Reborn: Villasenor Hopes to Restart Streak
Feb 10, 2007
All it takes is one. One win. One choke. One knockout. One loss.
All can change a fighter — for better or for the worse.
For Joey Villasenor (Pictures) (22-5-0) it was a 22-second knockout at the hands of Robbie Lawler (Pictures) that moved him.
“That’s MMA for you,” he said. “I experienced a four-year winning
streak. It came to a halt, man. I’ve been hit really hard a couple
of times in my career and Robbie’s was one of them.”
“It was an awakening,” he continued. “I was reborn that night. I went back to my room that night and I was upset. To feel that fire and intensity, that I haven’t been put in a long time was really worth it.”
Tonight, Villasenor fights David Loiseau (Pictures) in Southaven, Miss., on EliteXC’s Showtime-televised Shamrock vs. Gracie card. This fight will be the first of a three-fight contract Villasenor signed with Elite XC.
“It’s exciting for me,” said Villasenor, who could earn a fourth fight if all goes well. “All three of them for what I know are going to be televised on Showtime. To be seen like that nationally is really exciting for me.”
Despite what appears to a pressure-packed spot, Villasenor says there will be no added pressure fighting on the main card in front a nationally televised audience.
“I’ve been there man,” he said. “I’ve fought in the big cards. I’ve fought in PRIDE twice — none of that really matters. The only thing that matters is that man standing across from me.”
The man standing across from him will be the UFC veteran Loiseau (14-6-0). In his last two fights “The Crow” lost decisions to Rich Franklin (Pictures) and Mike Swick (Pictures). The loss to Franklin was a title shot.
Loiseau is known for his vicious elbow strikes, just ask Gideon Ray (Pictures). Villasenor and his camp are very aware of this.
Said Jackson: “We tailor a little bit for the game plan of the opponent. We want to stay away from his strengths and play to our strengths. We want to make sure that we don’t get hit real hard and that we do all the hitting and the tapping.”
Despite the fact Loiseau’s elbows are considered by some to be the best in the business, Villasenor will not be swayed so easily.
“I’m not intimidated but cautious,” he said. “Intimidation is not a factor. Intimidation is walking in to this gym everyday.”
In any fight when a mistake is made it must be capitalized on. Villasenor believes that Loiseau’s mistake will be his aggressiveness. “He likes to really lay in to his elbows. If he misses I have to make sure I take advantage.”
For Loiseau nine of his 14 wins have come by way of TKO, and 10 of Villasenor’s 22 victories have come by the same method.
“I’m looking for an opportunity to showcase my stand-up skills. It’s going to be a great fight.”
Both fighters have submission skills as well, but Villasenor says he has the advantage.
“I think he knows that, too. Our school is known for our grappling ability. I think that it might be something of caution for them.”
Another advantage Villasenor feels he brings into tonight’s clash is the strength of his teammates.
“It feels good to go to war with your brothers behind you,” said Villasenor, who is flanked by Rashad Evans (Pictures), Keith Jardine (Pictures), Nathan Marquardt (Pictures) and Jackson in Miss. “I think a lot of teams are missing that. There’s a lot of arrogance and, ‘who’s who’ out there and it’s backfiring on them. We’re a family, man.”
“The Dream Smasher” has lofty goals tonight.
“He hasn’t been stopped in a while and I’m going to stop him,” Villasenor said of Loiseau. “Regardless my prediction is a win. But I want to stop him — something that Swick and Franklin couldn’t do.”
For Joey Villasenor (Pictures) (22-5-0) it was a 22-second knockout at the hands of Robbie Lawler (Pictures) that moved him.
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“It was an awakening,” he continued. “I was reborn that night. I went back to my room that night and I was upset. To feel that fire and intensity, that I haven’t been put in a long time was really worth it.”
Villasenor isn’t the only one who noticed the change. The
middleweight’s trainer, Greg Jackson, is very close with his
fighters. “He learned a lot from that Lawler fight,” Jackson said
of Villasenor. “He’s so much sharper. His timing is much better,
mental equity everything is 100 percent better.”
Tonight, Villasenor fights David Loiseau (Pictures) in Southaven, Miss., on EliteXC’s Showtime-televised Shamrock vs. Gracie card. This fight will be the first of a three-fight contract Villasenor signed with Elite XC.
“It’s exciting for me,” said Villasenor, who could earn a fourth fight if all goes well. “All three of them for what I know are going to be televised on Showtime. To be seen like that nationally is really exciting for me.”
Despite what appears to a pressure-packed spot, Villasenor says there will be no added pressure fighting on the main card in front a nationally televised audience.
“I’ve been there man,” he said. “I’ve fought in the big cards. I’ve fought in PRIDE twice — none of that really matters. The only thing that matters is that man standing across from me.”
The man standing across from him will be the UFC veteran Loiseau (14-6-0). In his last two fights “The Crow” lost decisions to Rich Franklin (Pictures) and Mike Swick (Pictures). The loss to Franklin was a title shot.
Loiseau is known for his vicious elbow strikes, just ask Gideon Ray (Pictures). Villasenor and his camp are very aware of this.
Said Jackson: “We tailor a little bit for the game plan of the opponent. We want to stay away from his strengths and play to our strengths. We want to make sure that we don’t get hit real hard and that we do all the hitting and the tapping.”
Despite the fact Loiseau’s elbows are considered by some to be the best in the business, Villasenor will not be swayed so easily.
“I’m not intimidated but cautious,” he said. “Intimidation is not a factor. Intimidation is walking in to this gym everyday.”
In any fight when a mistake is made it must be capitalized on. Villasenor believes that Loiseau’s mistake will be his aggressiveness. “He likes to really lay in to his elbows. If he misses I have to make sure I take advantage.”
For Loiseau nine of his 14 wins have come by way of TKO, and 10 of Villasenor’s 22 victories have come by the same method.
“I’m looking for an opportunity to showcase my stand-up skills. It’s going to be a great fight.”
Both fighters have submission skills as well, but Villasenor says he has the advantage.
“I think he knows that, too. Our school is known for our grappling ability. I think that it might be something of caution for them.”
Another advantage Villasenor feels he brings into tonight’s clash is the strength of his teammates.
“It feels good to go to war with your brothers behind you,” said Villasenor, who is flanked by Rashad Evans (Pictures), Keith Jardine (Pictures), Nathan Marquardt (Pictures) and Jackson in Miss. “I think a lot of teams are missing that. There’s a lot of arrogance and, ‘who’s who’ out there and it’s backfiring on them. We’re a family, man.”
“The Dream Smasher” has lofty goals tonight.
“He hasn’t been stopped in a while and I’m going to stop him,” Villasenor said of Loiseau. “Regardless my prediction is a win. But I want to stop him — something that Swick and Franklin couldn’t do.”
