Issue 120
October 2014
Fanboys worldwide express their opinions online. In print, MMA’s biggest stars share their views. We asked four different fighters from the MMA universe their opinions on the pressing matters of the moment.
The Fighters
Q1. Will ring rust be a factor for either Anthony Pettis or Gilbert Melendez when they face each other for the UFC lightweight title?
A. McCall
“I don’t think ring rust will bother either of them too much. They’re both pretty good fighters.”
A. Pickett
“I don’t really believe ring rust is legit. We spar and train harder than the actual fight anyway so if they’ve been training hard enough then ring rust won’t be a problem.”
A. Nelson
“I don’t think so. Although everyone is different, these guys have been fighting for so long I don’t think they’d come into the fight in bad shape.”
A. Gordon
“Preparation sets great fighters apart from average fighters. You’ve got to be training just like a fight. If they’re doing that I’m sure they’ll both be prepared and I can’t imagine there’s going to be too much of an issue.”
Q2. Now that Scott Coker has taken over as Bellator’s new CEO, what do you think the former Strikeforce head honcho can bring to the table?
A. McCall
“He’s a good guy and he’s got a good team behind him too. My old roommate, Rich Chou, is a matchmaker for him. They did a good job with Strikeforce, and with Viacom backing them they’ll be successful.”
A. Pickett
“I know he did great things with Strikeforce and he has a very good business acumen. I think it will benefit Bellator a lot.”
A. Nelson
“Honestly, I really don’t know. I don’t really know much about the situation to be able to comment on it.”
A. Gordon
“He’s been in the fight game for a while and he has links with many trainers. Strikeforce was a good promotion and it looks like he’s going to bring different matchmaking in and make the fights fans want to see.”
Q3. There are a plethora of middleweight contenders out there for Chris Weidman, but who do you think will provide the UFC champ with the toughest test?
A. McCall
“It depends on how he wants to fight. If he wants to trade, then Vitor would be a bad match-up. There’s also someone like ‘Jacare’ Souza. We’ll see if Weidman can handle him on the ground.”
A. Pickett
“Luke Rockhold is a very well-rounded fighter. Him and Weidman are both very good on the floor. Luke is also a really good striker too so I think that would be a very good fight.”
A. Nelson
“I thought his fight with Lyoto was great, but Chris proved once again how good he is. I think everyone would like to see him against Silva one more time as it would be a fun fight.”
A. Gordon
“I know Chris is very excited to fight Vitor Belfort because he feels like he deserves his shot and he had a very productive campaign last year. The thing about Chris that sets him apart is that competitive edge and nature.”
Q4. The UFC has recently added Invicta FC to its Fight Pass programming schedule. Are there any other MMA promotions or martial art events you’d like to see on the online streaming service?
A. McCall
“I’d like to see a lot more Muay Thai. Kickboxing and Muay Thai are so exciting. I’d also like to see some wrestling or judo because if you can get all those sports on one channel then I’d start watching it.”
A. Pickett
“I’m not too sure if they will. I think Invicta was a good deal for the UFC as they’re kind of like a feeder promotion. If they’ve got good relationships with other organizations then why not.”
A. Nelson
“The UFC needs to be selective with who it brings in. I wouldn’t mind seeing some good karate competitions. I think Metamoris would be a great competition too. I wouldn’t mind competing in that.”
A. Gordon
“Lion Fights would be exciting. The more access fans have to combat sports the better, just so they get more knowledgeable. There’s a lot of misconceptions about MMA because of lack of exposure.”
Q5. With BJ Penn retiring this year, what was your favorite moment of his career?
A. McCall
“Just hanging out with BJ was great. It was just me and him for, like, a week once. Getting to absorb some warrior knowledge from him. It was good for my psyche.”
A. Pickett
“The time when he was covered in blood and he started licking blood off of his hands. I thought that was pretty mad and cool.”
A. Nelson
“His fight with Lyoto was one of my favorites. To see him going against Lyoto was class. I really enjoyed that. Also when he took the welterweight title from Matt Hughes.”
A. Gordon
“The way that he fought. It’s just that adrenaline rush watching him. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it, he’s one of the guys I watched before I even came into this sport.”
