“UFC 149 Postfight Show on FUEL TV” Quotes

UFC 149: FABER VS. BARAO Recap and Analysis, Lombard vs. Boetsch Breakdown, Plus Exclusive Bisping Interview

LOS ANGELES, CA – The following are quotes from the “UFC 149 Postfight Show on FUEL TV” following UFC 149: FABER VS. BARAO. Jon Anik hosted the show, with analysis from UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz and middleweight contender Brian Stann. Insider Ariel Helwani conducted exclusive postfight interviews backstage. Here’s some of what was said:

“UFC 149 Postfight Show on FUEL TV” Guest Analyst Brian Stann on UFC 149: “We had some interesting fights and some pivotal fights. We got to see where Hector Lombard is in the division and if he’s up for a title bout. He’s definitely not getting that now.”

“UFC 149 Postfight Show on FUEL TV” Guest Analyst Dominick Cruz on Renan Barao vs. Urijah Faber: “I was on my toes the entire fight. Faber tried to use his wrestling and faints. Renan Barao used his leg kicks and kept Faber inside a box. It was impressive. Barao established his range and landed straight punches. He did what he needed to do to dismantle Faber.”

Stann on how Barao beat Faber: “Renan Barao has amazing takedown defense and counter-wrestling skills. Faber wasn’t able to take him down.”

Cruz on Faber’s skills versus Barao: “I’ll give Faber some credit. He stayed away from damage. If he had fainted more and created some scrambles, he could have worn Barao down.”

Cruz on how Barao handled the pressure of the title fight: “I wondered what was going to happen and if he’d be crazed for the title. It didn’t affect him. He was out there and knew exactly what he had to do in the fight. He held Faber at a range.”

Stann on the keys to Barao’s victory: “The key to Barao stuffing Faber’s takedowns was his keeping the range. He took away Faber’s wrestling and nullified him in the end. He slowed down the pace with leg kicks and kept the distance.”

Cruz on fighting Barao for the belt: “I’m looking forward to it. It’s like new blood. I haven’t watched him that much before this fight. I’m excited to fight a guy like that. He’s ready for a five-round fight with me, but not quite. I’ve got some tricks, the way that I fake and the way I move, to keep him on his toes and keep him guessing.”

Stann on Cruz vs. Barao: “I’m interested to see the chess match between Renan Barao and Dominick Cruz. Dominick has more ways to win the fight. Barao will have to rely on the striking. Dominick has the best movement in the UFC and it’s hard for strikers to handle him.”

Barao on his victory and earning the championship belt: “It’s a dream come true. I’ve worked very hard for many years. Thank god for it. Urijah Faber is a great athlete, but in the end I won.”

Barao on if Faber landed any significant blows: “He landed quite a few blows. But no, he didn’t hurt me.”

Barao on how he prepared for this fight: “Jose Aldo helped me a lot and my coaches came up with a perfect strategy for this.”

Barao on if he wants to wait for Cruz for his next fight: “The decision is up to my coach and the UFC. I’ll do what they tell me to do. I wish for Dominick to recover fast and well. He’s a great athlete and it’d be an honor to fight him in the future.”

UFC President Dana White upset about the performances on UFC 149: “I am not too excited about it. I agree with the fans [who were booing]. But before I get all negative, I do want to say thank you to the guys that fought in the prelims. Those guys were outstanding. They delivered. I don’t want to smash the whole card because they fought well.”

White on UFC 149: “I don’t think that the main event was a horrible fight. We have two of the best fighters fighting for a title. Renan Barao looked great. No doubt Urijah Faber is a monster in that division, but Barao took him apart and shut him down. If the undercard wasn’t so bad, people wouldn’t have picked a part the main card so much. I was excited about this card. I never expected Hector Lombard to look like that. I thought he and Tim Boetsch would go after each other. Cheick Kongo vs. Shawn Jordan was disgusting--the fight and the refereeing. Yves Lavigne just stood around for two rounds and saw them clenching. If guys aren’t being active, it is his job to break them apart.”

White on his discontent with the refereeing: “These guys are supposed to be experienced. They have been doing this for a long time. It’s not just MMA, it’s boxing - the Pacquiao fight. The officiating these days is going to kill combat sports. When you see guys clenching for two rounds and you don’t break up the fights, I don’t know what to say.”

White on if Barao will be allowed to wait for Dominick Cruz: “I don’t know. We will see what happens.”

White on if Chris Weidman will fight Anderson Silva next: “No. There will be fights that happen before any of these guys fight Silva.”

