FiveOuncesOfPain.com is reporting today that B.C.-trained, Brazilian fighter and DREAM's featherweight champion, Bibiano "The Flash" Fernandes (7-2 [pictured left]) will put his world title on the line at DREAM 13. Fernandes trains with Langley, B.C.'s Revolution Fight Team. The challenger for the belt is rumored to be hard-hitting Norwegian Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen (19-8-1).
Despite winning the DREAM featherweight tournament which ran between March and October of 2009, Bibiano Fernandes is still a relative unknown to the majority of MMA fans. To come out on top of the field of sixteen world-class fighters, Fernandes first defeated Takafumi Otsuka (9-4-1) and Masakazu Iminari (18-7-2) in the early rounds to qualify for the Featherweight Grand Priz 2009 Finals at DREAM 11. Fernendes, who had been overlooked by many from the start, was not a favourite to win it all that night, but that didn't stop him form slapping an armbar on Joe Warren (2-1) or defeating Hiroyuki Takaya (12-8-1) by split-decision to claim the vacant DREAM featherweight title (139lbs. in Japan). Though he still has much more to prove, Bibiano Fernandes' performance at DREAM 11 forced the MMA world to take notice of his well-rounded skill-set and amazing submissions ability.
His rumoured opponent, Jaochim Hansen is much better known to MMA fans for a variety of memorable career moments, not the least of which were contained in his thrilling three-fight series against the world's #2 ranked lightweight, Japan's Shinya Aoki (23-4). Hansen was submitted by Aoki in the dying second of their third fight, giving Aoki the 2-1 edge in the series and apparently causing Hansen to consider dropping weight to 139lbs. to hunt for Fernendes' title.
Interestingly, Hansen vs. Aoki III took place on the very same night that Fernandes won his world title, on October 6th, 2009 at DREAM 11.
***DREAM is currently Japan's premier MMA promotion and is the spiritual successor to the widely beloved PRIDE Fighting Championships. So far, the company has yet to officially confirmed this fight and, for that matter, have not released a firm date for their thirteenth show.
The Extreme MMA Western Canadian MMA Championships will be one of the most spectacular fighting events.
42 MMA fighters from across Western Canada will be battling at the Port Theatre on February 5th to
become the Western Canadian MMA Champion in one of 6 weight divisions. Winners will earn a spot in the Extreme MMA Canadian Championships April 23, 2010 at the Red Robinson Show Theatre in Vancouver.
Don Arnott, Promoter of 86 live fighting events and our 31st live event for Nanaimo says this will be one of the most spectacular events he has promoted. “I have never promoted an event with so many MMA fighters coming from so many different locations in Western Canada. The rules for Extreme MMA ensure non-stop action for every fight and it looks like there will be 34 fights in less than a 4 hour time span the most ever for a live MMA event any were by any promoter. Combine that with the incredible setting of the Port Theatre and this will be one of the most spectacular events I have promoted. The Port Theatre is the perfect venue for watching MMA with every seat looking down into the ring.”
Some interesting fighters:
Duncan's Shane Jung of Final Round MMA who is undefeated in both boxing and MMA So You Wanna Fight events will be fighting for the Featherweight (145lb.) division title.
Nanaimo's Josh Shepherd [PICTURED ABOVE] of Tomari Martial Arts who is undefeated in both boxing and MMA So You Wanna fight events will be fighting for the Lightweight 155lb division title.
Wainwright Alberta's Chris Durette is the hand to hand Combat instructor to the Canadian Armed Forces will be fighting for the Welterweight 170lb division title.
Tickets are on sale at the Port Theatre Box office. 250-754-8550 or on line at www.porttheatre.com
For more information go to www.cacsc.ca and see video footage of Extreme MMA in Action.
According to MMACanada.net, Vancouver, B.C.'s very own Denis Kang(32-12-1)has signed on for a pair of fights with Quebec's W1promotion.
