The Fighter: Zak Cummings

Professional MMA Record: 19-4 (4 KO’s, 9 sub’s and 4 Dec’s)

Last Fight: Second round submission loss to Gunnar Nelson in July of 2014

Highlights: 7-2 in his past 9 fights, 2-1 in UFC, first man to defeat Yan Cabral

Zak Cummings was a competitor on The Ultimate Fighter season 17. He made it into the house but was eliminated early on. However, he did earn a spot on the UFC’s roster. He went on to defeat Ben Alloway and end the undefeated streak of Yan Cabral.

His last fight, nearly nine months ago, was an unfortunate second-round submission loss to Gunnar Nelson. Nothing seemed to be overly wrong in the fight, but Cummings has been silent since.

MMASucka caught up with current UFC welterweight competitor Zak Cummings to discuss a number of different issues, including his recent silence n the MMA community. Check out the interview below.

Putting the Welterweight Division on Notice – Zak Cummings is Back

First off, where you been man? You haven’t fought since a July 2014 loss to Gunnar Nelson and currently don’t have a fight booked yet. Healing up lingering injuries or something?

“I’ve been dormant lately. I severely fractured my orbital in the 1st round of my fight with Gunnar and had to have surgery. I’m all cleared now and trying to get my body, conditioning and weight all on track for a fight camp”

Speaking of Gunnar Nelson, was he the toughest guy you’ve fought to date? You looked to have won the first round of that fight, but then things took an unfortunate turn. A lot of people don’t know it, but you’ve fought the likes of Ryan Jimmo, Elvis Mutapic and even Tim Kennedy, all top notch opponents.

“No, I honestly feel I win that fight 9 out of 10 times. A freak deal with my orbital fracturing aggressively got worse throughout the fight. I actually almost missed the stool between rounds (laughs). He was good and got the better of me on that specific night. I would have to say Tim Kennedy was my toughest guy to date.“

As far as promotions are concerned, you’ve certainly fought for your fair share (including: Bellator, Strikeforce, MFC). How does the UFC compare to previous promotions you’ve fought for?

“The UFC is on a complete higher level than any other promotion. They are the best for a reason and they have everything figured out. They do anything they can to allow you to only worry about the fight coming up. If you have a question, they’ve already thought of it for you. It’s really all the little things that the UFC staff does that make a huge difference.”

We all know by now about the UFC’s new deal with Reebok. What are your thoughts on the sponsorship opportunity? Seems like a lot of people are on the fence and some fighters already claim to have lost ten’s of thousands of dollars in sponsorships since the deal was announced.

“I honestly don’t have enough information about it to make a legit judgment. I see the pro’s and con’s on both sides of the deal. I’m sure it will help some and hinder others but until I see what the actual breakdowns will be, I can only stay neutral.”

Recently, one of the greatest fighters of all time, Anderson Silva, was caught using Performance Enhancing Drugs. What’s you stance on the issue? Are you happy that the UFC appears to be cracking down on more pre fight drug testing (even though the results “mysteriously” don’t turn up until just after the fight). From your own experiences and in your professional opinion, what percentage of current MMA fighters are using PED’s?

“It absolutely broke my heart when I heard about Anderson. I love that the UFC is cracking down on testing and I really hope it cleans up the sport. It does blow my mind that these results are found then released after the events but this is a business and I’m sure someone way about my pay grade is making those decisions for a reason. I would give a percentage, but I feel a lot of the athletes in this day are using PED’s, not only in MMA but every sport. It’s an issue.”

Another big issue in MMA today is weight cutting – you’ve fought in a few different weight classes over the years. How is the cut down to 170lbs for you and why do you think we see almost at least one fighter per event missing weight now a days?

“I feel everyone is trying to get some advantage. Most try to get as heavy as possible, then cut down. The problem is that every situation is different. Traveling, prep time, starting weight….life. I can only speak for myself, and when I had an issue it was simple. I accepted a fight on short notice and it was physically impossible for me to make the weight. The problem is, I feel like I can do anything and I chanced it. Needless to say, lesson learned. Under normal circumstances, my cut to 170 is smooth sailing. I walk very heavy, but I have an excellent nutritionist, Tyler Minton, and we lockdown everything till I step off that scale.”

Finish this sentence for me: “By the start of 2016, Zak Cummings will….”

“By the start of 2016, Zak Cummings will be fighting to break into the top 10 and will be a force to deal with in the Welterweight division.”

Fighters spend a lot of time in training camp and don’t get a lot of down time, but what do you in your spare time when you’re not training or talking fights?

“HAHAHA, what is spare time? I enjoy living life with wife Amy and my two dogs. We enjoy traveling and spending time with friends and family that we love. I teach the sport that I love to kids and adults everyday so even if I have no “Spare Time” I am still enjoying everyday to the fullest.”

Last question: Georges St.Pierre, Kim Kardashian and Arnold Schwarzenegger. You’ve got to take one out to dinner, call one out after a fight, and get a picture of one tattoo’d on you. Go!

“I honestly don’t know, would like to take GSP out to dinner and fight him. No desire for any of them with Kim, so dinner but default, and Arnold would be an amusing tattoo.”

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As Cummings continues to heal up, the UFC’s 170lb division will move forward. However, you can be sure he’ll be back and better than ever. Some possible next opponents for Cummings could include: Jordan Mein, Kiichi Kunimoto, William Macario and many more.

Follow MMASucka featured columnist Nate Grotenhuis on Twitter @BurgersMMA