In Person! Diaz vs. Condit. Big Country vs. Werdum. Koscheck vs. Pierce. UFC 143 is loaded with wars, and the main event alone makes it worth the trek to the desert. Plus, there are tons of free fan events going on, so score your tickets, book your travel and come see us in person.

On the Big Screen in 3D Sure, you’ve seen action on the big screen but never like this! For the first time ever, a UFC Pay-Per-View will be broadcast live in movie theaters on the big screen! Find a screen near you and buy tickets now at www.ufc.com/3d. Plus, at select theaters in Vegas, Mobile, Mesa, Denver and Fairfax, the night will be hosted by a UFC fighter.

Pay-Per-View… or Pay-Per-View 3D! UFC 143 can be seen on Pay-Per-View through your local cable
operator. (Available on Main Event in Australia; Sky Arena in NZ; UK fans see it for free on ESPN at 3 am.) If you’ve got a 3D television, select cable providers (including DirecTV, At&T U-verse, Cox and Comcast) are also offering the fights in 3D – check yours for details. Besides Superman punches that look like they’re going to break through your TV, the 3D broadcast will feature its own announcing team.

On Xbox LIVE Download the UFC on Xbox LIVE app to your Xbox 360 and get free access to exclusive programming, live streams of the weigh-in and press conference and more (US and Canada only for now – more countries coming soon!). Plus, during Xbox LIVE Free Gold Weekend, you can use the upgrade features like fight picks and an expanded video on demand menu. Then on Saturday, watch the Pay-Per-View live and check out interactive features such as fight card displays.

UFC.tv 
Re-watch every knockout from multiple angles. Keep the camera on your
favorite fighter even during his opponent’s walkout. Hear every
word Nick Diaz’ corner shouts (on second thought…). Watch the free demo of UFC.TV
with its multiple camera angles, HD-quality stream, audio feeds and DVR
controls. It’s a futuristic experience available at your fingertips
today – www.UFC.tv.

At a bar It’s Super Bowl weekend, so you’ve already got wings on your mind – why wait until Sunday!? Visit bars.ufc.com from your computer or mobile device to find a location showing the big guys nears you.

On your Android On the move with your phone? Use the UFC Android Application watch UFC 143 live.

On Your Favorite Site The biggest online video portals are catching UFC fever – catch the Pay-Per-View on YouTube, UStream, Yahoo!, and more.

On Facebook Fans can use Facebook credits to view the stream right on the same tab where you watch the prelims. Like!

On ROKU This UFC experience combines internet streaming on large-screen televisions. Make sure you download the UFC Channel on
your ROKU set-top box.

You had to hear it to believe it, and even then it was shocking. Hundreds, maybe thousands of British fans were firing back at American Chris Cope with the “Woooo” yell that has become his trademark (via pro wrestling legend Ric Flair) as he walked to the Octagon to face home country favorite Che Mills at UFC 138 last November. It was one of those moments that only sports can provide, and The Ultimate Fighter 13’s Cope has an idea why fans from another continent were buying in to what he represented.

“Here’s the thing, and I’m not trying to sound cocky or arrogant, but I’m kinda like a Rudy, and how can you not like the underdog?” said Cope, referring to Rudy Ruettiger, the walk-on for the Notre Dame football team whose story was immortalized in the film “Rudy.” “Forrest Griffin is never gonna be known as a spectacular, crazy fighter, but that guy provides the average Joe with hope because he’s a guy who came from grass roots, he worked hard and trained hard and now he’s in the UFC and he’s one of the poster boys.”

Already 1-0 in the UFC with an impressive win over TUF13 castmate Chuck O’Neil in June of last year, Cope was in the process of building his own success story until a crushing knee sent him to the canvas and kicked off a sequence that saw him stopped in 40 seconds by Mills. Yet as he walked back out into the LG Arena to watch the rest of the event, once again he was stunned by what happened.

“I got laid out in that fight,” he said. “I got caught with a knee 40 seconds in, and I was embarrassed as hell. I knew I was going up against a really good fighter and I knew that things could happen even though I’ve never been caught like that before. It is what it is, and it happened. But I remember going back to the locker room and then coming back out to sit down, and they all wanted autographs. They all wanted pictures. I’m like ‘guys, I lost; I got caught in there, why do you want my autograph?’ They said ‘We don’t care. We love you, you’re great.’ That made me feel good because it made me really feel like it doesn’t matter whether I win or lose because these people have got my back. I call it the Woo Nation. I do it, they do it, and when I fight, I’m not just fighting by myself. They’re in there fighting with me.”

This Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, odds are that the Woo Nation will be out in force again to back their man when he faces Matt Brown in one of those fights that promises action.

“I think he’s a very tough guy, he comes out to fight very hard right off the bat, he’s got very good striking, underrated submissions off his back, and he’s a gamer,” said Cope of Brown. “He comes to fight, and he’s always very dangerous. I’m a fan of his and I’ve got nothing but respect for him.”

There’s also plenty on the line for both men. Cope, still relatively inexperienced with eight pro fights, is coming off the loss to Mills, which puts him at 1-1 in the Octagon. Brown is 1-4 in his last five, making a win imperative. But regardless of what’s at stake, Cope has never strayed from a path of work, work, work.

“I’m a grinder,” said Cope, who does paralegal work at a Southern California law firm in addition to his fighting career. “I wake up at six in the morning, I’m at work by seven. My lunch break is training, I train and then I go back to work, I leave at four. And then I basically go to pro practice from 4:15 to 5:30, then I work another hour with a trainer from 5:30 to 6:30, then either run or do strength and conditioning after that. I don’t know what it is about me, but if you’re gonna build a wall of success, you build it one brick at a time. And all those practices add up.”

For him, that’s the key, just being consistent and working harder than the next guy.

“People saw me on The Ultimate Fighter, and they didn’t think I was that good,” he said. “And you might be better than me, you might be faster than me, and you might be more athletically gifted than me, but when you’re missing sessions, I’m not. I’m in the gym, and come hell or high water, I’m getting those three goals.”

Three goals?

“I’ve got three goals in this thing, and once I do those, I’m done. One of them is to fight for the UFC, and I’ve done that. The second is to fight in Japan. The third one is to win a belt, and if I can do it in the UFC, that’s the number one dream come true. And once I get those three, I’m out.”

If Cope sounds like he’s got everything together at the age of 28, that would be an accurate assessment. But it wasn’t always that way for him.

“My dad used to be a narcotics cop, and when I was growing up, he always told me that he’d disown me if he ever caught me on drugs, and the whole time I was growing up, when kids were getting involved with weed and ecstasy, and after graduation, cocaine, I never messed around with it,” he said. “Alcohol was the one thing, and I’m like ‘it’s no big deal; it’s legal, I’m fine doing this.’ Well, lo and behold, in my opinion it’s one of the most destructive drugs out there. Almost every time there’s a murder, or an accident, or sometimes a fight, usually alcohol’s involved. It’s America’s drug.”

And Cope bought into it hook, line, and sinker, using alcohol as a means to fit in with the crowd his father warned him about.

“I thought I was the cool guy,” he said. “I graduated from UCSB (Cal-Santa Barbara) and Playboy rated it like the number two or three party school in the country. And the college parties I threw were out of a movie. I thought I was awesome and the coolest party guy ever.”

But after getting picked up by the police on three misdemeanors (vandalism, public intoxication, and resisting arrest), Cope began to see that he was headed in the wrong direction.

“For the first time in my life, I saw myself on the other end of the legal system, and I didn’t like that at all,” he said, “But I still kept drinking for a couple years.”  

