10 questions with stephan bonnar

10 questions with stephan bonnar

UFC Light Heavyweight Stephan Bonnar takes time out to answer 10 Questions for MMAFix. With a Fight of the Night comeback performance against Krzysztof Sosynski, an exciting new gig as the WEC Color Commentator, hosting “The Ultimate Fighter: The Aftermath” web-series for Spike TV, and another bout on his horizon with Igor Pokrajac in the TUF 12 Finale, we figured he could spare us a bit of his precious time.

1. Given Igor Pokrajac’s RNC win in the first round against James Irvin, how dangerous do you think he is for you on the ground? Could he even get you to the ground? I don’t think you’ve ever been submitted…
SB: I respect his ground, but I’m not too worried. I[have] never been submitted. I am a BJJ black belt under Sergio Penha, and was brought up in Jiu Jitsu under the legendary Carlson Gracie. Also, I’ve really improved my takedown defense. The only guys to ever take me down in a fight have been Rashad, Jon Jones, and Mark Coleman….and now I’m even harder to take down.


2. You had an outstanding Fight of the Night victory over Krzysztof Sosynski (try spelling that name 3 times, by the way). Is it just not a gratifying fight for you unless it’s an all out blood bath? You seem to be known for those.
SB: Yes, that fight was very gratifying. He landed some big punches…I was a bloody mess, then I took him out. It feels good after a fight to be so banged up you have no choice [but] to take a vacation.

3. As our headquarters have been based in Las Vegas, we have been following your training throughout the last 3 years. We’ve caught you at Xtreme Couture, TapOut, Master Toddy’s, Sergio Penha’s, Floyd Mayweather’s gym and we’ve even seen you training with Sityodtong’s Mark Dellagrotte when he’s flown in…Where are you primarily training right now?
SB: I know…I’m a gym whore. For these last couple fights I’ve been with Sergio Penhas gym, One Kick Nicks gym, and PSI (Philippi Sports Institute) for strength and conditioning. I’m happy too. I love my coaches and my team. I don’t feel like anythings missing anymore.

4. How stacked is the UFC Light Heavyweight division currently? Is it tough trying to stay noticed? Do you keep up with all the fighters in the division or say when you got the call for Pokrajac, did you think, “Okay, which one is he, again?”
SB: Ha….no I remembered him. He fought at UFC 110 in Australia with me. And the easiest way to stay noticed in such a stacked division is to put on memorable fights.

5. So you’re fighting in the TUF 12 Finale and you are currently hosting “The Ultimate Fighter: The Aftermath” show on Spike.com. How do you like this season? Who are you expecting in the finale? And what do you think Kos’ chances are against GSP?
SB: This season’s great. What makes it great is good fights. So far the fights have been good, and there are some real characters and talented individuals on this season. I think the GSP vs Kos fight will be very competitive. I believe Kos underestimated GSP’s wrestling the first time out & he won’t this time. What I would really like to see is both guys wrestling negate the other guys ability to get takedowns and they’re forced into a stand up war…..wishful thinking.


6. You obviously hold legendary status with Forrest Griffin for your TUF 1 Finale battle. Can you believe it’s 12 seasons later? Did you have any idea this show would become a diehard machine?
SB: It’s funny….even during the filming of season 1, when I would hear the production staff saying things like, “This piece of shit show will never see the light of day,” and Dana and the UFC didn’t even know if we would get to fight…. In the back of my mind I just had this knowing that it would be a huge hit.

7. How’s the WEC color commenting gig going for you? What kind of feedback are you getting from MMA fans?
SB: I love it. It’s the best job I’ve ever had…a dream come true. The feedbacks been pretty good. It’s a lot like fighting, where some people tell me they love the way I call the fights….and other people think I suck, hate my guts, and hope I rot in hell.


8. You recently tweeted that you will now refer to a “camel toe” as a “Faber chin.” How often do you find yourself referring to a camel toe?
SB: I hope you saw the “Faberkini” it was in reference to. It was a close up pic of a girl in her bikini bottoms which sported Uriah’s face. Right where his chin was on the bikini (and Uriah does have the crease on his chin) coincided with, well……her you know.

9. Your first year wedding anniversary is coming up October 30th. We’re giving you a friendly reminder. How’d the first year of marriage treat you? Don’t worry about giving too extravagant a gift; the first year is paper, so you just have to give her some cash…
SB: Damn…..thanks for the reminder.


