"The gameplan was for me to defend the takedown first and foremost.  The rest was left up to me to see. The gameplan was right on for this fight. I'm just upset that I couldn't get the finish. That was my first time going to the judges and I didn't like that feeling… I don't feel like there is anything else for me to prove to anyone other than that I am one of the best fighters in the WEC lightweight division. And also that I don't need to be on the undercard," stated WEC lightweight Ed Ratcliff as he talked about his recent victory over Phil Cardella at WEC 42, his future plans and more. Check it out!

PC: Congratulations on your win over Phil Cardella at WEC 42.

ER: Thanks man!

PC: How do you grade your performance?

ER: I grade my performance as a C+.  I felt that I did what I could.  I really need to see the tape, but as of right now, I'm grading it as a C+.

PC: Explain how the fight went in your eyes?

ER: The fight was pretty much me circling all the while, picking my shots, and then he would rush me for a takedown.  Most of my time was spent against the cage defending takedowns. He was able to pull guard a few times, but I always got back up.  Even though he grabbed me a lot, I was able to get off a few crowd-pleasing kicks and a flying knee (laughing).

PC: How tough was it for you, being a young fighter, coming off of your first loss and not being able to compete for over a year?

ER: The loss and injuries last year did set me back a little bit, but I was able to have a really good camp so I was really confident. The loss was nothing more than a little bit more fuel for the fire.

PC: What was your gameplan coming into this fight and do you feel you established that?

ER: The gameplan was for me to defend the takedown first and foremost.  The rest was left up to me to see. The gameplan was right on for this fight. I'm just upset that I couldn't get the finish. That was my first time going to the judges and I didn't like that feeling.  You just never know what to think in those situations sometimes.

PC: Did Cardella do anything that surprised you? Did he show something that you hadn't seen from him in studying him?

ER: Phil did everything that we trained for.  Like I said, our gameplan worked to a tee.

PC: Anytime you have an explosive fighter, like yourself, that has been knocking guys out and submitting them early, their cardio is always a question. This was your first time going to a decision. Do you think you proved in this fight that you have cardio as well?

ER: I don't feel like there is anything else for me to prove to anyone other than that I am one of the best fighters in the WEC lightweight division. And also that I don't need to be on the undercard (laughing).

PC: Did you come out of this fight injury free and if so, how soon would you like to fight again?

ER: Yes, I did come out of this fight injury free. I wanna keep the ball rollin' so I'm ready to fight wheneva they have space for me.

PC: At one point, I'm sure a rematch with Marcus Hicks was on your mind. He has since dropped three straight. Is that a fight that you would like to get back or is it irrelevant to you now?

ER: Honestly, I would love to get that defeat back, but that's not as important to me as getting that strap. Alls I want to do is to solidify my name by winning the belt.

PC: Is there anybody in particular that you would like to fight next or in the near future?

ER: I wanna fight whomever I need to fight to get closer to the title.

PC: Good luck bro. Congratulations again on the win. Is there anything you want to say in closing?

ER: I just hope the fans weren't bored to death.