior fighter and a very tough guy, but I literally paced myself the entire fight because I didn’t want to gas out,” said Hallman. “So I held back when I actually could have done more. When I got him in a position, instead of going for a risky submission or trying to sit up and put him out with ground and pound, I just would try to hold position and win by points and it came back to bite me in the butt. I heard the ten second bell and I said ‘okay, I’ve got this won, I’m gonna go try for the knockout,’ and bam, I get dropped myself. Live and learn.”

With five seconds left in the fight, Howard scored the equivalent of a ten point touchdown or eight run homer, knocking out Hallman.

But that was then, this is now, and the native of Olympia, Washington has a new lease on his life and his fighting career. The Saunders fight opened a lot of eyes, and as he approaches his UFC 123 bout against Karo Parisyan this Saturday, he’s in position to end the year on a high note and set the stage for some big things in 2011. But first things first, and that’s Parisyan.

“I’ve got to look at fights one at a time and if you look past somebody like Karo, then you end up getting thrown on your head and your hand’s not raised,” he said. “So I focus on what’s in front of me and try to go from there.”

And despite all the top level names Hallman has been in with over the years, when asked about “The Heat”, he says that the Armenian “is probably the toughest guy that I have fought in the last 10 years.”

That’s high praise.

“If you watch all of his fights, he changes his style every single fight, so he makes it really hard to prepare for,” Hallman explains. “And if you watch his technique, he gets away with a lot of grappling moves that he shouldn’t be getting away with and I think that’s because he must be really strong. And the guy’s resilient. Even in the fights that he’s lost, he’s been on the verge of winning those fights as well. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fight where he’s been dominated.”

It’s the recipe for an exciting clash between two longtime MMA vets. And the best part is, on Hallman’s side of the Octagon, we’ll be seeing him at his best, something he always hoped would happen.

“Without faith, nothing really matters,” he said.

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August 28, 2010. For a brief moment, it was going to be the last time we would ever see BJ Penn fight.

“The first thing that came to me was I don’t know if I want to do this, and that comes to every fighter after some losses,” said Penn, who had just lost his second straight UFC lightweight title fight to Frankie Edgar. “I thought that maybe I didn’t have the motivation anymore.”

Penn kept these thoughts to himself, well aware that decisions made in the heat of the moment aren’t always the wisest ones. And this one was monumental, a choice that would shake the foundations of the mixed martial arts world. Sure, Penn had lost two in a row, but that happened once before, in 2006, when he dropped back-to-back fights to Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes, and then went on a tear that saw him win five of six bouts. Plus, at 31, he was far from finished physically. The question was, did he still want this. That answer would come soon enough.

“As soon as I got to Hilo, something told me to get back in the gym and keep going,” he said. “I don’t want to go to the bar and just drink and do nothing, so I told myself to get back in the gym and keep moving, and that’s what I did.”

Talking about the current state of life in the world of ‘The Prodigy,’ he simply says, “I’m in a good place,” and that’s the type of statement that puts fans on the edge of their seats and makes prospective opponents gulp, because when Penn is on – both mentally and physically – he’s tough to beat. But to get him where he needs to be, he needs a challenge. That challenge came to him shortly after the Edgar fight was in the books, and it came in the form of an old rival, Matt Hughes, with whom Penn has split two welterweight title fights.

“I figured this fight would happen sooner or later, but I didn’t think right now would be the time, coming off two losses, but I’m excited,” he said. “It’s good motivation for me.”

The fight, taking place as the co-main event of UFC 123 in Detroit this weekend, not only marks the conclusion of a storied trilogy, but it also signals Penn’s return to the welterweight division for the first time since his 2009 loss to St-Pierre in their rematch. The former 155 and 170-pound champion admits that he’s been thinking about competing in both weight classes, but for now, his sights are on the Hall of Famer in front of him, who has rejuvenated his career with a three fight winning streak.

“Matt’s been looking great lately,” said Penn, who defeated Hughes in 2004 before having the Hillsboro native even the score two years later. “He just took out three good guys (Matt Serra, Renzo Gracie, Ricardo Almeida). He had a tough fight with Thiago Alves (in 2008), and GSP beat him up (in 2007) and all these things, and we were just about to write him off, and now he’s making another run. That’s the sport - where there’s a will there’s a way and you get out there and things start working for you and you start building momentum and you just keep going. That’s what makes MMA so beautiful.”

And Penn has long been one of the sport’s premier artists, painting pictures with his fists. But with such talent and achievement comes the pressure to always perform. And the media and his fans have done him no favors by constantly attaching the words “legacy” and “history” to his name. It leaves him in a strange spot between fighting simply because it’s his job and it puts food on the table, and doing it for fun and with a loftier goal in mind – to be immortalized in the history books.
 
“I’m constantly stuck between the two,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of Rampage’s interviews lately, and that’s exactly where he is. I guess people do get burned out over time. When you first start this whole journey of being a mixed martial artist, you’re here to beat everybody up, and I guess after a while it does turn into a job. Some people get burned out, some people don’t, and it’s a strange thing. I come out here and destroy Matt Hughes on the 20th and maybe you’ll hear the same things coming out of my mouth again – that I’m going back for my legacy and all that stuff.”

He pauses, then chuckles.

“It’s weird, man. It’s such a weird journey.”

But could he see himself being anything but a fighter right now?

“I’ve asked myself that question a thousand times, and I look at everything else there is in the world to do, besides retirement, and I looked at all my other options, and I like this one a lot more.”

He laughs, then is asked if it’s more fun that being an impromptu CNN correspondent, like he was when a Tsunami threatened Hawaii in February.

“I think this is even more fun than being a CNN correspondent.”

Penn even admits that like his opponent on Saturday, when it comes down to it, fighting is still where he finds joy and peace.

“That’s where I want to be and I’m having fun right now,” he said. “I could be doing a lot of other things than getting ready to fight Matt Hughes, and this is fun and very exciting.”

