Issue 088

May 2012

From fighting in the IFL to scaling the heights of the UFC’s welterweight division, Jake Ellenberger has seen it all and done it all... However, ‘The Juggernaut’ insists he’s only just getting started.

You’d think being nicknamed ‘The Juggernaut’ would be seen as a bold move by any fighter, considering the fact it’s described as being a merciless and unstoppable force. However, for the majority of his UFC career, Jake Ellenberger has lived up to that mantle. Since his controversial loss to current interim UFC welterweight champion Carlos Condit in his debut in the UFC, Ellenberger has been a destructive entity within the welterweight division, finishing the likes of Sean Pierson, Mike Pyle and Jake Shields. In an exclusive interview with Fighters Only, Ellenberger discusses his beginnings in MMA, his goals for the future and his dislike for Nick Diaz...

After Carlos Condit beat Nick Diaz for the interim welterweight title, many people wanted to see a rematch between the two. Now that can’t happen because Diaz has tested positive for marijuana, what are your thoughts on the rumors of you and Carlos having a re-match?

“I’m not really sure where those rumors have come from. Things are still up in the air, but I think it’s really up to [Carlos] on whether or not he wants to fight before he faces GSP. I’m hoping that I get the chance to rematch him because I know that I can beat him. He’s definitely proved himself and he’s one of the top guys, but that’s the rematch that I want.”

A lot of people thought he lost the fight against Nick Diaz. Do you think Carlos beat him?

“I do. I thought he won the fight three rounds to two when I first watched it. I went back and watched it again and had the same scorecard.”

Is a fight with Carlos Condit about the belt, or the chance to redeem that loss on your record?

“I want the fight for both reasons and it just so happens to be that the stars are aligning for me right now. As far as myself, I would definitely like to avenge that loss, but at the same time he is at the top and that’s where I want to be.”

You’ve gone on record stating that you’re not a fan of Nick Diaz, why is that?

“I’m a fan of his fighting style. I think he’s a great fighter, but I’m not a fan of his behavior or the way he acts. He’s not professional, he doesn’t do things that he’s required to do as a professional athlete. I am a fan of the way he fights, but not really outside of that.”

If Georges St Pierre was able to come back faster than scheduled, would you be interested in fighting Nick?

“Sure. I’ll fight anybody that I have to to get the title. If he had the title right now then that’s who I’d want to fight, but Carlos has the title right now. I’m not opposed to fighting him, but I’m definitely looking for the title.” 

You started out as a swimmer, is that correct?

“Yeah. I was into swimming and diving in high school. I played a lot of sports growing up like football and baseball, but I was always into swimming and diving as well. I became a pretty good diver – as an All-American in high school – but after that I didn’t really compete in anything until I got into MMA.”

Has your swimming background helped you at all in your MMA career?

“Definitely. I feel like I’m a little more educated on energy systems and how the body works. Swimming is a tough sport and it helps me a lot when it comes to things like endurance and knowing your body mechanics. Diving helps a lot too, in regard to body awareness. It’s helped me with wrestling and grappling in general, so I definitely feel like it has been a big help for me. I think swimming is a lot tougher than people would think because it’s not a combat sport, but it’s definitely a mental endurance sport. You’re kind of battling yourself.”

You and your brother Joe are both fighters but who started first?

“We got into MMA in early 2005. We both actually started at the same time. Joe was wrestling in college at the time.”

What about your relationship with your brother, you guys are really close right?

“Yeah. We weren’t that close when we were young. I would say that we became close around high school and when we left high school, myself and both of my brothers became really close. My brother is probably the reason why I’m even in this sport because he was extremely competitive growing up and I didn’t really develop a passion for competing until my early 20s. 

“He got me into the sport of mixed martial arts because he was a big fan of Tito Ortiz when he was younger. I had no idea what the UFC or ultimate fighting or any of it was. I became a fan because of him and got into the sport from there. When he was wrestling we started getting into submission wrestling, jiu-jitsu and kickboxing. It was more of a hobby at first.”

Is it true your brother suffers from a bone marrow disease?

“Yeah. It’s a very rare blood disease called PNH (paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria). Your body produces abnormal red and white blood cells and breaks down your red blood cells. They’re so abnormal that they start attacking the body and try to kill your normal red blood cells. When I found out it was actually right after my first fight. We had to take a step back from competition and evaluate the situation. It’s definitely hard to deal with, but he’s trying to sort that out right now. He’s back to fighting and competing again but we’re still trying to figure stuff out. He’s on a drug for what he has and it has been helping him tremendously.”