10. Finally, you’ve given countless interviews. What question is it that you most loathe being asked and what question have you always wanted to be asked…and why you’re asking that question…go ahead and answer it.
SB: I guess the ones I loathe are all the questions I get on just how awesome Jon Jones is, and how it felt to get my ass kicked by him.
One I’d love to get asked is: What is God’s one and only voice?
Answer: Silence……haha take care!

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30-27? Judge Needs To return to the kitchen and cook me a pot pie

30-27? Judge Needs To return to the kitchen and cook me a pot pie

30-27? Women Judge Needs To Learn Her Place

That's right. Did you see last night's Strikeforce event? Josh Thomson fought J.Z in a 3 round decision.. While most sane people had it 29-28 Thompson, one judge decided to give the 3rd round to Thomson also, making it 30-27. That score was so bad, Josh Thomson himself called it out in his post-fight speech. Well, what do you know, she just happened to be a woman by the name of Susan Thomas-Gitlin. Just another in a long-line of bad MMA judging. Well I'm tired and frankly her kind needs to find their place.

That place is being in a seat next to Cecil Peoples at Judge School. What a ridiculous decision. I'm not going to turn this into a diatribe about judging as the MMA media whines enough about that. I just want to make two points. The first of which is that I kind of have 2nd thoughts about bad judging. In one aspect, if a fighter knows he can get screwed, in theory, he'd be less likely to let it get to the judges. It doesn't seems as though that is a strong enough deterrent. Plus, you don't want fighters that deserved to win getting screwed.

The second point is that there were some interesting comments at the last California State Athletic Commission meeting by referees and officials. "Doc" Hamilton stated that over the past 2 years there was "chaos" at the Commission office as officials were licensed, but had no knowledge of the sport.

Surprisingly, Cecil "Pieples" (as he is referred to) agreed. Imagine that. Herb Dean feels that current officials should be reevaluated to do MMA and that referees should have some knowledge of martial arts just so they know what to do in the cage. Jon Schorle (YES! That Jon Schorle, the one from the Lashley fight) suggested that the Commission be involved in the assigning of officials. He was backed up by a boxing promoter who thanks the Commission for not removing Schorle from a fight even though the sanctioning body recommended it. Local MMA promoter Roy Engelbrecht said that the "quantity of officials is not important but the quality is". He also recommended that officials be evaluated at each event. I agree.

So it's obvious that they are aware of the lack of good judges and referees in the sport. So what needs to happen? Those that want it to be fixed need to put pressure on the necks of the officials.

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UFC's Lyoto Machida eyes growth of academy, evolution of mixed martial arts

UFC's Lyoto Machida eyes growth of academy, evolution of mixed martial arts

While former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida (16-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) will soon face one of the stiffest challenges of his career, "The Dragon" is already thinking well beyond that UFC 123 bout with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Sure, Machida pines for another shot at the title he lost in May to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, but for the cerebral karate master, there's more to life than professional cagefighting.

"My family and I don't see martial arts as a purely physical pursuit," Machida told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "It's a sport that educates, that instills discipline and respect. It's the most important path for us."

A lifelong practitioner of traditional martial arts, Machida studied Shotokan karate, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, sumo wrestling and Muay Thai under the guidance of his father at the family's Academia APAM Machida in his native Belém, Brazil.

While Machida believes there are still many great moments left for him in the cage, he's also working on a plan to bring his family's approach to martial arts to a broader base of aspiring practitioners.

"Our plan is to start an academy in the U.S. – Los Angeles to be more specific, since we feel it's a hub; it's where everything happens," Machida said." We're also considering Florida. My father, my brothers and I could rotate in from Belém."

Machida is quick to point out that the idea of opening a U.S.-based academy is a long way from becoming a reality, but "The Dragon" is anxious to teach the world his family's philosophy on martial arts.

"Of all the students practicing martial arts, very few will pursue it professionally," Machida said. "But most students will carry the doctrine, the philosophy, the respect with them. You can be a doctor, but you'll be a doctor with respect, ethics and dignity. These are things learned through martial arts. If you're a lawyer, the same thing applies.

"So our greatest goal isn't the physical performance; behind it all there's something much greater. It's the respect we carry within us."

For Machida, it's that philosophy which drives him even today. It's an approach that was instilled at him at an early age, and one which Machida believes too many instructors – and parents – are overlooking today.