This announcement comes fresh off the heels of Denis' recent loss at UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera (Nov. 14th, 2009) where he succumbed to strikes from the U.K.'s Michael Bisping (18-2) near the end of the second round. Kang went 1-2 in his recent UFC run, but was cut by the promotion, likely because Zuffa felt that the high salary that Denis rightfully commanded upon signing his UFC contract could no longer be justified.
Surely Denis is eager to start building momentum for another run at the big show, and rumour he could see action as early as the W1: Bad Blood card scheduled for March 20th, in Montreal.
Denis Kang's B.C.-based fans surely hope he will fight on the West coast again sometime soon, but wish him nothing but the very best of luck in his upcoming fights.
Lemoore, California's Tachi Palace Fights, one of North America's most successful regional promotions, has just announced that their next card will be available to stream online at GoLiveFight.tv for just $9.99 USD.
The card, featuring twelve bouts and numerous well-known fighters, is called TFC: Champions Collide and is set for Thursday, February 4th. The live stream will begin at 6:00 PM/PST.
As its name suggests, this card features two championship bouts. The first, which will serve as the night's main event, is between Jeff Bedard(12-2)and WEC, IFL and Srikeforce veteran Cole Escuvedo (14-4) for the TFC bantamweight (135lbs) title. The other title fight will see Isaac DeJesus (8-1) take onSengoku and Strikeforce veteran Nam Phan (15-6) for the featherweight (145lbs.) title.
Other bouts featuring well-known fighters include UFC vet Hector Ramirez (8-3) vs. Anthony Ruiz (23-13) at middleweight, WEC stand-out Manny Tapia (10-3-1) vs. Michael MacDonald (8-1) at bantamweight, and former WEC champion and notorious TUF 5 "weight-misser" Gabe Ruediger (15-5) vs. Dominique Robinson (4-3) at lightweight.
For hardcore MMA fans, the price looks to be more than right to justify tuning in to Tachi Palace Fights: Champions Collide via live stream on February, 3rd. In case you're sitting on the fence, or want to check out the video quality before laying down any cash, TPF will also be broadcasting its first show, October 2009's TPF 1: Most Wanted absolutely free on GoFightLive.tv on January, 31st and also at 6:00 pm/PST.
Full Card For TPF: Champions Collide:
Jeff Bedard (12-2) vs. Cole Escovedo (14-4) - for Bantamweight Title
Isaac DeJesus (8-1) and Nam Phan (15-6) - for Featherweight Title
Nathan Gunn had everything going for him in his MFC debut – that is until things went horribly wrong.
The welterweight prospect had a solid first round in his first fight under the spotlight, well enough to earn him the nod for taking the opening five minutes against veteran Pete Spratt on the MFC 22: Payoff card. But Gunn made a fateful error along the way. When he had Spratt in trouble, he failed to put the hammer down and finish the fight.
Instead, Gunn let Spratt off the hook and paid for it dearly. The heavy-handed Spratt blasted Gunn face-first to the canvas in Round 2, scoring the win, the Knockout of the Night, and the MFC’s 2009 Knockout of the Year.
Gunn (7-1) will try to regain his footing as an up-and-comer at MFC 24: Heat XC when he meets Thiago Goncalves (11-3) on Friday, February 26 at the River Cree Resort and Casino.
“I felt a fought a smart, good fight against a great striker … I just let it slip away and did not attack and go for the finish when I had my opportunities,” reflected Gunn. “When you are fighting someone with the firepower of Pete Spratt, well, you see all it takes is one punch no matter how much of the fight you control.”
It wasn’t a pleasant experience for Gunn, but one that he takes away a valuable lesson from.
“The biggest thing I took from the Spratt fight is not to hold back. You don’t get a second chance when you have your opportunity to finish,” said the Thunder Bay, Ontario, product.
