Deuce02 - Can you please give us an idea of what it was like in the TUF house, schedule-wise? How often did you spend in the gym? How often sitting in the house counting carpet fibers?

Nam Phan: We would have two training sessions a day, one in the morning, and then one at night time. This was our schedule 7 days a week for six weeks. Each training session would be about two hours.


RearNakedPoke - How influential is the assignment of contestants to teams in your opinion, given your recent experience. Did you feel at a serious disadvantage that you were not given the same exposure as team St. Pierre? Or is the timeline so short that the improvements to be made are negligible?

Nam Phan: Within the six weeks of training you cannot really pick up too much, but you try to take in what you can. For me I really didn't care what team picked me. i was going to depend on myself and not any of the coaches to get me where I wanted to be. The coaches are there to help, but it's your job to win these fights.

IrishKev - Do you feel that the popularity coming from the TUF house, on top of your experience in WEC, SF, Sengoku (etc.), could propel you to a title shot quicker than others? How many fights do you feel you are from a shot, considering the controversial loss?

Nam Phan: I think my experience in all the other promotions is irrelevant to how speedy I will get my chance at the title. I just feel that I’m like any of the other fighters and have to start my way at the bottom. Whether I get a title shot is not up to me.

Neil - Often times fighters will take the TUF route to get into the UFC, like you signing on for a lightweight season despite normally fighting at featherweight. Did you feel like you could compete in the UFC at lightweight, or did you have expectations that they would fold featherweight in to their ranks? Did you feel that shifting from the UFC to the WEC would have been an option, had neither of those scenarios worked out for you?

Nam Phan: I normally fight at featherweight but went up in weight to compete on the show. No matter how well or poorly I were to perform on the show, my plan was to drop back down to featherweight. I really wanted to fight in the UFC and would have fought at lightweight a few times or until I lost to make my move to the WEC to compete at featherweight. Luckily for the merger I can compete at featherweight and fight for the UFC.

THORAZINE - Other fighters in the house teased you, were you surprised by that? BNF adds - is that why you learned to fight because you were always picked on? DetroitDrew adds - Do you consider bullying a serious issue that you would like to combat ala Frank Shamrock, Bas, and Mayhem?

Nam Phan:#1:i was not surprised at the immaturity that was involved in the house. From watching past shows I was ready for anything, but no matter what happened I promised myself to not lose control of my emotions and to represent my community in a positive light. #2: As a kid growing up I was always into martial arts getting picked on as a kid had nothing to do with it.#3: yes I do believe that Bullying is a bit of an issue. I do my best to discipline the local kids around my area to be good kids.

 

Bigger Zino - If you could choose between Josh Thomson, GZ Calvacante and Billy Evangelista, which would be your ideal rematch right now? If the UFC called tomorrow and said Chad Mendes is hurt – we want YOU to fight Omigawa, how excited would you be come Feb 5th 2011? vhw_ adds - Having faced Omigawa under Asian/Pride rules, do you think he’ll be successful in American soil?

Nam Phan:#1: I am not sure who would be the ideal rematch, they all have their strong points. #2: I would be very excited to fight Omigawa again. If the UFC called me to fight on feb 5th, I would have no problem with it. #3:LOL hummm..... We’ll have to see. For some ODD reason when Japanese fighters come fight in America they don't do too well. That's all I'm saying.

Dakatak - Having fought in multiple organizations, are you a fan of cross-promotional fights? Explain your reasoning. DetroitDrew adds - Would you like to see the UFC incorporate cross-promotion in any way or do you believe that when your the top promotion there is no way that cross-promotion can be beneficial?

Nam Phan: #1: I don't mind cross promotion. I think it gives fighters the opportunity to see who the best is. #2: Yeah you do have a point there. Even though we all may have questions about what if this fighter fought this person from that promotion? I do believe that the UFC is the highest level of competition when it comes to MMA and if anyone wants to prove they're the best, they need to compete in the UFC.

OJR - What is the likelihood of you implementing a strategy involving TD’s in order to alter the outcome of your rematch with Leonard Garcia? Bigger Zino adds - Have you exchanged words with Leonard Garcia since your fight?