"I believe children shouldn't be pushed too hard at an early age," Machida said. "We have our own academy and we know what that's like. Many children pushed too early often give up martial arts before reaching adulthood. By their teens, they often can't stand it since they feel no joy in it.

"A great deal of care should be used awarding a black belt to a child. My brother Chinzô, at the time (he earned his black belt), was Brazil's youngest black belt at 10 years old. But my father never pushed him. My brother wanted it. What I see often is that the parents want to live vicariously through their children, in a variety of sports like swimming, tennis, etc. That's what causes kids to burn out. That's when a great talent or opportunity can be lost."

"I had always wanted to do something that had very few rules"

Machida always aspired to succeed in martial arts, though his professional career started a bit sooner than he had hoped.

When Machida took his first professional bout in 2003 against Kengo Watanabe, it was only because there was no amateur program in which the Brazilian could cut his teeth.

"I had always wanted to do something that had very few rules," Machida said. "I had competed in sumo and some jiu-jitsu events, but I saw they were very restricted by rules, and MMA is the combat sport with the fewest rules.

"There is a variety of skills which can be used to achieve victory; my decision was based on that."

As with so many before him, it was Machida's admiration of original UFC champion Royce Gracie that led him to the sport. Little did Machida know he would soon be headlining cards in front of thousands of screaming fans in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Montreal.

"I first saw Royce fight when I was 15 years old," Machida said. "I thought to myself, 'I'd like to be able to do the same thing this guy is doing – professionally.' I didn't yet know how. It was a challenge for me.

"I didn't think the sport would grow so much."

Of course, as with anything that experiences the type of exponential growth the sport of MMA has witnessed in recent years, there are bound to be a few setbacks. One of those hurdles has been the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the sport.

Surprisingly, Machida isn't necessarily completely against the use of PEDs in the sport. Instead, he believes the governing bodies of the sport need to make a choice – either crack down on those cheating the system or give carte blanche to all fighters to supplement as they see fit.

"I support blood testing," Machida said. "Right now, those fighters not doing PEDs may lose; the other guy may be stronger and faster, but he's not 'natural.' It's something one has to live with since most fighters are users.

"(As I see it), unless proven otherwise, everyone has used PEDs. Either everyone gets blood tests, or everyone should be allowed to use them – the way it used to be in Japan."

But PEDs are just one piece of the professional fighter puzzle. As MMA has evolved from a spectacle to a legitimate sport, concerns such as fighter pay, insurance requirements and retirement plans have become serious concerns.

Machida says he believes a fighter union could eventually prove very useful to the sport as a whole, in addition to the competitors involved.

"I think there ought to be something like the [Association of Tennis Professionals], a union that could protect the fighters' rights," Machida said. "This entity would be good for both the fighters as well as the UFC. I would sell this idea to Dana White by illustrating the benefits of a much more organized way of drawing up contracts.

"When the employer holds all the cards, there's a greater likelihood of miscommunication, since the dialogue is not so open. For example, a mediating body could have helped avoid what happened with Tito Ortiz. The UFC lost Tito for one-and-a-half to two years. A compromise could have been reached with a mediator. Again, such an entity could help both the fighter and the employer."

"I'm up for anything that brings me back to the belt"

Still just 32 years old, Machida likely has several more years of peak performance left in his frame. While fans were quick to hop off the Machida bandwagon after the karateka suffered his first career loss this past May, the former UFC champion says he's looking forward to proving the naysayers wrong as he works toward completing his current eight-fight UFC deal.

"My family – they've always been very supportive – my brothers, my father, my wife, my mother," Machida said. "Family is who I truly rely on when I need it – family first.

"I'd also like to thank my sponsors – Bony Açaí, Silver Star which is a great brand for me, MusclePharm, Piquet which is a local armored car company that has always backed me up, my friend Carlos Ribeiro who's a great supporter, and Jaco which manufactures my shorts. These companies support me so I can continue to train.

"'Rampage' was actually the first opponent offered to me, and I look forward to the fight. I'm up for anything that brings me back to the belt."

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Alistair Overeem: M-1 has singlehandedly destroyed Fedor's legacy.

Alistair Overeem: M-1 has singlehandedly destroyed Fedor's legacy.

Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem has once again called out prospective challenger Fedor Emelianenko, denying recent comments from the Russian superstar that Overeem is dodging him.

