The Quotable UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann – What They’re Saying in Sydney

Quotes from the main card fighters on Friday’s UFC on FX show

The UFC is back Down Under for Friday’s card in Sydney, Australia. The second UFC on FX event features a main event welterweight contenders fight between Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann, plus the highly anticipated start of the UFC’s flyweight division with a pair of quarterfinal fight between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez and Yasuhiro Urushitani.

The main card airs on the FX cable network starting at 9 p.m. Eastern on Friday. A six-fight live preliminary card broadcast on Fuel TV starts at 6 p.m. Eastern, and one additional fight can be seen streaming live at the UFC’s Facebook fan page starting at 5:30.

The fighters step on the scales later tonight in Sydney, but before they make things official for Friday’s card, let’s take a look at some of what they have to say – along with UFC president Dana White – about UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann.

 

Dana White, UFC president
“Alves vs Kampmann is a big, important win for one of these guys. Alves has scored more knockdowns and as many knockouts as any welterweight in the UFC, while Kampmann has finished 11 opponents. Both guys want to get back up there and push for a title shot, and this is a huge fight in both their careers.”

“We also have the two semifinals for the newly created flyweight title. We didn’t even have a lightweight class when (Zuffa) bought this company, and we’ve now added lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight, and finally the flyweight division. These are traditional weight classes, no ‘junior middleweight’ or anything like that.”

“It’s a testament to how big the sport has become that we can now do this flyweight division. A lot of people have been waiting for this weight class to arrive – here it is, and we are very excited. These two fights are going to set the tone for this division and show everyone what the UFC 125-pound division is all about.”

 

Thiago Alves, UFC welterweight contender
“I’m very excited to be in Sydney, and I’m going to put on a great performance Friday night. I want to be the No. 1 contender again, and I know I can get there with a great win. In this sport, I’ve been broken down in terms of my style and what worked for me. But just like breaking down muscle, I have rebuilt what was broken down better than it was before.”

“I think he will try to test his striking against mine, but after I hit him I know he will try to get away from me. I found the old ‘Pitbull’ inside me. He was sleeping, but he’s woke up and nasty now.”

 

Martin Kampmann, UFC welterweight contender
“I can beat the best in the division. I feel some of my losses were really wins, but the judges went the other way with BS decisions. I know I can beat the very best in the division. Thiago is very technical with his strikes and has power, too, and I want to stay away from those bombs. I used to want to trade with these guys, but now I’m going to be a little more smart.”

“I know I will beat this guy, and then the UFC can line ‘em up for me to knock down. I know I can beat anyone in the division and I am ready to prove it.”

 

Demetrious Johnson, UFC flyweight contender
“I’m honored to be in the tournament and was very excited to be asked to be part of it. I’ve cut out a little bit of bad food and done some work in the gym to get down to the weight, and I feel great.”

“Now my job is to go out there Friday night and finish the fight, get the win and move on to the title fight. It is historical to be part of this.”

 

Ian McCall, UFC flyweight contender
“I got a Tweet direct message from (UFC matchmaker) Sean Shelby asking my phone number, which got me excited. Then he called me to tell me I was in the tournament for the UFC title. I did a dance around my kitchen!”

“I have something to prove, but you always have something to prove. No matter who you are, you can’t be up on your pedestal for too long. I’m ready to prove my worth. I changed my life completely. I’m a completely different person than I used to be in the WEC. Everything from the way I eat to the way I was. I’m more focused on fighting than I was before. Before, it was more of a hobby.”

“The winner of the four of us is the UFC champion and becomes a star.”

 

Joseph Benavidez, UFC flyweight contender
“Now that I’ve cut weight, I know this is the right weight for me. Being able to go through a camp at this weight, I noticed the difference in my speed. I gained a focus that I didn’t have at 135 pounds. I feel faster and it’s going to make for a dangerous fighter on Friday.”

“I was fast at 135 pounds, but at 125 pounds I am going to be extremely fast. In the flyweight division, you won’t see guys throwing one big punch, but (fighting) complete MMA at a very fast pace. I think this is going to be the UFC’s most unpredictable division.”

 

Yashuhiro Urushitani, UFC flyweight contender
“It was always a dream to get to the UFC, and now I am here. I am the underdog in the fight, but that is motivation. I like to beat guys who are considered greater than me, and am happy that is the case again.”

“I am more excited about fighting in the UFC for the first time than I am about the tournament. I will get very excited about the flyweight belt once I win my first UFC fight. I was asked for years if I would come to the UFC if they ever did a flyweight tournament, and I almost gave up hope – but now my dream is real.”

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