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UFC ON FUEL WEIGH-IN NOTES AND QUOTES

UFC WEIGH-IN ON FUEL TV Show Quotes – 12/13/12

Pearson: “[Sotiropoulos’] standup is not anywhere near my level.”

Henderson on Palhares: “If he gets your leg, there’s a good chance he’s going home with it.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – The following quotes are from today’s UFC WEIGH-IN ON FUEL TV for UFC ON FX 6: SOTIROPOULOS VS. PEARSON. The show was hosted by Jay Glazer, with UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson and UFC Light Heavyweight Contender Chael Sonnen offering analysis. MMA Journalist Karyn Bryant conducted fighter interviews on-site in Australia.

UFC WEIGH-IN ON FUEL TV Analyst Chael Sonnen on George Sotiropoulos: “I’ve trained and practiced with this guy. This guy spends so much time training - training and drilling. He really knows what he’s doing. On the downside, every now and then he makes basic mistakes. If he can stick to the basics, get his hands on him, bury his chin and keep his hands up, he’s going to do really good.”

UFC WEIGH-IN ON FUEL TV Analyst Benson Henderson on Ross Pearson: “Ross Pearson has great standup. He’s healthy, and he’s back at his natural weight at 155. He throws some heavy hands. He has a great takedown defense. He’s going to stand and bang with him. I talked to Dominick Cruz, and he said Pearson’s standup is looking nasty and that’s high praise from our Bantamweight Champion.”

UFC WEIGH-IN ON FUEL TV Reporter Karyn Bryant asks Ross Pearson on how he is feeling since switching weight class: “I feel amazing. I feel like the old me is back. I have the spark, the energy and all the performances I put in 155, I am back to put them on again.”

Pearson on George Sotiropoulos’ style: “It is a great style of fighting. He is the classic grappler, I am the classic striker. He knows where he wants to put the fight. I know where I want to put the fight. We both know that.”

Pearson on Sotriopoulos’ standup not being at his level: “His standup is not anywhere near my level.”

Pearson on Sotriopoulos’ takedowns: “He is going to throw his strikes to set up his takedowns to try to put me on my back. I have so many angles and fast footwork. He has to be wary of everything I am going to do. It isn’t as simple as hitting pads, everything I throw is hard.”

Pearson on the verbal attacks exchanged on the show: “That is not like me at all. But I enjoyed the whole show, it was an experience. I met some great guys. I made great friends from it. I couldn’t do it without my staff of assistant coaches and my team at Alliance. We all came together and went to work. “

Sonnen on if it is an advantage or disadvantage to be bigger in the division: “I think it is a disadvantage to be bigger. I think it’s better to be the smaller guy in the division. Any time you can move up in weight, it gives you speed advantage, cardio advantage. I like Pearson moving up. When I see George, he has one pace. When I see Pearson, he has changes in his pace and he surprises you.”

Henderson on if it is an advantage or disadvantage to be bigger in the division: “I think Pearson moving up is going to be a great career move for him. This is a matchup I am really interested to see because both these guys are great contenders. Pearson is more explosive and he has to use that to his advantage.”

Henderson on Robert Whittaker vs. Bradley Scott: “Both these guys are young prospects. But what I love about these guys is that they are both finishers. They have that killer instinct you need for putting guys away in the Octagon.”

Henderson on Colin Fletcher vs. Norman Parke: “Fletcher brings psychical tools to the table that we haven’t seen at the table at this division.”

Fletcher on fighting his teammate: “I said back home at the airport, I knew it was going to be us at the fight. Colin is a great guy, we are friends. We will stay friends. It is only 15 minutes and it is important for both our careers. I am going to go in there get the job done and may the best man win.”

Fletcher on if Parke has any holes in his game: “I don’t want to say any holes in Norman’s game, he has no holes. He is a great fighter. I love this guy to bits and if I would like to lose to a guy I’d rather lose to him. We are going in the Octagon tomorrow and we are going to kick the life out of each other and we are going to have fun doing it.”