Nam Phan: #1: You’ll just have to wait and see. #2: No

TheGreg - What are your thoughts on MMA judging? Lately there seem to have been more controversial decisions than ever before, do you think the scoring criteria needs to be changed or is the issue with the judges themselves?

Nam Phan: I believe that the criteria for the scoring system is fine. I have no problem with that. I think the problem is in the individual, not being educated enough in the combative arts.

THORAZINE - Where do you train for your Fights? Who trains you?

Nam Phan: I train year round. Fighting is a life style not a hobby. It is not something you do when you're only getting ready for a fight. You have to live, eat, and sleep fighting. To get ready for my fights I train with my students and I go to the local boxing gym in Anaheim.

Jay - I noticed that a lot of your recent fights seem to be "stand and bang" affairs. Do you intend to use your black belts in karate and BJJ, or is there pressure to be exciting to the fans until they know who you are? Also, does it bother you that you’ve been fighting all this time and most people only know you because of a reality show?

Nam Phan: #1: I am very passionate about jiu jitsu. I would like to finish all my fights by submission. Unfortunately I try to take the win in any form I can. The way I fight is considered to be exciting because that is my style but there is no pressure from the fans to make me fight this way. #2: I don't mind that people only know me from the show. It's just the nature of it.

Tuff.Gong - Who do you look up to or feel is the best fighter technique wise right now? Bigger Zino adds - Who do you give props to for your awesome hooks to the body?

Nam Phan: Jiu Jitsu wise I really like Damian Maia's technique. #2: I give all my boxing credit to my boxing coach Art James; he is the man behind the magic.

Bigger Zino - With regard to your MMA Academy, is life different since TUF or even now being on the active UFC 145 roster? Do you spend the same or less time growing your business?

Nam Phan: yes being of the show and a current UFC fighter has definitely helped my business grow. I spend about the same time helping my academy grow even since before the show, actually maybe just a little bit more lol.

Tuff.Gong - How do you feel the traditional Vietnamese Art of Quyen Dao compares to Karate or Muay Thai in respect- to it’s usefulness in MMA?

Nam Phan: Quyen Dao is pretty much karate. My master was a Vietnamese guy that just had a Japanese Sensei teach him Karate and he just renamed it Quyen Dao to market to the Vietnamese Community. I never got the chance to use Karate too often in my fights until I fought Leonard Garcia and caught him with the nice side kick.

vhw_ - Do you take pride in being of Vietnamese decent and do you feel like you need to represent that country? Has the UFC ever approached you about being an instrumental part in the Asian expansion of the UFC? Do you think you’ll be carrying the weight of your nation’s hopes for a fw/lw title?

Nam Phan: I am very proud of my heritage but I do not represent Vietnam because I am American but that doesn't mean I forget my roots and where we came from. #2: The UFC has never asked me to be an instrument in the expansion to Asia. #3: yes I do feel the weight of my people every time I fight, but that is a choice that I put on myself.

 

 

 

DetroitDrew - Who is a fighter you train with that we should look out for, someone you feel will be a future star of the sport that is just getting started?

Nam Phan: Watch out for Kenny " The Spaceman" Quach from the Ma Du Academy

ViolentMike - Do you really have groupies called "Phan's Fans"?

Nam Phan: I don't think I have any groupies, just some people that are very supportive of me. I am very thankful for.

I could NOT agree more with Brian Stann and Kenny Florian and their opinions of why Broch Lesnar is qualified to be a TUF coach. I agree with Kenny Florian that Broch has A LOT of Collegiate experience. But to say that Broch will be a good coach because he is entertaining?? Tell that to the guys that are fighting at shows praying for a shot at the big leagues. Of all the seasons of TUF, I have enjoyed Georges St. Pierre vs Josh Koscheck due to Georges bringing in sooooooooo much talent for his fighters! At the end of the day Team St. Pierre fared much better bcuz of the awesome coaching. The established fighters are really taking a huge part in the careers of the up and coming fighters. Brian Stann really trivialized the importance of the coaches on that show. As they BOTH know your trainers are a crucial part of your success in the ring. I am not saying Broch is not qualified I am just saying let's not act as if him not being a good coach is NOT important, as long as he's "entertaining" in the fight with Dos Santos. Kenny was on the Ultimate Fighter..tisk, tisk, Kenny!

 

 

 

Greetings fellow mma fans! 2011 is here and "Fans Interview Fighters" continues, and this time with our first UFC fighter, Nam Phan. If you are not familiar with this series please check out the last two installments which featured Daniel Cormier and Ryan Couture.

I would like to start by announceing that "Fans Interview Fighters" is looking to expand. I have said from the beginning that this series is for all of us, and I have been contacted by another sbnation regular who has some connections to a few fighters and would like in on the action. If you have a way to contact a fighter please don't hesitiate to be a part of this. You can take the reigns or put me in contact with them, either way is fine and should help grow what we have going on here. If you do want to help contribute please leave your e-mail in the comments and I will be in touch to get the ball rolling.

Now onto Nam Phan. Nam is our first UFC fighter so i'm interested to see what type of responses we get and how type lipped he will be when our questions are about the business side of the sport and UFC as opposed to questions specifically centered around his career. Nam recently competed on The Ultimate Fighter Team GSP vs Team Koscheck. We then saw him slug it out with Leonard Garcia in the fight of the night at the TUF Finale, which would go on to become known as the most controvesial decision of 2010. Nam has a career record of 16-8 fighting everywhere from WEC, KOTC, Strikeforce, Sengoku, and now UFC.

Each and every year, no matter how sick it was will leave a few threads of regret. Quite simply, a patchwork quilt can’t be perfect but there ain’t no harm in trying. You only fail when you stop trying. I for one will always try to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I will convince myself that once this rain passes there will be a badass rainbow. “It’s just a moment, this time will pass”. I’m a dreamer and here are my top five dreams of what I (unrealistically” want to see in a wishful 2011.

1.       Taxi!

Mike Goldberg, so long, farewell, it’s time to say goodbye! Randy Couture, Kenny Florian, Frank Mir and Stephan Bonnar step up and be counted. I’m counting on you. An overhaul is long overdue.

2.       Strikefarce

The dissolution of a shitly run organisation and its equally shit contemporaries so that I can tempt myself with the impending arrival of Overeem, Emelianenko, Aoki, Milendez, Miller  et al against UFC stars. Thus giving me the fights I want to see and bona fide world champions.

3.       Incey, Wincey Spider

Real hurting being put on Anderson Silva. In retribution for two (being “kind”) shit title defences. Throw him in there with Rua, Jones or Velasquez so I can watch some “wincey” Spider.

4.       Two for the Price of One

A José Aldo 155lb fight so he holds two divisional crowns. Why? Because he can.

5.       Getting Some Learn On

For Brock Lesnar to actually become a student of the game. This would require him to wilfully apply himself to his all-round evolution as an MMA fighter, by non-exclusively opening his mind, his doors and his crucially his eyes. For a man with prodigious talent it would sadden me deeply to see an untapped natural resource just walk away from a sport he could so easily dominate. Fingers and toes will remain crossed indefinitely.

Well that’s me folks, share your own below. I’d love to hear them! Thanks and Happy New Year!!

A new year dawns and with it rests the hopes of an Irish boy. We’re set for a big year (yet again) in the mixed martial arts community. Such is the growth of the sport, every year now seems set to surpass its predecessor. What’s perhaps most telling is that this isn’t limited to the spectacle but the tangible increase in popularity and mainstream presence. Anyhow, each year brings forth its own storylines, rivalries and expectations. As an unabashed sucker for this stuff here is a short list of what I (realistically) hope to see this year.  

1.       The Reign Of Rua

Very few fighters earn my undivided loyalty, Mauricio Rua is one of the chief few. It has sadden me deeply to see him plagued by injury, but this was tempered with great joy over the entirety of his rise to championship gold in a two fight run against Lyoto Machida. This year I hope to see him knock out Rashad Evans before a second successful defense against either Ryan Bader or Jon Jones.

