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Josh Koscheck doesn’t like losing.

After back-to-back wins over Dustin Hazelett and Chris Lytle , Koscheck came off the bench to replace an injured Diego Sanchez on just two weeks notice to battle rising star Thiago Alves at UFC 90 back on October 25.

He didn’t win.

Now — less than six weeks removed from the loss — the former collegiate national champion wrestler is slated to headline UFC Fight Night 16: “Fight for the Troops” against the very dangerous Japanese fighter, Yoshiyuki Yoshida.

That’s a tough fight for anyone in the welterweight division … much less someone coming off a loss to the bruising Brazilian.

Koscheck knows what is at stake — he put himself in this position. And now he feels as if his back is up against the wall. He needs to win or risk dropping farther back in the pack in the very competitive 170-pound title contender chase.

We recently caught up with the former contestant on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) to get his thoughts on the Alves fight, how he plans to topple “Zenko” later tonight, who he feels is the next 155-pound champion, contract issues and much, much more.

Let’s get to it:

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Since dropping to welterweight following his first-ever loss in the UFC to Yushin Okami (22-4), Mike “Quick” Swick (12-2) has been looking for that breakthrough performance.

He didn’t get it in his majority decision win over Josh Burkman (18-8) at UFC Fight Night 12. He looked significantly better, but not great, four and a half months later when he outpointed the surging Marcus Davis (15-4) at UFC 85 to earn the unanimous decision.

Accordingly, Swick plans to make an even bigger statement tonight against Jonathan “The Road Warrior” Goulet (22-9) at UFC Fight Night 16: “Fight for the Troops.”

The fundraiser for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund takes place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, N.C., airing free on Spike TV starting at 9 p.m. ET. Swick vs. Goulet is the co-headliner behind fellow welterweights Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida.

We caught up with Swick just after weigh-ins to see what he has in store for us (and Goulet) tonight, find out what it feels like to fight in front of thousands of screaming U.S. soldiers and much more.

Here’s how it went:

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You’re coming off an exciting win over Marcus Davis that snapped his 11-fight win streak. How important was that win for you, especially when compared with your performance in the Josh Burkman fight?

Mike Swick: Ah … it was definitely important. I trained really hard, and I knew he was a tough opponent, so it was definitely important.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Was it important for you to not only win but also perform well in the Davis fight, as compared to the Burkman fight, where some of your critics came out and said that your loss to Yushin Okami might have temporarily zapped your fighting spirit?

Mike Swick: It was definitely important to prove that the Burkman fight was a one-time deal. And I’m still going to prove that with this fight. I thought the Davis fight was a good fight, but it still wasn’t a finish, and it wasn’t as exciting as some of my other fights. I’m still in that proving stage.

I don’t feel I have to do anything above and beyond what I normally do. I put everything into every fight. I fight every fight as hard as I can, or I try to. The game plan is to fight as hard as I can and to perform at my best. And if that didn’t happen one time, it’s just unfortunate, and it sucks, and I deeply regret it.

But every fight from here on out is no different than every fight I’ve had before that where the priority is to perform at my best. I think if I just do what I do, it’ll come full circle, and people will see that I didn’t change as a fighter, I just had a bad night.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Did you expect Davis to attempt so many takedowns given his boxing pedigree?

Mike Swick: No, as much as he said he was going to stand with me the whole time, I was really surprised the first two rounds that he tried as many takedowns as he did. It really caught me off guard — maybe that was his game plan.

But I countered the ones I could and just worked on beating him up on the ground. I wanted to be dominant anywhere the fight went, so that was my focus.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I know you had surgery on your elbow after that fight. How much of a factor was your elbow injury in the Davis and Burkman fights? How far back does that injury go?

Mike Swick: My arm’s been injured for over a year, so the confidence and the stability haven’t been there for a while. I don’t use it as an excuse, it’s just really nice to have my arm back and to be healthy and to be able to use it. I’m excited to throw it a lot more in this fight than I have in the past year.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Let’s talk about your opponent for tomorrow, Jonathan Goulet. You two were supposed to fight a year ago, but the elbow injury prevented it from happening. There was some online smack talk going back and forth. Does that make the anticipation for this fight any sweeter?

Mike Swick: I’m definitely looking forward to the fight, regardless of the smack talk. But it didn’t go back and forth — it was just him. He just made a comment basically saying that he could beat me and trying to get the fight. He wanted to get back in the UFC and get an opportunity. That was the extent of it. I never answered back or anything like that.

Even leading up to this fight, every interview I’ve done I’ve said that anytime I’ve described Goulet I’ve said that he’s an exciting, well-rounded, scrappy opponent who’s very tough. All his interviews are like he can beat me at this, and he can beat me at that, and he’s faster than me, and he’s stronger than me. It’s unfortunate that he has to go that route.

I don’t know if his confidence level is low or if he really feels that he’s better at everything. I don’t know why he’s saying that and not giving respect, but the bottom line is we’re going to be fighting Wednesday night, so we’ll see who the better fighter is.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Give me a best case scenario for this fight — not in terms of outcome, but in terms of pace. Do you see this as a stand-up battle, do you think we’ll see a little of everything?

Mike Swick: As a best case, I want to go out there and keep it a stand-up fight and end it in the first round by knockout. I don’t mean like 20 seconds, but I would like to go three or four minutes.

I’d like to get in there and move around and fight. I definitely want to fight. I don’t want to throw one punch and get a knockout. I want to get in there and scrap it up a little bit. I think he’s a scrappy opponent, it could be fun. I want to see the true better striker come out ahead.

If it goes to the ground or turns into wrestling or clinch steps, then I’ll deal with that when it comes. But I don’t want that, because I don’t want the pace of the fight to slow down.

Anytime a fighter clinches, the pace is automatically going to slow down. I can do things, but I can’t end the fight at any given second from the clinch unless I get a knee right to the head. You gotta fight out of the clinch, you gotta get position.

So just for the sake at keeping the fight at a good pace, being able to win it at a moment’s notice, I don’t want to clench, and I don’t want it to go to the ground. I want to keep it on the feet.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): From a conditioning standpoint, is Goulet going to be able to keep pace with you?

Mike Swick: I honestly don’t think he can keep pace with me for this fight. My shape has never been as good as it is right now. I feel like I can go five rounds solid. And I felt solid in the Davis fight, I felt like I could go another round at a good pace. And I wasn’t in as good of shape then as I am now.

I really am in the best shape. Confidence is definitely not an issue. I’m extremely confident, so that’s good going in, because right from the start I’m going to push that fast pace. And if I have to, I’ll be willing to keep it for the whole 15 minutes if that’s what it takes.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Tomorrow’s event, dubbed “Fight for the Troops,” is a benefit for the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. What’s it mean to you to be fighting for such a worthy cause?

Mike Swick: Ah … it’s great to be fighting for this cause. I’m a huge supporter of the military. I love going to the military bases and doing seminars and training with them. We actually came to Fort Bragg a year ago and trained with the troops here, put on a seminar and did some Special Forces stuff. So it’s cool to come back to the base that we were previously at.

Especially for such a great cause, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. This is a fundraiser that really makes a difference in soldiers’ lives and it’s great to know that we’re fighting to benefit that and to raise money for that.

And lastly, when you walk out, and you hear the crowd and the applause and screams, it’s really cool knowing that everyone you hear is a soldier. They’re all these people who are giving their lives and sacrificing their time, lives and livelihood overseas fighting in these wars for our freedom. It’s humbling and motivating to know that that’s who is cheering you on as you fight live.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): The whole UFC vs. AKA thing has gotten played up in the press as of late. What’s the mood like at AKA? Are there any sentiments, right or wrong, that maybe the UFC is trying to drive a wedge between the fighters and the camp?

Mike Swick: Not at all. We get along better than ever. I mean, everybody was in agreement, so …

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Gotcha — that’s good to hear. Well, Mike, thanks again for the interview. I wanted to give you a chance to plug any sponsors or if you have any parting words for your fans on what they can expect to see tomorrow night?

Mike Swick: I want to thank all the fans and all the troops. It’s going to be a great card, and I think it’s going to be my best performance. I want to thank everyone for their support.

Please check out my Web page at MikeSwick.com. I got my new blog and YouTube page linked up there, and I’m trying to post as much as I can behind the scenes, leading up to the fight, during fight week and post-fight.

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If all goes according to plan, Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (15-5) might have a new nickname in store come January. How’s “The Emperor Slayer” sound? Now riding a five-fight win streak and set to challenge for the WAMMA title, Arlovski’s career is on the up and up to say the least.

It’s worth noting that Arlovski, once considered fairly unbeatable himself during his reign atop the UFC’s heavyweight division, hasn’t lost to a fighter who wasn’t named “Tim Sylvia” since March 2002. That’s six-and-a-half years and 11 wins over some of the best heavyweights in mixed martial arts, including Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1), Tim Sylvia (24-5) (the first time) Paul Buentello (26-10) and Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3).

Arlovski recently added two more KO’s to his fighter resume, battering “Big” Ben Rothwell (29-6) in the third round at Affliction: “Banned” in July and knocking out Roy “Big Country” Nelson (13-3) in the second round under the EliteXC banner on October 4. The first fight snapped Rothwell’s 13-fight win streak, while the second fight makes Arlovski the only man to ever finish Nelson in his 16-fight career.

