Serra “A bit of an underdog?”
Posted by Chad Edward on February 4th, 2008Leather-clad UFC President Dana White manned the podium at a presser in Montréal Monday morning to promote UFC 83 at the Bell Centre April 19th.
The fight card’s big bout features interim UFC Welterweight Champions Matt Serra and Georges St. Pierre.
“To be the champion, I have to beat the champion,” St. Pierre clarified.
St. Pierre, 15-2, was TKO’d by “The Terror” Serra at UFC 69 last April, but has dominated his subsequent two opponents.
“A bit of an underdog? Is that what you heard?” Serra teased a reporter. “What were the odds? Something ridiculous, like 14 to one?”
Serra’s “W” was the upset of ‘07, a year which included “Rampage” Jackson’s KO of top-ranked former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin’s submission of highly-touted PRIDE standout Mauricio Rua.
Serra, 9-4, echoed St. Pierre, “That’s what I always heard: You beat the guy, you’re the guy.”
Serra’s championship is considered a fluke.
Serra lamented, “If I beat [St. Pierre] again, they’ll want to give him the best three out of five!”
“Serra likes being Rocky,” White explained, likening Serra’s role to Sylvester Stallone’s character in “Rocky IV”. “I want to thank Matt Serra for taking this fight in Canada. I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of Matt Serra fans here in Canada.”
UFC 83 will be the preeminent MMA promotion’s debut in Canada.
Quebec Boxing Council Commissioner Mario Latraverse announced, “In April, we have our Super Bowl.”
Quebec was the first Canadian province to sanction MMA in 1998.
White told a curious Canadian press corps, “People in Canada don’t even realize how big this sport is in Canada.”
Tickets went on pre-sale yesterday and White claimed “13,700 were sold on the first day. We’re almost sold out now. This event here will be the biggest UFC event ever.”
“It’s a dream come true,” a swaggering St. Pierre boasted of fighting in his hometown. “I can’t be more happy than I am right now.”
St. Pierre’s loss to Serra is blamed on his mental focus.
“I had a lot of issues before,” St. Pierre admitted. “It’s done now.”
However, fighting in his hometown will compound distractions unimaginably.
“My life might change,” St. Pierre mentioned thoughtfully.
White confirmed the card will also feature former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin versus TUF champion Travis Lutter, Brit TUF champion Michael Bisping, lightweight TUF champion Mac Danzig, and Canadians Patrick Côté and “Hands of Stone” Sam Stout.
ddn said:
Serra sucks.