Clark Kent
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12-04-2009 04:25 PM:MMA isn't a bar room brawl so when trainer Greg Jackson sees his fighters talking trash and losing their heads during a fight, it drives him nuts. Jackson says it's become a bit of an epidemic recently with some of the Jackson's Submission Fighting campers and he's looking to insure it doesn't happen tomorrow with any of the five guys that he's working with on tomorrow night's "Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale."
Jackson told Cagewriter that's what ultimately prevented James McSweeney from pulling the upset on Roy Nelson in the semifinals of TUF 10. McSweeney was ahead in the first round and using his movement, then he decided to drop his hands. That's when he got caught with a fight changing overhand right.
"There's been two or three fights in my camp, including Rashad [Evans against Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 where] we've been doing a little too much talking and too much, 'come get me.'"
Jackson said the same thing happened during WEC 44 where his guy Leonard Garcia was winning and tried to turn things into a slugfest against Manny Gamburyan.
"I think it's that disease, that problem I'm having to address with all my fighters."
How do you fix it when fighters are emotional beasts in the Octagon?
"It's always cerebral. It's basically how I would want someone talking to me. 'Listen, if you do that you're going to lose. If you want to do that you're going to lose the fight.' It's their choice."
Staying focused and a strong mental game is why Jackson liked Brendan Schaub's chances so much entering the show. He's also bullish on Jon Jones, who is in the main event against Matt Hamill. But Jackson was quick to point out the 22-year-old is a trainer's dream come true but he's thought at times in the past. With fame comes the challenges of staying focused. Jones appears to be a kid so grounded that it shouldn't be a problem but you never know.
More...
Yahoo! Sports.
Cagewriter is an MMA blog edited by Steve Cofield.
Jackson told Cagewriter that's what ultimately prevented James McSweeney from pulling the upset on Roy Nelson in the semifinals of TUF 10. McSweeney was ahead in the first round and using his movement, then he decided to drop his hands. That's when he got caught with a fight changing overhand right.
"There's been two or three fights in my camp, including Rashad [Evans against Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 where] we've been doing a little too much talking and too much, 'come get me.'"
Jackson said the same thing happened during WEC 44 where his guy Leonard Garcia was winning and tried to turn things into a slugfest against Manny Gamburyan.
"I think it's that disease, that problem I'm having to address with all my fighters."
How do you fix it when fighters are emotional beasts in the Octagon?
"It's always cerebral. It's basically how I would want someone talking to me. 'Listen, if you do that you're going to lose. If you want to do that you're going to lose the fight.' It's their choice."
Staying focused and a strong mental game is why Jackson liked Brendan Schaub's chances so much entering the show. He's also bullish on Jon Jones, who is in the main event against Matt Hamill. But Jackson was quick to point out the 22-year-old is a trainer's dream come true but he's thought at times in the past. With fame comes the challenges of staying focused. Jones appears to be a kid so grounded that it shouldn't be a problem but you never know.
More...
Yahoo! Sports.
Cagewriter is an MMA blog edited by Steve Cofield.