He’s now set to face off against the man many claim is unbeatable, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (28-1). The two Sambo Masters of Sport will go head to head at Affliction: “Day of Reckoning” on Saturday, January 24, 2009, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

The superfight is also expected to feature such stars as Josh Barnett, Vitor Belfort, Matt Lindland, Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Chris Horodecki, Dan Lauzon, Vladimir Matyushenko and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, as well as Ozzy “The Prince of F-n’ Darkness” Osbourne, who will be on hand as the musical guest.

We recently caught up with Arlovski to discuss his upcoming fight with Fedor, how his infamously prolonged UFC contract dispute affected him and if there’s any cultural rivalry between him (a Belorussian) and Fedor (a Russian).

NOTE: If you haven’t already, you might want to check out Arlovski’s Web site, www.arlovski.com. The site is, at least from this writer’s perspective, unlike anything else in the MMA community. More than just a fighter’s personal blog, it’s a full-fledged social networking site that’s translated into 25 different languages and currently sees more traffic than both Randy “The Natural” Couture and Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell’s Web sites. They frequently sponsor a variety of contests and recently flew a contest winner from North Carolina out to Chicago to spend a day with “The Pitbull.” Not too shabby. Not too shabby indeed.

Let’s get after it.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): After eight years and 14 fights, what are your feelings on leaving the UFC?

Andrei Arlovski: I was kind of sad when I left the UFC (implying that eight years is a long time), but I then had the opportunity with Affliction, so, so far I am good. Affliction has the best, I would say, 10 best heavyweights. And right now I have the opportunity to fight Fedor on January 24, so all is good.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Was one of the reasons that you had a contract dispute with the UFC their lack of competition in the heavyweight division?

Andrei Arlovski: That too and I have some other reasons.

[Note: To clarify, Arlovski was implying that there were multiple reasons for not being able to come to terms with the UFC. The fact that Affliction was, at the same time, drawing in a lot of top heavyweight talent made the decision to sign with Affliction an attractive option. I do not think that he was trying to imply that the UFC’s heavyweight roster was lacking.]

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): With the way the UFC handled your contract negotiation — with not letting you fight for a year, and then when you finally did, putting you on the undercard against Jake O’Brien, rather than featuring you against a top contender — did you feel that that was disrespectful?

Andrei Arlovski: I don’t think so. It was discussed before I fought at that UFC, and Dana White discussed what’s good for business. It was good for them, so I am (fine). Of course I was kind of disappointed to not fight for months — it was a hard time for me — but otherwise everything was good.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Dana White has said that losing you “hurt” the UFC. He obviously didn’t want you to leave, at least according to that statement. Do you ever think that a return to the UFC could be possible at some point down the road?

Andrei Arlovski: I have a great relationship with the UFC and Dana White and the Fertittas, and he told me, “When you are ready, you are welcome,” you know. Maybe one day, I don’t know. (When I left the UFC), everything changed according to this world that I know, and after all the fights … I (still) have a great relationship with the UFC.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You’ve had two recent fights now outside the UFC, both of them ending in KOs. Are you getting more comfortable outside of the Octagon?

Andrei Arlovski: There’s not really a big difference if I am fighting inside the Octagon or in a ring, because I do all my sparring in a ring, so I’m really comfortable. Some complain about fighting in a cage or in a ring, but there’s not really a difference for me, because I do a lot of sparring for my boxing, and all the time I’m sparring in the ring, so I’m pretty comfortable.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What’s it like working with Freddie Roach?

Andrei Arlovski: Great. Yes, I see him about three or four times per year. I will spend a few weeks with Freddie Roach (at the Wildcard Boxing Club) in L.A. But I am still training MMA with another great boxing trainer, Mike Garcia in Chicago. They’re both great. They have different (lessons) for me. So the time that I spend training with (Freddie) I learn something, and every single time when I step in the ring and I look out at Mike in Chicago, he teaches me something new.

I think I’m pretty lucky because I have the best trainers in my camp: Dino Costeas, jiu-jitsu, he’s been with me from day one, almost eight years; my wrestling coaches, Sean Bormet and John Kading — Sean Bormet was a wrestling coach for the last Olympic games — Freddie Roach and Mike Garcia. Great trainers.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): It was reported that you were interested in competing in boxing as well as MMA. Has there been any movement there?

Andrei Arlovski: Right now I am focused on the fight on January 24, so we’ll see after that.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You most recently defeated Roy Nelson via KO. How pleased were you with your performance overall?

Andrei Arlovski: First of all, I don’t like taking fights on short notice — it was short notice, two weeks before the fight. But as far as my game plan, one of my trainers told me, “You have to move a lot in the first round.” But actually I didn’t move a lot in the first round. In the second round, I had to use more of my boxing, my wrestling, my jiu-jitsu.

But actually, I wasn’t happy about the fight, I wasn’t happy with my performance, but I got the victory and I knocked him out. I am happy about that. But after the fight, I watched my fight many, many times, and I understood that I have a lot of work, everywhere, but especially wrestling and jiu-jitsu.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You’re now set to face Fedor Emelianenko — widely considered the best heavyweight on the planet. How do you feel about that?

Andrei Arlovski: Well, I’m very happy that they call him the best fighter on the planet, so it’s good for me. Everybody is, “Oh, Fedor, Fedor.” And it’s okay, it’s fine with me. He deserves it. He’s a great fighter who has fought many, many great fighters.

Yeah, it’s great. I think it’s a great opportunity for me. And we’ll find out on January 24 who’s better, the Belarusian or the Russian.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Is there any cultural rivalry that exists since between the two of you, just because he’s Russian, and you’re Belarusian?

Andrei Arlovski: If you do want to be the best fighter, you have to fight the best fighter. We’ll see January 24 who will be the best fighter. It’s a great opportunity for me. I’ve waited for this fight for a long time, so finally I got it.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): He is tremendous on the ground and has extremely dangerous submissions, armbars, etc. Would you prefer to keep this fight standing as long as possible to avoid a submission?

Andrei Arlovski: Yeah, but ground game is not everything. You have to at least (be) a good striker and kickboxer or Muay Thai striker. We’ll see, we’ll see. Of course I have a game plan. I have a lot of input from all my trainers. We’ll see. I spend a lot of time on wrestling and jiu-jitsu. Yeah, I’ll be ready for him.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Since leaving the UFC, you’ve fought twice in three months. Going forward, how many times per year would you like to fight?

Andrei Arlovski: At least three or four. You know, every fighter likes about a month between. Yeah, three or four times I think is very good for me.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Andrei, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us and I know that you have a ton of fans who frequent MMAmania.com. Lastly, would you like to thank any sponsors or do you have any parting words for your fans?

Andrei Arlovski: Thanks to MMAmania.com for the interview, and thanks to all my fans for the support. You should check out my Web site, www.arlovski.com.

Special thanks to Keith Gelman, Andrei Arlovski’s marketing agent, for helping to set up this interview.

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Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Bobby Southworth knows a thing or two about playing the villain.

This Friday night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, the 38-year-old product of American Kickboxing Academy will once again fill that role as he defends his light heavyweight strap against the uber-talented fan favorite Renato “Babalu” Sobral live in the main event of Strikeforce “Destruction” airing live at 10pm ET on HDNet.

Southworth first rose to popularity as one of the founding fathers on season one of the UFC’s hit reality show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) — and almost prevented history as we know it from taking place after battling fellow contestant Stephan Bonnar to a close split-decision in episode seven.

Bonnar would go on to compete in the finals where he and Forrest Griffin, well, you know the rest.

During his stint on TUF 1, Southworth gave the fans someone they could jeer for with an array of weekly shenanigans that included pranks, weight-cutting issues and the infamous “Fatherless Bastard” outburst toward Chris Leben.

Following the show, Southworth would make his final UFC appearance against Sam Hoger in the Ultimate Fighter Finale in April of 2005. Though he came up short in the decision, Southworth didn’t waste any time feeling sorry for himself and would reappear just two months later at Strikeforce “Revenge”.

After a faulty cage handed him a No Contest against James “The Sandman” Irvin at that event, Southworth plowed forward, going 3-1 in his next four Strikeforce bouts including his victory over Vernon “Tiger” White to claim the vacant light heavyweight title.

Bobby Southworth might have left, but he was never really gone.

During his almost 10-year career, he’s seen enough and been through enough to know what it takes to pull off an upset against a talented veteran like Sobral. It will be interesting to see if he can make this a competitive fight or if Babalu is going to “run through him” like he claims he will.

Despite some of the negative images of his past, Southworth is actually one of the nicest guys I’ve had the opportunity to talk with. His passion about the sport of mixed martial arts is undeniable and he knows the opportunity in front of him this Friday night is perhaps the biggest of his career.

We recently caught up with the champ to find out his thoughts on the Babalu fight, his recurring injury plus a whole lot more.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): How did your camp go for this fight training over at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose?

Bobby Southworth: Good, you know, it was a really good camp. A lot of good training partners, so I’m ready to go.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Who are some of the guys you’ve been working with?

Bobby Southworth: We have a wide variety of styles and stuff. I got a little work in with Trevor Prangley. A little work with Cain Velasquez, Christian Wellisch, Kyle Kingsbury, Jon Jones, Nate James, you know, we got a big stable of fighters there and a lot of different looks that you can get anytime you’re in our gym, so we got a lot of good guys in there.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): When you’re preparing for a guy like Babalu, who’s a stud on the ground, do you train a ton of jiu-jitsu or do you work on your takedown defense and striking?

