The UFC held their media conference call for UFC 140 today. On the call was light heavyweight headliners Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida, as well as former heavyweight champions Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Light heavyweight veterans Tito Ortiz and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira were also on the line.
UFC 140 is set to take place December 10th from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Below are highlights from today’s UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida Conference Call thanks to MMANation.com.
Jon Jones:
- Says he’s had a great year and isn’t looking ahead to 2012 yet. Enjoys having busy schedule.
- It’s all about “passion and love” and “being able to achieve goals”. Wants to fight big fights.
- The biggest difference between this fight and UFC 135 is training for a southpaw. All the knowledge from the year’s previous camps helped him grow.
- “Lyoto is going to be a challenge.”
- “It hasn’t been able to soak in … it’s been a phenomenal year.”
- “I try to worry about what I do,” not what his opponent does.
- Embraces the role of being a public face of the UFC.
- “I think it’s important to always be yourself and always put your best foot forward. … Let the fans know us. Let the mainstream know us.”
- Always tries to make sure he has a suit on to portray the right image.
- The UFC has become much more glamorous. “It’s nuts. We’re really starting to catch up to the NBA and NFL. … We’re professionals.”
- “I’m surrounded by a team of winners, for the most part. Greg Jackson is a very, very smart coach. … I can’t even name all the winning fighters we have on this team.”
- John Dodson has been working so hard for so long. “I’m so proud of him.”
- Diego Brandao inspires people with his story. “He has the hottest fire in the room besides myself … He has the desire to be a champion.”
Lyoto Machida:
- Trained with Anderson Silva, King Mo, and others. They created a strategy to deal with Jones’ unique style.
- Has learned a lot from winning the title and losing it to Rampage. Is a completely different fighter now.
- New sponsors are jumping on MMA in Brazil because of Junior dos Santos winning the title.
- Hasn’t spoken to Steven Seagal since the press conference.
Frank Mir:
- Thinks he will get back into the heavyweight picture next year. Will have three wins in a row after beating Nogueira.
- There was a lot of circumstances regarding their last fight about the stoppage, so this is unfinished business.
- Was offended Nogueira’s camp after the last fight. Injuries seemed to be used as an excuse. “No, the guy in front of you beat you.”
- “After such a devastating win in Brazil, (Nogueira’s) confidence has to be high. It’ll be interesting.”
- “I’m always excited to go to Canada.”
- Last time we were helping all the other guys on TUF to prepare for their fights, but this time there has been no distractions.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira:
- Brazil is in a great place because of Junior dos Santos winning a title. Lyoto has a chance to bring a fourth belt to Brazil.
- We support all Brazilian fighters.
- It was hard to train everyday last time because of shooting the show. I’m in better shape, more focused, and there’s less distractions.
- “I feel this camp was better than the last one I did. … I’m in shape, I’m ready to go and excited to fight.”
Tito Ortiz:
- Said the surgeons did great work on him, and he is looking forward to staying busy in 2012. It all comes down to being healthy.
- Fought “for free” and as an amateur at UFC 13. Wanted to keep collegiate wrestling scholarship.
- Recovery is different for every fight. He was recovered the day after the Bader fight, but felt like he bruised his heart from a Rashad Evans knee. That took a few weeks to heal.
- It’s hard emotionally to get into the gym 5-6 days a week.
