Martin Stapleton working his way back to the UFC
How do you follow up a disappointing loss on MMA’s premier reality show? How about winning a Lightweight Championship in the first match since? That’s exactly what British TUF alum Martin Stapleton did when he defeated Andrew Fisher by TKO in the 2nd round for the Strike & Submit Lightweight Championship on July 5th 2009.
“Getting that first fight since TUF out of the way a great feeling,” beams Stapleton. “Coming into the fight, I felt quite a lot of pressure because I felt my last fight on TUF didn’t show my true ability, and I knew that this time I HAD to be on point. So, to get the win, and to get the stoppage in such a fashion, felt great, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted!”
Andrew Fisher entered the match with a nice 4-2 record and looked to be a tough test for Stapleton. However, Stapleton mounted Fisher in the 2nd round and ended the fight with a fierce ground-and-pound after being caught early with a huge shot that rocked him.
“I knew going into the fight that Andrew fisher was going to be probably my toughest opponent yet. He’s got good striking, good [submissions] and he is as tough as they come,” Stapleton recalls. “So in preparation, I pushed myself hard physically and mentally. I prepared for a long, hard war, and that’s pretty much how the fight went!
“I wanted to come out and start a bit slower than usual as its always been early on when I’ve made mistakes,” Stapleton continues. “Andrew caught me with a good shot early on and the first few minutes were very even. Towards the later half of the first round I think I started to show my dominance and hurt him with some good elbows from top position. In the second round I feel that I controlled the whole thing, and once I got a good position on top, I rained down some heavy [ground-and-pound] and I knew the fight was over!”
With the 1st round loss at the hands of Cameron Dollar still lingering like a black cloud, Stapleton felt a growing pressure to redeem himself at Fisher’s expense.
“I felt quite a bit of pressure for this fight,” says Stapleton. “It’s the first fight I’ve had that I actually felt nervous for but I had some great people around me to support me that made my confidence grow. I trusted my corner and the guys in my changing room and even though I was nervous, I had a very determined feeling that I was going win this fight violently!”
Despite the win and the championship, Stapleton’s ultimate goal remains the same — a return to the UFC. With the first win on the path back out of the way, Stapleton knows he must maintain the momentum of this victory, but realizes the return trip will be long one.
“I don’t know how many more wins I need to back into the UFC,” says Stapleton. “Obviously the long term plan is to get back in the UFC. I know that I’ve got the skills and the ability to do well in the UFC, I just need to match that now with experience, and keep winning to show Dana and Joe Silva that I’m improving everyday. I want to be in the UFC more than anything, but for now, until I get that call I’ve got to take it one fight at a time and put everything I can into concentrating on each fight.”
Troy Steffy
ATO Senior Writer
