What have you been up to since the CB fight?

Actually I had surgery on my knee so I’ve been laid up since then.

How long will you be out?

I’m looking to be back in a few weeks. I had a prior injury going into the fight so I may as well get it taken care of now.

Have you gone back and watched the fight?

I looked at it one time. I wasn’t going to. I knew exactly what happened while I was in there.

There’s a lot of controversary about whether CB tapped or not what are your thoughts?

Being in there everything is moving so fast. I felt something hitting me on the side. I really didn’t know what it was. At that point I tried to repostition my grip and then he popped out. I definitely felt something hit me on the side after going back and watching it it definitely looked like it. It is what it is. It’s a missed opportunity.

At the Press Conference he said that he didn’t tap.

It is what is. Things happen. Sometimes you get the call. I wouldn’t expect him to admit it if he did, you know? I thought he did and it looks like he did but you know it’s a missed opportunity.

What was your gameplan going into the fight? You rocked him with some big punches before you sank in the guillotine.

Coming into the fight I was banged and I wanted to give it everything I had. I felt alot of people hadn’t seen what I can do on my feet. I felt I had a shot to be just as good as him on my feet since we were both wrestlers. He was so focused on thinking I was going to take him down. I wanted to keep on my feet as long as possible.

You and him have history he defeated you in a wrestling match back in 2003. Which loss bothers you more?

A loss is a loss. You train so hard to win everything you get into. In college it was just a wrestling match and things happen. He beat me that day. But they hurt just the same. Losing sucks because you work so hard.

Would you like a rematch with him?

Of course, I would love to rematch him. I feel we are both competitors. It is what it is. All I can do is be appreciative to the UFC and hope they give me another shot. If they put him in front of me great but I’ll fight whoever they put in front of me.

What was it like backstage with all of those big names like Nogueira, Rampage, and Forrest Griffin around?

It was awesome. It’s a bunch of dreams coming true in one. Being able to fight on the biggest fight card on the pay per view it was great. My favorite fighter is Wanderlei. Nogueira is also one of my favorites. Just being in that enviornment is awesome. Just a few years ago I was thinking I’d love to meet them now I’m fighting on the same card.

Did you ever catch yourself being a fan?

They were really cool. My Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach is friends with Noguiera. I took a picture with theose guys. It was a cool environment.

How excited were you before the Drew McFedries fight?

That was a different emotion. It was my first crack being in the UFC. They called me and I wasn’t really prepared for it. It caught me off guard. It made me realized that hard work paid off. It made me realize that when I started this goal that everything was coming full circle.

Is it true that you turned down an opportunity to be on the Ultimate Fighter season 7?

There were things going on. My manager mentioned that they could get me on the show and they wanted me to go on. I had fought three fights in a 2 month span and I was really banged up so I didn’t do it.

You actually defeated a couple of guys that were on that season, Erik Charles who didn’t make it in the house and Dante Rivera. Do you think if you were on the show you would’ve had a target on your back?

Probably, I think everyone has a target on their back. If anyone didn’t want to beat me they shouldn’t be there.

How did you get involved with the IFL?
I came out of Ring of Combat, it’s a big east coast show. They had a tournament and I won it. The IFL offered me a couple of fights so my management staff and I decided to take it and take it up to the next level.

How big was that split decision victory over Dan Miller back in 2006? He’s doing really well in the UFC.

Dan is a great competitor. We’re both Jersey guys. We knew each other through the wrestling world. It was the beginning of our career. We are both evolving. He’s doing well and so have I. It’s good to see Jersey guys doing well.

Tell us a little about Iron Horse MMA.

That’s my training facility. Going through this whole thing I didn’t have a set camp. I pretty much hand picked my coaches. Instead of trying to drive 4 or 5 places in one day I decided to put it all together under one roof. I can give the opportunity to other fighters in the game that don’t want to have to go down south or to the West Coast. There aren’t too many places here on the East Coast.

Is there anyone there that you see having a future in MMA?

We just opened up in July. I have 7 or 8 amateurs. I have 4 pros. Within a year or two I want to put guys in the big show.

Has the UFC talked to you about any other fights?

Well, I’ve been trying to rest up. But I would like to fight Dolloway again. I feel what we showed in 3 minutes we could put together a good fight. I feel it’s a privilige to fight for the UFC and I’ll fight whoever they put in front of me.

What do you like to do when you arent fighting?

I’m a high school wrestling coach in New Jersey and I own my own school so Im busy just running my business and trying to do the right things.

What did your parents say when you told them you wanted to pursue MMA professionally?

They back me 100%. I’ve been a competitor since I was four years old. They tell me to give 100%. They support me in everything I do. My mom loves it. She’s right there telling how to work my combos. She’s great.

Since you are a Jersey guy are you a Giants fan?

I’m not going to lie. I’m not a Giants fan, actually I’m a Buffalo Bills fan.

Oh

Yeah, (laughs) I know. I’m a loyal fan.

Anything else you’d like to say to the fans?

I thank everyone who backed and supported me. I hope I didn’t let anyone down. I want to thank my trainers and my sponsors. I’ll be back and I hope to be fighting soon.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 3rd, 2009 at 5:44 pm and is filed under Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.