All the while, his pro MMA career was taking off, and when he got called to Las Vegas to be interviewed by producers for season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2010, it was party time for the 4-1 Cope.

“I was faded, and that was 11 in the morning the next day,” he recalled. But when he got home to San Diego, he took a good, hard look at himself and didn’t like what he saw.

“I was embarrassed about myself,” he said. “I said enough’s enough. I’m done. I quit. And that was December 8th, 2010.”

More than 13 months later, he’s still sober.
 
“I used to call myself an alcoholic and I don’t call myself that anymore,” he said. “I just say that I’m a person that doesn’t really have a kill switch. It doesn’t define who I am, it’s just an aspect of my life, and I just keep going.  It (alcohol) didn’t add anything to my life. It really alienated people from me, it caused me to blow a lot of my money, and I would guarantee that if I was drinking on that Ultimate Fighter show and got drunk on there, I wouldn’t be in the position that I’m in now. Life couldn’t be better now and I’m glad I did it.”

If that’s not a reason to become a full-fledged member of Woo Nation, I don’t know what is. And if you’re looking to count someone out of a fight, Chris Cope is probably not that guy, because no matter what the final result is, he’s already won.

“You can play in small in life, or you can play big, but to play big, you’ve got to get on the field,” he said. “And when you get on the field, you might win or lose, but you still got on the field and played ball.”

Saturday night can’t get here soon enough for Carlos Condit.

After spending the final four months of 2011 in what felt like a constant state of limbo, the 27-year-old will finally get to switch from hitting mitts with coach Mike Winkeljohn to putting his considerable talents to work in the cage. In a fitting twist of fate, Condit will get to take out the frustrations he’s endured against the man who has been at the root of many of them.

Rewind to September: Condit was slated to face UFC legend BJ. Penn in the co-main event of UFC 137, a bout that would be followed by Diaz challenging Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title.

But when Diaz missed a string of media obligations, UFC President Dana White made a change, demoting Diaz from the main event, and elevating Condit. The man known as “The Natural Born Killer” broke down in tears on the phone when White told him the news.

Just 11 days before he was set to fight for the UFC welterweight title, Condit’s dream was put on hold. St-Pierre tweaked his knee in training; their bout was rescheduled for UFC 143, the annual Super Bowl weekend show. Diaz and Penn headlined UFC 137 instead, with Condit assured the outcome of the main event would not have an impact on his upcoming title fight.

On October 29, Diaz battered Penn before throwing down the gauntlet for GSP, questioning the legitimacy of his injury, trying to talk his way back into the fight he lost a month early. By the time White took the podium for the post-fight press conference, Condit’s fight calendar needed adjusting once again.

“There’s been a lot of ups and downs; a lot of excitement and disappointment,” admitted the former WEC welterweight champion. “It’s been crazy, as anybody looking from the outside can imagine. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of focusing on what I need to do — which is train and be prepared for whoever I end up fighting — and this time it ended up being Diaz.”

After shuffling places twice in the last six months, Condit and Diaz will now pair off, a torn ACL sending St-Pierre to the sidelines and the surgical table. With the date of his return to the cage uncertain, the top two welterweight contenders will battle for an interim version of the 170-pound championship on Saturday night.

It’s a fight that has been a long time coming for the 27-5 native of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“I’m stoked to be done with camp. I’m stoked to be finally stepping out there to do what I’ve been training to do for the last six months: to go out there and fight, compete to the best of my abilities.”

While Diaz began his second stint in the UFC with much fanfare and an immediate shot at the welterweight title, Condit has quietly been working his way up the 170-pound ranks.

The last welterweight champion in WEC history, he lost a razor-thin decision to Martin Kampmann in his debut, coming out on the right side of the verdict against Jake Ellenberger in his second Octagon appearance. A come-from-behind victory over Rory MacDonald at UFC 115 caused people to start taking notice, and a first-round knockout of Dan Hardy in his own backyard announced Condit as a potential contender, though he remained behind some of the more established names in the company.

“It’s hard to get out from under the shadow of these guys like (Jon) Fitch, and (Josh) Koscheck, and maybe even Thiago Alves — guys that have been in the division for years and years and years, and all had great wins.”

But now is Condit’s turn in the spotlight.

His savage first round destruction of Dong Hyun Kim was his fourth consecutive victory, the second straight bout that he’s earned Knockout of the Night honors, and the third consecutive contest to produce a post-fight bonus. Though it looked like the gods were against him, Condit’s patience and perseverance has been rewarded, and he’s ready to make the most of it.

“This is a fight I’ve wanted for a really long time, and the fact that it’s happening now, after all this turmoil and craziness with the change of opponents and everything, it really couldn’t have worked out better.

“I think that styles make fights, and I think that this style match-up is going to be extremely exciting. It’s a very tough fight; Nick’s one of the best in the welterweight division. I think there are some guys stylistically that could probably beat him, but I think the matchup between us — we’re very evenly matched. We have similar skill sets, maybe a little bit different approach — different style — but it’s exciting.”

The 28-year-old Diaz is on an 11-fight winning streak that includes nine stoppages, with victories over the likes of Frank Shamrock, KJ Noons, Paul Daley, and Penn. An enigma outside of the cage, Diaz is all business when the lights go up and the fight begins, blending tremendous boxing with a slick submission game.

He’s also adept at shaking his opponents with a barrage of pre-fight banter, an ability and instinctual talent he’s passed on to his younger brother Nathan as well. Condit is prepared for it all — the boxing, the jiu-jitsu, and the verbal jabs.

“Nick likes to get in your head, talk a lot of trash, so I need to stay composed, and step in with the attitude that I always do; just be about my business, and not get sucked into all that other stuff. I just have to fight my fight. No matter what an opponent says or how much trash they talk, I get the opportunity to go in there and beat him down. I can just hold my tongue and let it build, and as soon as the cage door closes, it’s game time.”

Condit knows he’s in for a battle, but he’s ready, and confident that if he sticks to the game plan, he’ll emerge from Saturday’s headliner as the interim UFC welterweight champion.

“Nick is probably the toughest guy I’ve ever fought. He’s an endurance athlete — he puts tons and tons of pressure on guys — and he’s got some really good skills with his hands; his jiu-jitsu’s great.

“But I just really need to fight my fight. If I do that, I feel like I’m going to walk away with the belt.”

If your last impression of Fabricio Werdum is seeing him knocked out by future UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos back in October of 2008, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do, and the Brazilian, who returns to the UFC this Saturday night to face off against Roy Nelson at UFC 143 in Las Vegas, will be the first to admit that he’s a changed man, in and out of the Octagon.

“Everything changed in my life,” said Werdum. “Now I’m with a stronger camp, I’m with my master (Rafael Cordeiro) and close to my family. That time was not a good time in my personal life, but now I’m 100% in every aspect.”

And that’s not just talk to explain away what, at the time, was a shocking defeat. Practically no one knew who dos Santos was when he made his UFC debut that night in Illinois, and Werdum, who was coming off back-to-back knockout wins over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera, was widely considered to be one of the world’s elite heavyweights, But a single uppercut ended Werdum’s night at the 81 second mark of the first round, sending him out of the organization while propelling dos Santos up the ladder on the way to the title.

The loss easily could have signaled the start of a decline for the native of Porto Alegre, Brazil, but instead, he got back in the gym and began reinventing himself, eventually winding up in Southern California with former Chute Boxe guru Rafael Cordeiro. By 2009, Werdum had signed with the Strikeforce organization, debuting in August of that year with an 84 second submission win over Mike Kyle. Three months later he decisioned countryman Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, but it wasn’t until June of 2010 that he made the MMA world sit up and take notice again.