2.       The Crowning of Cain

Cain Velasquez is a rarity, also a man who has captured my mind and heart, with his will to win but in the most definitive of fashions. May he return from his shoulder injury healthy and hungry for work. It would please me no end to see another step in the crowning of this heavyweight ”kingpin”.

3.       “We Are Live”

It remains to date one of my biggest regrets that I have yet to attend a UFC show. It has gotten to such a point now, that I have it in my mind to ream my “virginity” with the full 12 inches. Should circumstances allow I will endeavour to make my first event something huge like a Velasquez or Rua title defence. Only something truly meaty would now sate my insatiable appetite.

4.       A Russian “Reeming”

Whilst on the topic of reaming, Scott Coker I don’t give a shit book Emelianenko  versus Overeem, because you can. I want to see does Alaistair actually have “it”, and whether Fedor still has “it”.

5.       It’s “Showtime” Baby!

Anthony, wow me again. I dare you. Hell, I double dare you.

These are just the top five things I hope to get out of a highly anticipated 2011. In part II I’ll attempt to look at my more wishful thinking and some “high hopes”.

 

The Academy presents: Rockin the Cage, Feb. 5, 2011

The Academy of Martial Studies will present a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Cage Fight in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Feb. 5, 2011.

The Academy of Martial Studies, in conjunction with local sponsors, present “Rockin’ the Cage”.

This mixed martial arts cage fight will feature 10-12 rounds of amateur fighters from the east
coast and is sanctioned by the North Carolina Boxing Authority. Special celebrity appearances will be
made by UFC Hall of Fame, UFC Triple Crown and two-time NWA Heavyweight Champion, Dan “The Beast” Severn, and celebrity guest professional referee “Big Dan” Miragliotta.

Following the MMA Cage Fight will be the official after-party at The Rock Shop Music Hall with
music provided by local Fayetteville musicians, New Machine, Bonnie Voyage, Throathammer & Black
Market Special, along with ladies-only cage jello-wrestling.

Dan “The Beast” Severn and “Big Dan” Miragliotta will be available for a meet-n-greet session prior to the cage fight Feb. 5th. Seating is limited for the event and advanced tickets on sale now at a discount online.

The 750 capacity venue for the fight and the meet-n-greet is The Rock Shop Music Hall, located at 128 South King Street, Fayetteville NC 28301.

Fighters wanted! We still have a few open spots on our card. Fighters wishing to participate can register at www.tappingwontsaveyou.com/rockinthecage.
Matchmaking to be set by Mark Shopp.

Dan “The Beast” Severn will also host two separate MMA training seminars on Feb. 4th 6-8 p.m.
and Feb. 5 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at The Academy of Martial Studies, located at 6829 Fillyaw Rd, Suite 102,
Fayetteville, N.C. 28303.

Fans seeking more information and wishing to purchase tickets for the fight, meet-n-greet, and seminars can visit: www.tappingwontsaveyou.com/rockinthecage.

Tickets on Sale Now at www.etix.com Venue: The Rock Shop
Fight, Meet-n-greet, and seminar tickets sold separately.

A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the Special Forces Association - Chapter
I-XVIII, and there will be a strong military presence.

Links:
Main Site: www.tappingwontsaveyou.com/rockinthecage

Event Page:http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=events.detail&eid=6d883ce8-e8df-4ef5-8b35-f62f7b9efe83

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Academy-of-Martial-Studies/371116338294?v=photos#!/event.php?eid=124094227653972

The Academy of Martial Studies is a veteran-owned, disability-owned, woman-owned small business
offering mixed martial arts, self defense, combatives, and traditional fight training. It is located at 6829
Fillyaw Road, Suite 102, Fayetteville NC 28303.
Web site: www.tappingwontsaveyou.com

 

  

Contrary to original reports regarding the UFC line-up for 128 in Newark, New Jersey, FightersOnlyMagazine is reporting the breaking news that,

 

Mirko ‘CroCop’ Filipovic and Brendan Schaub are set to meet on March 19th

 

 Also,

Schaub told Fighters Only recently that he would like to test himself against big names of the sport and referenced Mirko CroCop as one of the people he would like to face. Now he has his chance.