Bobby Southworth: Well, I’m a little bit of a jiu-jitsu guy myself. I’m always training jiu-jitsu. I’m always on the mat either teaching or training when I’m not in the gym with the fight team. I trained a little bit more on the ground than usual, but we concentrate a lot on all the aspects of the fight in our gym. We’re always working on striking, wrestling, jiu jitsu and submissions, so I feel like I’m prepared.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): The fight was originally scheduled to go down in September at the Playboy Mansion, but you were both pulled out with injuries. Can you tell us a little bit about your injury?

Bobby Southworth: Yeah, I have this recurring problem with my ACL, and I have some other problems in there. I didn’t really have time to get surgery and go in and get it corrected, so I just worked on rehabbing the leg and strengthening the muscle for stabilization, strength and explosion. And you know, we’ve had very good results, and I’m happy.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): What’s the ACL problem? Is there a tear?

Bobby Southworth: My ACL is thinning out as I get older so if I tweak it a certain way a little bit of it frays off. So, it’s not that it’s torn, it’s just that little bits of it keeping pinging away kind of like a piano wire or like a rope.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): What have you heard about his injury?

Bobby Southworth: I just heard he had a minor meniscus tear. He got it repaired and was back training like seven days later, so it must not have been too bad.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): In the past you’ve had success using a lot of takedowns and control. Do you think a similar strategy can work against a guy like Babalu?

Bobby Southworth: You know, we’ll find out in the fight. I’m not gonna give away my strategy or anything like that, but like I said we’re prepared for all the aspects of anywhere the fight might go. If I can control Babalu on the ground that’ll be great. If not, then I’m prepared to keep the fight on the feet and strike with him. You can do all the preparation you want for fights, but once the cage door closes and the fight starts, a lot of game plans go out the window because fighters adapt, in their training and they adapt minute to minute in the cage as well. My goal is to, you know, I’m in great shape. I hired a strength and conditioning coach. So, I’m in shape. I’m ready to go five hard rounds, so wherever the fight goes I’ll be ready.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): What are some of the advantages you think you have over Babalu in this fight?

Bobby Southworth: I think most of the advantages go to Babalu. He’s the more experienced fighter. He’s faced better competition. He trains in a gym with twenty black belts in jiu jitsu. You know, I think my striking is a little more precise and a little more accurate than his. I do have those six plus championship fights under my belt. Going deeper into the fight I think that favors me a little bit more. Like I said, I don’t like to make predictions or run my mouth about the fight or my opponent. I just like to go in there and let the chips fall where they may.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): You mentioned a little bit of his credentials. Even as the champ, you’re more than likely going to be the under dog in this fight. How do you feel about that role?

Bobby Southworth: I don’t really think about those things. I think about being prepared and going in and performing. All the hoopla and getting interviews and taking pictures and what the betting line is … those are the things that don’t really concern me. You know, on any given night anybody can beat anybody. I don’t worry about what a fight looks like on paper. I worry about how the fight is going when I’m actually in there throwing leather.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Being that this fight is right in your backyard, it’s for your world title, it’s the main event of a HDNet televised Strikeforce event, it has to be the biggest fight of your career. What is going through your head so close to fight night?

Bobby Southworth: I mean, you pretty much run the whole gantlet of emotions, nervousness, being excited, you know. But I just try to listen to music, watch movies, you know, quiet my mind because the worst part of the fight is the week leading up to the fight. You have a lot of down time, you’re training a little less, your schedule’s a little less hectic. That’s the time I think your mind works against you, so I just try to stay busy doing other things and keep my brain distracted and just wait for fight time.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): I’d imagine having a whole arena full of people and basically and entire city behind you is going to give you a little extra adrenaline on fight night.

Bobby Southworth: I hope it does. I definitely want to perform well for my hometown fans and all the people who are coming over from Santa Cruz to watch the fight. Santa Cruz is actually my hometown. I just live and fight out of San Jose. I want to perform well for them. I’m sure the crowd will be giving me a lot of energy. Hopefully I’ll be able to channel some of that into getting a victory.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): This will be your sixth fight with Strikeforce. What’s your current contract status with them? Do you have more fights or is it a situation where you have to continue to defend your title?

Bobby Southworth: Well my contract was originally a four fight deal, and like you said I’m six fights in. I never actually saw that contract on paper, so I’m not sure. Obviously beating Babalu give a fighter some options in his career, but I’m not thinking about what happens after the fight. I’m thinking about the fight. It’s important for me to retain my title. As long as I have this belt I’m alive in the MMA game, and I have some bargaining power. So that’s my main goal, is get in there, get this victory, and then worry about everything else after the fight.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): I’ve heard rumors of potential network television deals with both NBC and CBS for Strikeforce. Have you heard anything about that? And what are you thoughts about potentially fighting on live network television one day?

Bobby Southworth: I have not heard anything about that. I mean getting mainstream, primetime, major network exposure is huge for any fighter. And that would be an awesome opportunity for me, you know, and any other fighter fighting in Strikeforce. I’m happy fighting for Strikeforce. I think it’s a great organization. With 16 shows in or however many shows they have in without canceling a date or consistently getting attendance in the double digits, consistently in the tens of thousands, I think that’s a great thing. I think they’re a major player in the game with a good business model that will be around for a while to come. Hopefully my relationship with them continues to be a positive one. I have no complaints at this point. The more exposure, the more television time that I can get while I’m with Strikeforce, I think that just benefits me as a whole, so that would be great.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): As the champion, you’re representing the entire Strikeforce 205-pound division. How do you feel you match up against some of the other light heavyweight champs out there like your former cast mate Forrest Griffin for instance?

Bobby Southworth: Well, you know, when I was on the show with Forrest I matched up very well with him. He’s improved as a fighter. He’s had a lot of big time experience and a lot of big time fights. I think I’m competitive with anybody in the 205-pound division. It’s just a matter of coming in having done your due diligence. If you have the right game plan, if you train properly and make sure you’re in shape, you know, anybody can beat anybody on any given night.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Are you still friends with any of the guys from the show?

Bobby Southworth: You know, we’re all real busy, but every so often there’s MySpaces or phone calls or we run into each other at an event and have a beer or something. But it’s not like, you know, a lot of us live in different parts of the country. It’s not like we’re all coming over to each other’s houses for Sunday dinner or anything like that.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): What are your thoughts on Chris Leben testing positive for steroids?

Bobby Southworth: I don’t know what to say about that. I think it’s unfortunate for Chris. I think he’s made huge strides as a fighter and as a person. When we did the reunion he seemed like he was in a real positive place in his life. I just think it’s unfortunate that that happened. You know, I’ve seen … it’s hard to say, you know, there’s a lot of these new emerging supplement companies. Sometimes you read articles or hear rumors that sometimes supplement companies are putting stuff in there to give people a boost. Kind of like trying to get them hooked and then go back and give them regular type supplements. I don’t know what Chris’ situation is. I haven’t heard any formal statements or anything that he made. Steroids in any sport are unfortunate, but I think history has shown that anytime there is opportunity for financial gain, people are going to do anything they can to get an edge to obtain that. I mean, it’s just human nature.
It’s unfortunate, but it’s what is. And I don’t think it’s going to change anytime in the near future.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Ok, you’ve been the champion now for almost two years. You’re 38 years old. What does the future hold for you? What are your goals in this sport?

Bobby Southworth: Day to day, week to week those goals, you know, those perceptions are always being assessed. I’m just a few weeks shy of being 39. I’m just trying to take it one fight at a time. I still feel like I’m improving as a fighter. I’m learning new techniques. I’m making strides in my strength and conditioning. It’s hard to say. I mean, obviously there’s only one Randy Couture. You know, I’m older than Chuck Liddell. I want to stay in this game as long as I can. I’ll have to assess it on a fight to fight basis after this fight and see how my body feels. See how my performance was. Obviously if I win this fight it’s a huge thing for me. Obviously if I lose the fight it’s a huge thing as well. I mean, we’ll just have to see what happens. I want to stay in this game as long as I can and fight the best competition that I can. I leave that up to my management and the matchmakers at Strikeforce. I’ll show up, and I’ll be ready to go for as long as I’m in the game.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): What else do you have going on in your life? Do you have any business ventures or anything else you’d like to talk about?

Bobby Southworth: Yeah, I recently opened a gym with two partners. I opened another American Kickboxing Academy. It’s American Kickboxing Academy Sunnyvale with my partners Javier Mendez and Alex Khanbanian. I’m running the jiu-jitsu and MMA. Alex is running the boxing, kickboxing and kids MMA program. He’s a former two time ISKA world champion. We’ve been open for about six months. We’ve got about a 180 students. We’re doing well considering the state of the economy and we’re happy. I haven’t been in there for a few weeks because I really wanted to concentrate on preparing for the fight. But as soon as the fight is over it’ll be right back in, it’ll be right back to business as usual teaching jiu-jitsu and MMA and hopefully helping the business to grow.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Is there anything you want to say to your fans or anybody you would like to thank in closing?

Bobby Southworth: I’d just like to thank some of my sponsors. I’d like to thank Cage Fighter MMA Authentic. I’d like to thank Sherdog.com, score clinic, my friend Jason at Elite … I can’t remember the name, but he’s my strength and conditioning coach. I call it Elite Performance. And I’d like to thank Shocker Nutrition for giving me all the supplements they’ve given me and that’s pretty much about it.

