Sh*t Fighters Say

Ive done commentary for something like 500 fights in my career with Bellator, Affliction, Strikeforce, and M1. That means about a thousand fighter interviews in well-over a dozen countries. I thought I'd share some universal responses that Sean and I CONSTANTLY hear to certain question we routinely ask:

Sean: "What separates you from other fighters?"

Fighter: "My heart"

Sean always asks this question and 9 out of 10 times, that is the response he gets. I understand why most people say this, you wouldn't be a fighter in the first place if you didn't have heart. Getting hit in the face for money is not an easy job and most people will do whatever it take to avoid it. Fighters have to have heart to get in there at all. The problem is that he asks what "separates" you from other fighters. While some fighters have had their heart routinely questioned (BJ Penn, Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz etc.) none of them would say in an interview that they dont have it. Its something like a sprinter in an interview saying his love of running sets him apart from the other runners.

Sean: "What gives you an advantage over your opponent in this fight?"

Fighter: "I've been training really hard."

This is another standard response and it falls into the same category as the last answer. I was training for a fight once in the striking area of my old gym with my conditioning coach. He was yelling his head off and I was going through plyo drills like a madman. It was 2 weeks out, so I was firing on all cylinders and people were outside the room gawking at me as I worked my butt off. After the session one of my teammates came up to me and commented on how hard I was working, I said "Yeah, good thing my opponent is at home eating Cheetos."The look on his face totally changed as he realized what I was saying. All fighters train hard, sure some (Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, Sean Sherk) are known for their insane workouts, but training hard is a pre-requisite for competing and I dont know if very many fighters know how hard of a workout their opponent is doing. Only if you know that, can you truly know if yours "gives you an advantage"

Me: "How long was your camp for this fight?"

Fighter: "I only had a week notice, but it doesn't matter because I'm always training."

This is the stock answer of the "late notice" fighter. A training cycle is roughly 6-8 weeks. Any shorter than that and you're cutting it close, any longer and injuries become an increased factor. Training for a fight is not the same as the training a fighter does on a daily basis, it is more intense and considerably more focused. An athlete simply cant maintain a "fight" training schedule full-time, their body would break down and their career would be severely shortened. All wrestling fans know about the legendary training regimen of Dan Gable, one of the greatest wrestlers in U.S. history. He pushed himself to the limit 7 days a week from high school to the 1972 Olympics, where he didn't concede a single point. What people forget is that Gable had a comparativly short career. He only competed in one Olympic games and has had countless surgeries to repair damage to his back, legs, and hips. The routine he imposed on himself took a horendous toll on his body. Training for a fight is a science unto itself . A fighter can win on short notice, but they are at a serious disadvantage. The understanding of that disadvantage can mean the difference between success and failure. A fighter cannot afford to confuse the daily training they do to maintain their skills with the intense training required for a fight.