Issue 176

March 2019

Following his trade to ONE, the legendary flyweight reflects on his UFC career and weighs up new challenges.

TALE OF THE TAPE:

ONE Flyweight,

Record: 27-3-1,

Team: AMC Pankration.

You left the UFC after the razor-thin split decision loss to Henry Cejudo. You said there was no interest in the trilogy fight with him. What are your thoughts on your departure from the UFC?

We left on good terms as far as I’m concerned. I did a lot of great things for the promotion and they did the best they could to promote me. After my departure they are already going forward with the Dillashaw versus Cejudo fight. That should be a fantastic fight for the fans and the promotion. The departure was smooth.

You were recently involved in the first trade in major Mixed Martial Arts history. You, the greatest flyweight of all time, traded for one of the greatest welterweights of all time in Ben Askren. From your viewpoint, how did the deal come together?

I don’t know how it really came to be. I went to my manager, Malki Kawa with First Round Management, and told them I really wanted to get out of my contract. I wanted to be released. He spoke to Matt Hume and the UFC lawyers and he said he would see what he could get done. The Ben Askren trade was offered and on the table and it was a done deal. It was history.

I’m still learning more about the whole fiasco but I am happy it went through. I think Ben is happy. I am happy. I think all sides of the deal are happy. Ben has done some amazing things at ONE Championship. I have done amazing things for the UFC. With us switching places it will be great for the fans.

Your longtime coach and mentor Matt Hume is the VP of Operations for ONE. What have you heard from him over the years about the organization? How influential was he in making this deal happen?

He was a big influence. He told me everything that was going on over there with the new weight cutting protocols. They stopped the weight cutting so I will be able to fight at 135, which is my hydrated weight. It will be healthier long term for me. They really take care of their athletes. He has been over there for a long time and I have been keeping tabs on what they have going on over there. He was a huge influence on me making the switch.

You mentioned in previous interviews that you wanted to leave the chaos behind. It is very important to be true to yourself and not sell out on any level. Did you receive pressure from anyone in the organization to push you to be someone that you weren’t?

I was never really pressured by the company to be more vocal but obviously the fans in North America want to be intrigued. They want to be emotionally invested in big fights. In order to get somebody emotionally invested you have to create some drama and some conflict. They want to see if the good guy is going to win or if the bad guy is going to win.

For me, as a martial artist, I have never been a confrontational person. I would never disrespect my opponent. Win or lose, I will always be humble. I feel that the company is going more in a direction of entertainment and that is totally fine. At the end of the day, they are a business and they are trying to sell as many pay-per-views as they can.

At ONE Championship it is a breath of fresh air. They want you to go out and compete and represent the company well. I am really looking forward to doing just that.

So on to ONE. You face numerous new challengers and challenges. Some may think you will walk right through the entire division but you will have some tests down the line. Who do you see as potential challengers to your crown as the G.O.A.T.?

All of them. They are all tough. They have been doing it for a long time. I have a lot of hurdles ahead of me. I have a lot of travel ahead of me.

I have to get used to the new weight cutting protocol. You have to make weight two times during the week. And if you miss weight, you have to make it a third time during the week. I am always going to be able to make the weight. That is easy for me.

I have to make sure I make it hydrated. That is the hardest thing. If you miss hydration, you have to do it all over again. That is the one thing you don’t want to have to do.

When it comes to competition, they have some great fighters over there. Geje Eustaquio is the champion. There are a number of fighters from Russia that are great. You have guys all around the world fighting in this division.

People will be expecting to see you compete in the Grand Prix in early 2019? Is that what’s going to happen?

That’s what we are looking at. Right now, I am just focused on getting my body healthy. I am keeping my fitness level up. I am going to see a chiropractor for the first time in forever, to be honest. I am getting a massage on the regular now. I am taking my vitamins and my Onnit. I am just trying to make sure my body it at full optimization for when I jump into training camp and try and go win this Grand Prix.

You made your first official trip halfway around the world recently to visit ONE headquarters and meet up with ONE brass. How did the visit go?

It was awesome. The flight wasn’t bad. The athletes were really cool to meet. Martin Nguyen is a big gamer. Aung La N Sang is a big teddy bear but in the cage he tears it up. Chatri [Sityodtong] was great. He is so passionate about martial arts in general.

The energy level was great. I got to be a part of the Evolve Fight Team. I got to learn some new stuff. It was fantastic.

It feels like people still don’t understand how huge the sport of MMA is over in the eastern part of the world. The sheer amount of people that are crazy about MMA is unreal. Do you feel people still don’t get it?

They will. It only takes time. Chatri said they will be announcing their TV deal here in early 2019. The American fans will eat it up. When ONE announces the TV deal it will be another place for fans to come

You are a true martial artist. That phrase and those words mean a lot to you. Do you feel going over to the east that you will get in touch with those roots of fighting again?

I think so. Once I go over there and compete I think I will feel it even more. Going over there and watching my first ONE event as a fan was sweet. The fans are very educated. They love getting behind their heroes.

That is one of the things Chatri said, they want to make real life superheroes. Watching Kevin Belingon fight my teammate Bibiano, they were loving them some Kevin. The event was a five out of five. It was awesome and I can’t wait to be a part of it.