That night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Werdum needed just 69 seconds to hand the seemingly unstoppable Fedor Emelianenko his first loss in nearly a decade, and what many considered the first legitimate defeat of the Russian’s fabled career.

A June 2011 matchup with a man he defeated in 2006, Alistair Overeem, followed, and though he lost a unanimous decision to the current number one contender, he showed that he could stand with a former K-1 Grand Prix champion and even hold his own. It’s something the decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is proud of.

“I’m training everyday with my master Rafael Cordeiro, a few months ago I got my black belt in Muay Thai, and I’m ready to strike the whole time if I need to.”

And though he was doing well in Strikeforce, Werdum always felt that there was unfinished business for him in the UFC, and he expected that one day, he would get a call back to the Octagon.

“That was one of my biggest motivations to train every day,” he said, and soon, his patience would pay off as he got re-signed to the promotion and tasked with facing Nelson this Saturday.

“Every fighter that is part of UFC is here for some reason,” said Werdum. “Roy Nelson is a good boxer and good grappler, but I’m ready for him and to prove my value in the Octagon. I’m very happy to be back, this is an opportunity that I was waiting for a long time and now I’m ready to take it.”

Frankly, the timing couldn’t be any better for “Vai Cavalo,” as a win over “Big Country” will likely shoot him straight into the title picture, where currently two familiar faces – dos Santos and Overeem – are preparing to battle it out for the belt later this year. So, any pick from the fighter who may know them better than most?
 
“For sure it will be a great fight for the fans,” said Werdum. “They are both top fighters and I’m excited to see both of them back in the Octagon in the near future.”

Okay, that didn’t work out. How about this: any preference for an opponent, should he get a title shot soon?

“No, I just will look for my title shot against anyone that will be in my way. This is a very good division, with so many good fighters, and I will look for my spotlight and my way for the title.”

Well, for what Werdum lacks in calling out opponents, he makes up in fighting skill, and at 34, the Brazilian veteran feels better than ever as he makes his welcome return.

“I’m feeling faster and stronger, with more skills and experience, and I’m ready to go. The fans should expect a great show, and for sure a new and very hungry Werdum, ready to put a show on for them.”

Light heavyweights Thiago Silva and Brandon “The Truth” Vera have verbally agreed to wrap up some unfinished business this May in Fairfax, VA. “Their last fight ended up a no contest and both guys are out to prove that they are the better man,” said UFC president Dana White.

Verbal agreements are also in for a middleweight matchup at that event between “Filthy” Tom Lawlor and Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald.

The bouts will take place at the just-announced third UFC on FX event, tentatively scheduled for May 15 in Fairfax, Virginia. More details including venue information and ticket on-sales will be announced in coming weeks.

In Person! Diaz vs. Condit. Big Country vs. Werdum. Koscheck vs. Pierce. UFC 143 is loaded with wars, and the main event alone makes it worth the trek to the desert. Plus, there are tons of free fan events going on, so score your tickets, book your travel and come see us in person.

On the Big Screen in 3D Sure, you’ve seen action on the big screen but never like this! For the first time ever, a UFC Pay-Per-View will be broadcast live in movie theaters on the big screen! Find a screen near you and buy tickets now at www.ufc.com/3d. Plus, at select theaters in Vegas, Mobile, Mesa, Denver and Fairfax, the night will be hosted by a UFC fighter.

Pay-Per-View… or Pay-Per-View 3D! UFC 143 can be seen on Pay-Per-View through your local cable
operator. (Available on Main Event in Australia; Sky Arena in NZ; UK fans see it for free on ESPN at 3 am.) If you’ve got a 3D television, select cable providers (including DirecTV, At&T U-verse, Cox and Comcast) are also offering the fights in 3D – check yours for details. Besides Superman punches that look like they’re going to break through your TV, the 3D broadcast will feature its own announcing team.

On Xbox LIVE Download the UFC on Xbox LIVE app to your Xbox 360 and get free access to exclusive programming, live streams of the weigh-in and press conference and more (US and Canada only for now – more countries coming soon!). Plus, during Xbox LIVE Free Gold Weekend, you can use the upgrade features like fight picks and an expanded video on demand menu. Then on Saturday, watch the Pay-Per-View live and check out interactive features such as fight card displays.

UFC.tv 
Re-watch every knockout from multiple angles. Keep the camera on your
favorite fighter even during his opponent’s walkout. Hear every
word Nick Diaz’ corner shouts (on second thought…). Watch the free demo of UFC.TV
with its multiple camera angles, HD-quality stream, audio feeds and DVR
controls. It’s a futuristic experience available at your fingertips
today – www.UFC.tv.

At a bar It’s Super Bowl weekend, so you’ve already got wings on your mind – why wait until Sunday!? Visit bars.ufc.com from your computer or mobile device to find a location showing the big guys nears you.

On your Android On the move with your phone? Use the UFC Android Application watch UFC 143 live.

On Your Favorite Site The biggest online video portals are catching UFC fever – catch the Pay-Per-View on YouTube, UStream, Yahoo!, and more.

On Facebook Fans can use Facebook credits to view the stream right on the same tab where you watch the prelims. Like!

On ROKU This UFC experience combines internet streaming on large-screen televisions. Make sure you download the UFC Channel on
your ROKU set-top box.

You had to hear it to believe it, and even then it was shocking. Hundreds, maybe thousands of British fans were firing back at American Chris Cope with the “Woooo” yell that has become his trademark (via pro wrestling legend Ric Flair) as he walked to the Octagon to face home country favorite Che Mills at UFC 138 last November. It was one of those moments that only sports can provide, and The Ultimate Fighter 13’s Cope has an idea why fans from another continent were buying in to what he represented.

“Here’s the thing, and I’m not trying to sound cocky or arrogant, but I’m kinda like a Rudy, and how can you not like the underdog?” said Cope, referring to Rudy Ruettiger, the walk-on for the Notre Dame football team whose story was immortalized in the film “Rudy.” “Forrest Griffin is never gonna be known as a spectacular, crazy fighter, but that guy provides the average Joe with hope because he’s a guy who came from grass roots, he worked hard and trained hard and now he’s in the UFC and he’s one of the poster boys.”

Already 1-0 in the UFC with an impressive win over TUF13 castmate Chuck O’Neil in June of last year, Cope was in the process of building his own success story until a crushing knee sent him to the canvas and kicked off a sequence that saw him stopped in 40 seconds by Mills. Yet as he walked back out into the LG Arena to watch the rest of the event, once again he was stunned by what happened.

“I got laid out in that fight,” he said. “I got caught with a knee 40 seconds in, and I was embarrassed as hell. I knew I was going up against a really good fighter and I knew that things could happen even though I’ve never been caught like that before. It is what it is, and it happened. But I remember going back to the locker room and then coming back out to sit down, and they all wanted autographs. They all wanted pictures. I’m like ‘guys, I lost; I got caught in there, why do you want my autograph?’ They said ‘We don’t care. We love you, you’re great.’ That made me feel good because it made me really feel like it doesn’t matter whether I win or lose because these people have got my back. I call it the Woo Nation. I do it, they do it, and when I fight, I’m not just fighting by myself. They’re in there fighting with me.”

This Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, odds are that the Woo Nation will be out in force again to back their man when he faces Matt Brown in one of those fights that promises action.

“I think he’s a very tough guy, he comes out to fight very hard right off the bat, he’s got very good striking, underrated submissions off his back, and he’s a gamer,” said Cope of Brown. “He comes to fight, and he’s always very dangerous. I’m a fan of his and I’ve got nothing but respect for him.”

