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Guida: Sanchez Fight „Was a Spectacle“

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“He (Sanchez) came back to Jackson’s a year or two after our fight when I was training out there,” said Guida, whose official bout with the “Nightmare” will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s Fight wing in July. “It was his first week back and my first week back for another camp and it happened to be sparring day. That was the first time we had ever trained together and we went one round and everybody stopped and watched.”

What happened in the next five minutes put a halt to all activity in the gym as Guida and Sanchez commenced with round four of their friendly – but intense – rivalry. 

GUIDA VS SANCHEZ FIGHT INDUCTED INTO UFC HALL OF FAME

“All these top level guys stopped and watched us do one five-minute round and it was literally like the first round of the fight,” recalled Guida. “Afterwards, we started laughing with each other. And that was the last time we ever sparred. We trained jiu-jitsu and wrestled, but never sparred. You can’t put a price on an experience like that.”

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You can’t put a price on the 15 minutes of fury the two shared in the Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas nearly a decade ago, either. Suffice to say it was a special night.

“The fans won in that one,” said Guida. “It was a spectacle. There were like three or four Fight of the Nights leading up to that one. When you fight in a place like that, there’s no better venue. It was unreal. Everybody won.”

With both Guida and Sanchez sporting three-fight winning streaks heading into their bout, anticipation was high and the winner was expected to challenge BJ Penn for the UFC lightweight crown. Those were just the stakes. From a pure stylistic standpoint, Armageddon in short pants was expected, and “The Carpenter” and the “Nightmare” delivered. 

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And despite the intensity of the fight and everything around it, there was no bad blood between the combatants.

“There was no bad blood whatsoever,” said Guida. “I’ve always had the utmost respect for Diego and I still do. That was just one of those fights. Every once in a while there’s a time and a place for a fight like that, and that was the time and place. It was meant to happen and the timing couldn’t have been better. We were both on a collision course for the belt – we were young in our careers and we were taking down some top contenders and the belt was in our sights. It was a super challenging time in the lightweight division and that fight was one that will be remembered for the intensity, for the blood, for the non-stop action, for the knock down, drag ‘em out, big swinging exchanges and the takedowns. You go down the list – it was a full-on mixed martial arts display from beginning to end. There was no break in the action.”

The three-rounder couldn’t be described any better. When it was over, Sanchez took the fight via split decision, but like Guida said, there were no losers that night. A decade later, this epic is going into the UFC Hall of Fame, and Guida couldn’t be prouder.
 
“That one was so intense,” he said. “I could hear my mom, I could hear my coaches and I could hear the fans. It was non-stop, people stomping their feet, and sometimes you know you’re in a barnburner and you have to be able to block everything else. I treat every fight like a wrestling match, but that one was a tornado and we were in the eye of the storm. There was no sitting on the outside, no resting; it was head-to-head, two rams going at it, and whoever was gonna stand in the battle long enough was gonna get their hand raised and that’s what happened.”

UF299: „Funkmaster“ Aljamain Sterling UFC 238 Recap

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Matt and Jim recap the Khabib-Poirier press conference and dig in on Dana’s response to Henry Cejudo calling himself the greatest combat sports athlete of all time. Then Aljamain Sterling joins the guys in-studio, and discuss Sterling’s big win over Pedro Munhoz Saturday. After Matt asks who’s next, Sterling calls for a title shot against a notable opponent.  Lastly, Sterling reveals what he said to Pedro Munhoz in the middle of the fight.

Get To Know Top Contender Tatiana Suarez

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Her aggression, relentless pressure and vicious ground game have helped her become one of, if not the top contender to Jessica Andrade’s title. Suarez’s technical skills are continuing to develop and if you combine that with factor with her burning passion for winning, it is clear that Suarez is going to be at the top for a longtime.

And while she definitely shows a mean streak inside the Octagon, Suarez’s personality couldn’t be any different from her fighting style. Suarez is quick to make a joke, laugh out loud and is always having fun.

We caught up with Suarez to get to know some more about the undefeated fighter. From childhood sports, to Golden Doodles to crime shows.

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UFC: Growing up, which sports did you participate in and what made you fall in love with wrestling?

Suarez: When I was younger I did all sports. I played soccer, I played football, I was a cheerleader, I danced, I did ballet, I Folklorico dancing which is like a Mexican style of dance, I did volley, I did baseball. I pretty much did everything except for basketball.

