Python
10-06-2006, 11:29 AM
Interview with Sean Sherk
By Sean McClure
Thursday, October 5, 2006
MaxFighting: How shocked were you when the UFC approached you and offered you the lightweight title shot?
Sean Sherk: I wasn’t real shocked, you know seeing as I was going to drop the weight class and there was not a champion, I figured they would want to crown a champion real soon. They have so many shows and they need main events. I kind of expected it, but I thought I might have to fight one time at the weight class first before I got my title shot, but I wasn’t surprised at all. I was kind of expecting it I guess.
MaxFighting: Some assumed that with your win over Diaz that you were back on track to get a title shot at the welterweight title again. Was it a hard decision to choose between dropping the weight and staying at 170?
Sean Sherk: Something I had thought about for a long time was dropping to 155. I had no reason to drop to 155 being that there was no real, solid weight class. There was no UFC title, so there was no real reason for me to drop. When they brought the weight class back, I knew that they were going to want to crown a champion so for me I just think it was time. I’m always trying to evolve and get better. It’s just part of my evolution that I am dropping down a weight class and just kind of going from there.
MaxFighting: So was it any surprise to you at all that the name Kenny Florian was put in front of you instead of someone like Stevenson?
Sean Sherk: Well, you know at the time I dropped weight, three of the fighters I had expected to face got beat. Josh Thompson got beat, Yves Edwards got beat, and Joe Stevenson got beat. That’s why I expected to fight at the weight class once maybe over a six month time period in which they could build up a formidable opponent for me to fight for the title. I wasn’t surprised to hear Kenny’s name, though. They built him up, he's coming off three wins in a row, and he’s got all of the popularity from the television show so, I wasn’t surprised to hear that name at all.
MaxFighting: When they told you that you were fighting Florian at UFC 64, was that the original date or was there another date you two were supposed to fight on?
Sean Sherk: I was supposed to fight, we were supposed to fight in August at UFC 62 I believe it was….
MaxFighting: That’s right.
Sean Sherk: I was training, I was ready to fight and about six weeks before the fight I was told that the fight was being cancelled for whatever reason. Then they tried to find me another opponent, a couple of guys turned it down, and then I had no one to fight for UFC 62. So, they ended up having to push it back to October. They pushed it back a few months on me. Yeah, I mean I wanted to fight in August because I don’t like being laid off this long. I got laid off for seven months after the St. Pierre fight now I’m getting laid off for almost seven months after the Diaz fight. That’s two fights in fourteen months and that’s just not enough for me.
MaxFighting: So you're at the last couple of weeks before your fight, what’s that going to be like for you? Do you turn it up a notch or stay the same?
Sean Sherk: I’m, I mean I’m training full force. I mean, I’m always training full force ten to twelve weeks before the fight, like ten to twelve weeks out I’m training hard. I just keep everything going as it is and I don’t change anything. I don’t stop training hard until like two days before the fight.
MaxFighting: When you step in to that Octagon with Kenny, do you think he has any intentions of taking you down?
Sean Sherk: I don’t know what he’s got in mind. You know one thing’s for sure, I mean he’s going to try and cut me *laughs*
MaxFighting: *laughs*
Sean Sherk: He thinks his elbows are great and he wants to cut me. He wants to cut me, get out of there as fast as he can, and get an easy win. He might shoot in or try to outbox me. I don’t know what he’s going to try to do. I’m ready for whatever he is doing. I mean, I am training with the best guys in the world so whatever he throws at me I’ll be ready for it.
MaxFighting: Sean thanks for talking with us.
Thanks for having me.
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
By Sean McClure
Thursday, October 5, 2006
MaxFighting: How shocked were you when the UFC approached you and offered you the lightweight title shot?
Sean Sherk: I wasn’t real shocked, you know seeing as I was going to drop the weight class and there was not a champion, I figured they would want to crown a champion real soon. They have so many shows and they need main events. I kind of expected it, but I thought I might have to fight one time at the weight class first before I got my title shot, but I wasn’t surprised at all. I was kind of expecting it I guess.
MaxFighting: Some assumed that with your win over Diaz that you were back on track to get a title shot at the welterweight title again. Was it a hard decision to choose between dropping the weight and staying at 170?
Sean Sherk: Something I had thought about for a long time was dropping to 155. I had no reason to drop to 155 being that there was no real, solid weight class. There was no UFC title, so there was no real reason for me to drop. When they brought the weight class back, I knew that they were going to want to crown a champion so for me I just think it was time. I’m always trying to evolve and get better. It’s just part of my evolution that I am dropping down a weight class and just kind of going from there.
MaxFighting: So was it any surprise to you at all that the name Kenny Florian was put in front of you instead of someone like Stevenson?
Sean Sherk: Well, you know at the time I dropped weight, three of the fighters I had expected to face got beat. Josh Thompson got beat, Yves Edwards got beat, and Joe Stevenson got beat. That’s why I expected to fight at the weight class once maybe over a six month time period in which they could build up a formidable opponent for me to fight for the title. I wasn’t surprised to hear Kenny’s name, though. They built him up, he's coming off three wins in a row, and he’s got all of the popularity from the television show so, I wasn’t surprised to hear that name at all.
MaxFighting: When they told you that you were fighting Florian at UFC 64, was that the original date or was there another date you two were supposed to fight on?
Sean Sherk: I was supposed to fight, we were supposed to fight in August at UFC 62 I believe it was….
MaxFighting: That’s right.
Sean Sherk: I was training, I was ready to fight and about six weeks before the fight I was told that the fight was being cancelled for whatever reason. Then they tried to find me another opponent, a couple of guys turned it down, and then I had no one to fight for UFC 62. So, they ended up having to push it back to October. They pushed it back a few months on me. Yeah, I mean I wanted to fight in August because I don’t like being laid off this long. I got laid off for seven months after the St. Pierre fight now I’m getting laid off for almost seven months after the Diaz fight. That’s two fights in fourteen months and that’s just not enough for me.
MaxFighting: So you're at the last couple of weeks before your fight, what’s that going to be like for you? Do you turn it up a notch or stay the same?
Sean Sherk: I’m, I mean I’m training full force. I mean, I’m always training full force ten to twelve weeks before the fight, like ten to twelve weeks out I’m training hard. I just keep everything going as it is and I don’t change anything. I don’t stop training hard until like two days before the fight.
MaxFighting: When you step in to that Octagon with Kenny, do you think he has any intentions of taking you down?
Sean Sherk: I don’t know what he’s got in mind. You know one thing’s for sure, I mean he’s going to try and cut me *laughs*
MaxFighting: *laughs*
Sean Sherk: He thinks his elbows are great and he wants to cut me. He wants to cut me, get out of there as fast as he can, and get an easy win. He might shoot in or try to outbox me. I don’t know what he’s going to try to do. I’m ready for whatever he is doing. I mean, I am training with the best guys in the world so whatever he throws at me I’ll be ready for it.
MaxFighting: Sean thanks for talking with us.
Thanks for having me.
[Only registered and activated users can see links]