James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Cool man. We appreciate you taking the time to talk with us, it was great talking with you and we wish you good luck on Friday night.

Bobby Southworth: Thanks for having me. It was a pleasure.

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To the casual UFC fan, the name Demian Maia might not ring a bell. But the Brazilian middleweight sensation is doing his best to change that … and change it fast.

He’s won more worldwide jiu-jitsu tournaments than most people can pronounce, including the 2007 Abu Dhabi World Submission Grappling Championships, the Mundials World Jiu-Jitsu Championship (twice), the 2006 Pan American Championship, the … you know what, I lost count.

Suffice it to say, you don’t want to roll with this guy unless you want something hyper-extended.

Plus, the undefeated mixed martial artist is 9-0 overall, 3-0 in the UFC and is the only man to earn “Submission of the Night” honors three consecutive times. He also served as an instructor on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 8 for Team Mir.

The guy’s keeping busy.

He now sets his sights on his next opponent, Nate “The Rock” Quarry (10-2). The two square off tomorrow, November 15, at UFC 91: “Couture vs. Lesnar” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will be included on the main card and aired on pay-per-view, starting at 10 p.m. ET.

Quarry is a tough competitor who has battled back from spinal surgery that would have ended most athletes’ careers. He’s also won six of his last seven fights, with his lone loss coming from a mean straight left at the hands of then-middleweight champion Rich Franklin (we’ve all seen the highlight).

We recently caught up with Maia to see what he has in store for Quarry, ask him about all those “Submission of the Night” honors and to pick his brain about a potential matchup with current Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.

Here we go.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): In your fight with Ed Herman, two times you pulled off a technique that was just beautiful, and I think you did it again against Jason MacDonald. I’m referring to when Herman had you on your back and was attempting to pass your guard. Herman tried to push your knee to the mat, but gave up wrist control in the process. When he posted up, he lowered his right shoulder, and you brought up your leg and sunk in the triangle. It seemed like a beautiful bait and switch. Can you talk about that a bit, whether or not your strategy was to intentionally bait him in like that, or if it just fell right into place for you?

Demian Maia: Well it was intentional, but at the same time, when I fight jiu-jitsu I like to flow. Just flow. And I see what is happening, what the guy is doing. I don’t go in and say, “I will do that, or I will do this or that.” I wait and see what the guy will give to me.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Since entering the UFC, you’ve gone on a three-fight tear, with submission victories over Ryan Jensen, Ed Herman and most recently Jason MacDonald at UFC 87. With each fight, you’ve earned “Submission of the Night” honors, making you, I believe, the only man in UFC history to earn that honor three consecutive times. Were you aware of that, and if so, how does it feel to hold that honor?

Demian Maia: It’s a big honor for me to be at the biggest event in the world and get three times in a row the “Submission of the Night.” I’m really, really happy about that. I’m working my submissions a lot and that’s just my work when I go there. I try to do what I do best, and what I do best is submit people. So that’s what I try to keep doing, and let’s hope that I win again.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Despite the accolades, you still aren’t largely well-known amongst the average UFC fan. What do you think needs to happen to give you more exposure? Clearly, your skill set is not the issue.

Demian Maia: I think it’s normal. It takes time. My first and second fights were undercard fights, so they didn’t get much exposure. But they did show my first fight on TV after the main card. And I think my last fight against Jason MacDonald was my first fight on the main card. Secondly, it’s a question of time. If you keep doing well, winning or losing, if you fight well, and you are featured on the pay-per-view, people get to know you, and you grow in popularity.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): It’s been talked about that you, along with Rousimar Palhares, were brought into the UFC because your world-class jiu-jitsu would create problems for the Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, who hasn’t really shown a weakness anywhere except for possibly on the ground. You’re now 8-0 overall and 3-0 in the UFC. How many more wins do you think you’ll need before you’ll get a title shot?

Demian Maia: Actually I am 9-0, because my first fight —

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Oh, I’m sorry.

Demian Maia: No, no, I don’t know why they don’t put my first fight on Sherdog. It was in 2001, my first fight. Anyways, it depends on the UFC. To me it doesn’t really matter. With each fight for me, I learn more. So I know one day the title shot will come if I keep learning and doing well. So it’s good because I will fight this Saturday, where I will have another opportunity to learn more. And then probably fight again. So I don’t know when I’ll get a title shot, but it’s really up to them. They know better than me. I will just wait, and I will be prepared when they call.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): With Anderson Silva intent on retiring sometime in 2009, are you all the more anxious to get a shot at the title before that happens?

Demian Maia: I think he has a lot more time. Five fights, right? So I think I don’t really need to rush. If I keep doing well I will fight him for sure.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, you next fight Nate Quarry this Saturday at UFC 91. While Quarry’s no stranger to the Octagon, his ground skills are definitely limited when compared to your own. He’ll clearly want to keep this fight standing for as long as possible. Do you plan to stand long with him, or would you prefer the action to be on the ground?

Demian Maia: Of course I prefer on the ground, but I really don’t care. It’s a fight, I don’t have like a fight plan to go and just put him on the ground. I really, really don’t care. I go there and will start to fight and when I feel it’s good to go to the ground, then I go. But now I’m much more confident in my standup game, so I’m not going to be thinking, “I need to put this guy down, I need to put this guy down.” I just go, fight and see what’s going to happen. If it goes to the ground, even better.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): While he’s very well-respected and a strong striker, Quarry isn’t exactly the fastest striker in the game. What role do you see footwork playing in this fight?

Demian Maia: I think I am able to do that nowadays, because I am better. But if I can’t use my jiu-jitsu, of course I would prefer to, but if not, I am still able to fight where and when I need to.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you see Quarry as having any shot at postponing the inevitable takedown?

Demian Maia: No, of course he has. Everybody has. But I think a fight is a fight. I cannot say that I will put him down easy and I will submit him. No, no, no. he’s just as intent as me. He can do a good fight. It takes two. Like 50/50. That’s the fight game.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): In preparing for this fight, have you changed up anything in your training? Have you brought in any new coaches or training partners, or worked on striking more?

Demian Maia: Yeah, I think my last fight was much more professional, and this one I am not teaching anymore like I was before. I am not teaching jiu-jitsu too much, just a little bit. I am just training, sleep, eat, training, sleep, eat. Just these things all the time. I’m doing everything that I could do to stay in the best shape that I can.

My camp is still the same. I work with Andre Lopes on boxing, Rafael Alejarra on conditioning in the ring. He’s helped me out a lot with all the aspects of the fight.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Demian, I really appreciate the time you took to talk with us, and I wanted to give you an opportunity to plug any sponsors or if you have any parting words for your fans.

Demian Maia: I’m really happy now that the people in the United States and people in North America are starting to know me and appreciate my skills in jiu-jitsu, and they appreciate the ground fight. It’s very nice. I’m very happy that I can bring that inside the Octagon. So I love that. I love it when the people come and appreciate what I do there. Not just violence but also submissions. Not just a punch and knee to the face, but different things also. I like to win in a clean fight — no blood, nothing.

I like to say thanks to my managers and agents, like Paulo Vasconcellos and my management team at MMADHOUSE.com. They really help me out a lot.

And I want to say thanks to Eternal Unlimited, who sponsored me, and Warrior, who sponsored me for this fight also. And for everybody who supports me.

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Dustin “McLovin” Hazelett (11-4) has been steadily climbing the ranks in the UFC since his Octagon debut back in October 2006.

The newly awarded Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Jorge Gurgel has gone 4-2 for the promotion and looked impressive in his wins over Jonathan Goulet (22-9) and Josh Burkman (18-8), and even in his loss to Josh Koscheck (11-3), where the submission master showed significantly improved standup skills.

But it was his most recent win over Burkman that earned him the most attention. As the first man to actually finish Burkman since Jon Fitch did it way back at Ultimate Fight Night 4 in April 2006, Hazelett took home both the “Submission of the Night” and “Fight of the Night” honors, along with $40,000 in bonus bucks.

At just 22 years old, Hazelett is looking to make another splash this Saturday at UFC 91: “Couture vs. Lesnar,” where he’ll take on Tamdan “The Barn Cat” McCrory (9-1), who is also 22 years old.

And with the Amir Sadollah/Nick Catone fight being recently cancelled because of Sadollah’s leg infection, this bout has been declared the swing bout of the night, which means it should be aired along with the rest of the main card. The action kicks off from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV).

We recently caught up with “McLovin” to ask him about those bonuses, find out what surprises he has in store for “The Barn Cat,” and to see where he thinks he falls in the crowded UFC welterweight division.

Let’s do this.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You recently defeated Josh Burkman via armbar at the TUF 7 Finale in June in what turned out to be a really exciting fight. While Burkman’s been a little inconsistent in the win/loss column, he’s still fought a ton of really high caliber fighters and holds wins over Forrest Petz, Josh Neer and Drew Fickett. That had to feel good to get that win.

Dustin Hazelett: Oh, yeah, definitely. That was a huge win for me, especially not just beating him, but actually being able to submit him. Because he’s a tough guy, and he very rarely gets finished.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How did you feel about your performance, weighing the good and the bad — things that went as you expected vs. things that might not have gone as you thought that they would have?