“That along with experiencing my first KO and loss, I have nothing to lose from now on. I am going to go for broke and let things fly and see how it all plays out. As far as I’m concerned I am either walk out with a win or Thiago is going to have to do the same thing that Spratt did and that's finish the fight in spectacular fashion and have me waking up looking at the ceiling again.
"One thing I can promise is I am going to be a ball of energy and go in there looking to have fun and to put on a good show for everyone."
While being on the wrong end of the Knockout of the Year was a black mark on Gunn's resume, he expects to rebound from the loss and take advantage of the situation presented to him - an opportunity in front of another sold-out MFC audience to showcase his skills. Gunn has accurately assessed his best chance of winning by approaching the fight with a frenetic pace. If he's going to catch Goncalves, it's likely to be early and in the stand-up before the Brazilian jiu-jitsu talents have a chance to go to work.
"He's been training with the best in the world his whole life," noted Gunn. "It is an honor to once again be put in a position to test myself against someone with his background and abilities. I have never seen him fight and don't know much about him besides what I have heard about his ground skills and that he's a big 170-pounder with power."
While Goncalves remains a bit of a mystery, Gunn is hopeful that he can rely on some past success in his upcoming battle. Gunn previously beat Tyler Jackson, one of Goncalves's training partners, in early 2009 so going two-for-two against teammates would make for a great start to 2010.
"I'm pressing hard with my cardio and expecting to come into this fight in tremendous shape, allowing me to be able to push the pace and not hold back any offense like I did in the Spratt fight," said Gunn. "You will definitely see me looking for offense from any position I might find myself in. I'm grateful the MFC has given me a chance to come back and put on a show for the crowd again and I am not going to disappoint - that's for sure."
Gunn vs. Goncalves will open the main card at MFC 24: Heat XC which will be broadcasting live online at www.maximumfighting.com. Tickets for MFC 24 are still available via the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024 or through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca, charge-by-phone (780) 451-8000, and Ticketmaster outlets.
Rashad Evans (14-1-1) and teammate Nate Marquardt (29-8-2) make predictions for UFC 109: Relentless and discuss other topics with Sportsnet's "Showdown" Joe Ferraro inside Montreal's Tristar Gym.
BJ Penn (15-5-1) has been posting some pretty awesome 30-second clips of his life on BJ Penn.com, lately. Here we see him rolling up on Dan (12-3) and Joe Lauzon (18-5) at a Hawaiian airport.
You've gotta love BJ for his brevity. Here he takes us on a tour of his wicked old room:
That's right, it's time once again for another spectacular edition of B.C. MMA Fan's quotes round-up. Let's begin, shall we?
Chael Sonnen (23-10-1 [pictured left])'s incendiary comments about Anderson Silva (25-4) the other day, and the scathing response they elicited from "The Spider's" manager, Ed Soares, set the MMA media ablaze.
First Sonnen heaped up two full scoops of hate on Anderson Silva while appearing as a guest on MMAWeekly Radio:
It doesn't take a "rocket scientist manager" to poke holes in Sonnen's flimsy arguments, but Dr. Ed Soares, Ph.D decided to fire back just the same, also to MMAWeekly:
As for the controversy, it is pretty clear that Sonnen intended to get a rise out of Silva, or at least out of the MMA blogosphere, in order to hype his potential future showdown with Anderson. Of course, as Soares aptly pointed out, that fight will only occur if Sonnen can get by Nate Marquardt (29-8-1) at UFC 109: Relentless, which most observers believe is highly unlikely. At least Sonnen wisely stopped short of actually saying he's a better fighter than Anderson, unlike the last time he want on an anti-"Spider" rant.
In the next quote, Dana White messes with the already hopelessly tortured heads of hardcore PRIDE fan-boys. These comments were made on Canoe.ca in response to the question of whether Zuffa might consider resurrecting PRIDE FC:
Kenny "I Finish Fights" Florian (12-4) took time away from his training and his ESPN broadcast duties to squeeze off a few high-calibre rounds of real-talk in Diego Sanchez' general direction in this interview with CagePotato.com:
As one of the voices of reason who accurately predicted that Diego would get completely shellacked by BJ Penn, I can't take issue with many of Florian's points. Although, the timing seems to lack a bit of Ken-Flo's usual class.
