“This is a totally insane journey, but I’m loving every second of it.”
Patrick Cummins (or Pat to his friends) is a name you would be forgiven for not having known a week ago. Up until then, the Pat Cummins you found when you searched on Google was an Australian cricketer.
“I wanna challenge him to a Google search off now,” Cummins quips, “let’s see who’s name comes up first!”
For a fighter thrust into the spotlight at such short notice, Cummins is very calm and collected. By his own admission, he quickly formed a game plan on how to sell this fight.
Mind games are the key to beating Cormier: Cummins
“Every little tactic, it all counts.” Cummins said, “I think, especially with Daniel, his mental game is pretty weak as far as I’m concerned. He’s a guy that made the Olympic games and then didn’t make weight, I think that’s something. If you can’t make weight for the Olympics, something you’ve been training for your whole life, then obviously something is missing mentally. I think the more shots we can take at him to get in his head the better.”
“We have a press conference today and we’ll get to go back and forth a little bit, and I’m planning on getting in his head just a little bit more too…I think he’s been flustered, it’s been pretty obvious on television and in every other media outlet he seems a bit flustered with the whole situation. I’m loving it.”
His story is pretty improbable – at 4-0 against opponents with a combined record of 10-20, Cummins has never fought anyone at the level of Cormier before. While Cummins is supremely confident in his ability to win this fight, he is all too aware that his fighting ability was not what sealed this fight for him.
Cummins said: “When I spoke to Dana for the first time his big thing was “hey I know you’re a good athlete, a great fighter, but none of that really makes any sense if you don’t have a great story to come in here and tell.” He’s absolutely right, I think all those little things that we’ve done have made this fight what it is. It’s caught people’s interest.”
While he has the utmost confidence in his own talents, when it comes to the level of his opponent Cummins is less impressed. “He’s proven himself at heavyweight against some pretty decent guys, but cutting that weight has always been an issue for him.” Cummins said, “It’s kind of a big jump to rank him so highly down at a weight he’s never competed at before. I understand the odds are against me, and that’s fine. I’m an underdog kinda guy, that’s where I’ve been most of my life when it comes to competition and I feel right at home there.”
“My plan is to dominate in every position possible. I think he’s going to come out wanting to play a striking game and I think he’s going to be really surprised with how I am on my feet, and I think he’s probably going to get frustrated there and look to turn it into a wrestling match. I expect to beat him in that situation too, so in every way possible I think I’m better – it sounds crazy, because a lot of people don’t know who I am, but the guys that I train with and the guys that know me well, I think they’ll all agree with those observations.”
“I see myself winning just by pushing the pace and just staying in his face the entire times. I just want to push him until he physically and mentally breaks down. However the finish comes that’s not my concern, it’s about pushing him to somewhere he’s never been before and making him want to quit.”
Cummins’ wrestling credentials have been well documented in the past week, and it was during his college wrestling days that he first met another of Saturday’s big underdogs, Sara McMann.
“I always respected Sara.” Cummins commented, “She was wrestling around the same time I was in college. I remember at the Penn State open, I remember her entering the tournament and beating another Divison 1 college wrestler. A man! I think that was the first time I sat up and took notice of her, and thought ‘wow, that’s really impressive.’ Ever since then I’ve watched her on the international circuit and I’ve always thought she’s a great athlete and she’d do well in anything she’s doing.”
“I think she has a fair shot. Ronda’s very dangerous though and she’s very intense, it’s tough. It’s a tough call. I’m not too concerned with watching that fight, I think I’m going to be too busy celebrating.”
