UFC light heavyweight Jason Lambert gets us caught up on what he's been doing since his last fight, a stunning second round knockout over Renato "Babalu" Sobral at UFC 68 earlier this year. Lambert shares his thoughts on the light heavyweight division, his future plans and much more. Check it out!
PC: How's everything been going Jason?
JL: Everything has been going good man. I got a bunch of other guys that train with me that fight on local shows so I've just been helping them get ready.
PC: That was one of my questions for you. Have you been helping fighters get prepared and staying active in the gym?
JL: Oh yeah! I've been training my butt off. I had a fight that was scheduled for September so I trained. I had an eight week camp for that and I was training my butt off. I've been in the gym the whole time.
PC: How far into training camp had you gotten when you found out that Wilson Gouveia had to withdraw from the fight?
JL: I found out a week and a half prior to the event so basically, I was ready.
PC: You've had to watch the 205 pound fights from the sidelines. What are your thoughts on some of the fights that have taken place?
JL: It's fighting. The main thing that's opened my eyes is that everyone is training their ass off. You can't count anybody out. You really have to show up with you're A game or you're going to be in trouble.
PC: How disappointing has it been for you to not be able to secure a fight after coming off of the biggest win of your career: a knockout victory over Babalu?
JL: I had a hard time with it when it first happened. I've just been thinking everything happens for a reason and I just get extra time to prepare and get ready to fight again. It's a little disappointing, but it's nothing I could do about it.
PC: Has the UFC given you any info on your next fight?
JL: They're saying January. They're doing the cards a lot farther out now because they have so many shows now. November is obviously full and I'm almost certain December is as well.
PC: Is that frustrating to not have as many dates available with so many fighters in the UFC now?
JL: I don't think it's that bad if I hadn't been in the cage in so long. It is a little frustrating though. It used to be they were calling me three weeks after I had fought on a couple of occasions. I have to beg for action now.
PC: In your last fight, you knocked out Babalu who was recently let go by the UFC. Do you think his actions were bad enough to cost him his job?
JL: I think what Babalu did was an immature move and that's how I see it. I see myself as a professional. I don't think him passing him out was that big a deal, but moreso him running his mouth in the post fight interview that was out of line.
PC: Houston Alexander is another light heavyweight that has come on the scene since your last fight. What do you think of him as a fighter?
JL: He's a beast. He's very explosive and apparently very strong too.
PC: Were you shocked at how Keith Jardine was able to defeat Chuck Liddell?
JL: I wasn't too shocked. Keith is not a pushover and it looked like Chuck was just looking for that one big punch and meanwhile, Jardine was just scoring. They weren't knockout blows, but if you're counting punches and kicks, he outscored him every round.
PC: What can the fans expect to see from Jason Lambert in 2008?
JL: Big things; big things. Like you asked me earlier, I've been in the gym this whole time and we have a bunch of younger guys that are hungry and they've been kicking my butt. I'm not going nowhere. I'm looking for big marquee matchups and I want to fight big names.
PC: You have great knockout power and that seems to always be with you, but who do you think you match up well against in that first fight back?
JL: From what I hear, I don't have a contract yet so I don't want to say, but I don't think much has changed since the last event that I was supposed to fight on. I don't think I'm going to have a choice on this one, but like I said, I want to fight big names. I want to look for the big matchups and big names. I would like to fight Wanderlei Silva or somebody like that.
PC: I know Joe Stevenson is a close friend of yours. He may be up for a title shot depending on the Sean Sherk ruling. How is Joe doing physically after the Pellegrino fight and how are his spirits right now?
JL: Joe's always good. That guy is tougher than nails man. He helped me so much early on in my career that I can't thank him enough. I know that he's always training and pushing himself so I would love to see him fight for that vacant belt if it does become vacant.
PC: What do you think of Brock Lesnar being involved in mixed martial arts?
JL: I don't know how good Brock is. He's only had one fight. He's got a big name apparently, but other than that, he hasn't really proved himself. You look where a lot of other guys have to prove themselves and fight big names to get in bigger shows and I think he's getting put right in. He should definitely be tested.
PC: What are some of the things you've been working on in your down time?
JL: I mean, obviously I showed everybody that my hands are a lot more dangerous in my last fight and I want to show more. I've been working on my boxing a lot. I always work on my ground game. I want to get better at my Jiu Jitsu and my wrestling. I think my hands have been what I've been focusing on the most.
PC: You're always in exciting fights. Is that part of your mindset coming into these fights, to make it exciting for the fans?
JL: Yeah! That's how I fight. I never fight to just eak out a decision. I always want to end a fight. I'm pretty much a highlight reel fighter; either I'm going to be your highlight reel or you're going to be mine. That's just the way I fight. I hate going to the judges.
PC: I look forward to seeing you fight again. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
JL: I just want to thank all of my fans for their support and hopefully I'll be back as soon as possible. I definitely want to be out there and putting on a good show again.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]