Post-UFC 121 News – Velasquez, Ortiz, Shields & Dana Speak Out

— Jake Shields and Dana White spoke last night about Shields’ win over Martin Kampmann. Check out the highlights:

Shields on cutting down to 170 pounds: “I don’t want to make excuses, but that was my first time cutting to 170 (pounds) in a while. I do think I dropped too much weight. If that was a factor, I don’t know, but I pulled out 20 pounds in a day. Will I do that again? No, never. I’ll never drop that much weight again.”

Dana White on the weight-cutting: “No matter how much weight he cut and whatever he did, that’s his fault,” White said. “That’s his stupidity. He’s been in the game for a long time, so I don’t like to use any of that stuff, but the reality is I do know what he did, and I know he won’t make those dumb mistakes next time. I know who he fought tonight. He fought a real guy tonight, and he overcame it. You don’t even have to fight at this level to know that when you’re looking at that clock, and there’s still three minutes left on it, and you’re in the second round, and you make it through the fight and you win it, it says something about you.”

White on Shields’ win: “It was a tough fight for Jake coming in, and no matter where Jake’s fought and what he’s done and who he’s beat and what he’s accomplished, it’s tough coming into the UFC your first time. He beat a tough guy tonight, and he got his first win under his belt.”

— Tito Ortiz spoke last night following his loss to Matt Hamill. Check out the highlights:

On what he plans to do now: “I’m going to hop on the horse, I’m going to get back in the gym in about two weeks, and I’m going to get to a college and start wresting again because I’m healthy. That hunger is there. My heart hurts. My mind stays strong, but I’m going to get back. I’m going to continue on. It’s a challenge.”

On what happened in the fight: “The first round, I didn’t pull the trigger. I hit him with some shots, and I should have continued on. I took a year off, and that really matters. Having neck surgery, that really matters. But I’m proud of myself for even getting in here and competing against a person like Matt Hamill and how tough he is.”

On what the loss means for his career: “It’s not even close to the end of my career. The decision might be in Dana’s hands, but I’ve gone through some surgeries that people don’t come back (from). I feel great. Besides my face being a little sore, I feel fine. I have no more neck problems, no more back problems. I need to get back to wrestling. I need to get back to my roots. … I’m not a quitter. I’m going to continue on. It sucks to lose because I let down a lot of my fans. I let down the UFC. I let down Dana, but I want to prevail. It sucks having losses, but I’m a person to suck it up and carry on. I’ve been in this game for 13 years. I still feel like I have a lot more in me.”

— Diego Sanchez spoke last night about his win over Paulo Thiego. Check out the highlights:

On what weight he plans to fight in: “I think it all just comes down to preparation and the decisions that you make and what you do in your training camp. My motto is, ‘Just earn it.’ Just earn the ‘W,’ and that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to work and earn the ‘W.’ Whatever weight class I fight at, as long as I earn it, I think I’ll be fine fight at 155 or 170 (pounds).”

On his past personal problems: “I cleaned my life up. I’m just focused on the things that matter, which is God, my family and my career. That’s where I stand right now, and that’s what got me to victory.”

On where he wants to go from here: “I just want to fight the best matchups that are going to give the fans the best fights and move me up the ladder in mixed martial arts and this organization. That’s what I want to do, whether it be 155 or 170 (pounds). I’m willing to sacrifice, make dedication, and put my heart and soul in this game.”

— New UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez spoke last night about his championship win over Brock Lesnar. Check out the highlights:

On the fight’s opening moments: “We knew his game plan going in, and it kind of surprised me how hard he did go for it in the beginning. I kind of froze just a little bit. I wasn’t as relaxed as I should have been, but I think after that takedown he got on me, that’s when I was like, ‘OK, relax.'”

On keeping cool when Lesnar went down the first time: “I knew the ref wasn’t going to stop it that early. So we had to pick our shots. I wasn’t just going to go crazy [with] punches if he was on bottom. He was covering up well. I wanted some punches to connect, and some elbows to get in there, so I took my time and really thought about where I should throw the punches and where I should give the elbows.”

On the size difference: “I felt his strength, and I felt his power, and I was definitely used to competing with guys that were just as strong as him. I just think I was well-prepared for this fight.”

On what his heritage brings: “I think [Latinos] bring a fighting style that’s always forward,” he said. “We don’t stop. We have that blood in our heart that won’t stop. That’s the kind of fights people want to see, and that’s the kind of fights we bring.”

On his expected fight with Junior Dos Santos: “I have to be a much better fighter. I have to keep evolving. I think [Dos Santos is] the best standup fighter that there is as far as heavyweight, so he’s extremely tough. He has great takedown defense. He gets right back up if you take him down. He’s really relaxed in his boxing, so I definitely have my work cut out for me.”

— UFC president Dana White spoke last night about Brock Lesnar’s loss to Cain Velasquez. Check out the highlights:

On what Lesnar’s loss means for the company: “It’s not about that. This is fight business. Whoever wins, wins. I don’t look at how he is a huge draw and we should do this or that.”

On Brock’s difficulty with striking: “He has been working with guys on his striking. It’s one of those things where Brock has fought, what, five times now in the UFC? We’ve seen fights where he’s standing up and … he doesn’t look like he’s going to win a boxing title any time soon, but his standup looks good when he’s throwing punches and landing. When he’s getting hit, that’s when his hands start to fall apart.”

On whether the loss will bring Lesnar back earlier than planned: “I personally think the competitive side of him is going to come out. We’ll see what happens. Brock and I have been fighting a lot over the last month and a half. We’ll see how it goes after this.”

On whether Lesnar’s lost value in the UFC: “This is mixed martial arts, and every dog has his day. Tonight was his day. I think people are always going to be interested in Brock, and I think a lot of people are going to be interested in Cain now, too. It’s just the sport. It’s the way it goes. I honestly never even think about stuff like that. Just like when people talk about Frankie Edgar – ‘Oh no, Frankie Edgar.’ Frankie Edgar is badass. He beat B.J. Penn. People either feel it or they don’t, and you know what my philosophy on that is. If you don’t, don’t [expletive] watch it.”

— Brendan Schaub spoke last night about his win over Gabriel Gonzaga, his next opponent and more. Check out the highlights:

On winning this fight: “The last couple of fights I’ve been so unsatisfied. This one, I definitely thought I was going to get the finish. It just didn’t happen, but it’s always good to know you can go three rounds.”

On going the distance: “Look at my face; I’ve been in a fight. It’s definitely the best feeling that I’ve had in the UFC so far.”

On who he’d like to fight next: “I’d love to match up with Frank Mir. He’s one of the stars in the division, and I think I would give him a lot of problems.”

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