Stann on Lombard vs. Boetsch: “We said it time and time again, it is different when you get to this level and it was. Hector came in with a very paced game plan. Boetsch was trying to go at him, but every time he tried to take a shot he took him down. Boetsch won the fight on being more active and not standing in front of him. This is a tough stylistic matchup for a really great wrestler like Lombard because Tim couldn’t come out and be exciting. He couldn’t just come out there and brawl with Hector.”

Stann on if Boetsch’s victory was the best for him and Michael Bisping: “The best result for me and Michael was this result. Now it is up to me and Bisping. We have to finish each other or at least we have to go three rounds where we go back and forth hard. I know we will do that. We will not go out there and give a boring fight.”

Cruz on Lombard vs. Boetsch: “Boetsch had a smart game plan moving in and out. He didn’t want to sit in a pocket with Lombard. Lombard was ready to throw a level nine heat and he never did because Boetsch didn’t come into his range.”

Boetsch about his injured foot: “I believe I broke my foot early in the second round. The game plan was to keep Hector at range with my leg kicks, but unfortunately in the second round I kicked him in the knee and I felt the bone break.”

Boetsch on if he felt confident he would win: “I knew it was close, way too close for comfort.  I wasn’t able to keep things going the way I wanted to. I wasn’t able to get takedowns. He had a good shot defense. He is definitely tough. There is no question he is going to win fights in the UFC, but I’m certainly glad he didn’t win a fight today.”

Stann on Kongo vs. Jordan: “You know this is one of those fights that didn’t play out the way we thought. We thought Jordan was going to take it down to the mat. But, we saw a very exhausted Kongo. This was a fight that the refs had to get in there and break them apart. But, for two rounds they just let them sit in a clench.”

Cruz on Brian Ebersole vs. James Head: “Ebersole has been favored in a lot of fights, but someone got a read on him. There were too many combinations and too many assaults. Ebersole was hoping Head would go for the guillotine so he could strike in on him. It just did not work for him.”

Cruz on Chris Clements vs. Matt Riddle: “The story of this fight was all Riddle. He landed a beautiful body shot and set up a body triangle. He’s using a lot more technique now. It was an outstanding performance from him.”

Stann on Riddle: “He looks like a guy who will keep rising in the welterweight division. He’s a much smarter fighter using all his skills now.”

Stann on Nick Ring vs. Court McGee: “This was a great overall fight. Ring landed more significant shots at the beginning of the fight, breaking Court’s nose early. In the third round Court McGee came back, but Ring won a controversial decision.”

Michael Bisping on his recent injury and current health: “I tore my meniscus wrestling, prepping for this fight. It was only a minor tear. I’m back and training and ready to take on Brian Stann.”

Bisping on his next fight in Canada against Brian Stann: “Yeah, I was supposed to fight in Calgary. I wanted to fight in Canada again and the Toronto fight was coming up and I thought that worked out perfectly. Stann’s a fantastic fighter. This is a big fight. In my opinion, it’s a hard hitting fight. Nobody cares about little flyweight guys fighting on this card. Someone is going to get knocked out, but it’s not going to be me.”

Bisping on the depth of the middleweight division: “Back in the day with Matt Hughes, it was the welterweight division that was so strong. But now the focus is on the middleweight division. Anderson Silva is the best. I’m pretty sure we can give him a better fight than he’s had recently. Whoever wins this fight should get the next shot at him.”

Bisping on if he deserves a shot at fighting Anderson Silva next: “I’ve been around since 2005.  I’ve fought the best fighters in the world and I’ve done very, very well. I was robbed against Chael. When I beat Brian, I’ll be on a six-fight win streak. I deserve the next shot at Silva. When I beat Stann, I think I deserve the next shot.”

Bisping on his confidence going into his fight with Stann: “We’re fighters. You can’t go in there thinking you’re not going to win. You have to be confident. Brian is a fantastic fighter, but I think I’m a better fighter. I’m going to do everything I can to punch him in the face and I’m sure he’s going to do the same. This is the real main event. I think this is the main event of the card.”

Stann on trash talking with Bisping before the fight: “I think I’m going to win. I know you think you’re going to win. I want people to know we aren’t trash talking. We’re getting excited about the fight and giving the fans the fight they want to see in Toronto.”

Bisping on whether he’s trash talking with Brian Stann: “When I’m talking trash, I’m not calling your personality into question. But we are going to fight and I’m going to win. I’m going to do everything I can to beat the living crap out of you.”

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule/. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufc and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fueltv Follow @FUELTV on Twitter for all things #UFConFUELTV.

Follow the talent on Twitter at: @Jon_Anik; @arielhelwani; @BrianStann; @TheDomin8r

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