And if BJ Penn is back, that’s a good thing for the fight world, and the reason is simple. In fact, it’s something that came out of his mouth, ironically before his last fight with Hughes in 2006. It’s a quote I’ve worn out over the years, but it’s so good I don’t care. I read it back to Penn during our interview:

“There’s just something about BJ Penn that gets people amped up. You don’t know what’s gonna happen, but something’s gonna happen though.  He might disappoint you, he might make you happy, he might make you cry, he might make you jump out of your chair, but he’ll do something to you.”

He smiled.

“Something’s gonna happen on November 20th. I’ll tell you that right now.”

So that guy is still there?

“That guy’s definitely still there, and I’m ready to go.”


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Born and raised in Nova Friburgo, a highland city in Rio de Janeiro, UFC newcomer Edson Barboza - who faces Mike Lullo on the preliminary portion of UFC 123 this weekend - was a fearless young man when his focus was linked to Muay Thai competitions.      
      
The lightweight with the ferocious fists and kicks always figured in the Brazilian top five when it came to striking, and his power and accuracy almost guaranteed a knockout loss to his opponents and promised fans and the media that a backward step wouldn’t be seen from Barboza.   
   
A prototype Muay Thai fighter - tall, quick and lethal – Barboza started early, being introduced to the art when he was only eight years old. And what started just as a means to calm down an excitable boy became a career.   
   
"I started very young in Muay Thai, in the hangar of a Samba entity," he says of his beginnings. "My father didnt have the ability to put me in paid martial arts classes, so I joined this social project which taught Muay Thai to kids. Then my passion for the sport started from the very first contact."   
   
From the first touch of gloves in training until his first match, the young Barboza didnt waste much time. In the same year he started knowing Muay Thai, he tested the part of his being that what would eventually earn him status, respect and titles - his will.    
   
"I beat my opponent when he didnt answer the bell for round two. That was my first technical knockout (laughs). The kid didnt stop crying and I was victorious. I still have the tape saved."   
   
A proud memory for family and friends nowadays, it seems a bit curious how a mother could permit her beloved young son to train in a full-contact sport. But dont get me wrong, Barbozas mother didnt like it in the beginning, and still doesnt completely, as she doesn’t watch his professional fights, but with the support of his father, who put him in that social project back in 1994, the Muay Thai ace, a member of Team Anderson Franca, excelled.   
   
"I got the Brazilian championship, the Brazilian Circuit and the Demoliton Grand Prix," he said, listing his important titles, but his true growth came in one of his only three defeats. "We had a Grand Prix named La Gara, with four fights to be the champion, I lost the final (to Tadeu San Martino), but I was fighting in a division above mine (167). I knocked three guys out and the competition was very important to show my disposition to overcome hurdles."   
   
The Demolition GP, held in 2007, was a solid chapter into the life of Barboza. He knocked out his first two opponents, one of them the K-1 World MAX participant, Marfio Canolleti, and avenged his defeat in the final against San Martino. With 100% of his focus turned in one direction - the K-1 World MAX in Japan - Barboza was thisclose to making a life fighting stand-up, a dream that didnt come out of his mind after the insignificant payout he got at his first pro fight.   
   
But Barboza didnt count on the power of silence.   
   
"My manager tried to contact and deal with Japan several times, but no positive words were being received. After one year without anything happening, we resolved to opt for the MMA path - doors were opened this way and I could work my career better."   
   
The change was extreme. Considering Barboza was a Muay Thai fighter with zero MMA experience and with the level of the sport nowadays, he could need a time to adapt that would cost him opportunities and, even worse, victories. However, he had some surprises following his switch, as he had been cross training with Brazilian Jiu-jitsu guys and a manager, Alex J. Davis, who is a black belt in BJJ and Judo.   
   
"I polished the Muay Thai of BJJ black belt Flavio Serafim and he taught me BJJ for fun," said the BJJ blue-belt. "So my entrance into MMA was easy because I trained BJJ for a long time. After moving to USA I increased that with top level guys like Eduardo Guedes, Rafael Chaves, Pablo Popovich, Wagner Ceara, Rodrigo Cavaca, Marcos Buchecha and Thiago Abreu - thats Team Armory - along with Joe Mullings, and they were necessary to transform me into a competitive MMA athlete."   
 
The move to Jupiter, Florida in 2008 was the start for Barboza to join the MMA community. It was a tough beginning, as he was missing his wife, friends and family, but he was supported by the new team that not only served to prepare him for his matches, but provided the Brazilian newcomer a perfect environment for repeating in MMA what he did in Muay Thai. And having his wife, Bruna, living with him a few months after his arrival, kept Barboza tranquil enough to smash opponents and grab a 6-0 record and two belts. 
 
"I was never under pressure," says the man who has two belts, Renaissance MMA and Ring of Combat. "I entered and did my job. My routine was training, training and more training." 
 
The 511 lightweight comes to the Octagon using the same aggressive style that made his name in Muay Thai and has earned him six stoppages in his MMA career. The reach advantage hell have on Lullo is also a weapon, but he disagrees that its the main one. 
 
"My range is really good compared to the majority of the lightweights and it helps me in the stand up. But I dont see a large advantage, as guys are adapting themselves to face this adversity." 
 
Trusting in his camp instead of over studying his foe, Barboza leaves a final message for fight fans. 
 
"I ask the fans to come before the main card, because theyll see a guy determined to display the best. And it doesnt matter if it is a preliminary or not, UFC is always great, so whoever is in their seats early will see a great show." 


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Aaron “The A Train” Simpson will feel like he’s back on the Arizona State University wrestling squad when he goes up against Mark Munoz (8-2) at UFC 123, because aside from being an All-American at Oklahoma State, there’s not much else Simpson can use to get angry at his next opponent

“He’s an all around great guy and a great friend of mine,” Simpson says of Munoz. “But ASU and Oklahoma aren’t the best of friends on the mat, so I’ll use that to stay motivated.”

Simpson (7-1), suffered his first professional loss against Chris “The Crippler” Leben on Spike TV during the TUF 11 finale, and although he believes the loss set him back three or four fights before getting a title shot, he says he took away more than he lost.