There’s also plenty on the line for both men. Cope, still relatively inexperienced with eight pro fights, is coming off the loss to Mills, which puts him at 1-1 in the Octagon. Brown is 1-4 in his last five, making a win imperative. But regardless of what’s at stake, Cope has never strayed from a path of work, work, work.

“I’m a grinder,” said Cope, who does paralegal work at a Southern California law firm in addition to his fighting career. “I wake up at six in the morning, I’m at work by seven. My lunch break is training, I train and then I go back to work, I leave at four. And then I basically go to pro practice from 4:15 to 5:30, then I work another hour with a trainer from 5:30 to 6:30, then either run or do strength and conditioning after that. I don’t know what it is about me, but if you’re gonna build a wall of success, you build it one brick at a time. And all those practices add up.”

For him, that’s the key, just being consistent and working harder than the next guy.

“People saw me on The Ultimate Fighter, and they didn’t think I was that good,” he said. “And you might be better than me, you might be faster than me, and you might be more athletically gifted than me, but when you’re missing sessions, I’m not. I’m in the gym, and come hell or high water, I’m getting those three goals.”

Three goals?

“I’ve got three goals in this thing, and once I do those, I’m done. One of them is to fight for the UFC, and I’ve done that. The second is to fight in Japan. The third one is to win a belt, and if I can do it in the UFC, that’s the number one dream come true. And once I get those three, I’m out.”

If Cope sounds like he’s got everything together at the age of 28, that would be an accurate assessment. But it wasn’t always that way for him.

“My dad used to be a narcotics cop, and when I was growing up, he always told me that he’d disown me if he ever caught me on drugs, and the whole time I was growing up, when kids were getting involved with weed and ecstasy, and after graduation, cocaine, I never messed around with it,” he said. “Alcohol was the one thing, and I’m like ‘it’s no big deal; it’s legal, I’m fine doing this.’ Well, lo and behold, in my opinion it’s one of the most destructive drugs out there. Almost every time there’s a murder, or an accident, or sometimes a fight, usually alcohol’s involved. It’s America’s drug.”

And Cope bought into it hook, line, and sinker, using alcohol as a means to fit in with the crowd his father warned him about.

“I thought I was the cool guy,” he said. “I graduated from UCSB (Cal-Santa Barbara) and Playboy rated it like the number two or three party school in the country. And the college parties I threw were out of a movie. I thought I was awesome and the coolest party guy ever.”

But after getting picked up by the police on three misdemeanors (vandalism, public intoxication, and resisting arrest), Cope began to see that he was headed in the wrong direction.

“For the first time in my life, I saw myself on the other end of the legal system, and I didn’t like that at all,” he said, “But I still kept drinking for a couple years.”  

All the while, his pro MMA career was taking off, and when he got called to Las Vegas to be interviewed by producers for season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2010, it was party time for the 4-1 Cope.

“I was faded, and that was 11 in the morning the next day,” he recalled. But when he got home to San Diego, he took a good, hard look at himself and didn’t like what he saw.

“I was embarrassed about myself,” he said. “I said enough’s enough. I’m done. I quit. And that was December 8th, 2010.”

More than 13 months later, he’s still sober.
 
“I used to call myself an alcoholic and I don’t call myself that anymore,” he said. “I just say that I’m a person that doesn’t really have a kill switch. It doesn’t define who I am, it’s just an aspect of my life, and I just keep going.  It (alcohol) didn’t add anything to my life. It really alienated people from me, it caused me to blow a lot of my money, and I would guarantee that if I was drinking on that Ultimate Fighter show and got drunk on there, I wouldn’t be in the position that I’m in now. Life couldn’t be better now and I’m glad I did it.”

If that’s not a reason to become a full-fledged member of Woo Nation, I don’t know what is. And if you’re looking to count someone out of a fight, Chris Cope is probably not that guy, because no matter what the final result is, he’s already won.

“You can play in small in life, or you can play big, but to play big, you’ve got to get on the field,” he said. “And when you get on the field, you might win or lose, but you still got on the field and played ball.”

Saturday night can’t get here soon enough for Carlos Condit.

After spending the final four months of 2011 in what felt like a constant state of limbo, the 27-year-old will finally get to switch from hitting mitts with coach Mike Winkeljohn to putting his considerable talents to work in the cage. In a fitting twist of fate, Condit will get to take out the frustrations he’s endured against the man who has been at the root of many of them.

Rewind to September: Condit was slated to face UFC legend BJ. Penn in the co-main event of UFC 137, a bout that would be followed by Diaz challenging Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title.

But when Diaz missed a string of media obligations, UFC President Dana White made a change, demoting Diaz from the main event, and elevating Condit. The man known as “The Natural Born Killer” broke down in tears on the phone when White told him the news.

Just 11 days before he was set to fight for the UFC welterweight title, Condit’s dream was put on hold. St-Pierre tweaked his knee in training; their bout was rescheduled for UFC 143, the annual Super Bowl weekend show. Diaz and Penn headlined UFC 137 instead, with Condit assured the outcome of the main event would not have an impact on his upcoming title fight.

On October 29, Diaz battered Penn before throwing down the gauntlet for GSP, questioning the legitimacy of his injury, trying to talk his way back into the fight he lost a month early. By the time White took the podium for the post-fight press conference, Condit’s fight calendar needed adjusting once again.

“There’s been a lot of ups and downs; a lot of excitement and disappointment,” admitted the former WEC welterweight champion. “It’s been crazy, as anybody looking from the outside can imagine. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of focusing on what I need to do — which is train and be prepared for whoever I end up fighting — and this time it ended up being Diaz.”

After shuffling places twice in the last six months, Condit and Diaz will now pair off, a torn ACL sending St-Pierre to the sidelines and the surgical table. With the date of his return to the cage uncertain, the top two welterweight contenders will battle for an interim version of the 170-pound championship on Saturday night.

It’s a fight that has been a long time coming for the 27-5 native of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“I’m stoked to be done with camp. I’m stoked to be finally stepping out there to do what I’ve been training to do for the last six months: to go out there and fight, compete to the best of my abilities.”

While Diaz began his second stint in the UFC with much fanfare and an immediate shot at the welterweight title, Condit has quietly been working his way up the 170-pound ranks.

The last welterweight champion in WEC history, he lost a razor-thin decision to Martin Kampmann in his debut, coming out on the right side of the verdict against Jake Ellenberger in his second Octagon appearance. A come-from-behind victory over Rory MacDonald at UFC 115 caused people to start taking notice, and a first-round knockout of Dan Hardy in his own backyard announced Condit as a potential contender, though he remained behind some of the more established names in the company.

“It’s hard to get out from under the shadow of these guys like (Jon) Fitch, and (Josh) Koscheck, and maybe even Thiago Alves — guys that have been in the division for years and years and years, and all had great wins.”

But now is Condit’s turn in the spotlight.

His savage first round destruction of Dong Hyun Kim was his fourth consecutive victory, the second straight bout that he’s earned Knockout of the Night honors, and the third consecutive contest to produce a post-fight bonus. Though it looked like the gods were against him, Condit’s patience and perseverance has been rewarded, and he’s ready to make the most of it.

“This is a fight I’ve wanted for a really long time, and the fact that it’s happening now, after all this turmoil and craziness with the change of opponents and everything, it really couldn’t have worked out better.

“I think that styles make fights, and I think that this style match-up is going to be extremely exciting. It’s a very tough fight; Nick’s one of the best in the welterweight division. I think there are some guys stylistically that could probably beat him, but I think the matchup between us — we’re very evenly matched. We have similar skill sets, maybe a little bit different approach — different style — but it’s exciting.”

