London, Ont.’s Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout received tremendous cheers when he was introduced to the outdoor Anaheim crowd Friday for the official weigh-ins for UFC 121. It’s not that there was a strong Canadian contingent. It’s just that even the MMA fan in California can appreciate a guy who always brings it when he steps into the cage, no matter what side of the border he comes from.
Of course, it’s not like Stout is fighting an American. And one must not forget his opponent, Paul Taylor of England, is no slouch when it comes to putting on exciting fights.
“I’ve won five fight of the nights in my career, but Taylor’s won three,” Stout said. “I think it will be a split crowd as to who they’re pulling for (Saturday).”
“I’m expecting him wanting to come out and brawl,” Stout said of their undercard bout. “Every fight I’ve watched of him in the UFC, he comes to the middle and he starts throwing punches. He doesn’t really look for takedowns a whole lot and I think that’s the kind of fight he likes to get into, those wars.
“And if he’s done his homework on me, which I’m sure he has, he’ll probably be expecting the same thing from me, which I’ll be happy to oblige.”
Follow live results and thoughts on UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez on (Big Game) James Brydon’s Twitter account, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.
Stout is famous for his Muay Thai, an art he’s honed at the Adrenaline Training Centre gym he co-owns in his home town, the MMA gym formerly established by his longtime coach and now brother-in-law, Shawn Tompkins (he married Sam’s sister).
Taylor is a kickboxer too, but Stout believes their styles are slightly different enough that there could be an edge (which he of course hopes will be his).
“There’s a lot of little subtleties to his kickboxing that are slightly different from mine, but I think it would take more of a trained eye to see it. His way of throwing punches is a little different from mine, his style, his movement is slightly different from mine but I think it should make for a real interesting MMA fight.”
Programming note: Tune in to Sportsnet ONE on Saturday, Oct. 23 for live coverage of the preliminary card from UFC 121 beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. The prelims will feature Canadian Patrick (The Predator) Cote taking on (Filthy) Tom Lawlor as well as Ultimate Fighter Season 11 winner Court McGee versus Ryan Jensen. Also, watch a replay of the pre-fight press conference and catch Friday’s weigh-ins and the post-fight press conference Saturday here at sportsnet.ca.
As entertaining as he always is — Dana White says he loves to watch Stout — it has been a while since Stout, who earned knockouts in six of his first 10 fights as a pro, has finished an opponent. In fact, all but one of his nine UFC fights have gone to a decision (he was submitted by Kenny Florian in the other).
But Stout isn’t about to change his approach.
“I’m going to go out and do what I do. I’m not going to try to force a knockout or a submission. If it’s there, I’ll take it, but I haven’t got to where I am today by taking stupid risks … If you’ve watched my fights you know I don’t go out there and put on a half-assed fight.
“It’s not a matter of trying harder. It’s just that these guys in the UFC are tough to finish.”
Hominick, Horodecki sweat out wins
Two Canadians — actually Stout’s two teammates from London, Ont. — were victorious at last month’s WEC event in Broomfield, Colo., and by the same method: split judges’ decision.
Yet in both cases, it probably should have been unanimous.
Chris Horodecki was a winner over Ed Ratcliff on the undercard of WEC 51. Two judges (Joe Garcia and Don Bates) gave him all three rounds, while the third (Mark Van Tine) scored it 29-28 for the American, the latter coming as a surprise to the younger Canuck.
“I was sure I had done enough,” Horodecki said. “I controlled the fight, controlled the pace … but whatever, a W’s a W.”
Meanwhile Mark Hominick and Leonard Garcia thrilled the crowd in the Denver suburb for three rounds before two judges (Tine and Nelson Hamilton) scored it 29-28 in favour of the Canadian. However Garcia, who clearly had the crowd behind him, got the nod from the third judge; interestingly, that was judge Garcia. Any “name favouritism” there?
Hominick, who said he doesn’t read anything into that, did admit to the perils of leaving it to a decision.
“That’s why they always say; don’t leave it to the judges,” Hominick said. “You don’t know what fight they’re watching.”
Their other Adrenaline teammate Stout, who is no stranger to split decisions having won one and lost two in the Octagon that way, felt similarly.
“I don’t know what the judges were watching,” Stout said. “From where I was sitting, Mark clearly won that fight. He was more accurate with his strikes, he wasn’t really taking any damage, he was landing punches … he didn’t really land any devastating punches but at the same time neither did Garcia. And Mark outscored him on points and I think looked sharper the whole fight.”
Hominick believes with a different approach he could have left no doubt as to who would have had his hand raised.
“Looking back at it now, I think if we went in with the mentality that I should finish him, I think I could have finished him,” Hominick said. “I just felt he was really tough and durable and hard to finish. But I wish I had gone in with the mentality of taking him out.”
What makes Hominick’s win even more impressive was the fact he was actually fighting with a broken thumb that he suffered the week before.
“It happened a week before my fight during my last hard day of grappling. Someone sat on my thumb and pulled it all the way back to my wrist,” Hominick said. “It was an injury I knew I had going in and I just bit down on the mouthguard and fought through it. It’s called a skier thumb. Basically they said there were a couple bone fragments in the thumb.”
During the fight, Hominick worked the jab and left hook to perfection. He said he would have gone for the liver more if not for the hand injury. But he said the fight went “exactly” the way he expected.
“We were going to hit him, we were going to make him miss, and we’re going to hit him again.”
A few days after the fight, Hominick got a cast on his arm up to his elbow. As a result, he was given a 180-day medical suspension, but he can be cleared by a physician earlier.
After asking for Garcia because he was a big name that can help elevate him to the next level, Hominick hopes to next get in position for a title shot.
“Realistically, I think I need one more big win, against a big name in the division. Another big statement win and I think I’ll be ready (for a title shot) on all ends, both mentally and for the WEC.”
Both Hominick and Horodecki have one fight left on their contract, but there’s every reason to expect they’ll get new ones. And some even tougher fights.
Update: Horodecki is getting just that as THE CANADIAN PRESS reported he will be taking on former top contender Donald Cerrone at WEC 53 on Dec. 16. Cerrone, who defeated ex-champion Jamie Varner at the Sept. 30 event, has fought for the lightweight title three times, losing to Varner and twice to current belt-holder Ben Henderson.