From a great interview with MMA Mania:
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): What's it been like training with Marcelo Garcia for this fight? How's that been going?
Kurt Pellegrino: Well, about as good as it can possibly go. I mean, he's a world-class grappler. I brought him in to improve my game. He's the best in the world and he lives 45 minutes from me. It would be stupid to not train with him. There's nothing that George is gonna do, or B.J. Penn would do, that Marcelo can't do. If Marcelo grappled with them it'd be over in three minutes. To be able to have him look at video of my past fights and critique what I was doing wrong, or right, has been out of this world. I'm really grateful and fortunate to have that door open for me.
James Kimball (MMAmania.com): Did you start working with Marcelo particularly because of George Sotiropoulos' ground game?
It was really just the right time and the right place. We didn't hook up for just this one fight. Actually, when I started this camp I was training just for George, but once I started training with Marcelo, he was like, ‘just train for me.' And I thought he was absolutely right. I have a new outlook on life. I don't train for anyone. I never trained for Josh Neer, Rob Emerson, Thiago Tavares, or Fabrico Cameos. I just train the way I want to train and force my opponent to train for me. And that's what I'm doing for this fight. I'm not bringing in anybody with rubber guard. Marcelo Garcia doesn't have rubber guard. I just train with the best people in the world who can push me to my limits and then go out there and fight.
Pellegrino has been on a tear in the past two years since losing to Nate Diaz, going 4-0 since 2008. The buzz seems to be behind Sotiropoulos, but Pellegrino shouldn't be taken lightly.