“I learned not to be so aggressive, to be more patient in there,” he said. “Leben even said it during his post-fight interview that I rushed out there and came out too strong. I’m not going to change too much of what I do, but it was a real good learning experience for me.”

Simpson, who left Arizona Combat Sports along with his teammates Ryan Bader and CB Dollaway just before Summer, said between training and working to open a new facility that he took on too much before the Leben fight, and wasn’t focused on the right things.

“Even with the kids now my wife takes over so I don’t have too many distractions before a fight,” he said.

Simpson has 3 children, Claire, who is just out of high school, and twin toddlers Domenico and Mia.

The 36 year old has been wrestling for as long has he can remember, and says that when he was growing up and all through college, when 3:30 in the afternoon came around, it was time for practice. These days, things haven’t changed much for the former 2-time All American at ASU and four time Arizona State high school wrestling champion.

“My philosophy towards fighting hasn’t changed since wrestling, and that is to stay active and train hard,” he says.

With Munoz, Simpson has a lot of things to work on that will keep him busy in training. Munoz is a good wrestler, so good that Anderson Silva brought him in to train against Chael Sonnen. He’s also very good at Muay Thai, and has knockout power in both hands.

“Mark throws heavy punches and he’s very athletic so going out there and being able to move and being able to catch him is going to be a task,” says Simpson. He’s one of those tough durable fighters, as you saw in his fight against “Da Spyder” (Kendall Grove). He weathers the storm and just comes back. That’s who he is,” he said.

Simpson and Munoz go back to their college days, and Simpson says there’s a mutual respect between the two.

“He’s a great person and a great father, and there are not many guys in MMA whom I respect like that. I try to go in every fight with a chip on my shoulder and angry, but this time we’ll just be two competitors fighting a very technical and athletic fight, with each of us looking to get our hand raised,” he said.

And while Detroit will be chilly on November 20th, for Simpson, fighting in Auburn Hills will be somewhat of a homecoming.

“My wife is from just 30 miles away from Auburn Hills,” he said. “My brother-in-law is a wrestling coach near there and the guys are excited, and I’ve been to several wrestling matches in the arena, so for me it’s like home field advantage,” he said.

Simpson was 33 years old when he took his first professional MMA fight. After nine years as the Arizona State University assistant wrestling coach, having mentored guys like current UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez, light heavyweight Bader and middleweight Dollaway, he focused his competitive juices on the burgeoning sport.

“It’s an exciting time to be fighting in the UFC that’s for sure,” says Simpson. “It’s expanding globally, the sport is growing, the sponsorships are getting bigger but I’m not just happy to be here; I want to bring home that belt. I want the title holder, whether it’s Anderson Silva or anyone else who comes along,” he said.

Like Randy Couture, Simpson was left craving more after failing to make the Olympic wrestling team.

“With wrestlers, you could be the national champion but if you don’t win Olympic gold, you still feel like a failure,” he said. “Guys like John Smith and Cael Sanderson can walk away from the sport feeling satisfied, but the rest of us have unfinished business left on the mat.”

But it is that fire that keeps him coming back for more.

Simpson, who holds a degree in journalism from Arizona State’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, says he usually walks around at 200 pounds with very little body fat and a lot of muscle, and doesn’t see himself going down a weight class anytime soon.

“I went to AKA and trained with Josh Koscheck, who is smaller than me, and he said he’s got a tough cut to make 170, so I don’t see myself going down anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean I can’t,” he said, not ruling out a drop sometime in the future.

Simpson was in the WEC before the UFC folded its middleweight division into the mother ship, and he’s got advice for the lightweights, featherweights and bantamweights who now find themselves fighting on the world’s biggest stage.

“Just embrace it, and be an exciting fighter,” he says. “The UFC likes exciting fighters.”

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You’ve heard it said a thousand times before – and you’re about to hear it again. A fight’s a fight, a crowd’s a crowd, and once the bell rings, all that matters is the opponent standing across from you. But after practically growing up in the UFC since his debut in the organization in 2003, Karo Parisyan admits that it was more than a little strange standing and fighting without those three letters on the marquee this past July.

“There were a lot of people there and it was a good reaction, people yelling and all the same stuff, but to fight for an organization that was not the UFC, and not as big and professional as the UFC, was really weird,” said Parisyan of his bout against Ben Mortimer for Australia’s Impact FC promotion. “But the bottom line is, when you walk in that cage, a fight’s a fight. Whether you’re in the UFC or in some underground fight, a fight’s a fight – you’re gonna punch, you’re gonna kick, you’re gonna go for takedowns and submissions when the time comes.”

That’s just what Parisyan did in his first non-UFC bout since March of 2003. He punched, he kicked, and at 4:18 of the second round, he submitted Mortimer via rear naked choke.

But what brought him to Brisbane was the real story.

A longtime welterweight contender, Parisyan’s bouts with panic attacks had become front page news in the MMA world, and when he pulled out of his UFC 106 match with Dustin Hazelett the day before weigh-ins in 2009, it was expected that his Octagon career was over. Following the UFC 106 debacle, speculation ran rampant about Parisyan’s future and if he would ever fight again. He knew he would, and in the back of his mind he hoped for another shot in the UFC.

“Some people thought there was a chance I would go back; a lot of people thought there would never be a chance for me to go back, but deep in my heart I knew that eventually I was gonna make it back,” he said. “I had some issues that had to get straightened out, and unfortunately it blew up and everybody heard some crap, but the main thing is that I’m back to my old normal self again, mentally and physically, I’m training and I can’t wait to get back and start mixing it up again.”

That’s now. But before he was welcomed back into the fold for a Saturday bout against Dennis Hallman on the preliminary portion of the UFC 123 card, he had to prove that he had everything under control. Thus the fight against Mortimer, and a career-reviving win. Soon after, he received the call he had been waiting for.

