That way is nothing to be apologetic about, though, because while many UFC fans might know the Long Islander as a spirited jokester that can trade verbal blows with the best of them, he’s also a serious fighter that made his old teacher become a fan of a sport he had nothing to do with before.
“Hopefully, he reads this,” Villante said with his trademark laugh when asked by UFC.com about the relationship with the teacher, who he explains is “very, very upset” right now because he couldn’t make it to Moncton. Chances are that if you didn’t know Villante was fighting Ed Herman this weekend on the main card of UFC Fight Night: Volkan vs Smith, you would assume he’s just a regular tourist ready to have some fun in the Maritimes.
The fun, though, is reserved for his teacher watching him do his thing from a safe distance.
Or is it?
“He says he doesn’t really like to watch me fight because part of my style is to get hit a lot,” Villante laughed. “That’s a small part of my plan there, beating up the guy’s hands a bit.”
While that might not be the best strategy generally, his upcoming bout promises to require its use a lot. Placed opposite Ed Herman, Villante knows that it will likely take the kitchen sink and more to dismiss the vet, who has been with the UFC for twelve years and 20 fights.
“I’m open just to go in there and be able to trade with the guy and have a hard fight, looking to land the harder shots,” Villante said. “Herman is a tough dude, he’s been around for a while. Durable guy, so it’s going to be a tough fight no matter what. The guy kept his job with the UFC for more than ten years, so he’s a special dude. I’m expecting a tough fight.”
And that’s fine with him, because tough fights are what Villante encountered every time he’s been in the Octagon so far, where he has battled the likes of Ovince Saint Preux, Ilir Latifi, Patrick Cummins and “Shogun” Rua.
“I considered (changing my style), but it’s just not who I am. You’ve got to stay real to who you are or you’re not going to have fun, and I have fun when I try to put someone to sleep.”
For Villante, who has gone to a split decision in his last three fights and lost two of them, both in New York, changing the scenery of his fight from his home state to Canada is enough of a change to avoid suffering the same fate again in case the other guy doesn’t go to sleep.
And while this next fight in Moncton does look like the kind of fight that might not require the judge’s verdict anyways, it’s better safe than sorry for Villante in this case, who gladly missed out on fighting at Madison Square Garden a week later for this reason, but not this reason alone.
Good friends with Chris Weidman since tenth grade, a win in Moncton for the team and another one at MSG, where the former champion will take on “Jacare” Souza a week later, seems like a proper setup for a wild victory party.
“I’ll be celebrating all week with me being able to eat in front of him,” Villante laughed. “But yeah, I mean, we only take it one step at a time, go get that win and then we’ll definitely have a good night after, that’s for sure.”
And because tough fights can’t be part of one’s lifestyle forever, Villante is already planning for life beyond the cage.
“I’ll get really fat,” he laughed, but he also thinks about becoming a teacher, a job he went to school for.
So, don’t be surprised if you see the very same Gian Villante you’re going to see swinging on Saturday night on FOX Sports 1 again years from now, tagged on whatever social media channel will be the norm by then, dressed only in swimming shorts and tie, beer in hand, getting props by one of his students for supporting him all the way up to becoming one of the best at what he does.
Because, through all the jokes and all the fun, being just that is the real reason Gian Villante has been shipping up to Moncton this week.