Overeem's accusations against Emelianenko, and more specifically his management company, M-1 Global, are just the latest drama in the strange twists and turns that seem to surround any effort to bring about a fight between the two men.
Overeem has proven to be a strangely elusive title holder, defending his belt just once in the three years since he claimed it with a win over Paul Buentello in 2007. But when Emelianenko, the most famous heavyweight in the history of MMA, joined Strikeforce last year, it seemed to most observers that it would be a simple matter of time before he would challenge Overeem for the title.
Unfortunately, that has not turned out to be the case.

After being unable to agree on a match with Overeem early in 2010 after his management called the champ a "steroid bully", Emelianenko ended a ten-year winning streak with a loss to Fabricio Werdum in June. Overeem, for his part, defended his title with a win over Brett Rogers in May.
Now Overeem has turned down a new challenge from Emelianenko, saying that any fight will have to wait until after he has fulfilled his current obligation to compete in the upcoming K-1 World GP Final in December. Overeem takes offense at recent comments by Emelianenko that he is making excuses not to fight him.

"Here we go again (laughs)," Overeem told Valetudo.ru. "There was a lot of discussion if this was really Fedor saying that because people where telling that Fedor would never give a reaction like that. I know for a fact that M-1 does most of the talking when Fedor is interviewed in writing so I'm not surprised if M-1 gave this answer. On the other hand it could also be that Fedor made these comments but was not well informed by M-1 about the negotiation with Strikeforce and myself. M-1 is doing a great job of keeping Fedor away of the true reality about what is going on."
Overeem thinks the involvement of M-1 Global in Emelianenko's fight selection process has done irreparable harm to the Russian fighter's reputation.

"If Fedor reads the internet especially in the US then he will be shocked how many bad things have been said about him and especially M-1," Overeem stated. "They singlehandedly destroyed the legacy Fedor had with all their weird demands and strange comments during the year. So I hope Fedor read this and will tell him exactly what happened. You challenged me too late and I was already committed for the K-1 and don't blame me because I was calling you out for more than a year but your management company gave all sort of excuses not to fight me. They need months of negotiations with Strikeforce before they can make a fight happen and I'm not the person that's going to wait for you because I want to fight as much as I can."

Still, if the stars align one day, Overeem will be glad to finally meet Emelianenko in the cage. Just not quite yet.
"I'm more than happy to fight you," says Overeem of Emelianenko, "but now you have to wait for me this time, sorry about that (laughs)."

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Arianny freaking pissed about leaked Playboy pictures, here's a sample.

Arianny freaking pissed about leaked Playboy pictures, here's a sample.

I did get a look at them but I think it's kinda uncool to share them so I won't do it. I'm not sure how I feel about other people posting them here, kinda on the fence. I'm sure it's bound to happen some time soon anyways but the mag is still about 25 days from coming out so it's a bit earlier than I would have thought.

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Brendan Schaub on the "[Shane] Carwin Track" in the UFC Heavyweight Division

Brendan Schaub on the "[Shane] Carwin Track" in the UFC Heavyweight Division

LT: Alright, with us on the line right now is one of the UFC's top heavyweight prospects. He is on an absolute tear through the heavyweight division. He takes on Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 121 later this month, live on pay-per-view. The one and only Brendan Schaub joins the show. Brendan, how are you, sir?

BS: I'm doing great. How you doin', man?

LT: Good, buddy. Brendan, let me ask you off the bat: did you go to WEC 51? It was in your backyard.

BS: You know, this is gonna sound bad, but I didn't, man. I'm a huge WEC fan, I prefer to watch the smaller weights, but I had training, man. You know, I'm in training camp, so that was kinda the priority and I did not make it.

LT: Did you wind up seeing the fights after the fact?

BS: I did. I watched them about 10 o'clock at night and saw ‘em all, man. They were all really good fights, especially my boy "Cowboy" [Donald Cerrone]. He put on a show, man.

LT: He did look good. I wanna get to him in just a moment. I wanna ask you about the top of the card - Jose Aldo. He's obviously the best featherweight on the planet. Maybe Marlon Sandro gives him a run, but he's up there. In your mind, on the pound-for-pound list, where would you put him?

