UFC 244 is now just a day away, and the fighters spent some time doing the media rounds, promoting this massive PPV fight card on ESPN+.
Rather than going the traditional route and asking all the same questions as every MMA media outlet, BroBible brought some color and levity to UFC 244 media day. Talking with Nate Diaz about triathlons and Jorge Masvidal about the late Kimbo Slice, BroBible has not only become your source for quality MMA coverage, but now we’re getting the juicy soundbites too.
Read below for the highlights from UFC 244 media day, and make sure to tune in to the UFC 244 PPV main card on ESPN+.
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Nate Diaz, when asked if he’s also the BMF of the triathlon world:
Dan Shapiro
“In the triathlon community? No. I’m like … I’m hardly hanging in there [in] the triathlon community lately. I gotta step my game up next year for sure. But in the race world, it’s another world. Those guys are no joke. But when I get in the season, and I start working good, I start getting up there, start placing, placing pretty good in a lot of the races. But that’s another world that these [MMA] guys can’t keep up with for sure.”
Dan Shapiro
Jorge Masvidal, when asked what the late Kimbo Slice would think of his current success:
“I wish I could finish the fight and go shake his hand, and give him a hug afterwards that’d be super cool. That’s somebody that, no vested interest in me, just backing me up. You know. He saw the talent, and shit, man, he just — it’s still one of my most watched fights, something that makes me so recognizable in the sport when people can figure it out that it’s the same guy, oh shit, it’s the same guy I saw when I was a kid, it’s pretty cool.
“And [Kimbo Slice] opened up those doors for me, he didn’t have to, you know. He didn’t have to at all, I was just some skinny kid from Miami. I didn’t grow up with him or nothing, we just came across each other. He liked my style, he liked what I was doing, and he gave me that shot to shine, you know, so I’m forever indebted to him in many ways.”
.@GamebredFighter talks about Kimbo Slice and how he “wishes I could finish the fight and go shake his hand, and give him a hug afterwards.”#UFC244 pic.twitter.com/FHw446SiQ6
— BroBible (@BroBible) October 31, 2019
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is “itching at the bit to be able to go out there and do it again.” He also fought Jorge Masvidal in 2017 and weighs in on the UFC 244 PPV main event:
Dan Shapiro
“Diaz he’s got the skills to do it right now, and he’s very tough. He comes forward and he’s definitely got the longer reach between the two of them, and he’s relentless. He like beats people with volume, just nonstop throwing, throwing, throwing. He’s got very good jiu jitsu, but I think he’s gonna wanna keep it standing against Jorge Masvidal.
“Masvidal on the other hand, very similar fighter, but he’s not afraid to do something unexpected out there, something flashy, which, that can catch a lot of people off guard.”
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Derrick Lewis, when asked about adversity and his opponent, Blagoy Ivanov, who survived a knife attack:
Dan Shapiro
“It’s like, I’ve been through worse things too before in my life. I’ve missed a couple of meals before and I thought I was gonna die and still had drove to Popyeye’s on an empty stomach, and I passed all these other restaurants and like, this is a do or die situation. I passed McDonald’s and went straight to Popeye’s, so I think I’ve been through tougher stuff than him.”
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Vicente Luque, on the fans pushing him to fight for the BMF title when there was some idea that Nate Diaz may not fight:
Dan Shapiro
“Man, I think that’s an honor for me. It would be an honor to fight any of those two guys. It’s something I have planned for the future, you know. I would love to face Nate or Masvidal. They’re guys I’ve watched even before I got to the UFC.”
Kevin Lee, on his new teammate and mentor Georges “GSP” St-Pierre:
Dan Shapiro
“Georges has been a big staple of the camp. Just because of who he is, you know. He says one or two things and it clicks with me immediately. And he just knows how to communicate in the right ways.
“One thing that did surprise me about moving to Canada is how cerebral everything is, and it’s always technical, it’s always approached with the right mind, and I feel like that mixes well with my style.”
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Johnny Walker, on his next fight:
Dan Shapiro
“I need to fight Jones. I’m excited to do that … The only interesting fight for me is Jones. Whatever they send to me, I will smash. I will smash.”
Edmen Shahbazyan, on Ronda Rousey and what it feels like to survive her armbar in the gym:
Dan Shapiro
“Yep … Not good …
“She shared a lot of advice, just even in watching her grow and watching her in the UFC, all like the media, the grind, the training, just motivated me at the time.”
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Shane Burgos, on cutting his hair, in the Octagon, in between rounds:
Dan Shapiro
“My coach asked me before the fight, he said ‘Shane, what are you gonna do with the hair?’ I was like, ‘I’m gonna finish the fight in the first round, don’t worry about it.’ And he was like ‘alright, alright, but what if it goes past the first round and the hair starts getting in your face?’ and I was like ‘if anything, just cut it off, I’m not worried about it, I’ll worry about it later’. So, I was just joking, right.
“The rubber band snapped when I went to go tie my hair up. He was like ‘sorry Shane’ took it, and snipped it right off. And I was like — I was in the zone, so I really didn’t put too much thought into it. Afterwards I was like ‘damn, my hair is jacked up now, man’. I had to go get a haircut right after.”
UFC 244 & ESPN+ Annual Plan Only $79.98 — Over 25% Off!
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UFC 244 Pay Per View Main Card on ESPN+ (10 p.m. EST / 7 p.m. PST)
Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz – For the UFC BMF title
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Darren Till
Stephen Thompson vs. Vicente Luque
Derrick Lewis vs. Blagoy Ivanov
Kevin Lee vs. Gregor Gillespie
UFC 244 Prelims on ESPN 2 (8 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST)
Corey Anderson vs. Johnny Walker
Shane Burgos vs. Makwan Amirkhani
Brad Tavares vs. Edmen Shabazyan
Andrei Arlovski vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
UFC 244 Early Prelims on UFC Fight Pass (6:30 p.m. EST / 3:30 p.m. PST)
Katlyn Chookagian vs. Jennifer Maia
Lyman Good vs. Chance Rencountre
Julio Arce vs. Hakeem Dawodu
UFC 244 & ESPN+ Annual Plan Only $79.98 — Over 25% Off!
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