I just think that wrestlers are very mentally tough. They have really tough workouts and I think it mentally prepares them to be a champion. Wrestling truly shapes your mindset and pushes you to compete on another level.

UFC: Do you have any current or former UFC fighters that you are a fan of?

Suarez: I like all the little guys, all the fast ones like Henry Cejudo and Demetrious Johnson. They’re all fast and I like watching them.

UFC: What is something about you that fans don’t know?

Suarez: I train dogs and my favorite breed is the Golden Doodle. A Golden Doodle is a Golden Retriever mixed with a Poodle. My dog, Strudel is a Golden Doodle and he’s the best dog in the world.

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UFC: When did you start training dogs and what about it captured your interest?

Suarez: I started training right after I was diagnosed with cancer. I went through my treatment and then after I was done I ended started training dogs. It was something I could do part time and then also train to be a UFC champion.

UFC: What kind of music do you listen to on fight night to pump you up?

Suarez: No so when I’m in the locker room I like to listen to the crowd and kind of listen to the outside, the commentators on the screen and stuff like that. Just because I want to be where I’m at I don’t want to kind of zone out because then when I get into the cage it’s going to be more of a shock. I think if you’re around it, that’s what the sound is that’s where your environment is. Grow accustomed to your environment.

UFC:  Do you have any TV shows or genres that you’re into?

Suarez: I’m a crime show girl. I’m like obsessed, obsessed with murders, not murdering people don’t want to do that that’s bad. But finding out the killer, I like when the person gets justice. Yeah it’s not going to bring them back but put that sociopath in jail. I like Ice Cube’s show, I like Dateline and there’s one that’s crazy called “Buried In The Backyard” that’s about these 30 year old murders that are insane.

UFC:  If you could meet a celebrity who would you pick?

Suarez: I don’t know who I’d pick. As long as they were nice. I wouldn’t want to pick someone who went from being humble and kind to stuck up and rude. I think meeting The Rock would be pretty awesome.

UFC: As you continue to work your way toward the belt you’re celebrity will likely increase. Why is it important for you stay humble and nice?

Suarez: I don’t know, don’t be entitled I don’t like that. Some people feel like they are well known or something they can be entitled I don’t like that kind of attitude. I always want to be humble. I always want to make sure I  do something and my mom is like “that’s good.” I always want to make sure that my mom is happy.

Gavin Porter is a digital producer and writer for UFC.com, follow him on Twitter at @PorterUFCNews

UFC® ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF UFC ACADEMY COMBINE

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About UFC Performance Institute®

UFC opened the first UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas in 2017 as the world’s first mixed martial arts multi-disciplinary research, innovation, and training center. To date, more than 400 athletes from UFC’s roster have utilized the facility and the services provided remotely. In addition, several dozen NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and Olympic sports athletes have visited the facility for support during their off-season training. In June 2018, the Performance Institute unveiled the first-ever comprehensive study of the sport of MMA entitled “A Cross-Sectional Performance Analysis and Projection of the UFC Athlete.” The findings examined over 30,000 performance metrics and data points to reveal the best approach to train and prepare for MMA competition. For more information, visit UFCPI.com.

Pearson Always Showed Up To Fight

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And as Pearson stopped Salar King in two rounds to move to 1-0 as a professional boxer, the native of Sunderland, England was alive again, doing what he loves the most: fighting. 

That the 34-year-old Pearson started a new journey in the fight game following his April retirement from mixed martial arts is no surprise. When UFC President Dana White says fighting is in our DNA, he probably has guys like Pearson in mind. 

That was the beauty of Pearson’s 26-fight run in the UFC, which began with his win of The Ultimate Fighter against Andre Winner in 2009 and ended in March with a loss to Desmond Green. Win, lose or draw, he showed up to fight. Sometimes it worked out in his favor, other times it didn’t. But he always came out swinging with a love for the game that was evident.

MORE: Hermansson’s Opportunity | Max Holloway Update |  UFC 242 Press Conference | Manuwa’s Goodbye

Along the way, he joined Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy as one of the leading ambassadors for British MMA, opening the door for the fighters that came after him, and while he reached a high level of notoriety for his fighting exploits, he never acted bigger than those who cheered for him. The reason for that was simple; Pearson loved fighting as much as the fans did.