The 28-year-old Diaz is on an 11-fight winning streak that includes nine stoppages, with victories over the likes of Frank Shamrock, KJ Noons, Paul Daley, and Penn. An enigma outside of the cage, Diaz is all business when the lights go up and the fight begins, blending tremendous boxing with a slick submission game.

He’s also adept at shaking his opponents with a barrage of pre-fight banter, an ability and instinctual talent he’s passed on to his younger brother Nathan as well. Condit is prepared for it all — the boxing, the jiu-jitsu, and the verbal jabs.

“Nick likes to get in your head, talk a lot of trash, so I need to stay composed, and step in with the attitude that I always do; just be about my business, and not get sucked into all that other stuff. I just have to fight my fight. No matter what an opponent says or how much trash they talk, I get the opportunity to go in there and beat him down. I can just hold my tongue and let it build, and as soon as the cage door closes, it’s game time.”

Condit knows he’s in for a battle, but he’s ready, and confident that if he sticks to the game plan, he’ll emerge from Saturday’s headliner as the interim UFC welterweight champion.

“Nick is probably the toughest guy I’ve ever fought. He’s an endurance athlete — he puts tons and tons of pressure on guys — and he’s got some really good skills with his hands; his jiu-jitsu’s great.

“But I just really need to fight my fight. If I do that, I feel like I’m going to walk away with the belt.”

If your last impression of Fabricio Werdum is seeing him knocked out by future UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos back in October of 2008, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do, and the Brazilian, who returns to the UFC this Saturday night to face off against Roy Nelson at UFC 143 in Las Vegas, will be the first to admit that he’s a changed man, in and out of the Octagon.

“Everything changed in my life,” said Werdum. “Now I’m with a stronger camp, I’m with my master (Rafael Cordeiro) and close to my family. That time was not a good time in my personal life, but now I’m 100% in every aspect.”

And that’s not just talk to explain away what, at the time, was a shocking defeat. Practically no one knew who dos Santos was when he made his UFC debut that night in Illinois, and Werdum, who was coming off back-to-back knockout wins over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera, was widely considered to be one of the world’s elite heavyweights, But a single uppercut ended Werdum’s night at the 81 second mark of the first round, sending him out of the organization while propelling dos Santos up the ladder on the way to the title.

The loss easily could have signaled the start of a decline for the native of Porto Alegre, Brazil, but instead, he got back in the gym and began reinventing himself, eventually winding up in Southern California with former Chute Boxe guru Rafael Cordeiro. By 2009, Werdum had signed with the Strikeforce organization, debuting in August of that year with an 84 second submission win over Mike Kyle. Three months later he decisioned countryman Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, but it wasn’t until June of 2010 that he made the MMA world sit up and take notice again.

That night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Werdum needed just 69 seconds to hand the seemingly unstoppable Fedor Emelianenko his first loss in nearly a decade, and what many considered the first legitimate defeat of the Russian’s fabled career.

A June 2011 matchup with a man he defeated in 2006, Alistair Overeem, followed, and though he lost a unanimous decision to the current number one contender, he showed that he could stand with a former K-1 Grand Prix champion and even hold his own. It’s something the decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is proud of.

“I’m training everyday with my master Rafael Cordeiro, a few months ago I got my black belt in Muay Thai, and I’m ready to strike the whole time if I need to.”

And though he was doing well in Strikeforce, Werdum always felt that there was unfinished business for him in the UFC, and he expected that one day, he would get a call back to the Octagon.

“That was one of my biggest motivations to train every day,” he said, and soon, his patience would pay off as he got re-signed to the promotion and tasked with facing Nelson this Saturday.

“Every fighter that is part of UFC is here for some reason,” said Werdum. “Roy Nelson is a good boxer and good grappler, but I’m ready for him and to prove my value in the Octagon. I’m very happy to be back, this is an opportunity that I was waiting for a long time and now I’m ready to take it.”

Frankly, the timing couldn’t be any better for “Vai Cavalo,” as a win over “Big Country” will likely shoot him straight into the title picture, where currently two familiar faces – dos Santos and Overeem – are preparing to battle it out for the belt later this year. So, any pick from the fighter who may know them better than most?
 
“For sure it will be a great fight for the fans,” said Werdum. “They are both top fighters and I’m excited to see both of them back in the Octagon in the near future.”

Okay, that didn’t work out. How about this: any preference for an opponent, should he get a title shot soon?

“No, I just will look for my title shot against anyone that will be in my way. This is a very good division, with so many good fighters, and I will look for my spotlight and my way for the title.”

Well, for what Werdum lacks in calling out opponents, he makes up in fighting skill, and at 34, the Brazilian veteran feels better than ever as he makes his welcome return.

“I’m feeling faster and stronger, with more skills and experience, and I’m ready to go. The fans should expect a great show, and for sure a new and very hungry Werdum, ready to put a show on for them.”

Light heavyweights Thiago Silva and Brandon “The Truth” Vera have verbally agreed to wrap up some unfinished business this May in Fairfax, VA. “Their last fight ended up a no contest and both guys are out to prove that they are the better man,” said UFC president Dana White.

Verbal agreements are also in for a middleweight matchup at that event between “Filthy” Tom Lawlor and Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald.

The bouts will take place at the just-announced third UFC on FX event, tentatively scheduled for May 15 in Fairfax, Virginia. More details including venue information and ticket on-sales will be announced in coming weeks.

Renan Barao, the bantamweight contender from Nova Uniao who faces former title challenger Scott Jorgensen at UFC 143, has a strong opinion about things that are new to him. And we are not just talking about fights, as Barao has already shown that he can stand and bang or grapple with splendor and, in the process, deal with matters such as his international debut in the WEC back in 2010, his move to the UFC, and his most recent bout in his opponent’s backyard when he subbed local hero Brad “One Punch” Pickett in England.

For Barao, it’s all just a case of adaptation, training, and will that make these new ventures become second nature, not only in the sport, but in life too.

“I never felt that responsibility that people are used to putting on me,” he says. “They say I am a Nova Uniao black belt, so I need to sub everybody to prove a point, but I don’t see it this way. Guys forget that I have also been training boxing for so long, so my game is to finish the fights, not exclusively trying to take people down and work the ground game. Perhaps the two fights I had in the WEC and in my UFC debut cemented the mindset that I am a grappler, and because of it they got shocked when I was better at trading blows with a guy nicknamed ‘One Punch.’”

The performance against Pickett back in November at UFC 138 was really impressive, and Barao fought like he was competing in an empty arena as he ignored the audience’s boos in order to put on an absolute showcase of his talent. In pre-fight comments, he said the British fans’ cheers wouldn’t affect him, and he naturally adapted himself to the situation with ease.

Yet while he deals with the pressure of his sport with no problem, saying it’s all about adjustment, we can’t say the same thing when the topic is his samba dancing. Before UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro in January, Barao, along with Junior dos Santos, Ronny Markes and Johnny Eduardo, made an appearance at Samba School to test their skills with the rhythm and proved that the first two men are much better fighters than dancers.

“I shocked everybody with my rhythm (or lack of it), did you see?” he laughs. “If it was forro (a traditional rhythm from the Northeast of Brazil), you would see my talent, but samba… You know, give me a couple of weeks to train and I’ll adjust better (laughs).”

All kidding aside, the 25-year old Rio Grande do Norte native did do his homework in the last 60 days of preparation, and after getting an in-depth look at his adversary’s footage, Barao took the first step toward extending his superb unbeaten streak to 30. Once again he speaks about adapting, adding that there are a combination of factors needed for him to overcome Jorgensen this weekend.