“I’m a religious kid and I believe everything happens for a reason,” he said. “God has a plan for everybody on this planet, and it had to happen. I had to learn the hard way in certain ways and I traveled halfway around the world to prove to my fans and people that thought I wasn’t there yet and still had these problems that I could fight a hometown hero, win, and come back home, and that I could still walk in the cage. And that’s what I did.”

But this is not the same Karo Parisyan that last stepped into the Octagon against Dong Hyun Kim in January of 2009. He’s a little older (28) and a lot wiser, especially when it comes to life in the public eye.

“I’ve always said that if you have some kind of name for yourself, there are always gonna be some people who are gonna judge you, some who will say good stuff, some who say bad stuff, and sometimes I try not to let it bother me, but what can you do?” he said. “It was on the internet, the whole world was hearing rumors, and all you can do it sit back, stay focused, stay calm, and try to concentrate on your long-term goals and what you want to do. I still want to fight and I still have a lot more to prove. I’m still young and it’s not over yet.”

It’s certainly not, and it’s amazing that as long as he’s been around the fight game and as much as he’s accomplished, he still hasn’t reached his 30th birthday yet.

“I’ve been fighting for a long time, close to 14, 15 years,” he chuckles. “I’ve been around a long time so I know the game, I’ve seen the game evolve unbelievably, and thank God I’m still young enough to stay in the game and still fight and still win. I’ve got another five, six years that I can fight, easy.”

The next chapter begins Saturday night against Hallman, and it’s a different world than the one he walked away from a year ago. Once the lone Armenian waving the flag for his country in mixed martial arts, now he’s the pioneer for fighters like Manny Gamburyan, Sako Chivitchian, Sevak Magakian, and Karen Darabedyan. But while he had no problem paving the way before; now, he’s doing this for himself.

“I’ve done my job,” he said. “If I get appreciated, great. If I don’t, I don’t really care. In my heart, I did it for them and I’ve tried to help out my friends as much as I can. But at this time now, I just want to fight. Obviously I’m going for complete domination over Dennis Hallman, and I just want to fight my ass off and do everything I can to show the people that I’m back, I’m still talented, and I can still put on a show. That’s the main part.”


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If you look at his driver’s license, it says Gerald Harris. When Bruce Buffer introduces him on fight night, you can add the nickname ‘Hurricane’ to the mix. But to the average Joe on the street, the rising middleweight star is referred to as another name.

“I’m the dude that slammed the dude,” laughs Harris. “They don’t even know my name. They’re like ‘hey, you’re the dude that slammed the dude on ESPN.’”

That’s the price you pay for knocking out Dave Branch with a slam back at UFC 116 in July, an act that earned Harris instant fame after the clip of the finishing sequence made its way into heavy rotation on ESPN. And that’s just fine with the Tulsa native, mainly because with his third UFC victory this year, he was able to erase another, less flattering, image and name.

I used to be that dude who got kneed in the face on that reality show, so I finally jumped over that hump, and very rarely do I get emails about it,” laughs Harris, referring to his ouster from The Ultimate Fighter season seven competition courtesy of Amir Sadollah’s knee. “I needed something to get past that. It’s two years later, come on. (Laughs) I finally got a new ‘dude’ nickname, so I like it.”

Well, he’s earned it. Sent to the local circuit after his TUF7 appearance, Harris didn’t bitch and moan about being passed over. He bit down on his mouthpiece and got back to work to the tune of seven straight wins before getting called to the big show. And when he arrived, he kept the same work ethic and hard-nosed attitude, winning all three of his Octagon bouts (against Branch, John Salter, and Mario Miranda) by knockout. And just like that, this “new” guy has become the odds on favorite as UFC rookie of the year for 2010.

“I’ll be 31 in a couple weeks, so I don’t consider myself a rookie, but I’m a rookie to the UFC for sure,” he said. “I feel as if I was playing football overseas and I finally went to the NFL, I would still be considered a rookie.”

Now he’s in MMA’s Super Bowl, and eager to keep the momentum going when he steps back into action this Saturday night against newcomer Maiquel Falcao. It’s the fourth straight debutant Harris will be welcoming to the Octagon, and he has been far from a gracious host.

“I don’t think it’s a great idea for those guys,” he said, with three knockouts of the previous trio to prove it. Chute Boxe’s Falcao is no fight game neophyte though, as his 25-3, 1 NC record demonstrates. Of course, many of the names on that record don’t exactly jump off the page, but it doesn’t matter to Harris.

“At least he wasn’t 0-25,” he laughs. “He was better than the other guys. But I don’t judge anybody by their record or by who they beat. I can look at a guy who’s 5-0 and he beat five UFC champions and I’m not gonna be any more nervous for him than a guy that fought five guys who were 0-0. You never know who you’re getting in there with.”

And fighting someone who hasn’t been in the big show before makes scouting even more of a chore.

“It’s a lot more difficult because the UFC guys, you can get film on them easy,” said Harris. “All these guys, it’s whatever they put on youtube, and all his stuff’s pretty old. It reminds me of the local show days where you don’t get a lot of video on guys. It doesn’t bother me; we’re going in there kinda blind and they’ve probably got a lot of video on us, but we do what we can. I focus on what I’m gonna do and not on what he’s gonna do.”

With a victory, Harris will move to 17-2 overall and 4-0 for 2010 in the UFC. It’s been quite a run thus far, one that may have snuck up on some people. But not on Harris and his team.

“(It surprised) Everybody except for my trainer (Machoe “Peppe” Johnson), who really believes in me more than anything, and my mom and my dad, and you know how they are. People did expect me to win, but it wasn’t expected for me to do this well, because I know a lot of guys who are way more talented than I am and they didn’t have as good of a run as I’m having right now. But one thing I can’t do is pat myself on the back and look at the past. I want to stay hungry and that’s my main thing.”

His success has also had an added benefit, which is giving his family something to feel good about it after the tragic death of Gerald’s older brother Corey, who was killed while riding his motorcycle by a teenage driver in March of 2009. A week later, Harris fought and knocked out David Knight in a single round.