BS: I'd put him in the top five. You know, I think those top five guys, you can have arguments who's number one. You can jumble those guys all around. You know, I think at his weight class and in the WEC... Man, I don't think there's really a test for him anymore, and I'm not interested in seeing him fight anyone else there at his weight division, so I'd like to see him put on maybe 10 pounds and come on up to the UFC, see how he fares up there with the big dogs.

LT: Listen, it's all speculation. You'd give him a chance against Frankie Edgar?

BS: Yes, I do.

LT: Yeah? What about a big, imposing wrestler like Gray Maynard?

BS: See, that's where it'd be interesting to see how he fares, with a guy like Gray Maynard who's big and strong. If he comes in to make a strike, he might get taken down, but I think he's well-rounded enough to where I think he'd fare pretty well with any of those guys up there.

LT: Let's talk about your teammate, "Cowboy" Donald Cerrone. I have to tell you, there's a lot of guys who are really talented, really solid aspects to their game, and their careers seem to turn the corner on some of their shortcomings. Is it me, or did "Cowboy" Cerrone, with this fight, turn a complete corner with his wrestling?

BS: Yup, I think you hit it on the nose, man. I think "Cowboy" added an aspect of his game, and that's definitely wrestling. That's been his focal point and I think that comes from Greg Jackson being the wizard that he is, just convincing "Cowboy" that it's something he needs to do to get better. And he did that, and it definitely showed in this fight. You know, Jamie Varner's no slouch when it comes to wrestling, man, and I think he caught him by surprise, taking him down, and they were great takedowns. I think that was definitely the difference in the fight.

LT: To the extent you've been exposed to his wrestling - because I know you bounce around; you have a particular BJJ coach, you're at Grudge [Training Center], you're at a lot of places - but to the extent that you've watched him train, has that been something he's been working on for years? Did it take a while to sink in that that was something he needed to work on? How has his development gone?

BS: You know, I think guys - and a lot of guys fall victim to this - they get pretty far with the assets they have, and for "Cowboy" it was definitely kickboxing, striking, and he'd pull of some submissions with triangles and stuff like that. But you get to a point where, man, if you're not good at all the things, it's gonna catch up with you. It's sink or swim, and for him, it was definitely a time he needed to swim, and he did that with his wrestling. I really think it helped him, going up to Tri-Star with Georges [St-Pierre]. Georges definitely focuses on wrestling and those guys have a great team up there, and they really helped him out. For "Cowboy," he realized it was something he had to get better at, otherwise who knows where he'd end up.

LT: Again, if you're just joining the show, UFC heavyweight, Season 10 member of "The Ultimate Fighter," Brendan Schaub joins the show. Brendan, you mentioned Greg Jackson. Everyone knows about him. Here's my problem with Greg Jackson interviews: he is so good at them, he tells you nothing, right? He's very clever about being very polite, he's very clever about giving just enough. But I'm trying to understand, if somebody is like me and they don't really know, like you know, what makes a great MMA coach? What is that, and how does Greg Jackson bring that to life? Tell us really how that happens.

BS: You know, I think Greg is such a cerebral guy, he kinda can take a step back and, man, he just knows how to motivate a guy. I think that's his biggest asset. Once Greg sits down with you and you go over a gameplan, you just buy into it. He just tells you all the right things, man. He knows what it's gonna take to win. Before my last fight, you know, I deal with nerves like crazy, man. The week of the fight, I don't know who doesn't. I was nervous about facing Chris Tuchscherer and Greg comes up to me after a workout, and he just goes, "Hey, Brendan, what's the worst thing that can happen to you on Saturday night?" I'm like, "Jeez, coach, I don't know. I go in there and I lose, man. That'd be the worst thing." He's like, "Yeah, but how could you lose to this guy?" I'm like, "I don't know, he holds me down, or he ends up getting a lucky shot and knocks me out?" And he goes, "No, not gonna happen. You're too athletic for that. Your boxing's too good for that. The worst thing that's gonna happen is this guy's gonna lay on you for 15 minutes in front of everyone. He's not gonna do any damage, he's just gonna lay on you. That's his fighting style." So, that helped with my nerves a little. He talked to me a little more about the gameplan, which, you know, you really buy into and I'm not as nervous. And then, you know, I'm feelin' good, and I'm walking out the door and he goes, "But, hey, Brendan - after this one, you're gonna get a monster. They're not all gonna be like this." And sure enough, he was right, man. He just says the right stuff at the right time, and I think he takes a different approach than other guys. A lot of coaches, if they're a boxing coach or a jiu-jitsu coach, you know, boxing's the key to everything, or jiu-jitsu's the golden rule and you have to do it this way. With him, it's not that way, man. I think that's why Greg is so successful.