“I don’t agree with those who talk about not studying your opponent’s game; it’s very important to be aware of what the tendencies of Jorgensen are. That is part of a great strategy to trap the opponent or to capitalize on the holes in his game.” Barao said. “On the other hand, these two fights I had in WEC and two in UFC were kind of a maturation for me. I felt the vibration, I could let my game go, and I could see what happens when you have the crowd on your side and you can’t impose your will – being the favorite becomes a heavy boulder on your shoulder. You know, I believe this was what happened to Pickett; all the responsibility was on him, and the moment my punches and knees started to connect, he saw that the crowd couldn’t help and that it was only me and him inside the cage.”

Topping with Jorgensen, Barao (29-1 1 NC) might not been counting with the “Young Guns” using the public to discourage him.

In Jorgensen, Barao will be facing a fighter who is in the top five in the bantamweight division, and who has wrestling credentials linked to the punching power that separated Ken Stone from his senses at the TUF 13 Finale and neutralized Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard and former WEC featherweight title challenger Jeff Curran. These “Young Guns” are the real deal to combat the Brazilian’s game, but Barao hopes to fire back with his own arsenal.

“What I can tell you is that the fight will be huge,” said Barao. “We are finishers, we are agile and we want the gold. I want to show more of my game on the feet, where I have the reach advantage over my recent opponents, and I know that to have a long reach is not a guarantee that you will box better, but I know how to use it. I know what the fight’s positive outcome can generate for me and the key factor is to not get your mind lost into it. Just impose your game.”

This pivotal meeting will probably mark the rise of a contender for the winner of Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber III. And though the Brazilian is aware of this aftermath, the current moment is the more important goal now as he has only one responsibility.

“My unique and exclusive responsibility is to go forward in all my fights, try to control the opponent and show my game and my work. This is the goal I carry, and it isn’t heavy when I step in the cage.”

When it came to marketing, Scott Jorgensen wasn’t just good; he was damn good. A graduate of Boise State University who earned three Pac-10 wrestling titles in addition to his psychology degree, the Utah native was at a familiar crossroads for successful college athletes who don’t have a logical professional career (like the NFL or NBA) waiting for them in their sport as soon as school ends.

“I originally wanted to try it (fighting) out, but I had the option to go move to the Olympic Training Center, and in my mind, it was either wrestle and work a job and try to make the Olympics, or just become a regular guy, just working hard every day like my dad and build a life for myself,” said Jorgensen. “I took to fighting.”

And to working. Soon, his work ethic and talent sent him flying up the corporate ladder.

“When I graduated college, I was working in non-medical home care,” he said. “I was a marketing director, and my buddy kinda set me up with the job and I got going, and I was actually really good at it. I worked my way into ownership of a non-medical home care company, and I earned my ownership through building offices. I was a really good marketer, I went in there and doubled business for a company called Vida home care.”

Jorgensen wasn’t a bad fighter either, and less than two years into a pro career that began in 2006, he was invited to compete in the WEC, stamping him as one of the best bantamweights in the world. In the cage, Jorgensen was raw, aggressive, and able to make any opponent’s night miserable. His rise was steady in the organization, but after a 3-2 start, a Fight of the Night win over Takeya Mizugaki in December of 2009 started his road to the title. Three more wins (against Chad George, Antonio Banuelos, and Brad Pickett) garnered him a December 2010 fight with Dominick Cruz for not just the WEC, but the first UFC 135-pound title as well, and it was at this point he decided that splitting himself between his marketing job, fighting, gym ownership, and fatherhood wasn’t going to cut it anymore. Something had to go.

“Right before my fight with Dominick, I was like this has to happen,” he said. “I’m gonna call it quits with the day job stuff and this is what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna live my dream and ride it as long as I can.”

Jorgensen would lose to Cruz via unanimous decision, putting his dream on hold, but not crushing it. Remember, this is the same hard-nosed wrestler who put up with an ungodly schedule for years and still made it to the upper echelon of the division. One setback wasn’t going to deter him, and in 2011, he made his intentions known to a new fanbase in the UFC as he knocked out Ken Stone and decisioned Jeff Curran. This Saturday night, he faces streaking Brazilian Renan Barao in an intriguing pairing that may just be an unofficial title eliminator.

“I think it’s definitely gotta be up there right now,” said Jorgensen. “There’s only a few guys on a tear that I think could be considered number one contender. And I’m fresh off two straight wins, Barao’s on a heater, and to me it makes sense. I fully plan on beating Barao and facing the winner out of Dominick and Urijah.”

This March, Cruz and Faber continue their rivalry as coaches on the 15th season of The Ultimate Fighter before settling their score in a rubber match later this year. Should he emerge victorious against Barao and earn a title shot, Jorgensen will be in an interesting place. He wants redemption against Cruz, but after the first fight, the rematch is a tougher sell at the moment. And while Faber would be a more marketable fight, he is also friends with “The California Kid,” a dynamic that wouldn’t stop Jorgensen from taking the bout if a title is on the line. Regardless, Jorgensen already knows who he’s rooting for.

“Urijah’s my friend and I want him to win, regardless of whether I’m gonna fight him or not,” said Jorgensen. “He’s been a friend of mine for a long time, and he’s big factor in why I’m fighting today. We share the same managers, we’ve been sponsored by Form, and I want my friend to do well. Eventually I want to fight Dominick though, whether he’s got a belt or not. I didn’t perform the best against Dominick, but between those two in their title fight, I want Faber to win. And that’s not because of anything against Dominick for beating me. I will fight Dominick again down the road, I know that, and I’m not too worried about getting my revenge there.”

That’s a ways down the road though, and “Young Guns” knows it. Barao is a dynamic competitor fresh off a spectacular finish of Brad Pickett last November, and even if he wasn’t one of the most dangerous fighters in the division, Jorgensen would have his eyes solely on Saturday night, because the last time he let his focus stray, it ended up in the loss to Cruz.

“I’ve got one job ahead of me first and foremost, and that’s to go in there and take care of Barao,” he said. “And whatever happens between Dominick and Urijah, it doesn’t matter. As long as I take care of business February 4th, everything else falls in line. And that’s always been my mentality, and the one time I got away from that was before I fought Dominick. I started thinking ahead and started thinking that things were gonna be easy and handed to me.”

The lesson was a costly one, but a lesson nonetheless, and it reminded him that in this sport or in life, nothing comes easy. And as soon as the 29-year old Jorgensen remembered that blue collar work ethic instilled in him by his father, it was like riding a bike. Now his job is to make Barao miserable for 15 minutes or less.

“Barao’s a tough guy, he’s very well-rounded, and he’s on a streak, so he’s got a lot of confidence and he’s riding high,” he said. “But there are a lot of firsts in this fight for him, and he’s gonna get his eyes opened on what it’s like to be tangling with the guys at the top of the division. And I’m going in there with the same mentality I’ve had in my last two fights against Curran and Stone, and that’s to outwork him, put the pressure on him, and be first in everything. I’m gonna be the guy that makes him rethink whether he wants to sit through another couple rounds of this guy grinding on him, pushing him, breaking him, beating him, choking him. And that’s my gameplan. I’m gonna go in there and I’m gonna hit him, kick him, choke him, take him down, slam him, and I’m gonna do everything to make him uncomfortable. And I’m good at it.”

That he is, and as his six-year old son Braeten follows in his father’s footsteps (he’s already earned his orange belt, is entering his second season of freestyle wrestling, and can run half a mile and pull off 20 pushups, 30 situps, and four unassisted pull-ups), Jorgensen is showing him that in this family, you can have all the talent in the world, but the one who can outlast everyone is the one who succeeds.