Dustin Hazelett: Well, in the second round, I got kinda tired, and for some reason, I just stood there and let him punch me a lot. So that didn’t go as well as I would’ve liked.

But other than that, the fight went really well. I was a little disappointed in myself. When watching the tape, I see a lot of areas where I could have done so much better. But you know, that’s always the case. So I just plan to learn from that and hopefully not make the same mistakes again.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): That fight got you both the “Submission of the Night” and the “Fight of the Night” bonuses, didn’t it?

Dustin Hazelett: Yeah, that was nice.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): That had to have been not only financially a huge bonus, but also just for the honor of getting both of those, that had to be huge?

Dustin Hazelett: Oh yeah, that was real big for me. I had never gotten the “Fight of the Night” bonus before. So that was really good, especially any time you can get any one of the bonuses, let alone two of them together, that’s a big achievement there.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): With the injury to Amir Sadollah forcing him to pull out of his fight with Nick Catone, your next fight is now going to be on the televised portion of the UFC 91 card. Is that correct?

Dustin Hazelett: I am the swing bout now. So there’s a really good chance that it will get aired, but you know how those swing bouts go.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well that still has to be some great news for you, with the opportunity to get on the televised portion.

Dustin Hazelett: Yeah, that was great for me. I got really excited when I heard that. Especially with this card — it’s a huge card and, they’re expecting to get mass buys on pay-per-view. So to have the ability to be aired now is huge for me, in terms of getting my name out there and showing what I’m capable of.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Does that also get you more excited about the fight and about performing well in front of all the viewers at home?

Dustin Hazelett: Yeah a little. I mean, I was already highly motivated. But now, this is like the icing on the cake. It’s not like I wasn’t going to try hard or wasn’t motivated before. But this is kinda like putting the candles on the cake — it’s that little extra special bit.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Both you and Tamdan McCrory are young fighters and both lanky fighters for your division. It seems like an interesting matchup. I’ve actually been hoping to see this matchup happen for a while now. Is this something you’ve also been hoping for?

Dustin Hazelett: Uh, no. I really didn’t know a whole lot about him before this fight was presented to me as a potential opponent. Once I started researching him and looking at his record, I realized how tough he was. Now I’m really excited about the fight, but I’m not one who likes to call out opponents or one who likes to pick his opponents. I just go with whoever (manager) Monte (Cox) and the UFC decide is best for me to fight, that’s who I fight. I don’t like to call out fights or anything like that. But I agree with you, I think this is going to be a really good matchup.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I was reading McCrory’s stats and saw him listed at 6’4.” I knew he was tall, but I didn’t realize he was that tall.

Dustin Hazelett: Yes, that is correct.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well this has gotta be one of the few fights where you’re going to be facing someone who is taller than you, I would imagine, just because, at 6’1”, you’re fairly tall for someone in the 170-pound weight division.

Dustin Hazelett: Yeah, this is going to be a rarity fighting someone who’s taller than me. But I think it’s going to be a good fight. It’ll be good experience. He’s one of those fighters who can make any fight a tough fight because of his style.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What problems do you anticipate that somebody like him can bring to the table?

Dustin Hazelett: Well, he’s very strong. A lot of people don’t realize that because of his build — because he’s tall and skinny. But he’s got a lot of leverage, he uses it well. He’s very strong and aggressive and very well conditioned. He’s not one to gas out or slow down much. So that can be a problem for anybody. And he has a very well-rounded skill set. So you combine his conditioning, endurance and aggression with his well-rounded skill set, and it could prove to be tough. But I think I have the tools to beat him.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): With each fight, your striking seems to get better and better. Is that something that you’ve continued to work on specifically for this fight?

Dustin Hazelett: Yeah, definitely. I’ve been working a lot on my standup. I’ve been working a lot with Dorian Price (of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra season), who’s been helping me out a lot, teaching me a lot of stuff. And he’s also built a lot like Tamdan, but a much better striker. So it’s very invaluable for this fight camp.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Have you been training with Team Jorge Gurgel for this fight?

Dustin Hazelett: Yes, I’m still in Cincinnati at the JGMMA Academy.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Other than Dorian, have you brought in any new coaches or training partners for this fight?

Dustin Hazelett: No, like I said, Dorian’s helping me with my standup now. Other than that, I’ve got all the same coaches.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): From a conditioning standpoint, have you factored in any new practices in order to prepare you for this fight, given that McCrory’s gas tank tends to run a little high?

Dustin Hazelett: I’m not really doing a lot of different stuff, I’m just really pushing myself at the stuff I’ve been doing. I think the methods of conditioning I’ve been doing have been very effective. But I realize that in the past my conditioning has been sort of weaker than my opponents, but you know, most of my opponents have been known for their conditioning too.

But that’s something I’ve definitely been focusing a lot on, because I think that’s (McCrory’s) best chance to win this fight is to take it into deep water and to keep pushing the action. So I’ve focused a lot on my conditioning. My conditioning is better than it’s ever been by far. So I don’t think that advantage is going to be there, like he’s hoping it will.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): While you’ve made huge strides with each fight — you looked great in your fight against Koscheck and now with wins over Burkman and Jonathan Goulet — you’re also in probably the most stacked division in the UFC. Where do you think a win will put you in that division, in terms of hanging with those top contenders, whether it’s Thiago Alves or Karo Parisyan, or Jon Fitch or Josh Koscheck or Diego Sanchez? With a win here do you see yourself right in the mix of things there?

Dustin Hazelett: Um … I don’t know, not necessarily. Like you said, the division’s so stacked, it’s hard to break through that barrier to the top. So basically what I’m doing is I’m not focusing on trying to get to the top the quickest. I’m focusing on bettering myself. I’m not worried about trying to climb to the top the fastest. I’m working on getting myself better in all areas so that I’ll be prepared to be there when I’m there, and I’ll deserve to be there.

I think I have what it takes to be a champion some day. I don’t think that I’m there yet, but I’m working very hard to get there. So if I keep working on getting better, and I get better, and I get better, then I will be there. I’m not worrying about “Will this fight put me there?” I’m just focusing on getting better and getting better, and I know that if I continue to progress, then I will get to the top.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): This will be your seventh fight in the UFC. How many fights do you have remaining on your contract after this one?

Dustin Hazelett: I think I have one more on my contract. I’m not sure. I don’t really worry too much about the contract, because as long as you keep fighting hard and doing good, they’ll keep bringing you back. So I’m not too worried about getting cut or anything like that. The contract’s not a huge issue for me.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well with a 4-2 record in the UFC, I’d imagine that you’re going to be in the UFC for a long time to come.

Dustin Hazelett: Thanks, I hope so (laughs).

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well Dustin, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to us. I’d like to give you an opportunity to thank any sponsors or if you have any parting words for the fans.

Dustin Hazelett: I’d just like to say thanks to my fans for the support. I’d like to thank everybody at the JGMMA Academy for helping me out so much in getting me ready for this fight.

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Kenny Florian was widely regarded as the clear cut number one contender in the crowded 155-pound division following his win over Roger Huerta via unanimous decision at UFC 87: “Seek and Destroy” on August 9.

But his second chance at championship gold never came.

That’s because current lightweight champion, BJ Penn, will rematch welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 31, 2009, putting the division strap temporarily on ice.

Rather than sitting on the sidelines and waiting his turn, Florian decided to keep busy. And he isn’t taking fights with “slouches” or “cans” to ensure that he remains atop the title contender totem pole.

On the contrary, he accepted a very dangerous fight against Joe Stevenson at UFC 91: “Couture vs. Lesnar” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on November 15. It’s a high profile bout between two fighters who have each missed out on winning the vacant division title.

“I will be fighting Joe Stevenson,” Florian recently told MMAmania in an exclusive interview. “I’m really excited. Joe Stevenson is a phenomenal opponent — very dangerous opponent — one of the best in the world out there as a lightweight.”

Indeed, Stevenson turned professional at the tender age of 16. Since that time he has racked up an impressive record (29-8), ensuring that he has the experience advantage over just about all of his opponents at just 26 years old.

And that includes Florian, who is older (32), but has nowhere near the amount of fights (10-3) as “Daddy.” That’s a reality that is not lost on Boston area native. He views Stevenson as a worthy opponent who is standing between him and his ultimate career goal of one day being champion.

“He is in my way of advancing up the ladder even more,” Florian said. “I want to fight the best guys. Joe Stevenson is not only a nice guy and a very experienced opponent, he is one of the best out there and I’m looking forward to the challenge. I know I’m going to have my hands full.”

Florian knows that extreme dedication and a whole lot of hard work is the life of a fighter — it’s also the recipe for success in a sport the demands it. Accordingly, he trains at his own gym in Brookline, Mass., Florian Martial Arts Center, which he owns with his brother, Keith. In addition, Florian trains at F-15 Training Center with Peter Welch his boxing coach. His Muay Thai and MMA Coach is Mark DellaGrotte.

“I couldn’t ask for a better training camp or better training over all,” Florian said.

Training, fighting and running a gym keep Kenny more busy than he could imagine. But that’s not all. He is also a fixture as a panelist on ESPN.com’s hit weekly program, “MMA Live.”

“I am actually on my way home from ESPN right now,” Florian explained during our interview. “I was in Connecticut filming ‘MMA Live,’ which is a show we do every week on ESPN.com. It’s a great show. It’s great to have the World Wide Leader in Sports covering mixed martial arts the way that they have.”

