Issue 155

June 2017

Iron-chinned Canadian Patrick Cote reveals his favorite moments that capped a successful MMA career.

1. Tito Ortiz, UFC 50: The War of ’04

“I don’t think you can get bigger than heading into a new organization and making top billing in your first UFC event. That was kind of unreal, but I made my name with that fight. It’s my number one memory. I was booked to fight Marvin Eastman in the first fight of the prelims, then Guy Mezger had a stroke. I was probably the last one they asked to fight Ortiz. I was in the wrong weight class and I wasn’t at that level at the time, either. It happened so fast. I didn’t have time to get nervous. I think that’s why I performed like that. I didn’t have my mind f**ked up thinking about the fight to make me nervous. This guy was the screensaver on my computer at that time, so he was kind of my idol.”

2. Scott Smith, UFC 67: All or Nothing

“This was, finally, my first win in the UFC. I was 0-4 and in my head, it was like I had an Octagon curse. Finally, when I won against Scott Smith it was a big relief. After that, I went on a winning streak to get the title. When you’re in that kind of a losing vein, nothing you try works and you start to doubt yourself and take that inside the cage. That’s the worst thing that can happen. That’s why when I rocked Scott Smith in the second round, I didn’t go in for the kill. The most important thing in the world was just to get that ‘W’. In the fight before ours, he was rocked and came back with a crazy overhand right against Pete Sell. I didn’t want to get caught with that same shot.”

3. Kendall Grove, UFC 74: Respect

“At the time, Kendall Grove was a TUF winner and a new prospect. Everybody saw him as the next contender and I was a real underdog. I went there and knocked him out in the first round. That was one of my best performances, and it shocked a lot of people. You don’t think you’re going to get an extra $35k (KO bonus) when you fight and at that time, it was really hard to live for that sport. Any extra money was really good to help me live like a professional athlete: train full-time and not think about if you’re going to be able to put bread on the table. That was a big win for me.”

4. Ricardo Almeida, UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin

"My previous loss was against Travis Lutter. That was kind of the same style and I was very nervous, but this bout put me into a title fight. I felt a lot of emotion. I’m a very emotional guy, especially after the road I took to get there. I started with four losses in a row and got a title fight after four wins in a row. I was able to show a lot of resilience and that’s what I’m most proud of in my career.”

5. Anderson Silva, UFC 90: Silva vs. Cote

“I hurt my knee and was out for a year-and-a-half after that. I had two reconstructions of my right knee, but this was the peak. You can’t go higher than that – fighting for the title in the UFC, and especially against Anderson Silva. He was unreal. I would never say I was winning the fight, but I was still there. I was the first one to take him to the third round in the UFC and I have power, so any time I can put anybody to sleep. I had a chance until the end. It’s weird that was one of the best moments because I lost and I was injured, but nobody will be able to take that away from me. It was pretty awesome. I’m really happy I shared the cage with one of the greatest fighters in history.”