“I’m a crazy fan myself,” he told me in 2011. “I get excited before each UFC fight comes on and I still watch all of them. I watch so many fights that I pick up other guys’ stuff because I’m a fan and I try things out. I think that’s why I’m improving so much, because I still am a fan of the sport. I love going to the UFC events, I love cornering my teammates, and I just love it.”

And as the UFC began making regular trips to England in 2007, Pearson was an up and comer hungry to enter the Octagon while juggling a day job as a bricklayer. On one job site in Newcastle in 2008, he was working as UFC 80 was taking place.

“I was working on a building site right next to there,” said Pearson. “We went along to watch the weigh-ins and I stood outside trying to get tickets and I remember the feeling of hearing that BJ Penn was staying in the hotel right near where I lived. There was all this excitement about the UFC, and I was working on a building site. But it hit home that this was what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be.”

In a year’s time, Pearson would be on The Ultimate Fighter, and his win on the show made him a UFC fighter. The fan inside him didn’t go away, though, and when told that his fighting hero Randy Couture was headlining the UFC 105 card where he was taking on Aaron Riley, finding a poster for “The Natural” to sign was as important as making weight for the bout.

So Pearson was everyman, the fan who lived every fan’s dream, and along the way, he fought the best of the best and more than proved that he belonged in such company as he beat the likes of Dennis Siver, Spencer Fisher, George Sotiropoulos, Gray Maynard, Sam Stout and Paul Felder.

The losses hurt, especially those to Diego Sanchez and Edson Barboza, but Pearson always marched forward and moved on to the next fight, even taking five bouts in 2016. But after the Green bout in Philadelphia, he decided that his time in MMA had run its course.

“After some long hard talks, and careful consideration with my family, friends and team, I’ve decided it’s time to retire as an MMA fighter,” Pearson wrote on Instagram. “As hard as that is to say, it’s not the end of my career as a competitor. I’ve always been a fighter, and right now I am keeping my mind open as to what’s next for me.” 

Apparently, it’s the sweet science of boxing, and knowing Ross Pearson, he’s going to be all-in and swinging from the first bell to the last.

Hermansson Sees His Opportunity On The Horizon

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A guest fighter at the recent UFC Stockholm event, Jack Hermansson was visibly full of excitement. Despite not being on the card, the palpable fight week vibes were in the air, and “The Joker” was feeling it.

“I can feel myself getting pumped up, and then I have to remind myself ‘cool down, you’re not going to fight this weekend.’”

But sitting in the shadow of the venue that was unknowingly about to host the final bout of Swedish countryman Alexander Gustafsson, Hermansson was aglow knowing his day was on the horizon.

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“One day I’m going to headline it here in the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm. I’m pretty sure of that. Alex is a great representative of the sport, but for sure one day it’s going to be my turn to be the main event here in Stockholm.”

That’s not bravado talking, that’s a realistic prediction from a middleweight that suddenly finds himself ranked among the elite in his division, emphatically making his case earlier this year in Florida with a short-notice statement win over Jacare Souza. If there were doubters before, they were doubters no more.

“After my win against Jacare, I really believe that the MMA community sees me as one of the top guys in the middleweight division. That has been my goal, so, now that I am one of the top guys, I want to go all the way and get that title.”

Souza had originally been slated to rematch Yoel Romero before the latter withdrew due to illness. When it was announced Hermansson would be the replacement, the chagrin was evident in Souza’s demeanor.

“Many people were telling me that he was discouraged and not that motivated. But at the same time, he said the UFC promised him a title shot if he won that fight, and that is his ultimate goal…and it was so close, he just needed to beat me. He should’ve been motivated. I think he was. I don’t think he knew what a big task he had in front of him. He had a lot to lose in fighting me, for sure.”

MORE: Gustafsson’s Legacy | Max Holloway Update | Macy Chiasson Survives Tragedy | UFC 242 Presser in London

Indeed, Jacare was just the latest victim in Hermansson’s four-fight winning streak; all finishes. That Hermansson has skills is no shock. He boasts a 20-4 professional record, including six of his last seven. But his recent spate of dominating performances has turned more than a few heads. It’s almost as if it’s suddenly Hermansson 2.0, a phenomenon her credits in no small part to a mental coach he added to his team.