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that ESPN intends to devote extra coverage this weekend to UFC 91, providing live broadcasts from Las Vegas before, during and after the blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) event. Florian, however, will be a little busy preparing for his showdown inside the Octagon this fight week and more than likely unable to contribute his witty brand of expert commentary on the ESPN set.

“I train six days a week, two times a day,” he says about his preparation. “Whether I’m training for a fight or not I’m always training six days a week two times every single day. It’s not crazy all the time, but its consistent training all the time. I think that is the key for me to be able to improve and get better and to learn new things, also to consistently get better with your conditioning and technical skills. So there is no offseason for me.”

Spoken like a true fighter. One who is not solely focused on his own wins and losses, but rather the growth of the sport and helping reach new fans.

“The fighting and training, I really do love the most,” he said. “I also love teaching and analyzing fights. I’ve been really blessed, I think, in my life and in my career at this point. I feel like everything I do I truly enjoy, I’m truly passionate about, and it all revolves around mixed martial arts. Something that really moves me, every day I wake up with a smile on my face. I think it’s a gift any time you can love what you do for work. I truly consider it a gift.”

A gift that we all get to watch him unwrap on November 15.

If you would like to hear the audio from this interview check out the homepage on KennyFlorian.com for “Kenny Previews his UFC 91 Fight Against Stevenson.” Simply click the link.

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When The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 7 kicked off, we saw for the first time a group of 32 fighters who had to fight and win to make it on to the show. Few would have bet that a 27-year-old amateur kickboxer with zero professional MMA fights to his name would have won the entire thing — especially one who, upon winning his first match, leapt onto the top of the cage and, just as quickly, fell off.

But that’s exactly what Amir Sadollah did.

He racked up wins against Steve Byrnes (armbar) to earn his spot on the show, Gerald Harris (TKO due to strikes), Matt Brown (guillotine choke), and C.B. Dollaway (armbar) to make it to the Finale. Then, thanks to some monkey business from Jesse Taylor, Amir faced C.B. Dollaway once again at the Finale and won, once again, via armbar.

Talk about déjà vu all over again.

But now Amir faces a bigger challenge: transforming his skill set from his days on TUF to that of a full-time mixed martial artist. He’ll get his first test in Nick Catone (5-0) this Saturday, November 15, at UFC 91: “Couture vs. Lesnar.” It all starts at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

We caught up with Amir recently to talk about his days on TUF, ask if Dollaway is still protesting his tap at the Finale, and find out how he is preparing to fight the two-time NCAA Division I Conference Champion wrestler, Nick Catone.

Let’s get after it.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You last fought C.B. Dollaway at the TUF 8 Finale. First, congratulations on becoming the winner of The Ultimate Fighter.

Amir Sadollah: Well thank you.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Looking back on it, when you first entered the house, did you think you stood a pretty good chance of walking away the winner?

Amir Sadollah: Um … I remember thinking actually the first day when we found out there was going to be 32 of us originally, I just remember wondering, “Who is gonna win this thing? This thing’s tough.” But it was something that I did a pretty good job of not pressuring myself either. I never thought, “Oh man, I gotta win this thing.” I just thought about doing as well as I could for the next six months.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Did you watch the episodes on television?

Amir Sadollah: I did. I actually wrote a blog on it, so they sent me episodes a couple days earlier, and I watched them. Usually by the time an episode came on TV I had already watched it once or twice. So yeah, I definitely watched it. It was worth watching.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How do you feel about the way the editors portrayed you?

Amir Sadollah: Um … I wasn’t unhappy with it. I was pretty quiet there a lot of times. You know, it’s a strange situation; everyone reacts in their own way. I wasn’t too worried about getting camera time. I was just trying to learn as much as I could and get better. So no, I don’t think they portrayed me in a negative way or anything I was unhappy with.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Yeah, I thought it was a great show — a great season.

Amir Sadollah: Probably the best ever. (laughs)

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): (Laughs) Certainly up there. After that first win, you jumped up onto the cage and then immediately fell off of it. (Laughs) Do you remember that happening?

Amir Sadollah: (Laughs) Yeah, I did not think I would catch so much crap about that.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Yeah, my girlfriend and I were sitting there watching it, and she goes, “Man, I hope that guy doesn’t end up winning the whole thing.” (Laughs)

Amir Sadollah: (Laughs) Damn.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I’d like to ask you a few questions about the C.B. Dollaway fight at the Finale. How did you feel about how the fight went? Obviously you’re happy with the victory, but in terms of things that you learned from the fight and areas to improve on.

Amir Sadollah: Well, there weren’t a lot of surprises. I definitely saw that there were some things I need to work on and get better at — like my wrestling, for example. But overall I was happy with the fight. I guess you can’t complain if you get the victory. But I didn’t think it was going to be easy, and I didn’t expect it to end so quickly. But it turned out all right.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): When you sunk in the armbar, did you think, “Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening in almost the exact same way that it happened before, he’s falling right into this again?”

Amir Sadollah: At the time, I was just thinking more like, “I better capitalize on this while I have it.” But yeah, afterwards it was something that, after the fight was over, I was just kind of in shock that the whole thing was happening.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Dollaway seemed equally shocked that it had happened like that, and seemingly, before he even knew it, he tapped. He then protested a bit, as if he didn’t fully commit to the tap. Have you run into him since the fight, and have you talked about it at all?

Amir Sadollah: Oh yeah, I saw him later that night, and we talked about it a bit. We’re definitely cool. He’s definitely a good guy. I mean, I consider us friends.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): So I assume he now knows that he committed to that tap?

Amir Sadollah: Yeah, I saw a couple of interviews with him afterwards. He kind of explained himself. It was something that he admits he tapped, but then he thought he could get out, but by that time the ref saw it and stopped the fight. So … that’s how it goes.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You’re facing Nick Catone here at UFC 91. I’ve never watched a Nick Catone fight. Have you?

Amir Sadollah: Yeah, I’ve seen a couple tapes on him, yeah.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well from what I’ve read about him, he’s 5-0 with his last four fights all being stoppages in the first round. He’s also the Ring of Combat Middleweight Champion and comes from a strong collegiate wrestling background. How do you see the fight going in terms of his strengths and your strengths matching up? Do you think his wrestling background is going to be an issue?

Amir Sadollah: Yeah, obviously it’s a strength of his and something that I’m working on. I think he’s a strong guy, an aggressive guy, he’s somebody that is going to put a lot of pressure on me. So that’s what I’m preparing for.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): From a training perspective, what have you been focusing most on since your days on TUF?

Amir Sadollah: Since I got off the show, I’ve just been working out here in Vegas with a lot of high level guys. So I’ve just been trying to catch up and improve all my areas, really. I mean definitely wrestling has been a big part of it for me, but just ground damage, striking and everything. It’s definitely been a step up.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Have you relocated out there to Vegas permanently?

Amir Sadollah: Yes.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): From Richmond?

Amir Sadollah: Correct.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): If you had to guess how this Catone fight’s gonna end, do you think it’s going to be a three-round battle? Do you anticipate a long drawn-out war?

Amir Sadollah: I have really never liked to make predictions. I just feel like when you do, that’s the one guaranteed thing that’s not going to happen. So, I definitely expect it’s going to be tough, and whether it’s one round or three, I know it’s going to be a battle all the way through. That’s what I’m preparing for, and that’s what I’m expecting.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Have you brought in any new coaches or training partners specifically for this fight?

Amir Sadollah: My striking coach from Holland is here for this fight, and he helped me out in my last fight as well. I just work with a lot of the same guys I worked with before out here, but I try to work more with guys who I think simulate who I’m going to fight, you know … better wrestlers or just bigger, stronger, faster … things like that.

So I’ll break it up, as far as bringing in a partner who I think specifically is the same type of fighter. That’s the cool thing about out here, there’s so many guys that are good at everything, you can kinda pick someone and be like, “All right this guy’s good at jitz, I’m gonna work at that with him. Or this guy’s a good wrestler or this guy’s a good striker.” Things like that.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What weight do you normally cut from?

Amir Sadollah: I usually walk around at about 95, so it’s not a horrible cut for me at all.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Have you thought about dropping to welterweight at all?

Amir Sadollah: Yeah. It’s something that I was definitely, or am definitely considering. I didn’t drop to 170 after the show just because there were so many things changing with me, I just wanted one element of familiar territory as far as the weight I’m cutting. I’ve seen a lot of guys who, the first time they fight at a new weight, it’s just different. It can change things a little bit.

So I just wanted a little bit more time to get used to everything, and just make a gradual progression. But I can definitely see myself going to 170 after this fight.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): So are you in the market for a new nutritionist, or do you currently work with someone in your camp?

Amir Sadollah: Um … yeah, I mean if I found a nutritionist who is willing to work with me and who I trust, then I suppose. I think nutrition is a huge tool and a key element in your training. It’s definitely a factor for a lot of guys and for myself. I work a lot on that as well — not just training, but eating right. It’s not easy, and it’s a full-time job. You go in, you train for two hours, you leave, you’re good. But you gotta eat well all day. And there’s a lot of different theories and a lot of different things. So it’s another one of those big things that I’m always trying to hammer down and optimize.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Amir, I really appreciate the time you took to talk with us, and I wanted to give you an opportunity to plug any sponsors or if you have any parting words for your fans.