LT: If you watch a lot of MMA coaches - and I'm not sure if this is the wrong way, ‘cause if you see a lot of successful ones, this is the way they are, too - a lot of them are super intense, right?

BS: Yeah.

LT: I mean, they got veins bulging out of their forehead, they're trying to give clear, precise directions. And I was in the military, so I can kind of understand that. But Jackson, the only time I've ever seen him even raise his voice a little bit was when St-Pierre tore his groin a little bit against Dan Hardy, and he was sort of saying "get over it." Have you ever seen Greg Jackson intense?

BS: I have not, man. That's a great point. I really haven't. I think some guys need that, but if you looked at the guys from our camp, none of us really need that. I would say [Shane] Carwin and myself are probably the most intense fighters when we're getting to the ring. No one needs to tell us to get going or pump us up, and Greg's not the guy to scream and shout, so some guys need that, but being part of Grudge and Jackson's camp, you know, our guys are not like that. And I think that comes from training with Greg and Trevor [Wittman].

LT: UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub joins the show. Brendan, before we get to your fight at UFC 121, I want to talk to you about some research that came out. It describes UFC finishing rates by weight class, okay? At heavyweight, 60% of the fights end in TKO, and 23% end in decision, 15% in submission. At lightweight, 22% end in TKO, 31% end in submission. Now, it's obvious that the heavyweights hit harder, they're a little bit less technical, on average, than your lighter guys. But at 15% submission, to you, is that naturally where the numbers should be? Or is that indication that maybe, at the highest level, jiu-jitsu is really not as strong as it could be for heavyweights?

BS: I think it's a combination of things. I definitely think there's some guys who need to work on their jiu-jitsu, and I definitely think at heavyweight, guys get away with not being as well-rounded as the smaller weights. That's why I personally prefer to watch the smaller weights. But at the same time, if you have a great wrestler or great jiu-jitsu guy who wants to get it to the ground, man, you get clipped with these four-ounce gloves as a heavyweight and you'll never get to see their ground game. I think it's tougher to get the heavyweights down, too, to expose them and to use the jiu-jitsu, so I think it's a combination of things. But I definitely agree, I don't think the level of jiu-jitsu and the ground game is as good in the heavyweight division as the smaller weights.

LT: Okay, you're taking on Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 121, October 23rd at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. It'll be on pay-per-view. You open the card, and it's a stacked card: Brock Lesnar, UFC heavyweight champ, defending his title against Cain Velasquez; the arrival of Jake Shields against Martin Kampmann; Paulo Thiago, Diego Sanchez, Tito Ortiz is on the card. This is a monster card. Be honest: you do feel the pressure, right? You can lose big, but you can win big here, too, can't you?

BS: Oh, yeah. I mean, I think everyone knows the pressure's on, man, and that's why I train so hard. The pressure makes me just train like crazy and I consider myself the hardest working man in the UFC. Shoot, man, a fight like this... The theme for this camp was just being relentless, and I've been working like crazy. I expect to win, and I expect to win in convincing fashion. And, you know, kicking off a card like that, this is my shot to make a big name for myself. It's just such a great opportunity, man. It's probably gonna go down as one of the biggest UFC's ever and I don't see why I can't have the "Knockout of the Night" or "Submission of the Night" on that card.

LT: Let me ask you: are you pleased with the way in which your prospect status has been developed? You look at guys like Jon Jones, they've been getting not easy fights, but the kind of fights that make them better fighters in their young stages. Same with Ryan Bader. Do you consider yourself to be getting the kind of fights that are preparing you for a career at the highest level? When I say "highest," I mean consistently fighting top challengers as a champion.