Is there much of an MMA/BJJ scene back in Nebraska?

“It’s growing quite a bit. The first couple of guys that I trained with were Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructors under my good friend Rodrigo Vaghi. Those were the guys that I started training with and now one of them is a black belt and one of them is a four-stripe brown belt. When I started there was only the Miletich Training Center in Iowa and there wasn’t much training besides that, but it has grown quite a bit since then. There are gyms all over now, especially in Omaha, that are full of amateurs and young guys coming up that are just training MMA.”

How did you get the nickname ‘The Juggernaut’?

“I got called it by a couple of the younger guys, one of whom is cousin, and they were into Marvel Comics and the X-Men. The character came from there. They would say I was like The Juggernaut, and some people in my family were starting to call me it, so it eventually stuck. Not that I really liked it, but you don’t really get to pick your nickname.”

Did your religious beliefs have a factor in you joining Reign Training Center, where Mark Munoz is, as he’s very religious too?

“Absolutely. The Reign Training Center has a really good group of guys in there who are very spiritual. A good friend of mine, Riley Ross, who is also my strength and conditioning coach, is friends with Mark and had known him for a long time. I got to know him and we clicked right away. He’s a good guy, a good friend and an awesome guy to train with too. When I first moved up there and started training, I was like, ‘This is where I want to be.’ It makes it even better that he’s a Christian and a follower of Christ. They’re good people, so it was easy for me to make the move.”

Obviously, that’s not a requirement as Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller has been very open about his non-beliefs and he’s still a member of the team out there as well.

“Yeah, he is. It’s definitely not a requirement, but it worked for me. It doesn’t really bother me what another person’s faith is.”

Who is your favorite fighter to watch?

“‘Shogun’ is definitely one of my favorite fighters. Dan Henderson and BJ Penn are other ones too. Those are three guys that I’ve always enjoyed watching fight. I’ve trained with all three of them and I’ve always had a lot of respect for the guys who have been around the sport for a long time. A lot of those guys were fighting when there wasn’t any money in the sport and it wasn’t even really established as a sport.”

Now that you’re immersed in training yourself, have you become less of a fan now that some of your favorite fighters are now your peers?

“No, not really. I know a lot more about how the game works, how people act and the fact that you need to know people and stuff. However, most people in this industry are really cool. As far as being a fan, it hasn’t changed me at all.”

You’re just 26 and you’ve fought all over the world and in a number of promotions. How has that helped you grow as a fighter?

“I’ve been able to take something away from all my experiences and everywhere I’ve been. It’s great learning new things and meeting new people, and it shows you how much you don’t know and how much there is to learn. You think you know a lot and then you get a new perspective and you realize there is so much involved in a wide variety of martial arts. It’s humbling to know how much there is to learn.”

What was the most satisfying win of your career so far?

“Probably, my last two fights between Diego [Sanchez] and Jake [Shields]. I’ve had a lot of fights, but I put everything I had into those two fights. I didn’t cut corners, I had a good routine and I’m really proud of that. They’re both great fighters so it’s nice to see that my hard work paid off and that what I’m doing is working and helping.”

What is your goal for 2012 and the rest of your career?

“These next two years, especially this next year, are going to be pivotal in my career. I don’t want to fight for a long time. Honestly, I don’t think I want to fight longer than another five years. My goal has always been the same though and that’s to become the champ. I don’t know when I’m going to get that opportunity, but that is definitely my goal.

“I’ve dedicated my life to achieving my goal and if it happens it’s going to be in the next year or two, but I’m pretty confident I can accomplish that goal.”

You had mentioned that you want to fight for another five years. What would be the reason for you thinking that way?

“To be honest, man, it’s a hard lifestyle. I have buddies that I went to college with who 

are still wrestling and trying to make it to the Olympics. I think that the majority of the guys who are fighting professionally aren’t completely dedicated to training, with maybe 10–15% who are fully dedicated. If you really dedicate your life to something then it’s extremely hard, not only physically but mentally. 

“People see the rewards, the cameras, and the TV and stuff like that, but if you’re really putting your life into training then it can be tough.”