Matt Serra: "I Had Fitch Picked to Win"

by Chris Nelson on Aug 13, 2008 10:53 AM EDT in News Comment 14 comments

TriStateFighter just posted a great brief audio interview with Matt Serra, who was far more complimentary of old nemesis Georges St. Pierre's "per-for-mance" on Saturday than Matt Hughes was. I've transcribed the most salient bits below for those who don't speak Long Islandese, though you'll have to listen to the full audio to find out what Serra thought about Pineapple Express and The Dark Knight.

On the St. Pierre / Jon Fitch title match:

I actually had Fitch picked to win. I thought Fitch was gonna win. Because, you know, Fitch is such a warrior, and he displayed that warrior heart Saturday night with his refusal to give in... I just think that other guy is so freakin' athletic, and it seems like his confidence is at an all-time high, and that's a big problem for people.

On Luke Cummo's UFC 87 loss to Tamdan McCrory:

I love the kid, but I kinda wanna kill him. Everyone's telling me about this fasting thing, you know... As his trainer - me and Ray Longo - you'd think we'd be in the loop with it, but the guy didn't freakin' tell us anything. So it's like, I'm in his corner, win or lose I'm gonna back the kid up. But, you saw, it wasn't a technical thing why he lost. He's just weak, man. He's weak because of all this stupid crap he's doin', man. Whatever the hell diet he's doin'. The kid should eat a steak if he wants to stay in that freakin' weight class, you know?

Some more interesting bits:

- Serra suffered a bruised ulnar nerve in his second fight with GSP and only resumed boxing and rolling again a few weeks ago.

- He's beginning to train for his grudge match against Hughes. Although nothing has been signed, Serra says the fight is "concrete" at this point, guaranteed to take place as soon as Hughes recovers from the knee injury he suffered against Thiago Alves at UFC 85. (A knee injury which Serra says he'll be trying to exploit in the bout.)

- Training partner Pete "Drago" Sell will be dropping to 170 for a fight against Josh Burkman at UFC 90 in Chicago.

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Comments

Jburk vs Drago at 170… another great addition to UFC 90.

by Nick Thomas on Aug 13, 2008 6:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’m pretty ‘meh’ about the match-up to be honest. Hopefully it will be on the undercard.

by idefinecagefighter on Aug 13, 2008 7:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It’ll have to be on the undercard because UFC 90 looks pretty stacked. =)

by Nick Thomas on Aug 13, 2008 7:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the gif

That was a great moment in the UFC

by mythbuster on Aug 13, 2008 8:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yes

i’ve heard several fighters reference this fight when people say “Why didn’t you go in to finish him when you saw he was hurt?”

all you gotta do is...

by imapimp08 on Aug 13, 2008 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sell at 170?

Interesting. He has good hands. But at tha t weight class, it’s going to take a lot more than that to be successful. He’s like a bad penny, Sell is. He always turns up. But you got to figure that this is his last chance. He puts on some exiting fights, win or lose, but he’s just about worn out his welcome, I have to think.

by Cmad77 on Aug 13, 2008 7:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

A post from the UG:

Sell will be fine cutting, he is almost there already and he will KO Burkman

by Nick Thomas on Aug 13, 2008 9:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

surprising, I thought it would be pretty hard for Sell to make 170, he always looked pretty ripped to me and cutting another 15lbs off seemed pretty difficult.
I don’t expect he’ll fare a lot better at 170 but there are a few interesting matchups.

by pr0cs on Aug 13, 2008 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Where is Steak Knife?? I figured he would be “eating up” that steak comment!!

Not a big fan of Sell, but I will be interested to see him at 170. Will he be powerful or will the cut drain him?

What is with “The Two Matts” having a problem respecting GSP? I like Serra, but some thing about him calling GSP “That other guy” just rubs me wrong. St. Pierre is a great fighter and exactly what you want in a champion. i don’t expect them to idolize him, lol, but damn show some respect to a guy that dominated a very tough Fitch.

"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"

by BJJDenver on Aug 13, 2008 11:07 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I just think that’s the way Matt talks. I think they both actually respect GSP, but maybe they’re still too close to the sport (eg: their losses) to really give him props.

by pud333 on Aug 13, 2008 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also, i liked Cummo on TUF, but his way of life makes me think he should live in the woods and chase butterflies instead of being a fighter. Seriously, when you are doing something so extreme as mma fighting and full-time training, your body needs more than grass and urine.

"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"

by BJJDenver on Aug 13, 2008 11:10 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

your body needs more than grass and urine.

Not according to Nick Diaz.

Sorry.

by mythbuster on Aug 13, 2008 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol, nice.

"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"

by BJJDenver on Aug 13, 2008 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I liked Cummo on TUF as well, but he doesn’t have the skill to be fighting at his natural weight (very few are skilled enough to do so and be successful in this sport, outside of the HW division). He’s not a big kid and could cut to 155 relatively easily; though he’d have to give up drinking his own urine as that won’t help him cut the water weight.

by Estrada on Aug 13, 2008 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs