UFC Fight Night 13 Preview: Kurt Pellegrino vs. Nate Diaz

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Nate is a brown belt, I believe, under Cesar Gracie. Clearly, he relies heavily on the submission game, of which you're no slouch. How do you see this fight going, and how have you been preparing for Diaz?

Kurt Pellegrino: Cardio. Cardio, cardio, cardio. When I got to the UFC, I fought Drew Fickett (at UFC 61), and I wasn't doing my cardio like normal. I just got married, I took that fight on a month's notice. Actually, three weeks, so I just worried about sparring and, you know, all the wrong things to do in MMA: sparring and grappling. Everyone does that, you know. (But if) you train with somebody and do a lot of cardio, cross-training, it's a lot different at that level.

So for this fight, I know he's good on the floor. I'm ranked in the world in grappling. I've beat world champions. I went to Abu Dhabi. So I don't mind. If this kid comes in here, and I take him down and he submits me, then he deserves that victory, he deserves his hand raised, I'll be the first one to raise his hand. But stuff like that I just don't see happening, you know. He's a very tough opponent, but I think I'm going to be a little too much for him.