Following an impressive victory over Tim Hague in the co-headliner of this past weekend's "UFC Fight Night 23: UFC Fights for the Troops 2" event, Matt Mitrione is pleased he finally is winning over some fans.Admittedly, though, he gave those same fans two reasons to dish out their usual insults.
But as Mitrione, a cast member from "The Ultimate Fighter 10" who's now 4-0 in MMA and the UFC, today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio), he had good reason for both actions.
Competing on a Spike TV card at Fort Hood in Texas, Mitrione used light feet and quick hands, including an especially effective lunging hook (instead of a traditional jab), to pick up a first-round knockout win over his heavyweight counterpart. But his refusal to tap gloves before the fight – and a post-fight speech in which he thanked his own hands – were the only criticisms in otherwise praised performance.
Mitrione, though, said the first was for good reason. The second was a joke that apparently fell on many deaf ears.
"I respect the game, and I respect the sport," Mitrione said. "But I don't touch gloves in the first round because of Jon Madsen. In of the first fights I watched live, he faked a touch and then ducked under it and scored a double-leg takedown. Every since then, I've been like, 'No way, man.'"
Mitrione, a former NFL player with an admittedly raw ground game, simply doesn't want to give an opponent an easy opening. That was especially the case with Hague, a hard-hitting Canadian whom Mitrione expected to be come out much more aggressively in the opening of their bout.
Instead, Mitrione dictated the pace, proved quicker to the punch, and ultimately dropped his opponent with a straight left that set up a victory in just three minutes.
But in a post-fight interview, he raised some eyebrows when he seemingly stroked his own ego by thanking his hands. He said he was actually paying homage to former NFL player Freddie Mitchell, a one-man marketing machine known for outrageous quips. After a 2005 postseason game in which he scored a pair of touchdowns, Mitchell attended a press conference wearing over mitts and thanked his own hands "for being so great."
"I guess no one got that," Mitrione joked.
In fact, the jokes are all part of Mitrione's increasing comfort in the cage. That's also a reason for his usual pre-fight smirk, which has drawn the ire of fans and opponents alike. But Mitrione isn't about to hide the fact that he's having a good time.
"I could be in a Monday morning sales meeting right now listening to some guy bumping his gums about nothing," he said. "I've been there.
"In the face of competition, I get giddy; I get excited. I don't feel that stress or anxiety, but I understand I can get my ass kicked really easily with one punch and be knocked out."
The comfort comes from Mitrione taking easily to MMA. Perhaps it's his athletic and pro-sports background. Maybe he's just got some natural talent. Or maybe he's just a quick learner. Whatever the reason, Mitrione said he's getting enough cage time that he's learning what his fight style is.
"I'm really starting to find out what my body wants to fight like," said Mitrione, who never had a pro fight until his "TUF" run and subsequent UFC bookings. "Most people get it out of the way in their amateur fights, but my amateur fights are my pro fights. I'm learning what my athleticism will let me get away with."
As MMAjunkie.com reported earlier today, Mitrione currently is suspended indefinitely due to a hand injury. Mitrione said it's "a little jammed up and bruised," but he doesn't think it's broken. In fact, he returned to the gym this morning. And if he gets the needed medical clearance, he'd have no problem "being like Chris Leben" and taking a short-notice fight on the Feb. 5 or Feb. 27 cards (UFC 126 and UFC 127, respectively).
He's not calling out any specific opponents, though he's open to fighting Cheick Kongo, Ben Rothwell, Patrick Barry or any of the other names he's been asked about. Shane Carwin needs an opponent for UFC 131, and though Mitrione thinks fighting the former title-challenger may be a matter of "putting the cart before the horse" this early in his career, he's open to it.
"If Joe Silva calls me up and thinks I'm ready, let's do it," he said. "Guys like Rothwell and Kongo, those both would be fun fights. I think fans would want to see both. They're both big names."
After all, despite a sense of humor that sometimes misses its mark, Mitrione is ready to pay his dues.
"I understand there's a hierarchy," he said. "But I'm still going to have a good time."
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