“It was after my loss to Thiago Santos. I really wanted to see ‘Is there’s anything else I can do with my career that I’m not doing right now?’ I had all the coaches, all the staff, all the help I can get, but I didn’t get into the mental game yet. I hired one, and only then I knew that there’s so much I needed to work on. And I’ve been working with him ever since and I’ve won all my fights since then as well.”

The results certainly speak for themselves, and not just in the gym.

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“It helped me in so many ways. Not only with feeling better on fight day, but also in the preparation. I feel like my coach is not only a mental coach, he’s a performance coach. He helps me do all the things that I can do in my life to help me prepare for the fight. It’s not only visualization and meditation, it’s a lot of other things. He’s going through every thing I do every day to see if there’s anything else we can adjust, is there anything else we can do better. That’s what this sport is about if you want to be the best you can be.”

The best Jack Hermansson can be will now be put to the test by fighters with tiny numbers next to their names, and at least at the moment, one of them sticks out more than the others: Kelvin Gastelum.

Gastelum is a great fighter. I think the fans want to see that fight. He’s higher ranked than me, and I want to continue to climb up there. He’s one of the guys that I need to beat to get to the title. And he’s also the only one ranked higher than me that’s not booked right now. That’s the natural choice.”

Time will tell. Having just fought three fights in less than five months, Hermansson is enjoying a well-deserved summer off, with an eye towards an autumn return. Whoever he ends up facing will stand across from not only the potential new face of Swedish MMA, but a motivated man reveling in his chosen profession.

MORE: Manuwa Says Goodbye | UFC 238 Thrill & AgonyThe Story of Daniel Cormier

“I love the sport. I try to see all the UFC events. I love it. I try to see how other people are fighting, how the sport is growing and developing…all the styles…I love this.”

Steve Latrell is a writer and producer for UFC.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheUFSteve

Max Holloway Can’t Wait To Defend The Throne

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Not so, says “Blessed.”

“When the king leaves his throne on hiatus for a little bit, people try to come take over. And we’re at that point. Somebody’s trying to take the throne, and guess what, I’m back and I can’t wait.”

Buy tickets for UFC 240 today!

That somebody is Frankie Edgar, and with Holloway back at 145 pounds to defend his crown for the third time in the main event of UFC 240 on July 27 in Edmonton, it’s almost like business as usual for the Hawaiian, who lost a hard-fought five-round decision to Poirier in a Fight of the Night classic.

And while becoming a double champ and defending both crowns were enticing propositions, there is no lack of motivation for him in returning to featherweight to face Edgar.

“This fight excites me and I get motivated for every fight,” he said. “Every time we talk, I’m 0-0 every single time, and I can’t wait to go out there and remind the world why I’m one of the best fighters, if not the best fighter, in the world.”

As for why this fight with the former lightweight champ from New Jersey has him amped up, that’s simple.

“Third time’s the charm,” Holloway laughs. “That’s the whole concept of this fight. We had some unfortunate events that made me back out one time and him back out one time. So we’ve been training for each other for a while now. I’ve been around for a while, 20 fights in the UFC and this is my third title fight in eight months. There’s a bunch of film on me, a bunch of film on him, and I can’t wait. We’re ready. He’s a former champion and this fight should be fun. This is one of the guys that’s always been in my head that I want to fight him. To me, he’s like (Jose) Aldo. He’s one of the greats and I’m just happy that I get the opportunity to share the Octagon with him.”

And while Holloway – still just 27 years old – admits that there’s plenty of time spent watching film of both Edgar and himself, he can’t look at any of that footage as a fan yet.

“It’s too soon for that,” he said. “I wish I could, but people start celebrating what they did and I’ve got a lot more time in the game. I say I don’t want to fight a day after 35, but we’ll see what happens when 35 comes because it’s hard for people to retire from any sport. I saw Dwyane Wade and he talked about how he’s going to talk to a therapist to help him with getting used to being retired. People don’t know. You’re used to doing one thing so much and it just disappears and people don’t know what to do with themselves. So right now I can’t be a fan. Maybe when that time comes I’ll get to be a fan and that will help me cope with retiring, but right now, we’ve got a lot more to do.”

Watch Holloway Defend His Belt Live

That work takes place in the Octagon and out; starting inside with his bout against Edgar and outside with his lifetime job of setting a good example for his son, Rush.

