Now that UFC 129 is over, I just want to take a look back at the event at the Rogers Centre and my fight with Jose Aldo for the featherweight belt.
I knew going in there it was going to be a life-changing experience. Fighting for the world title meant everything to me.
Even though I came up just a little bit short, I laid it all on the line and that’s all you can do for a title fight.
I fought to the end and if I had had one more minute, I think I would be have been leaving a world champion. Aldo was fading and I think he was looking for a way out at the end, so I was pushing hard trying to finish.
I try not to fight with a lot of emotion. I just try to focus on the task at hand and stick to what I’ve trained to do. But I started feeling the crowd the last 30 seconds to a minute and I tried to feed off of them. They were really carrying me at the end.
There were definitely things I could have changed in the fight, but sometimes it’s hard to adapt on the fly. I knew right away he had some punching power.
He also had a really good right uppercut. He threw a lot into it and I kind of walked into it a couple times. But it’s easy to break down the fight after the fact.
I was trying to listen to my corner during the fight and adapt, but the one thing I wasn’t doing was throwing enough combinations. I was throwing a lot of single shots instead. I think the combinations would have added up a lot faster.
I knew to keep the pressure on but every time I got the momentum, he’d land a good power shot and that would put the momentum back in his favour. But I knew my conditioning was strong and I was very resilient. I was continuing to push and he was fading.
As far as the swelling on my forehead goes, that wasn’t a problem at all. It was one elbow in the second round that did it but it was definitely superficial. It looked a lot worse than it was. After the fight, once I had an ice bag on it for an hour, the swelling was gone.
I remember the elbow, but I just thought it cut me. I didn’t know it swelled up.
Since the fight I’ve gotten a ton of feedback and support, everybody was really happy with the fight and pleased with my performance. I got to show people who I was, not only as a fighter, but as a person.
I think a lot of people have a newfound respect for me as wasn’t supposed to get out of the first round. And if there had been six rounds, I think I would have won.
Overall, it was just an amazing week. It’s hard to put into words. There was such an amazing buzz for the show, and my fight lived up to the hype. People went home praising the performance and wishing for a rematch.
From here, I need to go back to the drawing board, get another couple wins, and then hopefully get another shot at him.
The fight of the night bonus was nice too, and good timing with the baby on the way. She’s due to arrive on Saturday.
My wife Ashley was there in the front row and it was an emotional fight for her. I think she stopped watching the fight after the third round, and that’s partially why I didn’t really want her there in person, because you’re emotionally involved and it’s an added stress when you’re pregnant. But she said she couldn’t not be there.
Ultimately, she was fine, and she’s healthy so we’re just waiting for the due date right now. We’re looking forward to what’s coming. I think I was more nervous about the baby than the fight.
And I’m perfectly healthy too. I did a CAT scan right after the fight and I’m 100 per cent. I definitely took some punishment in the fight but all the tests came back clear, no fractures or anything. Like I said, my face looked a lot worse than it was.
I’ve got a 60-day medical suspension, but I’ll just take that, heal up and come back stronger.
Overall, UFC 129 was one of those experiences I’ll cherish forever. It was something special to be at and my fight with Aldo is one of those fights that people will remember for a long time.