It had been reported that Schaub was to face Frank Mir, then Stefan Struve, but neither of those matches were contracted and have now been scrapped.

 

So, is this finally shit or bust time for Cro Cop? Or is it more a case of shit, or get off the pot?

Is anyone interested in the slightest in this fight?

Will Cro Cop be able to even live with yet another young, hungry lion?

Throw in your two cents below, but whatever else the UFC is making Mirko earn his paychecks by prostituting his name for PPV buys. In recent time it certainly hasn't been for cage performances... The article also cover Mirkos rehabilitation, [yet another] "new" training regime and [yet again] how this is going to be his most defining year.

Poll

Who wins at UFC 128?

33%

Mirko Filipovic

4 votes

50%

Brendan Schaub

6 votes

16%

Certainly not the fans

2 votes

12 votes | Poll has closed

"We can't watch the pay-per-view, at least not live. I've got this thing. We'll record it and watch it next week."

You are unable to see the pay-per-view on the night of its airing but decide to drop the $45 and record it. Did you then avoid all MMA sites for a period of time? How about a week?

 

 

So a week rolls by, you've successfully hidden from the internet and it's finally time to watch the PPV.

Does it feel the same watching it a week later?

At the beginning of each ring entrance and each first round, there is an intensity in the fighter’s eyes shared by the fan. A feeling inspired by the sheer unpredictable nature of what is about to happen. The fighter is going to war. Euphoric relief or slow recovery could follow the next moments. The fighter goes in, and the fan too.

This question mark in a fight’s proceedings is the very criticism members of the professional wrestling community have made of MMA. The fight may explode or plod along; it may be evenly-matched or a beatdown.

When you truly want a fighter to win, you carry fear into the match and ride the waves of win or defeat with him. Perhaps the same cannot be said for a team sport where so many people on a field or court create so many variables. If one player is having an off-night, others can cover for him.

Mano-et-mano must be personal. The action in other sports stops after a play, in between possessions, or perhaps when someone is injured or pretending to be. The viewer sees a playfulness in participants: they might slap a team member’s hand or look at the referee incredulously. No such playfulness exists in MMA until the fight is over.

In MMA, the action does not stop unless eyes, testicles, or open skulls are involved.When the action does end, usually the fight is over. The question mark becomes an answer, the pundit predictions become foregone conclusions or huge upsets, and fans rejoice or hurt.

Have you ever roared in at the top of your lungs in a sports bar and slapped the back of a stranger because you just watched Anderson Silva choke out Chael Sonnen moments before losing it all? 

via 4.bp.blogspot.com

We have.

 

Poll

Does watching an event live matter even if you do not know the outcomes of fights?