“I took some time off after that because it was really hard,” said Harris. “I didn’t fight for a long time and they called me and said my next fight (against Nissen Osterneck) is September 12th. I called the family and they were like ‘oh, we get to see you fight again.’ There were like 50 of us. Then I call my mom and she got quiet – it was on his birthday.”

Harris did his brother proud once again that night, knocking out UFC vet Osterneck in just 46 seconds. His next fight would be in the UFC, and he still looks to his brother to inspire him.

“To this day, it provides motivation,” said Harris quietly. “I do wish he was here to witness all this, and that’s the only thing that hurts the most.”

If you get a chance to talk to Gerald Harris, you’ll like him instantly, not only for his sense of humor but for his humble approach to the game. And while he grabs inspiration from his brother’s memory, he gives it back tenfold to younger fighters looking for their big break.

“That’s key to my success,” he said. “It’s not a confidence thing, it’s just the way I am. I think I give a lot of inspiration to the guys on the local circuit to show them ‘hey, you can make it.’ I didn’t win the Ultimate Fighter show, I went back, fought on the local shows, and I’ve got a lot of hardcore fans.”

That fanbase is growing, and by 2011, he hopes everyone’s going to know his real name.

“Next year, hopefully, I’ll be ‘Hurricane,’” he smiles. “But this year I’m gonna be that dude.”


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Joe Lauzon vs. George Sotiropoulos  

Joe Lauzon’s path to the UFC is unlike nearly everyone’s.  After debuting with a spectacular first round knockout of former lightweight champion Jens Pulver in 2006, Lauzon went on The Ultimate Fighter to tune his skills and build his name even more.  And although Lauzon was defeated in the semi-finals, it was evident that he was ready for the biggest stage in the world.  Since appearing on season five of TUF, Lauzon has gone 5-2, and in his best performance inside the Octagon since the show, Lauzon destroyed Gabe Ruediger in a little over two minutes of the first round at UFC 118.  And whether winning or losing, Lauzon has looked better and better each time he’s entered the Octagon.  He’s hoping that trend continues on Saturday night

For George Sotiropoulos, fighting had always been his dream – regardless of what it took to become a fighter in the UFC.  He traveled the world in search of the best people to train with, and it didn’t matter where he slept or what he ate.  As long as he was training, Sotiropoulos didn’t mind.  At one point, he was living inside a gym and could count all the money he had in one hand.  Hearing a story like this made you realize something; Sotiropoulos didn’t get into fighting because of the possible fame and fortune that could come with it.  He just wants to fight.  Having won all six of his fights since being on season six of The Ultimate Fighter, Sotiropoulos is quickly moving up the lightweight ladder.  If he’s able to win in convincing fashion, he may only be one more win away from getting his shot at UFC gold.

It’s going to be interesting to see where this fight ends up.  Both fighters are well rounded and won’t panic in any position.  Look for Lauzon to try and set up a submission – if he’s able to bring the action down.  Although Sotiropoulos is comfortable on the ground, he may try to keep the fight standing – feeling that’s where he has the advantage.   

Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch

A 4 time All-American and 2008 NCAA wrestling champion for Penn State University, Phil Davis turned pro as a mixed martial artist in October of 2008 and it only took him four fights to catch the eye of the UFC.  Since making his debut back at UFC 109, Davis has won all three of his fights, defeating Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson, and Rodney Wallace.  At 26 years old, Davis knows not to look ahead of anyone in arguably the toughest division in the UFC.  With all the talent in 205-pound division, one loss can be detrimental to his career.  Although he has fought three times in the UFC already, fighting on a Pay-Per-View will only do great things for his career if he can put on a great performance.

Despite having won three of the five fights he’s had in the Octagon, Tim Boetsch has been unable to string together multiple wins in a row.  Having won his latest outing at UFC 117, Boetsch is looking to get on a winning streak to move his way up the light heavyweight ladder. Although he has shown signs of being a real force, Boetsch just hasn’t been able to put anything together for a long period of time.  At 29 years old, this may be his best opportunity to start making some noise in this division.

When people first look at Phil Davis, people often marvel at how big he is.  Looking more like a heavyweight than a light heavyweight, look for him to use his size and strength to bring the action of the fight to the canvas.  If he’s able to bring Boetsch down, ‘The Barbarian’ may be in trouble.  Look for Boetsch to stall – hoping the fight gets stood up.  In a contrast in styles, look for Boetsch to try and keep the fighting standing – looking for a knockout.

Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcao

Fighting out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Gerald Harris, who was a product of season seven of The Ultimate Fighter, is currently riding a three fight winning streak in the UFC – with wins over John Salter, Mario Miranda, and most recently Dave Branch.  Although Harris has won all three fights inside of the Octagon, he’s won nine fights in a row since being defeated by Amir Sadollah (who ended up winning season seven) on episode seven of TUF.  And two of his three fights inside of the Octagon have ended with Dana White handing him a check for Knockout of the Night.  

With an overall professional record of 25-3, 1 NC, Maiquel Falcao will make his Octagon debut on Saturday night.  On Saturday night, Falcao will undoubtedly be facing the toughest and most important test of his professional career.  Being relatively unknown to most MMA fans, that perception could quickly change if the fight goes the way he plans.  There is no easier or better way to jump into the spotlight than by having a solid performance when fighting on Pay-Per-View.  Although it’s the best opportunity a UFC fighter can get when entering the Octagon for the first time, it can also come with the most pressure.  Depending on the person, knowing that for the first time in your fighting career, millions of people will be watching either brings the best out of you or leads to a poor performance.  We will just have to wait and see how he responds.

Look for Harris to use his strong wrestling skills to try and bring the action of the fight to the canvas right away.   If he’s able to bring the action down, it’ll be interesting to see Falcao’s ability to fight off his back when Harris is throwing non-stop elbows.  On the other hand, Falcao, who has knocked out his opponent in 21 of his 25 victories, will look to keep the fight standing.  Hoping to end the fight in dramatic fashion, Falcao knows that a highlight reel knockout will quickly make him a name people will remember.  Being that it’s his first outing in the Octagon, he needs to be careful to not go out swinging for the fences.  Doing that would cut down on his energy tank and make him more likely to be taken down and beaten as the fight enters its last few minutes.          

Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn

Matt Hughes and BJ Penn first met in what would end up becoming a trilogy back at UFC 46 in 2004.  In that fight, Penn secured a rear naked choke in the first round to win the fight and take the welterweight title away from Hughes.  Over two and a half years later, at UFC 63, Hughes finally had his opportunity to avenge the loss.  Hughes did exactly that – winning by TKO in the third round.  Now tied up at a win apiece, Saturday night will be the rubber match in what has turned out to be a great rivalry between two of the greatest MMA fighters in the world.

Arguably the greatest and most dominant champion in the history of the UFC, two-time welterweight champion Matt Hughes has won a record 18 times inside of the Octagon and is looking to make it 19 on Saturday.  First winning the welterweight title at UFC 34, Hughes defeated Carlos Newton by a controversial slam. Less than a year later, Hughes silenced the critics by defeating Newton once again – this time in dominating fashion.  From March of 2002 through September of 2006, Hughes went on to win 11 of his 12 fights during that span – with notable victories over Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg (twice), Georges St-Pierre, and legendary jiu-jitsu artist Royce Gracie, and he also avenged his only loss during that period to BJ Penn.  Although Hughes had previously beaten St-Pierre, the roles were reversed back at UFC 65 – St-Pierre defeated Hughes and became the new welterweight champion.  After returning with a win over Chris Lytle, Hughes was given another shot at St-Pierre but lost the rubber match.  Many believed after his second loss to St-Pierre that the welterweight torch had finally been passed, and at first, it seemed as if many were right.  For the first time in his UFC career, Hughes had lost two straight fights when he was defeated by Thiago Alves.  But then came three-straight victories against Matt Serra, Renzo Gracie, and Ricardo Almeida, and with a win over Penn, he may get even closer to a chance at one last title shot.  

Having fought in multiple divisions in his career, BJ Penn has won UFC gold in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions.  Prior to winning the welterweight title, Penn had two different opportunities to win the lightweight title.  At UFC 35, Penn fought for the first time in his UFC career with a championship belt on the line.  Unfortunately for Penn, he lost a majority decision against Jens Pulver.  After winning two straight fights, Penn once again let UFC gold slip through his fingers when he fought to a draw against Caol Uno at UFC 41.  Feeling that he’d be better suited for the welterweight division, Penn was finally able to win UFC gold at UFC 46 by beating the very fighter he’s scheduled to meet on Saturday night, Matt Hughes.  After winning the UFC welterweight title, Penn stepped away from the UFC, and after returning in 2006, Penn lost his first two fights back in the Octagon to Georges St-Pierre and Hughes.  In his next six fights, Penn won five and the UFC lightweight title – with notable wins over Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez.  But Penn wasn’t able to match Frankie Edgar stylistically and he lost both fights and his title to the New Jersey native.  After two straight defeats, Penn has moved back to the welterweight division, and he will finally look to settle the score with Hughes.

Having already fought each other twice already, both fighters know precisely what to expect from one another.  Look for Penn to try and keep the fight standing so he can exploit the area where he has the most advantages.  If he’s able to keep the fight off the canvas, it could end up being a long night in Auburn Hills for Hughes.  On the other side, look for Hughes to try and time a kick or punch from Penn – in order to set up a takedown.  That may be easier said than done, however.  Quite possibly the biggest strength Penn has is his balance.  He’s nearly impossible to bring down early in a fight.  Hughes will need to try and push the pace – testing Penn’s cardio.  If he’s able to bring the fight to the ground, look for him to use his patented ground and pound.  Regardless of what position Penn is in, Hughes will need to be careful of being caught in a submission.  
 
Lyoto Machida vs. Rampage Jackson

Both Lyoto Machida and Rampage Jackson have held UFC gold around their waist in the past two years, and on Saturday night, they have the same goal in mind on Saturday night when the Octagon gate closes – to win and get another title shot.  The winner of this fight won’t have far to look at a possible title shot but the loser of this fight will be on the outside looking in when it comes to getting back atop the divisional ladder.

In previous fights, Lyoto Machida would stay in his native Brazil to train, but feeling that he needed better partners to train with, Machida decided to stay in southern California to put together the best possible camp as possible.  One of the few fighters today that train mainly in karate, the Dragon is a black belt in Machida Karate – a fighting style that his father developed.  Known for his methodical fighting style, Machida has the ability to frustrate his opponents by keeping a slow pace and continuously moving – keeping his opponents guessing.  Machida then uses his opponents’ frustration to his advantage when they inevitably will try to push the action and get into a brawl – that’s exactly what Machida wants.  With his pinpoint accuracy, he’s generally able to end the fight by waiting for a mistake from his opponent. Machida won his first eight fights inside the Octagon – with notable wins over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva, Rashad Evans, and Mauricio Rua.  After the close nature of his decision win over Rua at UFC 104, Machida stepped back into the Octagon with “Shogun” less than seven months later.  This time however, Rua saw to it that the judges wouldn’t have a say in this fight by knocking Machida out in the first round.  There was a point when many believed that Machida’s fighting style made it nearly impossible for him to get hit – let alone lose.  Saturday night will be Machida’s first step at trying to put the fear back into his opponents, but more importantly, he’s looking to get back on track to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight championship belt.