BS: Man, that is a great question. You know what, the first two guys, it's kind of a double-edged sword. If you count my fight on "The Ultimate Fighter" with Roy Nelson, some people count that as my first UFC fight. Roy's a tough, tough guy, and you know, I lost that one and I learned a little bit. That was the longest fight I've had and so I got a little bit of experience in that. And then these last two, man, I haven't learned much. I've spent under two minutes total in those fights, and you walk away from them and I'm just so unsatisfied, man. I don't go in there expecting to finish those guys really quick - it's just happened. Right now, they got me on that Carwin track. You know, he beat two guys, knocked them out really quick, and then he got Gabe Gonzaga. So, am I ready for it? No doubt. I can compete with, I think, anyone in the top five in the world. As far as growing and becoming a better fighter, man, everyone has their plan. I can definitely beat Gabe. If I fight to my highest ability and he fights to his highest, I beat him every time. So, that's the plan. You know, the 205 division, for example with Jon Jones, there's enough guys to build him up. They have tons of guys at certain levels. At heavyweight, man, who are they gonna give me? Another fat guy? I'm sick of fighting these fat wrestlers, man. I gotta be honest with you. I'm ready for a challenge and I think this is the right step. I'm sure as heck not gonna argue with it or put up a fight. It's such a great opportunity. So, I see what you're saying, man, but at the heavyweight division it's kinda sink-or-swim.

LT: It's not a knock on your record. Your record is pretty great, okay? All your wins by way of first-round TKO, which obviously means you've got a lot of talent. Does it ever concern you - because you just kind of mentioned it - you kind of blew trough these last two guys because you're good, but you wanna see how you stack up against a guy who can push you. Are you worried at all about the fact that you haven't had a fight go to the second round in your pro career?

BS: Not in the least bit, man. I'm excited to show it. I hope Gabe and I just get after it, man. I'd love to show my cardio. People talk about Cain Velasquez' cardio all the time, and other guys in the heavyweight division - I think it's my biggest asset. I think Cain has great cardio, but I think my cardio is a little different because I'm explosive in the second and third rounds. You guys haven't seen it, and what better time to show it than on this giant UFC card coming up October 23rd?

LT: Now, you're facing a guy that one of your teammates has already fought. You're facing Gabe Gonzaga and your teammate Shane Carwin fought him and beat him. Obviously, Shane can tell you what it's like to lock up with him, maybe how he balances, how he twists and turns a little bit, but really, Shane iced him within four minutes in the first round, so he doesn't have a lot of experience either, right?

BS: Mmhmm.

LT: So how do you get help from a guy who won so dominantly?

BS: Man, he really can't say much. You know, Shane went in there and was so pumped up and excited, came straight at Gonzaga and he ate a couple right hands, ended up getting a little wobbled and taken down, which shows you what kind of fighter Gonzaga is. It's pretty tough to take Carwin down. And then Carwin got up and ended the fight pretty quick with a right hand. I don't take much from it, man. You know, Shane and I are completely different fighters. His game and my game aren't even close. He's my best friend and a great training partner, but when it comes to our fighting style, especially for this fight, there's not much. Shane always tells me, "Man, you can beat anyone in the world." That's what he always tells me when I tell him about match-ups. So, as far as getting hints and advice for this fight, he doesn't say much to me, man, ‘cause like you said, it was a quick fight and he just ended it in the first round.

LT: Alright, so how do you beat Gabe Gonzaga? Here is a guy who has a record that is inconsistent, which is always so dangerous, because when he performs up to his level, boy, he is quite a talent. And when he doesn't, he kinda folds. How do you put him on the bad end of his inconsistency?

BS: Like you said, he folds, man. You make it a fight, the guy folds, and I was born with a fighter's heart. There's no quit in me. You're gonna have to knock me out or choke me unconscious. I'm gonna make it a fight, man. I'm gonna get in his face and I'm just gonna go in there and scrap, man. I'm excited to show my abilities, ‘cause I don't think it's gonna be a quick one. I never do, and if it is, great, but I'm hoping to put on a show. With Gonzaga, like I said, I think if I bring my A-game and he brings his A-game, my A-game beats him every time, so that's the plan.

LT: Can you give us a prediction for the main event? Brock Lesnar, UFC heavyweight champion, taking on quite a challenge in Cain Velasquez - who do you like there?

BS: Oh, man!

LT: You gotta pick somebody. You can't waffle.

BS: No, I'm with you, man. I won't leave you hanging. You know, I hope Brock goes undefeated until Carwin or I get a shot at him. You know, since he beat Shane, you don't wanna see him lose until one of us get a hold of him. However, I think Cain will beat him in either a late TKO in the third or fourth round, or he's gonna beat him in a decision. He's just gonna outpoint him.

