 |
| Credit: George Sullivan |
We recently caught up with George Sullivan to talk about his KO win against Igor Araujo at UFC Fight Night - Bigfoot vs Arlovski 2. This was a performance which really put Sullivan in the limelight as far as his UFC career is concerned and extended his record to 16-3 1N/C and 2-0 in the UFC. It was a dominant display from start to finish against a very tough opponent showing the UFC fans what Sullivan can do when he has a full training camp to prepare for a fight.
Ben: Since your last fight you got married. Firstly, congratulations and has this affected the way you prepare for a fight?
Sullivan: First off thanks very much it means a lot. Being married is the best thing ever to happen to me, my wife is my life, my everything and she gives me more reason to fight.
Ben: Did having a break from fighting for the wedding make you more focused when you got back in to the training camp? Instead of just moving from one fight to the next over and over.
Sullivan: I definitely needed a break and coming off a 4 month layoff really made me hungry and want to train. As soon as I got home from the honeymoon I was in the gym and ready to go.
Ben: In your last fight both yourself and Mike Rhodes stepped in on short notice and you managed to do enough to secure the win. This time out you had a full camp and was able to show the fans what you can do. How much different was preparing for this fight to your UFC debut?
Sullivan: This was the first full camp I’ve ever had and it was awesome. I no longer work and I’m full time training now so I’m going to only get better and show the world what I can do.
Ben: What were your first thoughts when you was offered the contract to fight Igor Araujo in Brazil?
Sullivan: I said ok it doesn’t matter who we fight or where, I always wanted to fight a BJJ black belt so what better way to do it then in Brazil. I was very happy for that fight.
Ben: You also fought outside of the USA for the first time, how different was it fighting away from home? Did you make any changes to the weight cut, was you able to get the same products in Brazil to help you rehydrate as you would in the states?
Sullivan: It didn’t matter where the fight was, it was harder to breathe from dry air but the weight cut went awesome and we did everything right. Being a top fighter you have to fight anywhere and we proved we could leave the US and still destroy someone.
Ben: The Brazilian crowd is known for it's partisan love for the home fighters. What did you make of them and did they show you the respect you deserved after a great performance?
Sullivan: They were awesome and loud. You could tell how much they were into the fight so it was such a honor to fight for them, I really had a blast.
Ben: Do you feel that Araujo took your power lightly when training for this fight, which ultimately back fired for him?
Sullivan: I think every fighter takes me lightly and I hope they keep doing so. I'm always a underdog, I am not sure why but I don’t care. I'll keep knocking these guys out, it doesn’t matter to me what any critic or fighter thinks of me I win and I finish fights, what more can I do.
Ben: You did a lot of work from the top position in this fight, which surprised a lot of people who expected you to try and keep the fight on the feet. What was the game plan and did you always feel comfortable on the top?
Sullivan: Well in the first round I cut my toe bad. It happened when he tried to lift me from guard. I love ground and pound so being as I was so much stronger and felt better on the ground i kept it there. I don’t care where fights go, I’m good everywhere. I hit very hard on the ground and have lots of knock outs in that position its just this one was in Brazil in the UFC so now everyone knows I’m not weak on the ground at all.
Ben: You kept up a very high pace throughout the fight getting off a lot of strikes. Would you have been capable of keeping this up for the full 15 minutes if needed?
Sullivan: Yes I don’t get tired in the later rounds. I start slow and then wake up in the later rounds I'd even say I get better.
Ben: At the end you managed to get back on top after he pulled guard. As soon as you moved in to a dominant position you landed some huge shots which knocked Araujo out cold. Talk us through the finish?
Sullivan: Well I started looking for toe holds and playing around with openings in his guard. When I landed some big shots I saw it taking its toll, so when I was able to pin his head to the mat i forced his face to the side giving up the ear and jaw. We train not to just hit but to know where to hit and knocking him unconscious is what happened.
Ben: Did you think that you could knock Igor out cold from that position or were you surprised when you realised he was out?
Sullivan: Yes i knew I could, I’ve done it before. I know I have power, I might not be pretty but I have power and know how to use it. Thanks to Dan Fischer and Kurt Pellegrino my ground and pound is awesome, Kurt worked overtime with me and so did Dan Fischer, I love my coaches.
Ben: Have you watched the fight back and if so how did you rate your performance?
Sullivan: I was very happy with it, I'll get a little more confident with time and that's what I need, time in the Octagon I'd say its a 7/10.
Ben: Would you say that as this fight was your first with a full camp you showed all that you have to offer and put on a far better display than your ufc debut?
Sullivan: Being as I was sick in Chicago anything is better lol. I had a full camp which definitely helped me. I can't wait for the next camp, its gonna be a monster. Matt Jennings is taking my body to new levels, his strength and conditioning program is amazing, this man is changing my life. I also have Dan O’Cone taking my wrestling to new levels.
Ben: Did you walk away from the fight injury free?
Sullivan: No, my toe was cut very bad but its ok now, other then that I’m ready to go.
Ben: What's next for George Sullivan? When would you like to be back in the Octagon and do you have any names who you'd like to fight?
Sullivan: We hope to fight by December. I’m back in the gym now and can’t wait to see what's next from the UFC.
Ben: Obviously as we are based in the UK we would love to see you fight in the UK in the future. Is this something that would interest you?
Sullivan: 100000000000000% yes, I love you guys. I have a great friend from the UK Liam McGreary and it would be awesome fighting for you guys. I hope it happens.
Ben: Would you like to thank anyone for helping you prepare for this fight?
Sullivan: Thanks to nutrishop, all of my sponsors, Kurt Pellegrino, Dan Fischer, Matt Jennings, Dan O’cone, Mike Scowronski, Dr Nick and Dr Nicole from IGW in Blemar, New Jersey. Also my team and my family.
Check me out on twitter @sullivanmma thanks for having me guys.
0 comments:
Post a Comment