Canadian middleweight Travis Galbraith (17-6) discusses his upcoming fight against England's Tom "Kong" Watson at MFC 24 (Feb. 26th) with MMAJunkie.com:
Jon Fitch (21-3) asked MMAFighting.com what else he could possibly need to do to earn a second welterweight title shot if he stops Thiago Alves (16-6) at UFC 111. Meanwhile, manny MMa fans live in continual disbelief that Fitch and Josh Koscheck (14-4) have the nerve to demand title shots while refusing to fight each other:
Finally, old-school mixed martial artist and all around bad-ass dude, Don Frye (20-8-1), had some advice on MMAjunkie.com Radio for any legit martial artists who face aged professional athletes making their pro debuts... and it's not very nice:
At B.C. MMA Fan we know that, because the MMA news cycle moves so quickly, a great story can slip past just about any fan. With that in mind, B.C. MMA Fan introduces our first Review Post. In this semi-monthly feature, you'll find a complete recap of the site's very best, %100 original, recent posts. So, by all means, take your time, gently nurse your hangover, but, above all, enjoy reading anything and everything you may have missed.
Victoria, B.C. native Sarah Kaufman (10-0) has been making the media rounds since it was announced that she would be facing Takayo Hashi (12-1) for the vacant Strikeforce women's world 135lb. title. The two professional fighters are ranked #1 and #2 in the world respectively and will clash at Strikeforce Challengers VI on February 26th.
In an exclusive interview with MMAWeekly.com, Sarah identified herself as a trailblazer of sorts. She explained that she hopes he upcoming fight will help to dispel some common misconceptions people have about women's MMA, such as the notion that there aren't any weight classes, which, of course, there are.
As the series' record-smashing tenth edition The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, featuring "Kimbo Slice" (4-1), began winding to a close, the UFC realized they would need to do something pretty big to maintain that momentum. At that time, they teased they would tweak the format of the show to keep things fresh.
Today the UFC announced that TUF 11 will feature twenty-eight middleweight competitors. As any March Madness fan will tell you, twenty-eight is not a number that lends itself readily to a bracket-style tournament. It's obvious that Zuffa is concocting some kind of double elimination, losers' bracket, or bye system, but the actual format will not be released until the show debuts on March, 31st.
MMAJunkie.com is suggesting that some of the veterans who have tried out this season, including Bobby Southworth(9-6 [pictured above]), Nick Thompson (38-12-1), and Logan Clark (11-4), may get a bye to a later round, which makes a lot of sense.
In the name of rampant speculation, B.C. MMA Fan suggests the sixteen least experienced middleweights on TUF 11 should compete in a sixteen-man first round and an eight-man second round. From that original sixteen, only the four best of the MMA newcomers would remain. Then, if UFC injected the other twelve more experienced fighters into the bracket, TUF 11 would be back up to a sixteen-man tournament format. The fighters who received a bye could even enter completely unannounced to surprise the four remaining fighters who, by now, would naturally have assumed they were TUF 11 semi-finalists.
Though unusually cruel, that could produce the best reality TV moment since that chick found out Joe Millionairewas actually a construction worker. Then again, that's just one possibility. We'll have to wait at least until Chuck Liddell (21-7) and Tito Ortiz (15-7-1) begin working their coaching magic on March 31st to learn the real format.
Mere days after his return to British Columbia, following his UFC debut at Ultimate Fight Night 20, Rory MacDonald sat down with B.C. MMA Fan's Josh Oliveira to give this exclusive wide-ranging interview. Rory discusses deciding to begin training MMA at fourteen-years-old, his early fights, the distractions of high school, his UFC debut, fighting in the UFC in Vancouver, and what could be next for B.C.'s most phenomenal blue-chip prospect.
