MATT SERRA RELISHES ROLE AS THE UNDERDOG
It’s been a year since Matt Serra planted Georges St. Pierre on the canvas and took his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title, yet he enters Saturday’s rematch at UFC 83 the underdog once again.
And why not? Serra hasn’t fought a round since that bout. While he spent the year getting married, serving a stint as coach on The Ultimate Fighter, and then laid up due to a back injury; St. Pierre was outwrestling NCAA Division I wrestling champion Josh Koscheck to a unanimous decision and dismantling the legendary Matt Hughes for a second time.
But Serra is not unaccustomed to being in such a position. As he says, it’s the same position he was in when he and St. Pierre met at UFC 69 in Houston, Texas.
“I’m a huge underdog, maybe not as huge as last time. People are basing it on his last two performances, which were great. Last time I fought him he basically cleaned out the division and he was coming off of a decision win over B.J. Penn and then the destruction of Hughes. And now he’s coming off of this decision win over Koscheck and the destruction of Hughes. They can look at it any way they want. I know I’m the underdog and I’m comfortable with that.”
The symmetry between then and now seems quite obvious, but there are some key differences as well. The most glaring factor introduced in the rematch is that they are no longer on neutral ground. At UFC 83, Serra will be walking into the lion’s den, as the fight takes place in St. Pierre’s hometown of Montreal.
“I’m don’t really expect to get cheered walking out. I think I’m finally going to feel like Tim Sylvia feels when he fights anywhere,” quipped Serra. “I have my trainers and my sparring partners boo me on a regular basis, so I’m getting mentally prepared for it.”
He’s also been getting physically prepared. Despite the official one-year layoff, Serra doesn’t see his time out of the Octagon that way, crediting the sweat equity of his time in the gym.
“How I fight in the gym, in the academy, that’s how I perform. And I’m basing that off of my past performances,” he stated confidently. “I do what I do in the academy and I don’t make a big difference between that and a fight. To me, it’s another day of hardcore sparring.
“People say you haven’t fought in a year, but I’ve been fighting three or four times a week with multiple partners. I’m really happy with the way things are going, I feel great. The way I look at it, what I pull off in sparring, I should be able to pull off in the fight. (The layoff is) not going to affect me at all.”
That’s not to say that he is overlooking his Canadian adversary. In fact, he has tremendous respect for St. Pierre’s abilities. “I have to be prepared and dangerous on all fronts. Georges is very well rounded. He’s got very good wrestling besides his striking, so standing up, off my back, everywhere basically I have to bring my ‘A’ game.”
But he’s also not quick to short-change himself, feeling that his style could once again be a problem. “He’s obviously super talented but anybody on any given night anybody can beat any given fighter,” said Serra. “I think it’s how styles match up. I feel, and I’m not even saying I’m a better fighter than Hughes, but I feel I’m a way worse match-up for him. I think styles make fights and I believe my style is real good for this match-up and I’m prepared to prove it.”
Despite Serra’s confidence, there are still the naysayers that, much like the first time the two met, believe the New Yorker doesn’t match-up with St. Pierre. That Serra cannot repeat his feat of a year ago. That St. Pierre will be the one to walk out of the Octagon with UFC gold around his waist on Saturday night in Montreal.
“I try not to get caught up in all the hype, the fluff,” Serra commented stoically, “because they’re not in there with us, it’s just me and Georges and it’s a fight. When that cage door shuts, it’s just us two. So all the hype, all the critics, they can have an opinion, that’s great. I’m the one who controls my destiny, not these guys.”
It’s been a year since Matt Serra planted Georges St. Pierre on the canvas and took his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title, yet he enters Saturday’s rematch at UFC 83 the underdog once again.
And why not? Serra hasn’t fought a round since that bout. While he spent the year getting married, serving a stint as coach on The Ultimate Fighter, and then laid up due to a back injury; St. Pierre was outwrestling NCAA Division I wrestling champion Josh Koscheck to a unanimous decision and dismantling the legendary Matt Hughes for a second time.
But Serra is not unaccustomed to being in such a position. As he says, it’s the same position he was in when he and St. Pierre met at UFC 69 in Houston, Texas.
“I’m a huge underdog, maybe not as huge as last time. People are basing it on his last two performances, which were great. Last time I fought him he basically cleaned out the division and he was coming off of a decision win over B.J. Penn and then the destruction of Hughes. And now he’s coming off of this decision win over Koscheck and the destruction of Hughes. They can look at it any way they want. I know I’m the underdog and I’m comfortable with that.”
The symmetry between then and now seems quite obvious, but there are some key differences as well. The most glaring factor introduced in the rematch is that they are no longer on neutral ground. At UFC 83, Serra will be walking into the lion’s den, as the fight takes place in St. Pierre’s hometown of Montreal.
“I’m don’t really expect to get cheered walking out. I think I’m finally going to feel like Tim Sylvia feels when he fights anywhere,” quipped Serra. “I have my trainers and my sparring partners boo me on a regular basis, so I’m getting mentally prepared for it.”
He’s also been getting physically prepared. Despite the official one-year layoff, Serra doesn’t see his time out of the Octagon that way, crediting the sweat equity of his time in the gym.
“How I fight in the gym, in the academy, that’s how I perform. And I’m basing that off of my past performances,” he stated confidently. “I do what I do in the academy and I don’t make a big difference between that and a fight. To me, it’s another day of hardcore sparring.
“People say you haven’t fought in a year, but I’ve been fighting three or four times a week with multiple partners. I’m really happy with the way things are going, I feel great. The way I look at it, what I pull off in sparring, I should be able to pull off in the fight. (The layoff is) not going to affect me at all.”
That’s not to say that he is overlooking his Canadian adversary. In fact, he has tremendous respect for St. Pierre’s abilities. “I have to be prepared and dangerous on all fronts. Georges is very well rounded. He’s got very good wrestling besides his striking, so standing up, off my back, everywhere basically I have to bring my ‘A’ game.”
But he’s also not quick to short-change himself, feeling that his style could once again be a problem. “He’s obviously super talented but anybody on any given night anybody can beat any given fighter,” said Serra. “I think it’s how styles match up. I feel, and I’m not even saying I’m a better fighter than Hughes, but I feel I’m a way worse match-up for him. I think styles make fights and I believe my style is real good for this match-up and I’m prepared to prove it.”
Despite Serra’s confidence, there are still the naysayers that, much like the first time the two met, believe the New Yorker doesn’t match-up with St. Pierre. That Serra cannot repeat his feat of a year ago. That St. Pierre will be the one to walk out of the Octagon with UFC gold around his waist on Saturday night in Montreal.
“I try not to get caught up in all the hype, the fluff,” Serra commented stoically, “because they’re not in there with us, it’s just me and Georges and it’s a fight. When that cage door shuts, it’s just us two. So all the hype, all the critics, they can have an opinion, that’s great. I’m the one who controls my destiny, not these guys.”
. He also has good results from grappling competitions. In December 2007 he placed first at the 1st Jiu-Jitsu World No-Gi Championship in the Medium Heavy Blue Belt Class.