“What motivates me a lot is that little man, ‘Mini Blessed,’” said the proud papa. “All these records and stuff are cool, but me being able to show him how you should carry yourself and how you should act is the ultimate win for me. And being able to give this kid a life, maybe he’ll go to college, maybe he fights…”

Holloway pauses, then continues. 

“I don’t want him to fight; I keep forcing him to be a doctor and he’s kinda over it. (Laughs) He wants to be a fighter, he told me, but we’ll see what happens.”

See Holloway defend his belt in Edmonton

UFC 238 Raffle Raises Nearly $16,000 In Illinois

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Werges’ took one of his grandsons, Marshall and Devin, to UFC 218: Holloway vs Aldo 2 in Detroit. So when the UFC was back in the upper Midwest, it was only fair that he took the both. Werges’ grandsons were both massive fans of UFC 238 guest fighters Stephen „Wonderboy“ Thompson and Chris Weidman. Thanks to the UFC fan experience event the young fans were able to meet Thompson and Weidman.

„We will end up spend it (the prize money) on the rest of the grandchildren as well as the Marshall and Devin,“ Werges said.

Chris Winston, the Chief Marketing Officer for Special Olympics of Illinois expressed his gratitude for the contribution, and provided some insight into what the funding will do for athletes.

„These dollars, the approximately $4,000 that we will get will go to athletes,“ Chris said. „We don’t charge our athletes to complete so when they compete, it’s paid for by what we did here tonight. That money is really, really important.“

Last Saturday’s raffle marks UFC’s fourth 50/50 raffle this year, culminating in more than $102,000 raised for local organizations. UFC’s next 50/50 raffle will be at UFC 239: Jones vs Santos.

UFC 242 PRESS CONFERENCE RECAP

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While some press events can get heated as the bad blood and trash talk overwhelms the moment, Wednesday’s affair was relaxed and measured, as neither man was interested in running down the other or trying to ignite a feud that doesn’t exist, not because they can’t, but because it’s unnecessary as the main event of the UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi is already a massive fight that will send shockwaves throughout the lightweight division and beyond.

“I’ve said it before,” began Poirier, pointing to the UFC championship belt positioned in front of him, “this here is a piece of the world title and that over there (points to Khabib’s belt) is the world title, and I just want to do the most in training camp and in my life to be ready for that moment.

“It’s been a long road — a lot of ups and downs — but now we’re at the pinnacle, headlining a show in Abu Dhabi against an undefeated guy. I’m excited for the opportunity to show the world what I’m capable of and I want to represent myself and the work that I’ve put into this sport on September 7.”

Where Poirier has been gunning for this opportunity since returning to the lightweight division four years ago, Nurmagomedov admitted that it has taken a little more for him to get up for this matchup.

“This fight is a little different because for this fight, I have to find a big motivation because it’s not a big fight like Conor,” he said, referencing his mega-fight with Conor McGregor last October at UFC 229. “But it’s my second title defense. He’s my opponent, I have to keep building my legacy and I have to keep going.”

Legacy was a key talking point for Nurmagomedov throughout the press conference, as the undefeated champion was asked several times about other possible matchups and laid out the collection of opponents he believes he needs to beat in order to cement his status as the best pound-for-pound fighter of all time.

“Honestly, I don’t know about whether he’s going to come back or not,” Nurmagomedov said when asked about a potential bout with former two-division world champion Georges St-Pierre, who mentioned a potential showdown with the undefeated Dagestani juggernaut prior to announcing his retirement from the sport earlier this year. “But if I want to make my legacy big, I have to beat Dustin, I have to beat Tony Ferguson and GSP and then I can become the pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter. This is my opinion.”

While Nurmagomedov was thinking long range, Poirier was focused on the here and now, preparing himself for the immense challenge he faces on September 7 at UFC 242.

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Asked about what he needs to do in order to become the first man to beat Nurmagomedov, who will carry a sterling 27-0 record into the Octagon, the battle-tested veteran gave a thoughtful answer that highlights just how much he’s matured as both a fighter and a man over the last several years.

“A lot of people have been asking me about where do I see weaknesses in his game or where do I think he makes mistakes,” began Poirier, who has won four straight and is unbeaten in his last six heading into the title unification bout in September. “But I’ve kind of been sitting back, talking to my coaches about this, but I don’t really need him to be weak for me to be strong.

