UFC WEIGH-IN ON FUEL TV Show Quotes – 12/14/12
Mitrione: “I expect to get my hand raise on Saturday. I don’t care how – knock him out, submit him, fold him up like a pretzel.”
Nelson: “Fans expect a show from me and I’m going to give them one.”
Henderson and Sonnen Break Down TUF 16 Finale Matchups
LOS ANGELES, CA – The following quotes are from today’s UFC WEIGH-IN ON FUEL TV for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 16 FINALE. The show was hosted by Jay Glazer, with UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson and UFC Light Heavyweight Contender Chael Sonnen offering analysis. Reporter Heidi Androl conducted fighter interviews on-site in Las Vegas.
UFC WEIGH-IN ON FUEL TV Analyst Benson Henderson on Roy Nelson: “Don’t let his looks fool you. All his wins in the UFC have come by knockout and he’s got a great chin. What a great combination, to have KO power and a great chin?”
UFC WEIGH-IN ON FUEL TV Analyst Chael Sonnen on Roy Nelson: “I’m excited about this. He was the TUF 10 Tournament winner. Matt Mitrione was a part of that season and wasn’t the winner or even a finalist. When Shane pulled out, Matt got on the phone and asked for this fight. He says he thought it’d be a fun fight. But what I think is it tells me this is about revenge. He wants to prove that he could have won that tournament.”
Henderson on Roy Nelson: “He’s one of two guys who have gone three full rounds with heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos. He has a great chin. He has a legit ground game and he has a great crucifix.”
Sonnen on Matt Mitrione chances in the fight: “I will see your great power of Roy Nelson and raise you with the great defense of Matt Mitrione. He can slip, juke, jive, bob and weave as well as anyone in the heavyweight division. I challenge you to tell me the last time this guy had a bloody nose in a fight. His defense is going to be the key to avoiding those bombs.”
UFC WEIGH-IN ON FUEL TV Reporter Heidi Androl reports on Roy Nelson: “I spoke to Roy and he tells us he expects an athletic Mitrione because of his NFL experience, and a more well-rounded fighter since he’s been training at the Blackzilians.”
Androl reports on Mitrione: “Mitrione says that Roy Nelson should expect a different fighter than Shane Carwin. He’s a southpaw and more athletic, and he’s grown leaps and bounds since they were teammates on The Ultimate Fighter. He said to me: ‘I’m focused on my music and making sure Roy dances to it.’”
Sonnen on Nelson weighing in at 252: “The big surprise is he’s not as big as he used to be. I’ve watched him cut weight to make heavyweight. He used to lose 30 pounds to make it down to 265.”
Androl asks Roy Nelson what he changed in his camp when his opponent changed from Shane Carwin to Matt Mitrione: “I started telling everyone to switch to southpaw to prepare for him.”
Nelson on Mitrione: “He was an elite athlete in the NFL, and he was doing this for fun. He’s evolved tremendously over the last couple of years.”
Nelson on how he feels not getting to fight Carwin: “I wanted to fight Shane. Shane said he wanted to punch me in the face, but I guess he really didn’t.”
Nelson on what fans can expect during the fight: “Fans always expect a show out of me and I’m going to give them one.”
Mitrione on fighting Nelson: “I feel that Roy is an interesting fight. He has a lot power, a lot of ground game, a lot of stamina and that is where I want to test myself right now. I thought in this point in my career, I have been doing so much work, took some time off and developed a lot. My training coaches and I thought it was a good fight for me.”
Mitrione on his trepidation going back in the Octagon: “Roy legitimately has a case for being one of the toughest people in the world. He is incredibly tough. My first fight was in UFC and I have no anxiety about fighting. I am a performer, an athlete and a competitor. I expect to get my hand raise on Saturday. I don’t care how it happens – knock him out, submit him, fold him up like a pretzel. I am getting paid.”
Sonnen on Mitrione’s improving skills: “He is learning fast. I think he underperformed in the Kongo fight, but he is better than that. I really believe in this guy and more importantly I think he wants it. He has the desire, the coaches and the teammates. I think he can do it.”
Henderson on Mitrione’s advantages: “He has great footwork. He is a big guy. He is heavier than Nelson, but he is light on his feet. He moves around, he trades in the pocket. His fundamentals are good in the footwork. He goes in, goes out. He doesn’t stand in the pocket and gets out of the way.”
Sonnen on who has more on the line in Nelson vs. Mitrione: “In my opinion, it’s Nelson who has more on the line. He was supposed to be in this fight. He did a 13-week preview for this fight, known as The Ultimate Fighter. Now, of course, he was supposed to take on a different opponent in Carwin, but Mitrione stepped up and said: ‘I want you, I can beat you.’ But the difference is on short notice, the UFC usually calls you, but Mitrione called them saying, ‘I want this fight.’”
Henderson on who has more on the line: “When someone takes a fight on this short of notice, there is not a whole lot on his shoulders. He is going in there, fighting on short notice, he has nothing to lose.”
Henderson on Colton Smith: “He serves our country. He’s a grinder who’s willing to put the work in. He gets on top and likes to work from the side position and works out of that.”
Sonnen on Mike Ricci: “My thoughts are evolving on him rapidly. He might be a real diamond in the rough. Kenny Florian said he’s the best athlete at Tristar. If GSP is in the room and they’re talking about this guy like that, there might be something going on.”
Sonnen on the experience on TUF and what we don’t see: “What we see as fans is the physical aspect of it. What we miss is the mental part. Ricci talked about it. He said psychologically it played tricks on him. One thing I like about him physically is he is a little undersized in his weight class. He is a 155 pounder who moved up for an opportunity.”
Sonnen on Pat Barry vs. Shane Del Rosario: “I believe Pat is better. He kicks like a mule and he mixes them up. He throws them when you’re not expecting it and it hits like a baseball bat.”
Henderson on Jamie Varner: “He works out at my gym now. He has all the skill in the world. For him, it’s a huge mental game. He’s back in the gym and he’s doing well. He’s a funny guy and when he’s happy, he’s money.”
Sonnen on Jamie Varner vs. Melvin Guillard: “You’re talking about an awesome fight between these two. But in my mind, Varner has an identity crisis going on. He doesn’t know who he is. He thinks he’s a wrestler, but in my mind he’s a boxer. He has some of the best hands in the UFC, but he thinks he’s a wrestler. I mean this as a compliment.”
Sonnen on Melvin Guillard: “Melvin Guillard can do it all. He has power. He loves to fight. He’s cocky and arrogant. He’s everything you want to cheer against but he’s everything you can’t turn away from.”
Sonnen on Dustin Poirier: “When we last saw him, he was in maybe fight of the year with The Korean Zombie. But the big news is Poirier switched camps. That tells us he’s serious about getting better. He’s young and he wants to make a run at it.”
For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufc and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fueltv. Follow @FUELTV on Twitter.
Follow the talent on Twitter at: @JayGlazer; @sonnench; @BensonHenderson; @karynbryant;
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