“That’s 20-plus years of wrestling,” said Jorgensen when asked about mental toughness. “I made it my first three months of college with maybe one takedown. And that’s no joke. That’s perseverance and the heart of a champion. I’m somebody who’s not gonna break because the going gets tough. My grandpa always told me ‘cowboy up.’ And I’m not much of a cowboy – I’m tatted up and I got a red Mohawk (Laughs) – but there’s a little bit of country in me and a little bit of cowboy, and I’m not just gonna roll over because things get tough. If it’s gonna get tough, I’m gonna push back. And if he’s gonna push back, I’m gonna push back harder. I’m gonna grit my teeth and lower my chin and come forward.”

The names are familiar to UFC fans: Cain Velasquez, Ryan Bader, Aaron Simpson, CB Dollaway. So it’s really no surprise that Clifford Starks is the latest Arizona State University wrestling alum to make it to the UFC.

Is it something in the water?

“I think it might be the barbecue,” laughed Starks, a teammate of Velasquez who, despite being the second to graduate (behind Simpson) from the aforementioned group, was the last to turn pro.

“I wasn’t really thinking about it (fighting) at the time,” said Starks, who earned his Kinesiology degree in 2005. “I got into personal training right when I finished wrestling, but I missed being competitive.”

And flag football on the weekend just wasn’t going to cut it, right?

“The funny thing is, that’s what I was doing,” he laughs. “But I always knew that I was gonna compete in something. What I was going to compete in I just didn’t know at the time.”

Eventually though, watching his former teammate and the rest of the ASU crew begin to make their mark in mixed martial arts piqued his interest.

“I started seeing them moving up and making names for themselves, and I was always staying in training shape,” he recalled. “I did a couple bodybuilding shows, but seeing the success that they had definitely made me consider giving it a try. It was a great step towards maintaining something that’s similar to what I already knew.”

In December of 2009, Starks dipped his toe in the MMA pool for the first time, submitting Chad Menneke in the second round. Now hooked on the sport, Tempe’s Starks continued fighting and winning, showing off that ASU pedigree that fans were beginning to get accustomed to from those wearing the maroon and gold.

“I really think it’s the mental toughness aspect and the workouts that we would go through,” said Starks when asked the biggest aspect of ASU training that he brings into MMA with him. “They would really work us to where nine out of 10 guys would be throwing up afterwards. So when you go through something like that, you just kinda think that fighting’s no big deal. It is, and it’s very intense, but to go through the things we went through makes the transition that much easier.”

That’s not to say his October 2011 call to the UFC was an expected one. 7-0 as a pro, Starks had just finished up a three round decision win over Artenas Young on October 15th when his phone rang on October 21st. Did he want to replace the injured Brad Tavares and fight Dustin Jacoby at UFC 137 in eight days?

Absolutely.

“You made it to the big show, let’s see what you’ve got,” thought Starks, who admits that the short notice call helped him stay focused on what was important – the fight – and not about the idea of making it to the big show.

“It made it a little bit easier mentally because you really didn’t have time to think about it. You just had to jump on the opportunity and go from there.”

On that fall night in Vegas, Starks took the opportunity and ran with it, winning a shutout three round decision over the previously unbeaten Jacoby to improve to 8-0, and he did so without showing off any first time UFC jitters. Unless he was hiding them well.

“I was hiding it a little bit (Laughs), but once you get into the Octagon and the ref asks if you’re ready to go, you’re into fight mode, and that probably comes from my wrestling background a little bit too. It (winning on short notice) built up my self-esteem in that area, knowing that I can take something like that and make a good situation out of it.”

His reward for the big win? A main card slot on this Saturday’s UFC 143 card against veteran Ed Herman. It’s a big step up in competition for the 30-year old, but that’s nothing he’s concerned about.

“I feel it’s something that I’m ready for and I trained for very diligently, and we’ll just see what happens from there when the bell rings,” said Starks. “He’s a competitor like myself, I see us having a really great fight, and let the best man win.”

Clifford Starks plans on making sure that best man is the one from Arizona State University.

“I’m just gonna go out there and give it my all, fight my gameplan, and then see who comes out on top,” he said. “The way I feel about it, win, lose, or draw, this is such a large opportunity for me that I think I’m gonna learn from this experience regardless. Obviously I want to come away with the victory, and then I’ll revamp my gameplan from there. I always want to improve, I always want to be the best.”

The squeaky wheel gets oiled. Mike Pierce knows that now, and he kinda likes the whole idea.

“It was kinda nice when you ask for something and you get it,” said Pierce, who took to Twitter in December to ask UFC President Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta for a February 4th matchup with Josh Koscheck. Well, he got his wish.

“It was great, I should have done it years ago.”

For Pierce, it’s been a long road to Las Vegas and the main card for Saturday’s bout with the former world title challenger. 5-2 in the Octagon, with his only losses coming via decision to Jon Fitch and Johny Hendricks, the Portland native was that ‘middle of the road’ contender who had some spotty outings early in his UFC career but who was starting to hit his stride with his 2011 wins over Kenny Robertson and Paul Bradley.

“I’ve been with the company three years now, I hope I picked up something along the way,” he laughs. “But I think I’ve found my place and my niche and I’ve been developing a style that’s not only effective, but exciting to watch.”

Yet without a spectacular victory over a big name foe, he was probably stuck in the preliminary portion of the card until a long win streak would give him his shot. Or he could just take his chances and call out the biggest available name. So that’s what he did, choosing Koscheck as the object of his tweets.

“He (Koscheck) would give me a little more credibility, he’d put me in a good spot if I beat him, and the other thing is that he’s just one of those guys that I think the fans just don’t like, and they would really love to see someone kick the s**t out of him, and I want to be that guy.”

Pierce got the fight, but Koscheck hasn’t been his usual loquacious self this time around, something that surprises his opponent.

“He’s been unusually quiet this time around,” said Pierce. “I don’t know why he hasn’t been his normal Josh Koscheck self. A lot of people have been asking me ‘why do you think he’s like that.’ I don’t know, ask him. (Laughs) I just saw an opportunity there to fight one of the top guys, he’s been around a long time, he’s someone I wanted to fight, I asked for it, and I got it.”

It is a tough fight for Pierce on paper, but he’s had plenty of experience taking on wrestlers in his UFC stint thus far, with Fitch, Hendricks, Bradley, and Robertston all coming from Division I programs. So getting in there with a former D-I national champion in Koscheck isn’t an issue.

“I would love to do nothing but beat up on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guys and smash them all day long, but the guys that are at the top are typically the wrestlers,” said Pierce. “You can look division through division, and whether they’re wearing belts or not, a lot of the top guys have strong wrestling backgrounds. It’s just one of those inevitable things where you’re gonna fight a lot of wrestlers, so it comes with the sport.”

And Pierce is no wrestling neophyte, having briefly competed for Portland State University’s mat squad.

“It always gives a little extra incentive to try to one up someone in a fight where we both have strong wrestling backgrounds,” he admits. “Of course, he won a national title and he was an All-American four years in a row. I didn’t really stick with wrestling for as long as I could have. I got bored with it, and it was time for me to move on and do different things, and I chose a different path. Had I stayed with it, I’m sure I would have been an All-American at least once or twice, but I’m in the sport where I want to be now, and my background and titles that I did have or could have had don’t really mean anything to me, and neither do his.”

What Pierce will definitely be looking for is Koscheck’s right hand, a lethal weapon that has ended many nights for opponents, but also one that he believes is easily detected.

