So, as some of you may know we did a contest here at CR
recently. The contest revolved around me (Dave) joining in on a video chat with
Urijah Faber held by the UFC’s Fight Club. Well the contestant who came up with
the best question won. We asked the contestant’s question first and he received
a hardcover copy of Urijah’s brand new book!
I went into the chat room early and was the only person in
there. When Urijah finally came on there were only 12 of us in the chat room.
So, as any smart journalist would, I took advantage of it and asked 95% of the
questions.
Only a couple other questions were asked at all and it was
brilliant stuff like “what is your favorite alcoholic beverage”…No joke.
Anyway I recorded all of my questions and his incredible
answers. He was open and honest. Urijah is more than the Hollywood jock that
some people portray his as. You guys will love this “interview”.
Contest Winner's Question!: 1) In what areas do you think
Renan Barao is more dangerous than Cruz?
“Barao is more dangerous than Cruz in the fact that Cruz
isn’t dangerous at all. Cruz is good at what he does. Cruz is more elusive than
Barao. He is probably in better shape than Barao, a little faster than Barao
but Barao is definitely more dangerous; on the ground, standing with his kicks,
knees, and punches. Plus his submissions.
2) What has your experience
coaching on TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) been like?
“Being a coach on TUF has been awesome; it’s a lot of work
though. I got my own training to do and I got all these new guys I’m getting
acquainted with. But once we got the ball rolling it’s been pretty easy. I have
a lot of great training partners. These guys are some of the top up and comers
in the nation and in the world really. We got guys from Brazil and the UK. Some
are ’45 pounders and I’m a pretty big ’35 pounder so it evens out.”
3) Who out of your TUF team do you see being the most
successful in the UFC?
“I think there are a lot of guys on the TUF roster that are
going to be successful in the UFC. You see time and time again where these guys
who are on the show end up having great careers in the UFC. Even if they don’t
win the show but Al (Iaquinta) is a guy that I feel has the right mind set and
the right discipline and things are going his way. He’s a guy that, in my
opinion, is the favorite to win TUF but I think most of the guys that decide to
stick it out and decide to continue on this journey are going to have good
careers in the UFC. Chiesa, Proctor. You know all the guys there, Saunders,
Ogle, you know everybody, Sam Sicilia and Cristiano Marcello. All the guys are
tough”.
4) How much did you have to change in your training camp in order
to prepare for Barao?
“The fight is completely different between Cruz and Barao. So,
I had to change the game plan basically so I’ve been working on a lot of
things. I’ve been working with Phil Nurse a little bit with this fight, trying
to be a little more creative with my standup. I’ve been working with Mark Dellagrotte,who
is awesome with standup in MMA, and then my whole team is here (Las Vegas).
Master Thong and all my training partners are here and just working on my
offense but understanding that now it is a completely different fight.”
5) What did you learn in your last fight with Cruz that will
help you defeat him next time?
“In the last fight with Cruz I was punched with some of his
heaviest punches and I felt like they didn’t really affect me. I think I could
us a little bit more like point scoring, more takedown attempts and maybe throw
in a couple more punches and kicks. But other than that I think I did a good
job. I dropped him a couple of times and I don’t feel like I was beat up in
that fight. So, you know just more of the same but land a higher percentage of
punches and takedowns. And get the finish.
6) Out of all your accomplishments which one is most
meaningful?
“I think that my biggest accomplishments are yet to come and
I’m not sure what they are yet. But I think if I had to say one thing it’s just
being able to live a life that is all by my own design. You know with my own
passion, making my own schedule. That’s not something that a lot of people are
able to do. I’m able to spend 100% of my time doing things that I love and
that’s probably the biggest accomplishment yet.”
7) What did you want to accomplish by putting out your new
book?
“Putting out that book for me was basically; first and
foremost it was really therapeutic to write all of that stuff. I’ve been kind
of introspective my whole life and going to college and learning about human
development and kind of seeing different people in my life taking different
paths and the influences that I’ve had. I think that it was just something I
wanted to do for myself but I think it could help people and the overall
message is encouraging people to follow their own passions and making their own
laws and learn from my mistakes and the things I’ve succeeded at. I think people
are really enjoying the book.”