81%

Yes

9 votes

18%

No

2 votes

11 votes | Poll has closed

    When describing the events of this past year’s mma calendar one is inclined to consider using a term like “tectonic shift”. In the brief history of my 5 or so years as an mma fan I don’t believe I have yet observed such a dramatic change in landscape as has taken place atop the mma food chain in this past year. To mark the occasion I thought I would share a few of my thoughts on these rapid changes in an attempt to make better sense of them and to aid my own adjustment to the sport’s very new status quo. Sadly, the most significant changes that we have observed seem to be characterized by top fighters falling short- as opposed to new talent coming to fruition- and while there are exceptions, what follows will be more in the vein of mourning than celebration. To ease the pain I will try to highlight the positive and insert as much humor as possible, but should you continue reading brace yourself for a melancholy summary of all that Mixed Martial Arts has lost in 2010.
    Let us begin with what is by far the saddest tale from this treasure trove of misery, the bewildering and anti-climactic end of BJ Penn’s career. A year ago BJ seemed resurrected. Finally having conquered his cardio and conditioning demons he was dishing out solid beatings to the likes of top contenders like Kenny Florian and it seemed as though the complete BJ Penn that we had always hoped for had arrived to lay claim to a properly prolonged reign atop the Lightweight division. The first loss to Frankie Edgar, though disappointing, was less than shocking. Edgar, one of the very best lightweights in the world (though in my opinion being a more natural Featherweight), posed a tough stylistic match-up for BJ due to his boxing skill. BJ’s take down defense has allowed him to turn his fights, essentially, into boxing matches- a game plan that he has nary veered from for years. And with his high-level boxing this plan had worked just fine until meeting Edgar. Edgar’s equally technical stand up plus a willingness to mix up strikes and actually execute a specific game plan seems to have solved the BJ Penn riddle at 155. What was most disappointing (though not surprising) was BJ’s inability to adapt in the second fight, to either utilize other aspects of his mma repertoire (remember Jiu-Jitsu BJ?) or pressure Edgar into a more confrontational stand-up war in which his superior power could take precedent. Now we have been “treated” to BJ Penn-Matt Hughes 3, though not an entirely unexciting spectacle, a clear step in the wrong direction for a man who was supposed to be busy cementing his lightweight legacy. This fight wreaks of the UFC attempting to get a marketable match or 2 out of BJ before calling it quits on the prodigy. After his destruction of Hughes and a now looming bout with Fitch, it appears the prodigy may indeed have some fine fights left in him, but can these potential match-ups ever emerge from the shadow cast by Penn’s anti-climactic exodus from 155? BJ Penn is possibly the most talented fighter in the history of the sport, but unfortunately will be equally memorable for his inability or unwillingness to make the most of these gifts. 
    Jumping up to Middleweight we have the bizarre spectacle that was Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen. Silva may have walked away with a victory and displayed his perseverance in securing the late fight, come-from-behind submission, but he lost the rest of the fight so thoroughly that it is difficult to consider the bout a win. Not only did Silva get completely overwhelmed by Sonnen’s wrestling- he got rocked by Sonnen’s punches! Sonnen, though a capable wrestler, has never been considered to have dangerous stand-up and he becomes the first fighter to ever hurt Silva with strikes? This is just not right. What’s next? Is Pat Buchannan going to beat Michael Jordan in a game of one on one? As an Anderson Silva fan I found this entire fight to be disappointing on every level. By the time Silva secured the armbar that saved him from his first UFC defeat I was so nauseous that I barely noticed. Sonnen’s subsequent positive piss test has done little to reassure me, and I’m afraid I just won’t be able to look at the long-time Middleweight champ the same way again. 
    As if all this was not enough, Fedor Emelianenko suffered his first legitimate MMA loss, getting subbed byFabricio Werdum in the early stages of the first round. Of the three, this loss was the least distressing to me. Fedor has always employed an explosive and effective, yet risky style. He bobs and weaves instead of keeping is hands posted near his chin and he dives into the guards of talented submission artists. This entertaining concoction of steely psychological control and unpredictable explosiveness is part of what has made the Russian so dangerous, but it  does create opportunities for opponents and this was bound to happen eventually. I have long considered Werdum the most underrated Heavyweight in the world and he may have been just the guy to catch Fedor in this type of situation. In a rematch I see Emelianenko employing more caution, maintaining the stand-up and KO’ing the Brazilian. Part 2 appears to be a very real possibility, so the long-reigning number one heavyweight will probably get his chance to redeem himself. 
    Brock Lesnar is human...all too human. After narrowly escaping a stoppage at the freakishly oversized hands of Shane Carwin, Brock succumbed early to a mostly one-sided destruction courtesy of long-touted Heavyweight contender, and now champ, Cain Velasquez. 
Though Brock’s equally oversized personality has begun to grow on me (and even more so given his gracious post-fight humility), my heart can’t help but be warmed by the perseverance of technical skill over size and brute strength. This fight was a victory for the integrity of the sport, but perhaps a loss for the UFC’s marketing machine. Either way its another big shift at the top of a weight class. 
    Is there a light at the end of the tunnel of skepticism that is this article? Yes. And its name is Jose Aldo. 2010, along with the aforementioned agony, gave us something amazing-the full arrival of Jose Aldo as a bonafide pound for pound superstar. It had been a long time since anyone has thought of Aldo as anything but full of potential, but 2010 became the year that Aldo went from one of the hottest prospects on the planet to possibly the best pound for pound fighter alive. He appears simply unstoppable. Speed, power, precision technique, a complete and well-rounded skill set, patience, discipline and the ability and willingness to execute a game plan...and all of 24 years old. Aldo’s career is going to be one for the books and it all started roughly in the past 12 months...so thanks 2010...you bastard. 

