RDS - Mes rêves ne s’arrêteront pas le 9 août
My own translation - please credit accordingly if you re-post:
My Dreams Will Not End on August 9th
In a bit more than a week, I'll be stepping into the Octagon for the first time since my victory at the Bell Centre to put my championship belt on the line against American fighter Jon Fitch. Defending a title is something that's not new to me, but I promise that this time, I will not repeat the mistakes that led to my loss to Matt Serra in April 2007.
The first time I earned the World title, I was young and had less life experience and I didn't realize the importance of what I held in my hands. Now, I am fully aware of what I hold. I know how big it is and that it's a golden opportunity to ensure a quality future for myself and my family. I don't want to lose that.
This time, I didn't cut any corners in training. I didn't neglect anything. I put in all the sacrifices and I guarantee you that I am in better shape than in my last fight.
At the time of writing these lines, I've just completed my last sparring session, the most physically difficult part of my training routine. With my team, I'll go through the same workouts over and over, I'll study situations in which I could find myself when fighting Fitch, and I'll be drilling escaping these situations over and over. That way, if those situations take place in our fight, I won't even have to think before acting. Everything will happen on instinct.
Really the Best
It may surprise a few people, but I firmly believe that my next opponent is the most dangerous fighter to cross my path since the beginning of my career. It's true that many of the guys I defeated were far from being amateurs, but I believe Fitch is superior to them and I will explain why.
Take a guy like Matt Hughes, for example. An ex-champion who is very strong, but is old school. Hughes has a freestyle wrestling background, which is without a doubt his specialty, but he's not the strongest in other disciplines.
Fitch, like me, is part of the new generation of mixed martial arts fighters. He's strong in wrestling - he's a former NCAA division 1 champion - it's true, but he's also been training kickboxing for a long time, and he has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I'm expecting him to cause me a lot more problems than the others and I'll have to use a lot more tricks to finish him.
To go back to Hughes, let's say I thought the best way to get him into trouble was to put him on his back. Fitch also has his strengths and weaknesses, like everyone else, but there's really nowhere he's not comfortable. He's a complete fighter in every facet of his art. That's why the challenge he's presenting me will be very demanding physically, tactically, and in terms of technique.
I won't blame you if my comments surprise you. He may be my most dangerous opponent yet, but he's also probably the least well known of them all, and this for a simple reason: he's not a trash-talker. He doesn't bad mouth his opponents, and I respect him a lot for that.
A fighter who talks a lot of trash doesn't have a lot oif faith in himself. He'll have to talk to convince himself mentally that he's stronger than his opponent. Fitch is not like that. He knows what he's capable of, but I also know what I'm made of. That's why it should be a hell of a fight.
In spite of what I think of him, I sincerely think I have an advantage over him in all he has to offer. But there is really only one way to find out, and we'll know in the Octagon on August 9th. I often say it's not the best fighter who wins, but the one who fights better, most intelligently, and doesn't make mistakes once the bell sounds. So, even if I'm convinced that I'm better than he is, I'll have to come prepared not to run into bad things.
I have a strategy, I am well prepared. I will make it my fight, not his, and the fighter who fights his way will win the fight.
I am Hungry Too
Last time I fought, I didn't have to look very far for motivation. I had a belt to go get, and I was fighting in my own backyard, my home, Montreal. This time, I'm the one holding the coveted object. I have become a target for everyone in my weight class, and my opponents want to take away what I've worked so hard to acquire.
It's a lot harder to defend a belt than it is to earn one and there can be no doubt that the preparation is different in both situations. When you're the champion, you've got the whole media aspect to deal with. You're much busier, because you're much more in demand. Everyone wants you to make an appearance on their show, everyone would like to interview you.
That part of my work caused me problems against Matt Serra. Today, in spite of my young age, I can say that I am a very mature person. I know my career has not yet reached its peak and that my best years still lie ahead. In combat sports, they say that athletes reach their maximum potential around 30, where you reach your peak in balancing strength, speed, athleticism, and wisdom. I'd say my biggest weakness is my lack of experience, but I've learned a lot from past mistakes.
Jon Fitch is hungry. He wants something that belongs to me, but me - my motivation is that I want to succeed where I once failed. I don't want to give away my belt. I may be the champion, but I too am hungry, and my dreams won't end next Saturday.
My Life Outside the Gym
I've been very busy since my last fight, but obviously, not all I did was training.
I had briefly touched upon the topic in my last entry, but I can now confirm to you that I've signed a contract to play in a movie. Filming will begin after my next fight at the Lion's Gate production studios in Los Angeles. I think I have something like three scenes to do, and if I like it, you might see me in more movies some day.
I was also nominated for an ESPY, the trophies that are awarded by ESPN, in the "fighter of the year" category. Unfortunately, I wasn't in attendance at the awards ceremony, which drew a lot of criticism my way. It was the first time a mixed martial arts fighter was nominated for this honour, and some would have liked for me to attend and represent the sport.
Personally, I saw it as a challenge. Before my first Serra fight, I had done more public relations than training, and I didn't want to make the same mistake. I decided that this time, I would focus my energy into the right places, and not worry about people's opinions.
A Dubious Editorial Choice
Last week, there was a brawl in an Outaouais hotel, and the whole thing was apparently related to an MMA event that took place a few hours earlier in the area. All right, I'm not too familiar with what happened, but there's one thing that really pissed me off.
Thursday, one of my friends called me to tell me that they were talking about me in the newspaper. I didn't know why, but I was very disappointed when I got my answer. When I saw the page in question, there was a big picture of me in my fight with Serra. Associated to this picture was the sensationalist title that implied that "extreme fighting" was to blame for the chaos that took place at the hotel.
It shocked me to see my picture so unfairly associated to this kind of news. It's as though there'd been a brawl after a boxing event in Rimouski, and the newspaper deplored the event with a large picture of Lucian Bute (translator's note: locally famous boxer). What's the connection?
You know, there are sometimes riots related to hockey, and nobody makes a big deal of it. However, when the unfortunate event that takes place has something to do with my sport - and as far as this story is concerned, in a low-level event, everyone freaks out, and my name gets dragged into it for no reason.
In short, I did not find that fair, and I want to emphasize that here. It goes to show that my sport, even if it's rapidly growing in Quebec, still has a long way to go to redeem its image.
But enough with the negativity, I'm going back to training, and we'll talk about it after my fight.
Edited to add: Since someone bumped this, see new entry:
***GSP's NEW Column / "Blog Entry": "Jon Fitch is a Terminator" WITH TRANSLATION***
