After going 3-4 during his stint in the UFC, Jorge Gurgel needed a change. He decided to leave his own gym in Cincinnati for Boston to train with noted muay Thai trainer Mark DellaGrotte. ... Read More
On his swing-for-the-fences style: “I am trying to finish the guy when I'm in the cage, but I'm not trying to get out as fast as I can. I'm not going in there to try and squeeze out a decision, get on top of somebody and having boring fights. I'm trying to separate your head from your shoulders however way I can. “
On leaving his Ohio gym for his own fight preparation: “As far as quality training partners I'll tell you now there's no better place to train then my school. I have great Thai fighters. I have great wrestlers. It's Ohio; it's the state of wrestlers. I have great jiu-jitsu guys. Dustin Hazelett is there. I have three more black belts there. I have Rich Franklin there, but I can’t train and get prepared where I live. When I'm trying to get my mind set for sparring people say, 'Jorge, someone didn't show up to teach the women's class or the sparring class. Or this guest wants a picture. Or this guest wants to set up an interview.' When they know that I'm home my phone will ring every other second. When I'm here in Boston I have to worry about one thing only and it's my fight. I eat sleep in the basement. Wake up. Fight people. Eat, sleep. Wake up. Fight people. Wake up. Do conditioning. Eat, sleep. Fight people. And that's what gets me ready mentally.”
Jack Encarnacao and I held down the fort without TJ De Santis on Wednesday's edition of "Beatdown." We got into all sorts of MMA discussion including the announcement that Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will take on Josh Koscheck at UFC 106, whether Lyoto Machida or Tito Ortiz can sell a PPV and all sorts of Strikeforce news.
Speaking of Strikeforce, Jack and I were joined by Strikeforce fighters Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Jorge Gurgel. Sokoudjou discussed his improvements as a fighter both physically and mentally, how he plans to prepare for his bout with Gegard Mousasi and whether or not he's impacted at all by fighting on CBS. Never a man of just one mindset Sokoudjou also gave us his thoughts on Cameroon's chances in the 2010 World Cup.
Jorge Gurgel will face Billy Evangelista at the Strikeforce Challengers card on November 6th. Gurgel talked to us about why he insists on standing during his fights, what the change to Mark Dellagrotte's camp has done for him and how he's improved since the fighter we first saw on season two of "The Ultimate Fighter." Gurgel also marveled at the wonders of Twitter and told us the story of the “White Devil” Marcus Davis.
The Zuffa LLC circus has only 72 hours to tear down the Octagon at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City and reconstruct it for UFC 103 “Franklin vs. Belfort” ... Read More
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