 

Dong Hyun Kim interveiw about UFC 125 with Nate Diaz.

via koreanfighter.com

 

Congratulations on 4 straight wins. Tell us how you feel?

Yeah I had come off a pretty long layoff(injury). I couldn’t win by KO but I

dominated the fight so im pretty happy with it.

You seem more confident against Amir than before. What was the reason?

Yeah before you knew it I had five fights n the UFC. I like the way Jon Fitch fights very relaxed almost like he’s sparring. I want to learn but its hard for me. Until after the fight I felt a lot of pressure. It was very hard for my previous 4 fights to get use to the Jetlag and difference in time in America. I hadn’t fought in a long time so I guess you can say I was itching for a fight. I think I’m getting more and more used to fighting in the octagon.

Is your injury fully healed?
I can spar and do the standup. But for ground sparring I avoid using my injured arm too much. You have to be careful after getting surgery about not pushing yourself too much. And my fingers are a bit busted(injuries from his judo days) but luckily in mma there is no Gi so its not a big deal.

So what do you think about your next opponent Nate Diaz?
I’ve seen him numerous times in the waiting room for fights but I never thought we would ever fight because he was fighting at LW. But on a personal level I love the Diaz brothers for always putting on a show and have always wanted to fight them. Even in sparring or in the UFC. Now its for real my mentality is "If I don’t kill him he will kill me", I am researching him a lot.

Diaz has average wrestling do you believe this is your advantage?

Actually the style I hate to fight the most is short guys with ko power and good takedown defense. But the lanky fighters like, Carlos Condit, and Nate Diaz have always been my bread and butter. But Diaz has amazing cardio so going one dimensional with wrestling is not a good idea. So I plan on mixing my game.

In America you are famous for your grappling mostly and most of your fellow training partners(Korean fighters) have all said your grappling is at the highest level. What do you think?
Actually I don’t care too much about my wrestling. I want to bring m

y dynamic game I brought in Japan where I was KO’ing everyone. I like to fight incredibly exciting and all out.

But at the moment it is a very important for me to represent Korean fighters and in the UFC winning is more important than putting on a show like in Japan. So I fight safe but trust me if I feel like im down in the card my mentality is to kill or be killed.

But so far I haven’t really felt the need with any of my opponents. But if there is opponent that can put me in that position I will fight like a madman. But at the moment winning is the most important.

Nate Diaz is a cardio machine. Are you worrying about your cardio?
I have been doing conditioning in America and a lot of cross fit but to be honest I don’t think it was working out too well. I’ve been doing another style of cardio work involving a lot of explosiveness and explosive runs. And I feel it’s working really well.
But  now that I’m older and not a young 20 year old guy its hard for me to compete pure cardio wise to younger fighters. But I’ve learned the most important with cardio is how you pace yourself in a fight.

Do you change your training to fit the opponent?

Not really the most important thing is to do everything. Striking, ground. Just because an opponent is weak at wrestling doesn’t mean you should ease off the wrestling training. I like being as well rounded as possible.

Tell us about your trainer Yang Sung Hoon?
He’s been a huge help. He has so much experience but he never rest and constantly researches the fight game. Sometimes a coach can get lazy but he works incredibly hard and always has passion. He will even personally go to other gyms to find new techniques to help his athletes. I really admire him so much. He is the type of man that has a lot of troubles and hardship but covers it up enthusiasm.