Amir Sadollah: Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for all the support from everyone I get. Everyone who does. It’s definitely very uplifting and very positive. Thanks to my sponsors TapouT and Sprawl. And check out The Punisher in theaters December 5. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few. Check out my Web site AmirMMA.com.

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With 25 professional fights under his belt, Spencer “The King” Fisher (21-4) has been around the block a time or two.

The three-year UFC veteran has gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Frankie Edgar and Hermes Franca and holds wins over Thiago Alves, Josh Neer, Sam Stout, Matt Wiman and most recently Jeremy Stephens at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 Finale in June.

And if all goes according to plan, Fisher could be adding one more name to that list. He faces Shannon Gugerty (11-2) at UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote” this Saturday, October 25 at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Ill.

Although Fisher was originally slated to face slugger Melvin Guillard (21-7-2), the Team Miletich member will face a significantly different test in Gugerty, who has eight submission victories to his credit, the last of which came via rear naked choke in round one over previously undefeated Dale Hartt at UFC Fight Night 14 in July. It was both fighters’ UFC debut.

We caught up with Fisher to see how he feels going into this weekend and to ask about training with Matt Hume up in Seattle … and much more.

Let’s get to it.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Your last fight against Jeremy Stephens was a barnburner. Tell us about what went right and what went not-so-right in that fight.

Spencer Fisher: Well my training could have been better for that fight, for sure. For one thing, I didn’t train like I normally do for that fight. Just because … I don’t know … certain fights you get up for and certain fights you don’t, unfortunately. But it was a learned lesson that I have to take every fight seriously.

But as far as what went well, is when he tried to take me down, I ended up on top the majority of the time that that happened — which, for me, was a leap and bounds because time and time again my problem has been being put on my back, because I’m such an aggressive fighter that I constantly go forward and apply pressure. That’s the kind of fighter I am. In doing so, I give up position a lot and get taken down.

So I’m trying to learn from my mistakes and of course move forward the whole time and try not to fix what’s not broken. So I’m going to continue to go forward, but more cautiously and be smart about the things I do.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Your last three fights saw something fairly uncommon for a Spencer Fisher fight. All three went to decision. How important is a decisive victory this go around?

Spencer Fisher: This fight will not go three rounds — will NOT go three rounds.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Shannon Gugerty is 11-2, but he hasn’t really faced anyone of your caliber.

Spencer Fisher: He’s never fought the type of fighter that I am. Right now, I think I’m probably close to the best shape as I’ve ever been, cardio-wise, except for when I fought Sam Stout and Josh Neer. But I’m right up there.

Whenever I have a fight coming up, I always try to ask the question, “Am I in as good of shape as I was (my last fight).” And right now, with the circumstances that have been, I am in as best shape as I could possibly be in from the time that I’ve trained and since taking the fight. The pressure I’ll put on him, I don’t think he’s going to be able to keep up with it.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Have you watched tape on him?

Spencer Fisher: I’ve seen one fight of his. My coaches and teammates have seen other fights of his. I don’t need to study him as much as, you know … I’m going to do what I do. I’m just going to go out there and knock him out.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How do you plan to avoid Gugerty’s submission attempts?

Spencer Fisher: I’ve fought better submission guys, I roll with better submission guys … And it’s a fight — it’s hard to get an armbar with a fist in your mouth. And that’s not arrogant or cocky, but again, he’s never fought anybody like me. Everything he’s good at, I’ve faced someone better before or rolled with people who are better than him at what he does.

I’m confident, I’m not overlooking Shannon — he’s the only thing I’m looking at right now — but I definitely plan on winning this fight.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, you’re certainly a difficult fighter to finish. In something like 25 fights, you’ve only been stopped one time (against Hermes Franca at UFC Fight Night 8 in January 2007). And it wasn’t because you didn’t face stiff competition. You’ve fought Thiago Alves, Josh Neer, Carlo Prater, Sam Stout a couple of times. None of these guys are strangers to finishing an opponent. What gives?

Spencer Fisher: I’m experienced and I’m gritty. I’ll persevere through everything, at least I try to. I’ll always be in the best shape that I can possibly be in. And I’m good at not taking damage — you can’t tell by my face (laughs).

But whether or not I’m on the bottom or not, I try not to take very much damage. And standing up, I’ve been doing it long enough that I know what to look for and try to protect myself.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Can you briefly tell us about your training camp for this fight. Who have you been sparring with? Have you brought in any new coaches or fighters to help you train?

Spencer Fisher: Yep, Jens Pulver, myself, Rich Franklin, Chris Leben — all of us came up to AMC (American Martial Arts Center) in Seattle with Matt Hume. The reason I came up here is because I wanted to get a change of pace. I was kinda getting into a lull at Miletich. I’m still with Miletich, still living in Iowa, but it was time for a change of pace for me, change of scenery.

Like I said, I needed to learn something new, and I came here, and it’s just … wow. I know I’m tough, ‘cause I fight, and I know I can just get in there and do it. But I wanted to learn something new and just be a smarter fighter.

I’m getting older, and I was humbled when I came here. Everything I was good at, they had someone better at it. So if I was good at, say, jiu-jitsu, they had someone come out there who was better than me at jiu-jitsu. And if I was better than someone at boxing, they brought someone out who was better than me at boxing. So I never had a one-up on somebody.

It was a good feeling. It’s like starting over again. From the first time you walk into a gym, you have that nervous feeling about being there. That’s how it is up here in Washington.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Is this the first time in a while that you’ve trained outside of Team Miletich?

Spencer Fisher: Yes, I have brought other trainers into our gym before, but for this particular fight … you know, I was supposed to fight three other guys originally. And things were changed. And now it came to Shannon. And like I said, I’m taking Shannon just as serious as I would have taken Melvin — even more so, because I think (Shannon) has more tools. But I came all the way to Washington to prove myself.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): If a movie were to be made about you, would Donny Walberg play you?

Spencer Fisher: You know, I’ve heard Mark Walberg a lot. That’s funny that you said that, because I’ve had a lot of people say that to me before.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): There is a slight resemblance.

Spencer Fisher: That’s funny you said that. I’ve always been told that, but they said Mark.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Spencer, thanks a lot for taking the time to talk with us. Would you like to thank any sponsors or do you have any parting words?

Spencer Fisher: Absolutely, of course I’d like to thank both teams, AMC and Team Miletich. As always, my manager, Monte Cox, as well as my sponsors Toe2Toe and Choppers Inc.

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Disaster nearly struck last week when Diego Sanchez suffered torn rib cartilage while training for his co-main event fight against Thiago Alves at UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote” at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on October 25, forcing him off the card with less than two weeks until showtime.

“The Nightmare,” fortunately, was short lived.

With one quick phone call to the management team of Josh Koscheck, the promotion had secured a worthy replacement — a top contender who could keep the 170-pound title implications intact and would no doubt present another stiff test for the powerful Brazilian Muay Thai specialist.

Alves has been on a tear, leveling — not just winning against — the opponents put in front of him, including division stalwart Karo Parisyan and former welterweight champion Matt Hughes. In fact, “The Pitbull” has not tasted defeat in more than two years and is riding a six-fight win streak, finishing all but one of the bouts during that span.

Not the caliber of fighter anyone wants to take on with just 12 days notice. Unless, of course, your name is Josh Koscheck.

The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) standout, however, jumped at the chance. He views it as a one-of-a-kind opportunity to accelerate his journey to the top of the division and emerge as the clearcut number one welterweight contender.

But his journey will not stop there.

Should he defeat Alves on Saturday he does not intend to sit and wait around to see how the division sorts itself out in the coming months. Instead, he plans to be ready to headline UFC Fight Night 16: “Fight for the Troops” against Yoshiyuki Yoshida on December 10.

Say what you want about Koscheck, but he is certainly not taking the easy route to a future title shot. He wants to earn it the hard way … and he’s ready to start this Saturday.

We just recently caught up with “Kos,” who is fresh off a unanimous decision blood-soaked drubbing of Chris Lytle at UFC 86: “Jackson vs. Griffin” back in July, to find out more about what went into his decision to take the fight with Alves on such short notice, how he intends to approach the showdown, what it will mean for his career and much more.

For what it’s worth, we have interviewed Koscheck numerous times and he never sounded this determined and focused. He’s on a mission.

Let’s get to it:

MMAmania.com: Josh thanks for taking the time to speak with us — we know right now things are probably crazy with the fight against Thiago Alves literally right around the corner. How are you feeling and what’s going on as we speak?

Josh Koscheck: I’m good. Let’s get this started. I’m not really training right now just resting.

MMAmania.com: You agreed to take this fight on incredibly short notice, considering the caliber of the opponent and the implications it will have on your bid to become the number one contender in the division. Tell us how it all went down.

Josh Koscheck: I got the phone call on Monday (October 14), saying Diego Sanchez got hurt and that the UFC was looking for someone to step up and take his place. My manager Bob Cook approached me about it — he handles all that stuff. I told him let’s talk about it after training because I wanted to think about it and also I didn’t want to ruin my upcoming session. Training went real well and as soon as it was over I told Bob let’s take the fight.

MMAmania.com: Was there any hesitation outside of not wanting to ruin your training session?