Parke on Fletcher’ holes: “He likes to use his range. His weakness is his wrestling, but he likes to use it too and he is a pretty well-rounded fighter and good everywhere.”

Fletcher on why team UK had all three people in the finals: “I think we were a better bunch of lightweights throughout the show. Obviously that showed. Ultimately, all four of the UK lightweights won their fights and we all got through. We are just a stronger team.”

Henderson on Rousimar Palhares: “Rousimar Palhares is a great fighter. He’s a little tank. He’s a leg-lock specialist. His heel-hook to knee-bar combination is the best in the UFC. If he gets your leg, there’s a good chance he’s going home with it.”

Sonnen on Hector Lombard: “Hector Lombard is the purest athlete in the UFC. He has an Olympic Bronze medal in judo representing Cuba. He stubbed his toe in his first UFC bout, but he’s back, the pressure is on and I expect him to perform.”

Sonnen on if he’d rather fight Lombard or Palhares: “The posture and stature of both these guys make them really hard to fight. To try to find partners to train with against these guys is hard, because they’re not really that tall. And these guys are jerks, real life trouble makers, roughneck guys, ornery guys.”

Henderson on what Lombard needs to do to win: “The key is which Hector shows up, the guy with 20 wins or the one from his last UFC showing. My first time in the Octagon, I had jitters. He might have gotten over the hump now.”

Sonnen on Lombard winning an Olympic medal in judo: “If you’re not wearing a gi, it’s a totally different ball game in the UFC. You can’t grab something and pull them down.”

Henderson on how Palhares can defend against Lombard: “It will be interesting to see how he transitions after he gets knocked down, and how quickly he can get leg locks. And can Hector defend against them? Palhares baits you in sometimes to get you on the ground.”

Sonnen on Palhares’ skills: “He wants to get you down to the ground. He’s a one-trick pony, but he’s a master at that trick. It’s a task to stop him from what he wants to do. He is so scary and intimidating; he isn’t just going to try to beat you. He is going to try to put you out. He has put out guys for six to eight months.”

Henderson on Palhares when he gets in a tough situation: “He’s been known to fold if things don’t go his way.”

Sonnen on how to defend against Palhares: “The key is to focus on your strengths, don’t focus on your opponent’s strengths. If you do that, then you’re constantly on defense.”

Henderson on Palhares tactics: “We know what Palhares is going to do, everyone knows what he is going to do, but he is so good at it. If you stop him once or twice, he is going right back to it.”

Henderson on Yaotzin Meza: “Yaotzin Meza has been one of my main training partners in the gym for years. He’s a grinder. He’s one of the meanest in the gym and beats me up all the time.  He finally got his shot. You better believe he’s going to run with it.”

Sonnen on Mike Pierce: “If you don’t know who Mike Pierce is, find me on Twitter so I can scold you properly. He’s a diamond who keeps getting treated like a piece of coal. He’s fought against some of the biggest names like Josh Koscheck, Kenny Robertson, Jon Fitch and is coming off a knockout of Aaron Simpson. Keep your eye on Mike Pierce. ”

Bryant on Manny Rodriguez: “Manny Rodriguez was forced out of the TUF house with a broken leg, but never lost in The Ultimate Fighter. He’s back now and ready to go.”

Henderson on what’s next in his career: “I’m not banged up, and have no serious injuries from my last fight. There’s a long list of contenders in the weight division and I have a bull’s eye on my back. Bring it guys. I want everyone on the roster at 155. I’m going to beat you. Sorry, if you’re a friend. But Anderson Silva, I’m coming for your record of consecutive title defenses.”

Sonnen on who he wants to see Henderson fight next: “Everyone wants to see a Henderson-Pettis rematch.”

Sonnen on what it was like to be part of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: “They bring me in and I totally misunderstood what I was supposed to do. I’m supposed to coach a bunch of amateurs in this house, but I thought I was supposed to coach Jon Jones. I was hitting him in the nose with a newspaper like a little puppy. After a few days, they finally told me I wasn’t supposed to coach him.”

For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv/ufc and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fueltv. Follow @FUELTV on Twitter.