Dave “Pee-Wee” Herman (21-3) is set to face Roy Nelson (16-7) this Saturday night at UFC 146. In mixed martial arts there are many characters and Herman can be one of the most intriguing one of all. He comes off as someone who just doesn’t care and when you sit down and talk to him you have to be ready to connect the dots…lalalala.
Anyone who has the nickname “Pee-Wee” probably doesn’t take himself too seriously. If you called him weird you’d probably get the “I know you are but what am I?” response.
People can call me whatever they want. I’ll answer to anything, I was thinking about being Dave “Bigger Country” Herman.
I’m not sure if there is a bigger country than Roy Nelson. When asked how Nelson’s style differs from other heavyweights Herman has fought in the past, his answer was quick and to the point.
I don’t know. I’m going to find out probably on Saturday I guess. I haven’t given it much thought yet.
The more you listen to Dave speak the more you wonder if his nonchalant attitude is an act or if it’s honestly how he lives his life. He walks into the cage and fights with his hands down, almost daring his opponent to knock him out. It’s a pretty dangerous way to make it in the sport, but his record would tell you otherwise. The problem is there is so much talent wrapped in Dave “Pee Wee” Herman that you hope that all of this is strictly for show and maybe one day he’ll start to evolve into the heavyweight that many projected him to be.
But one can’t help to laugh at “Pee Wee’s” quick one-liners and bold statements. Such was the case back at UFC 131 in the post fight press conference where he brashly stated that BJJ doesn’t work in MMA. It’s tough to tell if he was serious about the proclamation but when asked about it again he still backs up his claim.
I mean even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while, but Jiu-Jitsu is pretty much a waste of time. However, if I were to teach self defense to a girl I would teach her Jiu-Jitsu because jits is pretty much how a smaller/weaker person might be able to trick you into losing. So for self defense for girls I think it’s great.
Roy Nelson has a black belt in BJJ and it probably will be something Herman will or should be concerned about if the fight goes to the mat. So if BJJ is useless in MMA what does Dave suggest?
Punching people in the face usually works pretty well.
I’m going to have to agree, but the evolution of the sport shows that one must be well rounded to succeed. Herman doesn’t believe he is an expert in the art of punching people in the face yet but it is something he is working on.
That has been mainly what I’ve been focusing on, because that has always been kind of my weakest area. Or at least it hasn’t looked good anyways.
Last February at UFC on Fuel TV, Herman put on a disappointing performance and lost to Stefan Struve via TKO in the second round. Before the fight at the weigh-ins, Herman came out looking like a Sasquatch. He grew out his body hair and died it black and wore a pink scarf that he claimed he knitted himself. It was a very bizarre scene but not surprising. The look didn’t sit well with UFC President Dana White though.
Listen, if you want to get noticed … get noticed for your fighting skills. Not for coming in like a gorilla or wearing pink scarfs. And coming in to “Macho Man?” As I was sitting there, I’m thinking ‘did I seriously let him come into this song?’
However, there was no deep meaning to the strange look and Herman claims nobody from the UFC slapped his hands about it either.
No there was no meaning, I just hadn’t grown out the ‘back fro’ in a while and I wanted to see if it was still as bad as I remembered… It was. The UFC didn’t say much to me afterwards.
The Indiana native is no stranger to controversy. Before his fight with Mike Russow at UFC 136 he tested positive for marijuana. Herman still believes he was innocent and claims that it could have been second hand smoke. However when asked about the banned substance, Herman threw out this gem,
I think marijuana is a terrible performance-enhancing drug and that people shouldn’t be allowed to take it, because it helps them fight better. I don’t know how it makes people fight better, but Nick Diaz looks pretty good and that’s probably why.
Whether or not this is just “Pee Wee” being himself or maybe he is legitimately not a fan of doing interviews who knows. Nonetheless, the fight with Nelson is going to be a tough test but apparently Herman’s training camp hasn’t been.
I’ve been pretty much taking it easy the whole time. He’s real tough and always keeps coming, which is something else I’ll have to deal with. We’ll see what happens.
It’s pretty simple for the Team Quest stand out. He needs a win. When Dave “Pee Wee” Herman lays down in his bed and visualizes how the fight will end this is what he comes up with.
I predict a 2nd round TKO and the only way that won’t happen is if there’s a 1st round TKO.
With all of the bizarreness that is “Pee Wee” Herman, nothing is more important than wins. Whether or not you believe his short and humorous quips, the fact of the matter is he will have to do his talking in the Octagon. Let’s hope that Dave Herman has taken his training seriously. It would be a shame to see someone with that much talent just not care.
-Corner Man-
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