Josh Koscheck: No, not really. Fighting Thiago Alves is a fantastic opportunity for me to prove that I am the number one contender in the 170 pound weight class. I’m the type of guy who is willing to step up and fight anybody, anywhere and anytime. Me taking this fight just proves that. Two weeks notice doesn’t really matter to me — I’m a professional and this is what I do. I’m always training year-round. Now I just have to be ready to come out and perform and put on a good show for the fans.

MMAmania.com: From a conditioning, as well as a preparation standpoint, will you be as ready for this fight with Thiago if you had say two months to prepare instead of just two weeks?

Josh Koscheck: I’m a fighter. I’m going to step up and fight anybody. This is what I do. It doesn’t really matter. I’m treating this as a street fight. If I’m walking out of a club and a fight breaks out I can’t say, ‘Stop, let me go train.’ You have to be ready to fight at the drop of a dime with no notice. That’s pretty much my mindset going into this. I can guarantee you that I will be in great shape on October 25 … that’s for sure.

MMAmania.com: In the past, Thiago has actually had a difficult time with conditioning — he often has a hard time making weight because he’s such a big welterweight fighter. He also does not push a frantic pace like let’s say a Diego Sanchez … he likes to take his time. Is this an area or weakness that you can exploit?

Josh Koscheck: History proves that Thiago definitely has had a hard time making weight in the past. That could be because of a lack of discipline on his part and not being prepared 100 percent. Making weight is an important part of the sport and competition so hopefully he does have a hard time making weight again. That’s certainly an advantage for me. He’s a big guy and I know he cuts a lot of weight and that can definitely affect his performance inside the Octagon. But I can’t worry about that. I have to prepare for the best Thiago Alves imaginable. I have to fight my ass off and prove that I am the number one contender. That’s what it comes down to.

MMAmania.com: While we’re on this issue of weight, prior to accepting the fight did you step on a scale to ensure that you would have no problems yourself making the 170-pound limit?

Josh Koscheck: Not at all. Weight is never an issue for me. It never has been. And my weight would never be a deciding factor in me taking or not taking a fight. Neither would training, money, or anything else. This is about me proving to the UFC and the fans that I can win this fight. That’s why I took this fight. To prove to myself, all the fans and the UFC that I can deliver on short notice when called upon and prove that I am a top welterweight contender who accepts all challenges and challengers. I’m coming into this fight to win … that’s the bottom line.

MMAmania.com: Given the collapsed window to prepare for Thiago Alves what are you doing to get ready … is there any cramming or sense of urgency or is it just business as usual?

Josh Koscheck: I haven’t really changed anything in my routine to be totally honest. The biggest difference would be my eating habits and diet. I cleaned that up real quick to be ready to make 170. But that’s not really a big change because I already lead a clean lifestyle. Like I said, this is what I do. Being a fighter is who I am and I take that very seriously. So I’m always ready. Nothing really changed besides that. I’m getting plenty of rest. I moved into the hotel already. I’m in fight mode, man, just like that.

MMAmania.com: That may sound like the understatement of the century, considering you’re still scheduled to fight Yoshiyuki Yoshida on December 10 in the main event at UFC Fight Night 16: “Fight for the Troops.”

Josh Koscheck: Yep, I’m looking forward to fighting him on December 10. That’s a big fight for sure. But I can’t think about him right now. Fighting Thiago Alves this Saturday is all I’m really thinking about and all I have been thinking about since we got that call from the UFC.

MMAmania.com: Why on Earth would you want that fight when UFC President Dana White has essentially said that you will earn a title shot with a win over Thiago. “Zenko” is one bad dude. Is it necessary to take such a big risk with the title shot so close?

Josh Koscheck: I just want to fight, man. I wish I had eight or night fights per year. This is a rare opportunity to do what I love to do and stay busy. I’d rather be fighting in the main event on December 10 on Spike TV than being inside the gym training. No one sees that. I want to compete. I want to put on a good show for the fans so I would never turn down that opportunity even if it’s considered dangerous. I could go from five to eight fights per year if the UFC would let me. One thing people may not realize is that I’m used to the wrestling grind — it was a way of life for me for a very long time. I’d often wrestle 40 matches in three months back in the day. So fighting up to eight times per year would really be no big deal.

MMAmania.com: I know you didn’t take the call, but did the UFC dangle any carrots or mention the possibility of a title shot in the near future if you took this fight? I’m sure Dana White and Joe Silva breathed huge sighs of relief when you accepted because the promotion was able to come up with what many people feel to be a better match up than the original.

Josh Koscheck: I didn’t ask that question and it never came up so I don’t know. Bob handles all that stuff and he works directly with the UFC … not me. There wasn’t any negotiating, if that’s what you are asking. I was asked if I wanted the fight and I said yes. That’s pretty much it. But it would be hard to argue that if I win these next two fights that I wouldn’t be the number one contender. There are certainly no guarantees but I’m putting myself in the best position possible and want to eliminate any doubt about who deserves the next title shot. I know that I will be the number one contender if I win these next two fights hands down. And I’m going to do everything possible to ensure that I make that happen.

MMAmania.com: Okay, let’s talk about Thiago for a little bit. I’m sure you saw him cream Matt Hughes at UFC 85 and before that he stopped the very durable and resilient Karo Parisyan. I mean these are two very respected and talented fighters in the division and Thiago handled them. What does he bring to the table that might give you some problems?

Josh Koscheck: He definitely comes to fight. Thiago is a very dangerous opponent who has really powerful striking. Good knees, good kicks, solid punches. I haven’t really seen him use his hands too much because he is so effective with those knees and kicks. We have a good gameplan for this fight. I went back to my roots after that loss to Georges St. Pierre and have really polished my wrestling. I kind of lost sight of that aspect of my game while I improved in all the other areas. So I’m ready to fight wherever it goes.

MMAmania.com: So does that mean we will see an approach similar to your most recent fight with Chris Lytle: Stand, trade, shoot and then work the ground and pound?

Josh Koscheck: Listen, this is a fight. It doesn’t matter who has the better stand up or the better wrestling. This is a fight. I have to be prepared to strike, wrestle, use my jiu-jitsu — everything. He’s a tough kid and I have to be prepared for anything and everything.

MMAmania.com: You mentioned he has good knees, which are pretty much what set up the recent wins over Hughes and Parisyan. How are you going to deal with that as to not get caught like you did against Drew Fickett?

Josh Koscheck: We have a strategy, like I said. We always put together gameplans that give me the best chance of winning. Let’s just say that I don’t intend to put myself in too many dangerous situations and we are well aware of the damage that he can do with those knees.

MMAmania.com: How do you plan to handle his size and strength?

Josh Koscheck: Well, my good friend, Jon Fitch, who I train with every day pretty much kicked his ass not too long ago. And Jon is not the only big guy who I work with at AKA. Trevor Prangley is a huge 185 pounder who walks around at like 220 and I’m in the gym working with him everyday, too. Phil Baroni, Mike Swick and all of my other training partners are big guys. So competing against someone who may be bigger, faster or more powerful than me is really not that much of a concern. I’ve also already fought the best 170-pound fighter in the world, Georges St. Pierre, so nothing really worries me at this stage of my career.

MMAmania.com: If he comes in several pounds over the division limit like he did against Hughes do you intend to still take the fight? It seemed to be a big advantage for him in that one.

Josh Koscheck: Absolutely, Thiago can weigh 190 and I’ll still fight him. I don’t care about that. It isn’t about him making or losing weight. He can weigh whatever he wants and I’ll still fight him.

MMAmania.com: Since Fitch fought him in 2006 Thiago has clearly evolved in more ways than one. He’s certainly a better fighter and he is clearly much bigger. I know you joked about his physical transformation a little bit in a video that MMAmania.com passed along not too long ago, but do you ever seriously wonder what’s in the juice this guy is drinking?

Josh Koscheck: Well, for someone who has tested positive for illegal substances in the past (diuretics) there might be something going on there or some concerns. But who am I to say what he does or what he may have done. He’ll be tested just like every other fighter on the card. I can’t worry about stuff like that. I just know that I’m ready to fight and perform. The rest will take care of itself.

MMAmania.com: Does training with Fitch give you any competitive or psychological advantage heading into this fight? On the flip side Fitch is in Thailand right now — is it a disadvantage not having him around or in your corner for this one?

Josh Koscheck: I’ve been training with Jon Fitch for years and months. Every time I’m preparing to step into the cage he helps me out. And I do the same for him. We talk on the phone all the time and he has helped put together this gameplan for Thiago even though he is not around right now. We’re ready to go. It’s really just been one week that he hasn’t been in town and we have been talking about fighters, fight strategies and everything else for years. I’m the one who has to step in the cage on Saturday night — not Jon Fitch or anyone else. I’m going to win with what I have. That’s my plan.

MMAmania.com: Is there any bad blood between you and Thiago or AKA and American Top Team (ATT) where he trains?

Josh Koscheck: There’s no hard feelings between me and Thiago. We’re both professionals and we know what’s at stake with this fight. I respect him and everyone else at his gym. People don’t realize that for him to take this fight with me on two weeks notice is pretty ballsy — he could have said no just like me. But he didn’t. That’s the way I look at it. He stepped up and took the fight with me on short notice … not the other way around. May the best man win.

MMAmania.com: Ideally, how would you like to see this fight end?

Josh Koscheck: I’d like to knock him out in the first round like Seth