Like his opponent, Quinton Jackson decided to have a change in scenery during his training camp for his fight on Saturday night.  For the past few years, Jackson would leave his southern California home to travel across the pond to the Wolfslair gym in the United Kingdom.  Wanting to still be around his children while training to fight Machida, Jackson brought out the usual members of the U.K. based Wolfslair gym to California to get him prepared for his bout with Machida.  While fighting for PRIDE in Japan, it didn’t take long for Jackson to become a superstar all over Asia.  Going 12-5 in the organization, Jackson beat notable fighters such as Kevin Randleman, Murilo Bustamante, Chuck Liddell, Ricardo Arona, and Murilo Rua.  In 2007, Jackson made his UFC debut by knocking out Marvin Eastman.  He then faced Liddell for the second time and took ‘The Iceman’s title via knockout. Rampage then became the first MMA fighter to unify the UFC and PRIDE belts when he defeated Dan Henderson.  Although Rampage had become the new light heavyweight champion, his reign atop the division didn’t last long.  Roughly 10 months later, Jackson lost his belt to Forrest Griffin. He returned to action only five months later when he knocked out Wanderlei Silva in the first round, and then defeated Keith Jardine by decision.  In his most recent bout in May, Jackson lost a decision to heated rival Rashad Evans. Needless to say, Rampage knows the importance of Saturday night and he expects to fight accordingly.

It’ll be interesting to see the game plan Rampage and his camp come up with for Saturday night.  Jackson is known for his aggressive style, and that isn’t the game plan you want to have when fighting a pinpoint striker like Machida.  Look for Rampage to come in with a more methodical gameplan, in hopes of Machida trying to push the action.  And although Rampage is subject to being submitted if the bout hits the floor and Machida has the ability to pull one off, what makes Rampage difficult is his knowledge and ability to use his strength to get out of a submission hold.  But most likely the majority of the fight will be fought on the feet.  Both fighters will pick their shots carefully – knowing their opponent has the power to finish the fight with one punch.        

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George Sotiropoulos knows that a win against Joe Lauzon at UFC 123 will keep him in title contention in the lightweight division, and he’s not worried about WEC standouts Ben Henderson, Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone being thrown into the mix.

“I’ve never seen Ben Henderson fight,” says Sotiropolous. “Unfortunately I didn’t get to see many WEC bouts, but I match up well against anybody,” he said.

After winning a unanimous decision against Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 116, many observers thought “Sots” would be in line for a title shot, taking on the winner of champion Frankie Edgar versus Gray Maynard in January.

With the UFC folding the WEC and all of its fighters into the mothership, the winner of that bout will now face the winner of a December tilt between WEC champ Ben Henderson and number one contender Anthony Pettis to unify the lightweight belt.

For Sotiropolous, however, recent events just mean a slight delay in the inevitable.

“The title is very important for me,” says Sotirpolous. “But I want to win every fight. I want to be the best lightweight in the world. I don’t look at what fights are going to get me a title shot. I don’t care who I fight or why. I care about winning. And if I continue to win, eventually I’ll be the champion.”

It’s that workmanlike attitude that has kept the Australian undefeated inside The Octagon (13-2 overall, 6-0 UFC) after making a name for himself on season 6 of The Ultimate Fighter as a member of Team Serra.

“I was 19 years old when I started training, and I have never felt better than I have during this camp,” he says. “Every day I can’t wait to train. After each session I am excited to start the next, and I’ve noticed the improvement, my training partners have noticed the improvement and my coaches have noticed the improvement. I’m having an epiphany in training right now and feel like I’m making leaps and bounds in all areas of my game,” he says.

That’s a scary proposition for anyone facing the former Australian amateur boxing champion, Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt and protégé of Japanese-American mixed martial artist Enson Inoue.

"I met Enson in Guam at one of my fights and he gave me an invitation to come and train with him in Japan,” he said. “That led to fights there and if it werent for him I wouldnt have had the opportunity to fight in Japan.”

Indeed, it was in Japan against Shinya Aoki where Sotiropolous suffered his last loss after he hit Aoki with an illegal groin strike, but to him that seems like ages ago.

“I’m so much more improved now anyway,” he says. “My wrestling, Muay Thai, boxing, jiu jitsu; I’m very well rounded,” he said.

With Joe Lauzon’s last victory coming in impressive fashion against Gabe Ruediger at UFC 118 in front of his hometown crowd in Boston (he won via armbar 2:01 into round one), Sotiropolous knows he’ll have his work cut out for him against the Massachusetts native.

“He looked great against Gabe, and he looked really good against Sam Stout too,” he said. “I’ve studied all of his wins and all of his losses, and he’s an erratic fighter with good jiu jitsu that I have to be careful of, but I’m confident that I will be able to impose my will and my game on him. Technically and physically I am superior. I will dominate,” he said.

A former welterweight prospect, Sotiropolous dropped to 155 pounds at UFC 101 and has fared well there, winning against the likes of George Roop, Jason Dent and then Joe Stevenson in front of his hometown crowd in Sydney, Australia at UFC 110, before besting Pellegrino last July.

The former finance industry worker with a degree in business from Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia likes to say; “If you can move a grain of sand a day, eventually you can move a mountain,” and his philosophy hasn’t changed much even throughout his success in the UFC.

“It’s all about practice, practice, practice,” he says. “You can only get better every time you practice, and if you get worse then you’re doing something wrong. I’ve acquired skills along the way that have prepared me for a career in fighting, and every day I’m getting better and better. Competing allows me to execute the techniques that I practice,” he says.

Sotiropolous has proved that he has what it takes to compete against the best in the world. With both Stevenson and Pellegrino, he proved that he can hang with some of the best wrestlers in the game, even though as an Australian he didn’t grow up with wrestling in his blood.

“Australia is very much a mirror of England when it comes to wrestling,” he said. “We didn’t have it in the education system. But you have to seek out answers to the holes in your game," he says. "I went out and found what I needed to do. I traveled and so on. I have no weaknesses."

The former Australian national jiu jitsu champion is also evolving his ground game, and has added 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu founder Eddie Bravo, one of the sport’s innovators, to his team. Bravo cornered George for the first time against Pellegrino, and Sots says his presence has made a world of difference in his own confidence.

“I joined Eddie in November 2008 and he has a lot of faith in me and he joining the team shows that faith. His style will be the evolving force in MMA and jiu jitsu on the ground. I think his style is the future of submission grappling,” he said.

With three Submission of the Night honors under next opponent Lauzon’s belt, Sotiropolous will have his chance to prove that theory in Detroit.