8) At the end of your career what do you want people to
remember about you most?
“At the end of my career, I just want people to remember me
as a guy that was basically always fighting to the bitter end. Someone you know
that was able to compete at multiple weight classes. Be a world champ at
multiple weight classes. And someone that spread some positive light on this
sport. I feel like I kind of have been looked up to over the years as somebody
that’s a positive representative of the sport and I have done my best to do all
of the PR and be a positive impact and help bring the lighter weights out. I
want to just be known for being a trendsetter.”
9) If you were forced to say something nice about Dominick Cruz's
personality what would you say?
“I think there are some things about Dominick that are
commendable. I think he’s a guy that really is himself. He’s not ever trying to
act like he is something that he’s not and I respect that a lot. You know guys
like that. You know guys like Nick Diaz, well, a lot of people don’t like Nick
Diaz but he is just being himself and so I think Dominick is true to who he is.
He also has a champion mentality. He works hard and he pushes through
adversity. And I think he has grown up a lot but he still gets on my nerves.”
10) Which fighter was a big inspiration to you?
“Randy Couture is the guy that has been a big inspiration to
me. I’ve known him; you know he was there at my third fight at an Indian
casino. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is also another guy that I’ve known and has
been around since I first started my career on those Indian reservations. And I’ve
learned a lot of stuff about marketability from “Rampage” and putting on a
show. And from Couture just to be a great guy, he is always trying to help
other people out and he is not afraid to take people under his wing and just be
himself. People love him because he is such a solid dude and he was never
boasting or putting on a front.”
11) What is the atmosphere at alpha male during big training
camps?
“The atmosphere in our gym is always just a lot of fun.
Everyone is happy to be there but it’s really intense during training. We spar
hard and are always beating the crap out of each other but we have the music
blaring and Master Thong is dancing around and everybody is cracking jokes. So
it’s pretty fun.”
12) Besides Sacramento or other cities in California, what
city gave you the most support?
“Oh man, it’s hard to say but there, out of California,
everywhere I’ve gone has been a great response. I got a lot of fans in Utah.
Whenever I go anywhere I feel like I’ve got great fan support. I’m lucky like
that. I’ve really been lucky in the fact that people get behind me. I think
they feel like they know who I am and that I’m being real and I think they like
that.”
13) After weigh-ins and fights what do you eat?
“My favorite meal after weigh-ins is a meal that my mom used
to make for me for my birthday. It’s turkey potato burritos and a bunch of
little condiments.”
After a fight: “I eat
the same stuff all the time. I just basically eat more or less of it so like a
nice dinner like any restaurant. I love Thai food, I love Japanese food and I
love Mediterranean. I’m a food connoisseur.”
14) When you first started off in MMA did you ever see
yourself being this successful?
“When I first started out in MMA I definitely thought I was
going to be successful. I envisioned it; I believed it and that was my goal.
What I didn’t know was how successful the sport was going to be. I felt like
there was at that time, in 2003, not much promise for our sport. But there were
people that were, in my opinion, were heroes. You know guys like Tito Ortiz and
Randy Couture and BJ Penn and Jens Pulver. These are guys that were fighting on
the biggest stage and you didn’t know how much money they were getting or what
was at stake or anything else. All you know was that these guys are on TV and you’re
getting to watch them fight and it seemed like a big deal. So, I envisioned
being there with the best but I had no idea the sport would blow up like it
has. But I was wishing it would.”
15) (Last question of the chat.) Has it been hard to stay
focused with being so famous and the face of the lighter weight classes in MMA?
“I don’t know if I’m that famous. Justin Bieber is famous. I’m
just kind of well known. I don’t have any chicks trying to tackle me or any
weird stuff like that. You know, it can be irritating every once in awhile but
for the most part I’m just flattered that people are interested in me and enjoy
what I do and I like to help motivate people as well and so it has been pretty
cool”.
Good stuff from Urijah! It was a very cool and fun
experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
So what did you think? Let us know on twitter
@Champion_Rounds
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