You have been starting to guest in famous Korean variety shows do you think you re becoming more popular?
Too be honest I’m pretty far from star status. But I began to become aware and how important these tv shows and things not related to fighting is important to your career.
After being in a couple of shows they began to show my fights on reruns on TV. Its pretty overwhelming seeing yourself on TV sometimes.

But I love going to these shows and representing Mixed Martial Artists. I want to show what dedicated athletes we are and that we train as hard and seriously as Olympic athletes. Just because you are decent in a couple of street fights doesn’t mean you’ll have any  success in MMA.

Is it a bit uncomfortable for a fighter to be on these variety shows?
Yeah at first I was a bit a shook but I’m pretty confident about my talking and I’m a pretty funny guy . So I got used to it, but I cant do acting or anything like that.  


What do you what if you beat Nate Diaz?
I want a top contender. Karo was pretty tough but I want someone even higher up, I don’t think people in America really know how complete my game is so I want to truly put an impact to make the fans remember me. But most important is this fight. I will work real hard and get an impressive victory.

But who specifically would you want to fight?I don’t care I’m not greedy. But id love to fight Jon Fitch and Jake Shields. Actually Shields the most. He has good wrestling but I’m 100 percent confident that he wont be able to take me down. Yeah I’d love to fight Shields.

George Saint Pierre, Jon Fitch have great wrestling do you think your wrestling is at their level?

To be frank, yes. In wrestling/judo I have real confidence in my game. But more than wrestling I think my clinch is real good. Actually I’ve trained with American NCAA wrestling champions and they got me with double legs but it was very difficult for then to take me down.

Actually I always manage to take their back in the end. Not to be arrogant but I have a very unorthodox ground style that people who have never seen at first always get flabbergasted. If you break the key to my style the outcome could be different, but for people who grapple with me the first time they got caught off guard constantly. I also used to train with Japanese MW mma star Okami and we would always be back and forth.

Its weird but I feel you are often the underdog (betting wise) in

fights in the UFC. What do you think of this?
I actually love that. There is a lot less pressure when people expect you to lose.

Your fellow Korean fighter Chan Sung Jung(Korean zombie) lost in the WEC. What do you think of this?

I have actually trained with George Roop many times. He’s tall but to be honest his weakness is his ground game and nothing else was too extraordinary. So I thought Chan Sung Jung would run through him and win in the first round. But it was obvious Roop had researched Chan Sung to a tee and used his reach to frustrate Chan. To be honest if there is a rematch there is no doubt in my mind Chan would win.

I think the pressure of having to have a crazy fight put too much weight on his shoulder. This fight proves its not always about technical skills but sometimes how the mental is the most important.

Can you say something to Chan Sung Jung?
I’m sure you have learned a lot from this. I believe that from this you will only grow stronger. You have already done great for yourself so in your next fights don’t think too much about a exciting performance and just fight to your best ability.

Your fellow Korean teammate Dong Yi Yang also lost in his UFC debut. What do you think of that?

To be honest he definitely won the fight on the scorecards but its not your home country so things like that can happen. It happened to me (talking about Karo fight) but I would say the octagon jitters, jetlag , and inexperience(he gassed in the last round) led to him not winning the fight decisively. But skill set wise I have no worries about him, he is a challenge to anyone in that division. Hard head, good striking, from a wresting background and he is seriously as strong as an ox.

Say something to the fans.

Even though Korea’s mma scene is tiny and the facilities bad I am fighting in the biggest stage as a Korea fighter and there are so many fighters in Korea at my level who don’t get the chance. So my one wish is for fans to talk and spread the word about the Korean MMA scene in Korea because there are so many elite fighters who get no recognition and no money.  I don’t want only my team to do good but all the Korean MMA teams to do good.

Actually I was getting a lot of hate mail from Koreans(for not being exciting) for a period of time. But I really wish the fans can understand how difficult it is to survive in the UFC and than you have to win fights to get tough opponents. So this is when I need your cheers the most.

To be honest sometimes I am so thankful when knowledgeable fans watch my fight. It you study the groundwork a bit more you will see that ground battle is actually very exciting.

But in the end the most important thing about fighting is the fans. I will always be thankful for you guys and I will come home with a victory.