J.O: Your flawless pro career began with five fights in roughly one year from October 2005 to November 2006. For three of those fights you were only sixteen years old. Can you explain how you first got into MMA and how your age was a complicating factor in arranging your early fights?
Rory MacDonald: First of all, I have always been a fan of MMA since I was really young- same as boxing- it was always on the TV at my house when I was growing up.
J.O: Even during the so-called MMA dark ages?
Rory MacDonald: Exactly, I would always have the videos up at my house, so I’ve always enjoyed it and I have always been a fan of fighting. I was actually more of a fan of boxing, to tell you the truth, but I always thought it would be cooler to be an MMA fighter. I just thought it was more realistic. Anyway, one day when I was fourteen I was driving in the car with my brother talking about the UFC. I didn’t even know this, but he said that he had gone with his school to this gym; it was Toshido (510 Bay Ave., Kelowna, BC) where you went.
J.O: Yeah, I checked it out today.
Rory MacDonald: I said, “Oh cool, I’d like to go there.” All of a sudden, my dad just turned the car around. An hour later I was training for my first time.
J.O: Wow, that same day, eh? So, when you were sixteen and just starting out as a fighter, weren’t there some issues with promoters not being sure if they wanted you on their cards, that sort of thing?
Rory MacDonald: Oh, for sure. Actually, I wasn’t even really thinking about fighting at that age. I was just always doing the fight team training and I liked it so much. Then my training partners started saying, “You’re getting pretty good. You should fight.” I was already taking grappling tournaments pretty seriously because I was really competitive even then. So, I said, “Well, if you guys think I’m ready I wouldn’t mind fighting.” They said they would find someone my age and we tried for a few months with different cities, different athletic commissions, different opponents, but nothing was working out. Eventually, it just fell in our hands that I had an opportunity to fight in at EFC 4 in Prince George against a guy named Terry Thiara who was eighteen when I was sixteen.
J.O: And that was a professional fight, right? So you started off as a pro to begin with?
Rory MacDonald: Yeah, it was professional. I never liked the idea of headgear or new rules and I had trained the whole time with all the pros. They actually asked me because, I guess, Terry wanted it to be amateur. They even asked me at the weight ins, and I was like, “No, I won’t even fight if you do that.” So, they said it would be pro.
J.O: Oh yeah? So it was like, “Oh by the way…”
Rory MacDonald: Pretty much.
J.O.: Alright, so there were five fights in your first year, right? That must have been a lot of work at the time?
Rory MacDonald: I wasn’t even thinking about staying busy, it was just what I did. I mean, obviously I was taking every fight seriously, but there was no real reason for it besides me having fun.
J.O: After that fast start, you only fought twice in two years from November 2006 to November 2008, but in that period you defeated two of your toughest opponents in Kajan Johnson and Clay French. Were those long layoffs, like you said, not really part of a plan, or were they designed to give you some extra time to sharpen your skills?
Rory MacDonald: Actually, at one point I wasn’t even training for six months because I was pretty sick with a stomach thing. I went to doctors and they couldn’t figure it out, but I was also a grubby teenage kid, you know? I wasn’t really looking after my personal well being.
J.O: [Laughs] Yeah, not exactly watching your diet?
Rory MacDonald: Exactly, I was just a typical high school kid. I got sick, I couldn’t focus on training, and then there were girls and parties. I think it was my grad year. So there was just a lot of stuff going on at that time. Eventually, I got better from being sick. I cleared up all that stuff about parties, and other grad stuff. I took six months off and I stayed with my mom in Langley. Then eventually I started training again for the Kajan [Johnson] fight. Once I was training again, I got back in the groove and kept getting better. Then I got that opportunity against Clay [French].
J.O: It seems like your career really took off from there, maybe it was even good to get some of those other things out of your system?