“He loves throwing that right hand,” he said. “The only problem is that you can see it coming from yesterday. (Laughs) But it always helps to have a little bit of luck. I had a wrestling coach ask me a question, what would you rather be, a consistent wrestler or a lucky wrestler. I said I’d love to be the consistent wrestler. He kinda laughed and said ‘I’d rather be a lucky wrestler, because the lucky wrestlers beat consistent wrestlers. And it’s the same thing in the fights. He (Koscheck) has got a skill set and it’s been working for him, but I don’t plan on being caught by an overhand right I see coming a mile away.”

And at 31, Pierce knows that the time is now if he wants to make a move on the ever elusive world title, so a win over Koscheck is imperative.

“I’m not getting any younger,” he said. “I’m in this sport to be the best and to have a title and that’s always been my goal at the end of the day. And if that’s what it takes, another fight or another two fights to get there, then so be it. I’m just gonna keep coming until I’m there.”

So who’s next on the call out list?

“I haven’t been putting any thought past Josh Koscheck,” he laughs. “I’ve been focusing primarily on him, and when it comes to that, I’m sure I’ll be able to come up with someone. Hopefully, I’ll get it again. It worked this time, maybe it will work again.”

When it came to marketing, Scott Jorgensen wasn’t just good; he was damn good. A graduate of Boise State University who earned three Pac-10 wrestling titles in addition to his psychology degree, the Utah native was at a familiar crossroads for successful college athletes who don’t have a logical professional career (like the NFL or NBA) waiting for them in their sport as soon as school ends.

“I originally wanted to try it (fighting) out, but I had the option to go move to the Olympic Training Center, and in my mind, it was either wrestle and work a job and try to make the Olympics, or just become a regular guy, just working hard every day like my dad and build a life for myself,” said Jorgensen. “I took to fighting.”

And to working. Soon, his work ethic and talent sent him flying up the corporate ladder.

“When I graduated college, I was working in non-medical home care,” he said. “I was a marketing director, and my buddy kinda set me up with the job and I got going, and I was actually really good at it. I worked my way into ownership of a non-medical home care company, and I earned my ownership through building offices. I was a really good marketer, I went in there and doubled business for a company called Vida home care.”

Jorgensen wasn’t a bad fighter either, and less than two years into a pro career that began in 2006, he was invited to compete in the WEC, stamping him as one of the best bantamweights in the world. In the cage, Jorgensen was raw, aggressive, and able to make any opponent’s night miserable. His rise was steady in the organization, but after a 3-2 start, a Fight of the Night win over Takeya Mizugaki in December of 2009 started his road to the title. Three more wins (against Chad George, Antonio Banuelos, and Brad Pickett) garnered him a December 2010 fight with Dominick Cruz for not just the WEC, but the first UFC 135-pound title as well, and it was at this point he decided that splitting himself between his marketing job, fighting, gym ownership, and fatherhood wasn’t going to cut it anymore. Something had to go.

“Right before my fight with Dominick, I was like this has to happen,” he said. “I’m gonna call it quits with the day job stuff and this is what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna live my dream and ride it as long as I can.”

Jorgensen would lose to Cruz via unanimous decision, putting his dream on hold, but not crushing it. Remember, this is the same hard-nosed wrestler who put up with an ungodly schedule for years and still made it to the upper echelon of the division. One setback wasn’t going to deter him, and in 2011, he made his intentions known to a new fanbase in the UFC as he knocked out Ken Stone and decisioned Jeff Curran. This Saturday night, he faces streaking Brazilian Renan Barao in an intriguing pairing that may just be an unofficial title eliminator.

“I think it’s definitely gotta be up there right now,” said Jorgensen. “There’s only a few guys on a tear that I think could be considered number one contender. And I’m fresh off two straight wins, Barao’s on a heater, and to me it makes sense. I fully plan on beating Barao and facing the winner out of Dominick and Urijah.”

This March, Cruz and Faber continue their rivalry as coaches on the 15th season of The Ultimate Fighter before settling their score in a rubber match later this year. Should he emerge victorious against Barao and earn a title shot, Jorgensen will be in an interesting place. He wants redemption against Cruz, but after the first fight, the rematch is a tougher sell at the moment. And while Faber would be a more marketable fight, he is also friends with “The California Kid,” a dynamic that wouldn’t stop Jorgensen from taking the bout if a title is on the line. Regardless, Jorgensen already knows who he’s rooting for.

“Urijah’s my friend and I want him to win, regardless of whether I’m gonna fight him or not,” said Jorgensen. “He’s been a friend of mine for a long time, and he’s big factor in why I’m fighting today. We share the same managers, we’ve been sponsored by Form, and I want my friend to do well. Eventually I want to fight Dominick though, whether he’s got a belt or not. I didn’t perform the best against Dominick, but between those two in their title fight, I want Faber to win. And that’s not because of anything against Dominick for beating me. I will fight Dominick again down the road, I know that, and I’m not too worried about getting my revenge there.”

That’s a ways down the road though, and “Young Guns” knows it. Barao is a dynamic competitor fresh off a spectacular finish of Brad Pickett last November, and even if he wasn’t one of the most dangerous fighters in the division, Jorgensen would have his eyes solely on Saturday night, because the last time he let his focus stray, it ended up in the loss to Cruz.

“I’ve got one job ahead of me first and foremost, and that’s to go in there and take care of Barao,” he said. “And whatever happens between Dominick and Urijah, it doesn’t matter. As long as I take care of business February 4th, everything else falls in line. And that’s always been my mentality, and the one time I got away from that was before I fought Dominick. I started thinking ahead and started thinking that things were gonna be easy and handed to me.”

The lesson was a costly one, but a lesson nonetheless, and it reminded him that in this sport or in life, nothing comes easy. And as soon as the 29-year old Jorgensen remembered that blue collar work ethic instilled in him by his father, it was like riding a bike. Now his job is to make Barao miserable for 15 minutes or less.

“Barao’s a tough guy, he’s very well-rounded, and he’s on a streak, so he’s got a lot of confidence and he’s riding high,” he said. “But there are a lot of firsts in this fight for him, and he’s gonna get his eyes opened on what it’s like to be tangling with the guys at the top of the division. And I’m going in there with the same mentality I’ve had in my last two fights against Curran and Stone, and that’s to outwork him, put the pressure on him, and be first in everything. I’m gonna be the guy that makes him rethink whether he wants to sit through another couple rounds of this guy grinding on him, pushing him, breaking him, beating him, choking him. And that’s my gameplan. I’m gonna go in there and I’m gonna hit him, kick him, choke him, take him down, slam him, and I’m gonna do everything to make him uncomfortable. And I’m good at it.”

That he is, and as his six-year old son Braeten follows in his father’s footsteps (he’s already earned his orange belt, is entering his second season of freestyle wrestling, and can run half a mile and pull off 20 pushups, 30 situps, and four unassisted pull-ups), Jorgensen is showing him that in this family, you can have all the talent in the world, but the one who can outlast everyone is the one who succeeds.

“That’s 20-plus years of wrestling,” said Jorgensen when asked about mental toughness. “I made it my first three months of college with maybe one takedown. And that’s no joke. That’s perseverance and the heart of a champion. I’m somebody who’s not gonna break because the going gets tough. My grandpa always told me ‘cowboy up.’ And I’m not much of a cowboy – I’m tatted up and I got a red Mohawk (Laughs) – but there’s a little bit of country in me and a little bit of cowboy, and I’m not just gonna roll over because things get tough. If it’s gonna get tough, I’m gonna push back. And if he’s gonna push back, I’m gonna push back harder. I’m gonna grit my teeth and lower my chin and come forward.”