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As 2010 dawned, any talk of Tyson Griffin usually involved his place in the lightweight title picture thanks to back-to-back victories over Rafael dos Anjos and Hermes Franca. Two fights since then the talk is a lot a different, and the Sacramento native has heard it all.

“I’ve never been one to let that get to me,” said Griffin when asked about the backlash that comes with consecutive losses, albeit to top 155-pounders Evan Dunham and Takanori Gomi. “I feel like I’m my worst critic. There’s nothing that anybody can say or tweet or facebook about me that I’m not gonna say tenfold.”

So if you think the 26-year old is caught in a downward spiral that will continue into his UFC 123 bout this weekend against Nik Lentz, think again. For him, Saturday night kicks off a new beginning to a career that is far from over.

“I took a lot of time off after the Gomi fight and did a lot of soul searching and all that kinda stuff and I definitely feel like my career is kinda just starting,” said Griffin, who admits that following his decision loss to Xtreme Couture teammate Dunham in June, he started to re-evaluate where he was in his career and in life. But then came the Gomi fight less than two months later and a crushing 64 second knockout defeat. The hill then became a mountain, but he’s packed his proverbial hiking boots for the trip.

“I started that rejuvenation before I fought Gomi,” he said. “I was really motivated after losing to Evan Dunham the way I did and really took it into my own hands about why I lost and how. Mentally I may not have been ready to take another fight as fast as I did with Gomi and I kinda got stuck going through the motions, but whatever happened happened for that fight. So I continued that renewing thought after the time off and getting back in there, so it’s been good.”

What Griffin’s soul searching consisted of was going through every aspect of his life and seeing where he could remove distractions and improve the quality of his training.

“I’ve always been one to get in the gym and push hard and train hard, but if your mind’s not into it, it really doesn’t matter what you’re doing,” he said. “So I definitely rearranged some things, I feel like I’m re-dedicated to the sport, and re-dedicated to my career as a professional fighter.”

He also brought in a secret weapon that’s not so secret anymore – his brother, former Oklahoma State wrestler Kyle Griffin.

“I always joke around and tell people that he’s the wrestler, I’m the athlete,” laughed Tyson. “I always played a bunch of different sports, and then in the summer I was doing football camp and he was still the guy competing in wrestling and doing freestyle and Greco and things of that nature. So having my brother move down here recently, I’m basically getting back to doing a lot of wrestling, and keeping things simple and technical. He’s definitely been a big help.”

And though Griffin has always been seen as a wrestling-based fighter, as the quality of the game elevates, so must every aspect of a fighter’s game. For Griffin, who began wrestling in middle school, he will find himself at a disadvantage against someone like Lentz, a Division I college wrestler.

“I’ve really relied on my athleticism and my creativity when it comes to wrestling and it’s hard to do against these guys who have been wrestling since they were four years old,” he admits, but that just comes part and parcel with a game that is always evolving. Luckily for Griffin, he’s been paying attention the entire time.

“People, critics, fans, whoever they may be, forget the curve of the sport,” he said. “I’ve been at this for a little bit now, even though I’m young and I am an overthinker. (Laughs) But one of things I think about is the way the sport’s gone. It’s gone from barroom brawling Tank Abbott to Royce Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to everybody learning the submissions and no one getting submitted, then everybody learning how to knock people out and people not wanting to get knocked out and learning how to wrestle, so the sport itself is getting to be that competitive where every guy is good at everything and sometimes the only way to win is to win the wrestling part of it. Everybody’s good at striking and their defense is good enough to not get knocked out, their submission defense is good enough to not get submitted, and so there are definitely more than two edges on the sword these days. It’s crazy thinking about the game plans that you have to come up with. You really just have to train everything all the time.”

Against Lentz, Griffin will have to be prepared for everything because despite his less than scintillating win over Andre Winner earlier this year, the Minnesotan can handle himself wherever the fight goes, and if he wants it to end up on the mat with him in total positional control, he can probably pull that off. That’s not what Griffin wants though, and he’s prepared accordingly.

“I think he’s a smart fighter,” said Griffin of Lentz. “He fought Andre Winner very smart and beat him at his weakness. That’s what mixed martial arts is all about. I always say that the people who want to knock him for that need to go watch kickboxing, because this is mixed martial arts. If you watch The Ultimate Fighter show, you heard (American Kickboxing Academy trainer) Bob Cook say that wrestling wins fights, and if you want to knock the other guy out, you’ve got to be the better wrestler and keep the fight there. With that said, I’ve been working on everything and getting back to my roots. I’m expecting a tough, hard-nosed Nik Lentz that brings the pace, and if he thinks the smart thing to do is to take me down, I’m ready for that, and if he wants to stand up with me, I’m ready for that as well. More than anything, I’m looking to fight my fight and push the pace and use my biggest weapon, which is my conditioning. If I get caught by Nik Lentz, so be it – that’s the game we play with four ounce gloves - but I’m not gonna let anybody beat me by decision. If they beat me by decision, they’re gonna have to earn it a lot tougher.”

If anything, Griffin has made it clear that there are no doubts in his mind after his last two bouts, no questions of whether he can make it to the next level that seemed a given after he won five of his first six UFC fights. Instead, Griffin is aware that this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon, and that he’s just getting started on the second leg of the race.

“It’s definitely a marathon,” he said. “I’ve dealt with the pressures, I’ve performed well and I have to live up to that. I can’t rest on my talent, if you will, or just my conditioning or hard work. It’s a combination of everything.”

A little luck never hurt either, and if he’s looking for some interesting omens surrounding his ‘new beginning’, he only needs to look at the UFC 123 fight card, where he’s opening the event for the first time since his Octagon debut against David Lee back in 2006. Also on that card? Matt Hughes and BJ Penn, who compete in their rubber match this weekend.

Griffin chuckles when informed of those two tidbits.

“I can’t really say I’m superstitious; I’m kinda almost the opposite,” he said. “But that definitely sounds like a good omen to me.”

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