Rory MacDonald: Exactly, yeah. That time period was just a bump in the road of my career, but I always have just done what I want in life. I don’t really enjoy going out or partying, but back when I did my fighting took a back seat. I don’t really think about it. It just happens. Right now, I’m having fun just training and fighting so that’s what’s taking the steering wheel.
J.O: So, these days, can you take me through a typical week of training at Toshido?
Rory MacDonald: Well, I am the only full-time fighter at the gym because everyone else works. It was obviously hard at the start, but now I’m starting to make money so I’m blessed in that way. Basically, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I go in and train in the morning with my coach Dave [Lea]. Then I’ll teach a class, before doing some more training, maybe more jiu jitsu. At around five I do MMA sparring for an hour, then at six I do a couple more hours of jiu jitsu. So it’s about five hours of training on those days. Then on Tuesday and Thursday it’s similar, but I do strength and conditioning instead of MMA sparring.
J.O: I grew up in the Okanagan myself so I know how great it is here, but what do you say to claims that a move out of Kelowna and into a major centre, maybe Vancouver, would help you continue your MMA development?
Rory MacDonald: I wouldn’t move to Vancouver, there’s nothing really there for me. I do go to Montreal sometimes to train with my friend Georges St. Pierre. He has helped me out a lot and taken me under his wing a bit out there. They have amazing trainers there, and also amazing training partners and facilities, but I have some great coaching here with my friend and coach David Lea. The training partner situation, it’s, you know, a lot of people are making sacrifices even though they’re busy. It would be nice to have all those training partners from out in Montreal over here, but I’m figuring it out.
J.O: So a move to Montreal or anywhere like that is not, sort of, in the cards immediately?
Rory MacDonald: It’s not in my near future, anyway. Right now I’m comfortable with the situation that my coach and I have worked out.
J.O: I was going to ask you about your training in Montreal, actually. How about this, do you notice a major difference in skill-level between GSP and other guys that you’ve rolled with, just to put things in perspective?
Rory MacDonald: Yeah, I’ve rolled with some amazing jiu jitsu guys and I’ve been with better boxers, but for a guy who is so well-rounded at the game of MMA? I don’t think I have ever been with such an amazing fighter before. GSP just has an amazing athletic ability to get good at everything, which I have strived to develop myself. Obviously, his wrestling is just through the roof.
J.O: Right, I guess he may be trying out for the Olympics. What do you think of that?
Rory MacDonald: I think he would do well, but his wrestling and his MMA wrestling are two different stories. If you’ve got punches involved, he’ll take you down one-hundred percent of the time. He’s just so good.
J.O: Some have compared your well-roundedness and finishing ability to GSP’s and suggested that you may one day follow in his footsteps as a dominant Canadian fighter in the UFC. How do you feel about those comparisons and do you get any extra motivation from the lofty expectations people may have for you?
Rory MacDonald: I believe my style and Georges’ style are very different. He’s a wrestler with good striking ability and I’m a jiu jitsu guy with good striking ability. So we’re a little bit different in our approach. As far as following in his footsteps career-wise, it’s obviously an honour if that is a picture that people want to put me in.
J.O: As far as extra motivation, though, you’re motivated enough on your own?
Rory MacDonald: Yeah, all I need to motivate myself are my own goals that I’ve set for myself, which are very high.
J.O: Let’s talk, if we can, about your first UFC fight just over a week ago. There is a common notion of the so-called “first-time octagon jitters.” Did you experience anything like that?
Rory MacDonald: Yeah, I did for sure. Usually, I’m not nervous and I don’t put pressure on myself, but I had major pressure on myself in this fight just because, when you get to the UFC, if you’re not at the level they want you to be you’re gone. I know I am at that stage, but anything can happen in a fight. So there was a lot of pressure just to do well and I disappointed myself with the way I performed. Obviously I won and I’m very happy, but looking back I was just disappointed in the heat of the moment because I know I can do so much better.
