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Fighters.com spoke with "Snowman" Jeff Monson (24-8) as he prepares for a week of fights in December when he will have the opportunity to redeem his 2002 loss to "Suave" Ricco Rodriguez (30-8) and then venture to Switzerland just days later to compete in the World Grappling Championship. Fighters.com: Jeff, the last time we spoke was just before your win over "Smashing Machine" Mark Kerr (14-9) at Vengeance Fighting Championship in Concord, north of Charlotte, 27 September. You have a fight coming up at Mixed Fight Alliance in Miami 13 December against Ricco Rodriguez. It's a rematch of a fight you originally lost at UFC 35 in 2002. What are your thoughts on facing Rodriguez again? Jeff Monson: Well, I like Ricco. He's a good fighter and a big name; but, I'd like to get back at him for losing to him the first time. [laughing] Hopefully it'll be a different result this time around. But I don't really have revenge in mind or anything. It's been seven years or whatever. But, I think I definitely put a lot more into my fighting than I think he does, so, you know, I should to go out and get the win. Fighters.com: You're on a two-fight win streak in recent months with the Kerr victory and a win over "Titan" Jimmy Ambriz (12-8) at Beatdown in New Town, northwest of Bismark, 11 October. Where do you think a victory over Rodriguez will put your career? Jeff Monson: Well, I need to win a few more in a row. So, I want to take them, you know, like the old cliché, "one fight at a time." I'm taking this particular fight very seriously. Ricco's a big name. And he kicked my ass before. It was probably one of the worse beatdowns I ever experienced in a fight from start to finish. [laughing] So, I know he's capable of doing well. Ricco has fought a lot of big names. He's beat about everybody and, even the fights he's lost were to top fighters, you know, so Ricco's tough. I just think I need to win every fight right now. My career cannot take another loss at this point. Saying that, I am taking this fight very serious. I know I need to win a few in a row to get a shot at a title somewhere or get back to the top again. Fighters.com: Will a win in December take you back to Sengoku in Japan? The last loss on your record was to Fighters.com's seventh-ranked heavyweight "Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett (19-5) at Sengoku in Tokyo 18 May. ...











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