05/16/2012
The Korean Zombie A Total Package and Close to Title Shot, Cerrone Wants Diaz Rematch
The following are quotes from the “UFC Postfight Show on FUEL TV” about UFC ON FUEL TV: THE KOREAN ZOMBIE VS. POIRIER. Jay Glazer hosted the show, with analysis from UFC Middleweight No. 1 Contender Chael Sonnen and Former UFC Champion Rashad Evans. Ariel Helwani conducted exclusive postfight interviews backstage at the Patriot Center. Here’s some of what was said:
“UFC Postfight Show on FUEL TV” Analyst Chael Sonnen on UFC on FUEL TV: The Korean Zombie vs. Poirier: “This is why this is the home of MMA. This is exactly why it delivers every time and that is why everybody in the country is sitting here watching it. Anytime you have a card where you can praise the losers -- Lopez, Poirier, Stephens, that just shows you how great the winners did and that is what makes for a great round of fighting.”
“UFC Postfight Show on FUEL TV” Analyst Rashad Evans on The Korean Zombie vs. Poirier: “Wow, wow, wow. That’s all I have to say. These guys went out there, had a great fight and The Korean Zombie closed the show out in a dramatic fashion. It doesn’t get any better than that. You dream of finishing like that and he went out there and he delivered.”
Evans on The Korean Zombie’s performance: “This is something I just didn’t see coming. If you watch Poirier, you see that he is a bigger fighter. You see that he might be able take Zombie shots and put the pressure on him, but Zombie switched it up on us. He was very creative. He looked like he was having a great time and he was non-stop.”
Sonnen on Zombie’s fighting skills: “When did the Zombie become a technician is what I want to know? This guy is a brawler. He gets you tired, he stays on you and he grinds on you. And that’s how he wins his fights. Now he is going for the ground, he is going for the stand-up, he is keeping the pressure. He is the total package and I don’t know where it came from.”
“UFC Postfight Show on FUEL TV” Host Jay Glazer on The Korean Zombie’s technical performance: “He seemed like he didn’t care where the fight went. A couple times he went for risks getting put on his back, and that was fine. He was able to do damage there and then started to work on his submission game.”
Ariel Helwani on The Korean Zombie vs. Poirier: “That performance was so spectacular and in some ways a little surprising. A lot of people were picking Dustin Poirier. He was a major favorite going into this fight, but when you put on a performance like that against a guy like Dustin Poirier, you vault yourself right up the rankings.”
Exclusive Postfight show interview with The Korean Zombie about his win: “I am not sure, because I haven’t seen the fight yet. I think I have to watch it to really get a better idea of what I think of it. I think every time I am an underdog, it gives me more motivation to do well. I think this time I was really able to showcase my abilities.”
The Korean Zombie on if he deserves the title shot: “I think I proved my point in this fight. Previously, I thought I got lucky with a lot of my fights, but I was really able to showcase my abilities and proved what I can do out there.”
Poirier on his loss to The Korean Zombie: “He was just as tough as I expected. I expected a good fight. I am just upset with myself. When it got to those later rounds, he got some good shots in the fourth round. I don’t think I was completely out of it, but whenever I came back to realize what was going on, I was in a dark position and I felt it, but I just didn’t defend it right. I feel like I let myself down and I am upset about that.”
Poirier on his first loss in the UFC: “I had a long training camp. I put a lot into the training camp. I am trying not to get emotional, but I just care so much and I let myself down.”
Sonnen on the potential match-up of The Korean Zombie vs. Jose Aldo: “The leaps and bounds that he is making with each fight, the improvements in the games that he makes, if you put 3, 4, 5, 7 months before he gets in with Aldo, who knows where he will be? And the most important thing physically, is that he can take punches, he can take shots.”
Evans on if The Korean Zombie could beat Aldo: “Yes, he has proved that tonight. He definitely surpassed expectations by far. I would never say he was out of a fight by any means because of the fact that he seems to adapt and he seems to be getting better. We still haven’t seen the best he has to offer, so it would be interesting to see what he can do against a guy like Aldo.”
Helwani reveals news from Dana White on who will fight Aldo next: “Dana White has no problem, based on what The Korean Zombie did tonight, with him getting a title shot and facing the winner of Jose Aldo and Erik Koch. Obviously The Korean Zombie has vaulted up the rankings and he may get a shot at the title.”
Sonnen on Amir Sadollah vs. Jorge Lopez: “This was a big fight and this was a great fight for Lopez. Amir Sadollah was a little too much. They both did a lot of the same to each other. We saw a lot of punching; we saw a lot of kicking.”
Evans on Sadollah vs. Lopez: “I don’t think Amir did enough to win the fight. I thought that Lopez definitely was the aggressor and pushed the pace and actually controlled the rhythm of the fight. Later in the fight, in the third round, Amir did a good job of turning that around, but it was a little too late.”
Evans on the welterweight division: “I just want to see GSP come back healthy, come back ready to fight. I know a focused GSP is a hard guy to stop. And guess what, I know GSP right now is working his way back to be the number-one guy. That’s why he comes to these fights, because he told me, he doesn’t want to forget that feeling of being in the cage.”
Evans on Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens: “Cowboy seemed to have gotten so much better and he is creative. I watched Cowboy for a long time. I trained with him for a long time. I have never seen him as creative as he was tonight and it seemed like he was just letting it go and enjoying himself.”
Exclusive postfight interview with Donald Cerrone on his fight: “I feel good, excited. He [Jeremy Stephens] did exactly what I thought he was going to do. I was able to use my length and move and hope I got a little more head movement this time. I wanted to take him down. I was looking for a submission to finish it, so I’m kind of upset there.”
Cerrone on his loss against Nate Diaz: “It wasn’t me. I was off and I am not making excuses. He was a better man. He looked great in his last fight. My hat’s off to him. He has really turned a corner in his career and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I really want to fight him. I am 100 percent confident I can beat him.”
Evans on Yves Jabouin vs. Jeff Hougland: “Yves Jabouin went in there and got busy today. He did not play around for one second. He came in there and really showed that 11-year experience and that great kickboxing world championship amateur level.”
Sonnen on Jabouin vs. Hougland: “This fight could have and should have been stopped about two or three different times. The Korean Zombie is going to get credit for fight of the night, only because he was the main event. Jabouin has to be discussed, because he showed everything, he fought outstanding and he had constant non-stop action.”
Exclusive postfight interview with Tom Lawlor: “I feel absolutely amazing. It feels like I was out there in the sun, for hours, days, with it beating down on me, in the ocean. I am on a raft - there is nothing around me and all I can think about it knocking out Jason MacDonald. I don’t really even know what I am talking about right now because I am so happy.”
Evans on when he will be back in the Octagon: “I don’t know. I am just going to enjoy myself right now, get in shape and do the things I need to do to get better. My last fight with Jones, I let myself down in areas in which I thought I would be able to exploit as a weakness. And that’s how a fight goes sometimes. Sometimes you think you are going to rise to the occasion and do things a little better and then you don’t. I will get better and I will have another opportunity to fight Jones.”
Exclusive phone interview with Junior dos Santos: “I am ready to fight Mir. I changed my camp. I brought in a lot of kickboxing guys and strikers. When they changed my opponent, I had to change my camp too, because they are completely different. This fight is to defend my championship, it’s not about revenge.”
