THE CANADIAN PRESS
Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout is known for fighting on his feet and putting on a show, win or lose.
That aggressive standup style has won him fans and five fight of the night bonuses in the UFC. But at 26, the lightweight from London, Ont., is wondering whether a more well-rounded approach may better serve his body and mixed martial arts career.
Stout (14-4-1 including 4-5 in the UFC) is coming off a decision loss to the heavy-handed Jeremy (Lil’ Heathen) Stephens in May at UFC 113. Stout had a good third round but Stephens had the edge in the first two, lashing the Canadian with powerful strikes.
"He hits hard, there’s no denying that," Stout said wistfully.
His chin passed the test. Stout laughs when told so did his whole head.
"Yeah, it was pretty sore the next day, though."
Stout faces another striker on Saturday when he takes on England’s Paul (Relentless) Taylor on the undercard of UFC 121 in Anaheim.
Taylor (10-5-1 with one no contest) is fast on his feet, less so on the ground. This fight marks his first in the UFC at 155 pounds after going 3-4 as welterweight.
"It’s a great fight for me really," said Stout. "His strengths are my strengths, so I think I can stand up with him and exchange if I feel the need to do that. And then also I can mix it up on him. It might be a good fight to try some new things and get my feet wet in terms of wrestling and jiu-jitsu a little more."
"I’d like to keep Paul on his toes and really keep him guessing as to what I’m going to do in this fight," he added.
Asked when he last tried to take a fight to the ground, Stout pauses.
"I haven’t shot for a takedown since I think, geez it’s been a while now. I think since Etim, really."
That would be Terry Etim, who won a decision over Stout in October 2008 at UFC 89 in Birmingham, England. The Canadian has beaten (Handsome) Matt Wiman and Joe Lauzon and lost to Stephens since.
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.
Takedowns aside, Stout points out that he has reversed position on the ground a few times and ended up on top of opponents.
The former kickboxer says he spends "as much or more time" on his wrestling and jiu-jitsu in training as he does his striking.
"For me, it’s not that I haven’t had the opportunity," he said of his grappling. "It’s just that when I go out there, I’ve spent so many years fighting a certain way. And I kind of feel the fans come to expect a certain fight out of me. And sometimes I can be a little stubborn in not deviating from that usual game plan of standing and trading with somebody for three rounds."
He seems to suggest the time for such stubborness is gone.
"I’ve come to a point in my career where I’m not one of the young guys anymore," he continued. "I’m still not old by any means but it’s time for me to start making more strategic decisions when it comes to my fights, getting wins and kind of protecting my head and my body for the upcoming years.
"I’d like to have a long career. Standing there and trading punches for three rounds, you know I’ve got a good chin right now but it’s probably not providing for the most longevity in a career."
The ground route has proved effective against the 30-year-old Taylor in the past.
Last time out, at UFC 105 last November, fellow Englishman John (The Hitman) Hathaway took him down and beat him up on the ground en route to a unanimous decision that left Taylor’s face swollen and bruised.
Stout reckons he should profit from Taylor’s weight cut to 155 pounds and long journey through eight time zones.
"I’ve done it coming the other way and I know it definitely takes a toll on you," said Stout, who also fought at UFC 80 in Newcastle. "It’s not something to completely look past. You have to be prepared for that."
In contrast, Stout faced a short trip from Las Vegas where he finished off his training camp.
Taylor has won fight of the night bonus cheques three times in a losing cause — for bouts with Marcus (The Irish Hand Grenade) Davis, Chris (Lights Out) Lytle and Paul Kelly.
Stout, who also won a bonus for his second fight with Spencer Fisher, has profited five times.
The extra money has come in handy. This year Stout has moved into a new home, bought a car and done some renos around the house, including laying down a new driveway.
"I’m just doing little things, fixing the place up, getting new furniture and stuff like that right now," he said. "But somebody told me something that I think about a lot. It’s not about how much money you make in this sport, it’s about how much money you keep. I try and keep that in my mind when I’m out shopping."
The bonuses are always appreciated. But a loss is a loss.
"It definitely always helps take the sting off it a little bit when you get an extra $70,000," said Stout. "But I would have traded the bonus for the win any day of the week."
