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PETE SPRATT: "I'VE NEVER LIKED HERB DEAN AS A REFEREE!"

By Percy Crawford | March 10, 2008
PETE SPRATT:

MMA welterweight Pete Spratt sets the record straight regarding his controversial loss to Ryan Ford at MFC 15. Check out what he had to say about the loss, his thoughts on Herb Dean and why he'll never fight in Canada again unless he's with the UFC.

PC: How is everything going Pete?

PS: Considering all that has happened, I'm maintaining. Considering all of the BS from the last fight, everything is cool.

PC: Have you guys had the baby yet?

PS: No, we have 3 weeks left so it's getting close.

PC: First, how was it going to Canada for the fight?

PS: I had no intentions on ever going back to Canada again after I fought GSP in 2003. Canada was the last place I ever wanted to go fight again, but considering the circumstances, and I knew the promoter and all, I agreed to go over there and fight. It was against my better judgment, but I still went over there and the events and circumstances around the event solidified why I didn't want to go over there to begin with.

PC: You were involved in a very controversial situation. Tell me your side of what happened in Canada. I did an interview with Herb Dean and he said...

PS: I saw the interview man. He heard that bell or he wouldn't have reacted; when the bell sounded, he reacted, I reacted and Ryan Ford reacted. If Herb didn't here the bell, why would he say, "Was that the bell?" He heard something. Ryan relaxed and then I relaxed. I heard some comments he made about he was going to keep doing what he do until the ref stopped us. The bell starts and stops the round so the nigga contradicted himself by saying what he said. He claimed he didn't hear the bell, but yet, he's going to come back and say he was going to keep doing what he do until the ref gets him? His career is not going to take off for the simple fact that he doesn't have the right qualities and he's not classy enough. He heard the bell and Ryan heard the bell because he stopped for a second and Herb came down to separate us and then he backed off. I couldn't believe how this dude was cheating the whole fight. It was just appalling to me, but I didn't realize it was that bad. Even after the 2 shots after the bell, all I remember is getting up off of my stool and saying, "Okay, let's go!" The next thing I remember is getting choked and that was 4 minutes later in the fight. Me being the fighter that I am, I ain't going to sit on my stool and say, "No, I ain't going to fight." Regardless of what state of mind I'm in, I'm never going to say that. It was obvious in the fight that those shots took an effect when I went back and watched it.

PC: After you caught the shot, were you immediately dazed or was it like a "shit, he hit me after the bell" type of reaction?

PS: Well, the first shot was "damn, he hit me after the bell", but the second shot dazed me. At the same time, if I had my corner people with me, they probably wouldn't have let me go back out there. I was working with somebody I had never worked with before. They knew who I was, but they really didn't know me as an individual to the level of "this being my fighter, do I want to risk him out there getting injured." It is what it is. He knows he got away with one and everybody else knows that he got away with one. It will come back around eventually.

PC: I know you said you will never fight in Canada again. How do you feel about Herb Dean being an official to another fight of yours?

PS: Me personally, I've never liked Herb Dean as a referee! That's for any fight. I've never wanted him to ref any of my fights man. What happened in Canada is the exact reason why. He apologized the next morning while we were at the front desk getting ready to check out and leave, but if you felt like you didn't do anything wrong, what are you apologizing to me for. I saw your interview with him and if it's like that, what are you apologizing to me for? You wouldn't have nothing to say to me the next day if you would have stood by your laws from the night before. You wouldn't have had to say, "Hey man, I'm sorry about the bell last night, blah, blah, blah." Whatever man. You could save that; I'm an adult. I'm a grown man. You ain't gotta apologize to me about nothing. You look at the tape, you know you messed up. If you look at the tape everybody heard the bell. It aint going to hold me down, you know what I'm saying? Ford thought that his athleticism, explosiveness and I guess he thought he was just going to overpower me, but man, I done been in there with some of the best in the world and it wasn't nothing he could do that was going to be a surprise to me. I think he realized that when he took that kick to the head and got dropped. His was coming. I was just waiting on him to gas and then I was going to pick him apart.

PC: I'm sure you prefer a cage opposed to a ring when you're fighting?

PS:  Uh, yeah. If it would've been in a cage, it would've been a wrap right there. It would've been finished. It's been a long time since I fought MMA in a ring and it was quite different for me and that's what he's been doing in his short career, but his character is not going to carry him a long way in this sport. He doesn't have the right character man. I think that's a direct reflection of his manager and his trainer, which is Mark Pavelich, and he's the promoter of the show. He has no character and he has no class. It steals from the people that you associate yourself with.

PC: You had 5 fights in 2007. Are you going to take it easy this year with the baby coming or are you going to keep the same pace from last year?

PS: I gotta keep grinding man. The baby is coming, but I'm already tentively scheduled to fight April 26th. I got an offer on the table to fight April 26th. I gotta keep grinding man; my girl ain't working right now so we only got one source of income and that's mine. I gotta keep the income coming in so my baby can relax, eat whatever she wants and the rest of my family.

PC: I know your people in Texas are wondering if or when they may see you compete there again for HDNet Fights?

PS: I don't know man. I think they tentively have a show they have scheduled to do in April, but I haven't got a phone call to fight on that show. I don't know when I'll be fighting for HDNet. I really enjoy fighting in the Dallas area, but if they call, cool, but if not, I gotta keep moving and take the opportunities that are presented to me, other than anything in Canada.

PC: Pete, you know I had to hit you up and let you get your side out. I appreciate the interview.

PS: Yeah, just from the start man, the whole little look wasn't right. As a promotion, you would think as a main event fight that they would've got me a direct flight to Canada. I had a 2-hour layover in Phoenix, a 4-hour layover in Denver and then I had to get on a different plane to head to Edmonton. I was flying all day and I think that was done on purpose to get me tired and not get my rest. I flew in the day before weigh-ins. As a promotion, you don't have the money to get me a flight with maybe one connect? I can understand one connect, but two different connects with 6 hours worth of layover? It was a setup, but it's all good. I put fourth my best effort considering all of the circumstances and he got away with one. We'll meet again in the future.

PC: You definitely live and learn and I'm sure we won't see you fight in Canada anymore?

PS: No man, that's a wrap right there; that ain't happening again unless it's with the UFC. That's the only promotion I'll go over there with.

PC: You know what's up with them.

PS: Yeah, exactly. I've been in the UFC 7 times and I've always been taken care of and I know what to expect out of them. The same thing happened when I fought GSP in '03. I was out there by myself again. My manager was able to fly in and it was either the day of the event or the day before, but when he got in, he couldn't even corner me. I had 2 people cornering me that I had never worked with again when I fought GSP in '03. It was like déjà vu. I can just feel it man, it was crazy. My trainer called me for this fight that afternoon. We met up that morning and I cut my weight and he called me that afternoon and told me he had to go back to the airport and deal with immigration. He told me he'll call me when he gets back; that was at noon. Four o' clock rolls around and I still hadn't heard anything from him. I had called his room about 3:00 because we had the official weigh-in at 4:00. I called his room about 3:00 and they said he was checked out. I made this aware to the promotion and they called the front desk, but the front desk ain't going to keep my trainer in the country. The next message I got from Rodrigo was 11:00 that night saying that he had just landed in San Antonio saying that he got sent back. You live and learn man and I ain't bitter about it. Everybody in America and Canada saw what it was and they got away with one.

PC: I appreciate your time man. Congrats on the baby.

PS: That's what's up! It's no problem man. You are the first of the media to even get at me to get my side of the story and I appreciate that.



[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]

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