LT: Let me ask you: what did Shane say about Brock after the fight? Was there anything noteworthy? Obviously, he's a tough guy. Shane Carwin brought the thunder that first round, but credit to Brock, my god, that guy hung around. Did Shane have any impression of Brock after the fight that maybe caught your attention in what he said?

BS: You know what, the one thing I took away from that fight, ‘cause, you know, I can't stand their camp and what they stand for, man. You know, with Tuchscherer, [Jon] Madsen, him, their whole camp - not a fan. And, you know, there's a genuine hatred towards them, from me towards them before my fight and before Shane's fight. And after the fight, you know, speaking to their coaches, shaking their coaches' hands, and Brock came up to Shane and was just like, "Man, you're a hell of a fighter and you really put it on me. I got nothing but respect for you." And Shane said he was a good guy after the fight, so it kind of changed my perspective on Brock Lesnar. Although, you gotta have a bad guy. Everyone hates the bad guy and he kinda plays that role, but at the end of the day, man, you know, he's just another fighter like the rest of us. So, I kinda gained a little more respect for him after that.

LT: I'm just curious - your source of discontent with their camp, is it just because they're all individualistic? What is it?

BS: Uh...

LT: Is it a personal thing?

BS: Uh, maybe a little. You know, I just... You know, what do they do, man? It's all meatheads, right? So, you got all stud wrestlers. You know what they are is a modern-day Hammer House. You know what I'm saying? Like, they get together, it's all these big dinosaurs pushing and wrestling each other around, and heaven forbid they should bring in a striker or bring in a guy to teach them to evolve their game. You know, they're really not evolving. You can say Brock's evolved with his jiu-jitsu because he submitted Carwin with a head-and-arm choke. It's not like he armbarred the guy or did an ankle lock or something. They're just not evolving, man, and I think the sport of mixed martial arts is more like guys like Georges St-Pierre, guys like Nate Marquardt or myself, who are well-rounded, they can do everything. When I'm in camp, I'm constantly training, trying to improve my game and get better at all aspects. Can't say the same for those guys. You know, they go in there and they wrestle. And, you know, he's doing well with it, but I think the sport needs to continue to grow, and I don't think they help the sport grow.

LT: Brendan, if folks wanna hear more from you, how can they follow you on Twitter?

BS: It's just "@BrendanSchaub."

LT: Alright, Brendan Schaub takes on Gabe Gonzaga in a massive fight on the biggest card of the fall, UFC 121, October 23 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, live on pay-per-view. Best of luck to you, Brendan Schaub. Thanks for being on MMA Nation. I appreciate it.

BS: Thanks for having me on, man. I appreciate it, Luke.

LT: Take care, buddy.

BS: Take care.

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2010 MMA Awards, what say you, lets vote.

2010 MMA Awards, what say you, lets vote.

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Following a two-month-long nomination stage, finalists for the Fighters Only 2010 World MMA Awards were today officially revealed.

In the third edition of the annual awards, the UFC again dominated many of the 20 categories while the coveted "Charles 'Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year" category has been narrowed down to finalists Anderson Silva, Brock Lesnar, Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

MMAjunkie.com is represented in two categories. The company is a finalist for the "Best Media Coverage" award, and lead staff reporter and MMAjunkie.com Radio co-host John Morgan is a nominee for "Best MMA Journalist."

All winners are determined by a fan vote, and ballots can be cast through Nov. 26 at www.worldmmaawards.com.

The World MMA Awards, operated by Fighters Only magazine, were created in 2008 to recognize and celebrate the achievements of people who make MMA such a great sport. This year's awards culminate with a black-tie, red-carpet ceremony that takes place Dec. 1 at The Pearl at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Broadcast plans are expected to be announced shortly.

"The anticipation for the 2010 awards has been a little overwhelming," Fighters Only CEO Rob Hewitt stated. "I couldn't be more thrilled by the potential of this year's event. Last year's ceremony opened many people’s eyes. Seeing is believing, so more and more people want to get behind the awards.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who's supported us in making the World MMA Awards a landmark occasion in the industry's calendar and appeal to the fans to let their voices be heard."

MMAjunkie.com looks to repeat in the "Media Source of the Year" after earning the title in both the 2009 and 2008 editions of the World MMA Awards. Morgan, meanwhile, also looks to win back-to-back honor after earning the title of "MMA Journalist of the Year" in 2009, the first year the award was up for grabs.

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