37-year-old former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk has only four career losses, all of them to former or current UFC champions: Frankie Edgar, BJ Penn, Georges St-Pierre, and Matt Hughes. He holds victories over Karo Parisyan, Manny Gamburyan, Benji Radach, Nick Diaz, Kenny Florian, Hermes Franca and Tyson Griffin. He has never been submitted.
Plagued by injuries for the better part of a year, Sherk wants to prove he still belongs among the elite at 155 pounds. He will take on unbeaten Evan Dunham at UFC 119 on Sept. 25 in Indianapolis.
“Everyone keeps bringing up this age thing, but when I fought [Edgar], I didn’t get my ass kicked by any means,” Sherk said during a recent appearance on the Sherdog Radio Network’s Savage Dog Show. “I lost the decision, but I didn’t get beat up. I didn’t get taken down. I didn’t get hurt. I didn’t get knocked out. So as far as me not being able to compete, I still think I’m one of the best fighters in the world.
“I’m a force to be reckoned with. Anyone who thinks I’m not can step in the Octagon with me. I’ve got all kinds of stuff left to offer this industry and this sport. I’m not going anywhere for a long time. I haven’t lost any athleticism. I haven’t lost any of my ability. I’ve only gotten better, and I’ve only gotten smarter.”
“I trained so hard for years, and I felt like I had to train hard and train myself 100 percent for these fights because I was fighting a lot of tough guys. I really haven’t fought anybody who was outside the top 10 since 2005. I’ve had to train my butt off to get ready for these fights, and I did what I needed to do. Unfortunately, after training that hard for that long, your body will start giving out on you. But I took some time off and was able to get myself healed up.”
“I don’t ever go online. I don’t read any press. I don’t read any interviews. I don’t listen to what the fans say. It really doesn’t matter to me. I’ve been the underdog, but I’m actually surprised that I’m the underdog [against Dunham]. I’ve accomplished more than 95 percent of the fighters in the world have accomplished, so it kind of surprises me that I’d be considered the underdog. But that’s great. I’ve been dealing with adversity and stuff like that my entire career, so this won’t be any different.”
“I’ve been competing since I was 7 years old. It’s not like you forget how to fight because you took a year off. I think the main thing is that I’m totally 100 percent rejuvenated. I’m excited to be back in the Octagon again. I’ve had about a 17-week training camp for this fight, so it’s not like I’ve been sitting at home watching TV and eating potato chips. I’ve done a lot of preparation for this thing. I’m more than ready.”
Read entire article...
Related MMA gear from the UG Store
Recent Comments »
