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What did you do after your victory over John Hathaway at UFC Fight Night Macau?
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After the fight I met with Alan Cho and took a vacation. I went to Hawaii and I thought it would be warm all year long, but it was really cold (laughs). In a few day Alan got a cold and we had to walk around wearing long sleeve shirts. It was also a much longer flight that we estimated. It took like 9 hours to get back home to Busan. I felt like I had a competition instead of a vacation. |
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I was sure Johnny Hendricks lost the fight after it was over. I think I concentrated too much on damage and who landed the bigger punches. Hendricks’s facial expressions looked really alarmed and he was getting hit with the punches with the biggest impact. I felt like the flow of the fight was for the majority in Robbie Lawler’s favor so I thought Lawler had won right after the fight ended. But overall it was a really close fight and I could see why Hendricks won. I also believe Lawler will be champion one day. I was more concentrating on the Lombard vs Shields and Condit vs Woodley fight. Personally, I was a bit disappointed by the way Condit lost the fight. I was also shocked at how good his chin was. It made me realize beating him with strikes would have been very hard. |
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I personally wanted Shields to win. The perfect scenario was that Shields wins and I fight him because he’s an easy fight for me. But as expected he got dominated by Hector Lombard. He’s tough but he lost clearly. I am already mentally preparing for Hector Lombard. I know I can beat Hector Lombard. |
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Yes, I want to fight either Hector Lombard or Rory MacDonald. I feel Tyrone Woodley is a little above me right now in the welterweight picture. It would be an honor for me to face both those opponents. There are so many contenders in the WW division; Ellenberger, Saffiedine, Erick Silva, Matt Brown, that Kelvin Gastelum kid (not sure of his name), Rick Story… once you go down the WW ladder it’s so hard to climb back up (sighs). |
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I can’t ask the UFC to give me a certain fighter, that’s not the way the UFC works. They pick the fighter I have to face and I basically have to face them. |
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I can’t do that, Joe Silva won’t listen even if I do say something. It’s more they naturally pick the opponents based on your previous performance and the way you fought in your last performance. |
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There is a UFC event in Asia around August that I will most likely be fighting on. I don’t want someone who I can beat easily or is a lower level than me. I don’t care if it’s an Asian event and they want me to have an advantageous matchup. I want to test myself and want an opponent that will get me a title shot. I want Lombard or Rory MacDonald. That will prove they respect me as a fighter. It won’t be easy, but I am confident I can beat both. |
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The thing is this sport isn't about rankings and you don’t get paid based on your rankings. It’s about how popular you are. I understand what Nick Diaz is doing and have nothing against him. The UFC is amazing because Dana White and Joe Silva know what kind of fights the fan wants. They don’t want a dominant fighter or just a grappler, they want a compelling storyline in their fights, wars of attrition, and unexpected comebacks. I feel they make matchups that will make that scenario happen. I am now willing to make that happen. The fans have to understand they are a step ahead of the curve. |
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It does force you to make some changes, but it’s not really that complicated for me. I am used to fighting southpaws in camp and it doesn't really make a drastic change in my rhythm or fight strategy. |
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My hand hasn't fully recovered, maybe it’s because of my age. My elbow is fine now, but my hand is bothering me. It’s not broken, but it’s hard for me to grip properly. I am taking some medicine for it and after 2 or 3 weeks I will back to training. In general, my hands and fingers aren't in great shape because of MMA and from my Judo days. Overall, I am always just training. I even went to the UFC Hawaii Gym while on vacation. |
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The facilities are amazing. It was really so big. The gym was like a combination of a huge fitness gym and an MMA gym. |
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What? Who’s been spreading false rumors again (laughs). |
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If you get hit by this left hand, you will get knocked out. |
REFERENCE- http://mfight.co.kr/news/view.php?bc...d=&key=&page=0