“I don’t need huge, glaring holes — I’m going to create them with my pressure, my Fight IQ, my experience and the amount of rounds and years I’ve been doing this.

“He’s good and I can’t sit up here and say anything bad about the guy,” he added later in the event, circling back to his thoughts on Nurmagomedov and how he becomes the first man to beat him. “But I’m going to make things happen in there and bring him to places that he’s never been in there.”

Although there were no instances of outright trash talk between the two respectful, accomplished veterans, that doesn’t mean that Wednesday’s press engagement didn’t come and go without anyone throwing a little shade.

When asked about testing his striking skills with a patient, educated boxer like Poirier, Nurmagomedov made sure to point out that he’s already been in the cage with a handful of the best strikers the division has to offer and handled them with relative ease, including a couple who have previously gotten the better of his UFC 242 opponent.

“I (have tested) myself (against) the best strikers in the world — Edson Barboza, Michael Johnson, Conor (McGregor). They’re all very good strikers; I think half of them already finished Dustin,” said Nurmagomedov. “They’re really good fighters, I think? I’ve already tested myself against a lot of really good strikers and Dustin is one of them.

“Of course I’m going to stand up too — this is not a wrestling match or grappling match; this is MMA — but my boxing is good too. I respect his game, I respect his boxing, but September 7, I have to do my job, like always.”

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With just under three months until UFC 242, there is still plenty of time to get all the way fired up for what is sure to be an electric evening inside the Octagon in Abu Dhabi.

This is an incredible matchup between two superstar talents and the kind of fight that doesn’t need a rivalry or forced trash talk between two respectful fighters in order to make it appealing.

If you’re not convinced, Poirier laid out the stakes and what makes this bout so compelling perfectly on Wednesday.

“It’s going to be a very high-level fight between two guys on the pound-for-pound list; one of them is undefeated. Two champions are going in and one champion is coming out.”

Manuwa Readies For Next Chapter After Retirement

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And why wouldn’t we? Manuwa was one of the best punchers – pound for pound – in the UFC over nearly seven years in the Octagon, and even when he wasn’t scoring highlight reel knockouts, he was always in a memorable fight, win or lose. 

And he did it without social media antics or press conference scuffles. His fighting spoke loud enough.

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“I don’t feel I have to make any noise,” he told me before his 2014 bout with Alexander Gustafsson. “I feel my fighting speaks for itself. It’s just the way I am. I don’t feel I’m the best fighter or the best finisher; I’m still learning. I have to be humble. I still get submitted in training, I still get punched and hurt in training, so I’ve got to be humble. I’m fighting, sparring and training with guys that are a lot better than me, and I think that’s where it comes from.”

RELATED: Gustafsson’s Elite Legacy

He never lost that attitude, even as he rose to the upper reaches of the light heavyweight division and fought the best competition night in and night out. Sometimes it didn’t go his way, but when it did, such as in wins over Corey Anderson and Ovince Saint Preux, you could easily believe that if he hit anyone clean, it was lights out.

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“I just go in there and fight and do what I do best, which is put pressure on people and make it a violent situation for them,” he said. “It’s just the way I fight.”

Born in Sacramento, raised for several years in Nigeria before making his home in London, England, Manuwa has become a citizen of the world over the course of the last 39 years, even traveling to Sweden for training camps with former opponent Gustafsson at the Allstars Training Center in Stockholm. It’s fitting, because the popular Brit was adopted by fans around the globe for his fighting style and no nonsense demeanor.

“I’m a realist,” he once said. “I don’t talk s**t.”

He didn’t need to. Winner of 17 of his 23 MMA bouts, with 15 of those wins coming by way of knockout, Manuwa got a late start in the pro game at 28, but he never saw his age as a roadblock to his success.

“I’ve got good genes, and I haven’t got that many miles on the clock,” he said, and age wasn’t an issue as he won six of his first eight UFC bouts. A four-fight losing streak would prompt him to announce his retirement earlier this month after a loss to Aleksandar Rakic in Stockholm, and it was a good call for the family man who had nothing left to prove.

In an Instagram post discussing his decision, Manuwa spoke of his family and it reminded me of an early interview where I asked how his kids were taking his day job as a prizefighter. He said that every time he went to the gym, they said the same thing:

“Daddy, don’t hurt yourself.”

Daddy’s home now, ready for the next chapter.

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