J.O: I have had a chance to watch the fight, and it was certainly dominant. You were clearly winning the round even before you finished the fight, but for the fans that didn’t get a chance to see it, how would you characterize your match with Mike “The Joker” Guymon and how happy are you with your performance even if it wasn’t perfect.
Rory MacDonald: I’m happy that Joe Silva, my coaches and a lot of the pro fighters that I hold in high regard said they were impressed. All my family and friends really liked it. It makes me happy to hear all that, but I know how much more I have to show. So, I’m just eager to get back into training after taking a little bit of time to recuperate from my last training camp. I have a lot of stuff to work on, but, mentally, I know next time I won’t have those jitters so I’m just looking forward to my next fight with the UFC.
J.O: Alright, this is just something I noticed, but when you were setting up the fight-ending arm bar on Mike Guymon you used both your feet to free Mike's right arm from the grip of his left hand. It reminded me of something BJ Penn might do with his feet. Was that a technique that you’ve trained specifically?
Rory MacDonald: What it was is, I was setting up something called an X-break where you have both your feet over the arm like an X, and then you hook in his one arm and grab the far leg, which is called a spider web. It’s kind of an Eddie Bravo technique, at least that’s how I learned it.
J.O: So it was a slight adaptation of that?
Rory MacDonald: Well, I only had one in so I just switched my grip to the other side triangled the arm instead, but in the situation I was in it works.
J.O: Obviously effective, yeah.
Rory MacDonald: It was just kind of a counter to a counter to a counter. So, the way he was defending led me to do it. I don’t think I have ever submitted someone with that style. I have drilled it as technique, but it just kind of came along.
J.O: I thought it was impressive, anyway. You’ve been vocal about your desire to fight at UFC 115 at GM Place in Vancouver if it ends up happening on June 12th. What would it mean to you to fight so close to home?
Rory MacDonald: I grew up watching the [NHL’s] Canucks in GM Place and I remember just being in awe of how many people could fit in this place. So, I’ve always dreamt of competing there in front of all those fans. Obviously, being a local boy I will get a lot more cheers, not like fighting in Virginia against an American. So that sense of being at home will be cool if I can get on there, which I believe I will. Again, I still have to wait a couple weeks for that card to be confirmed.
J.O: There should be a lot of excitement, too. For those who don’t know, MMA was just recently re-sanctioned in Vancouver and there is a huge fan-base there. I believe the UFC has said it gets more PPV buys per capita out of Vancouver even than Montreal. So, UFC 115 could sell out in minutes.
Rory MacDonald: Oh yeah, I believe so. So hopefully I’ll get on that and it would just be great to fight in the UFC in my hometown, so to speak.
J.O: Asking you to call anybody out might be a bit unfair at this point, but are there any UFC welterweights you see whose styles you think would match well with your own?
Rory MacDonald: I am pretty much here to fight anyone, but I have heard some rumours about Nate Diaz wanting to fight at welterweight. He was complaining a bit about always cutting the weight and I think he was a bit disappointed with the judges’ decision [at UFN 20]. I think he’s being a bit of a whiner, but if he moves up to welterweight I would love to fight him.
J.O: Do you think his jiu jitsu would match up well with your own, or you just think it would be a good scrap?
Rory MacDonald: I don’t think he would get it [to the ground] and even if he did, that would be okay. I think I would knock him out on his feet in the first round.
[Update: inthe time since this interview, UFC welterweight Rory Markham and returning-welterweight Diego Sanchez have both been linked to a fight with Nate Diaz.]
J.O: Alright, cool. Well those are all the questions I have for today, but are there any shout outs you want to put out there or sponsors you want to thank?
Rory MacDonald: I want to thank all my sponsors who helped me out in this hardest year just getting to the UFC. Obviously, my mother has helped me so much. Then just all my training partners, my coach, and all the people that have helped me train.
