"He's a tough guy. He's a good guy and a tough guy with power in his hands. I have never seen him fight on the ground before. He's famous because he beat Werdum and Mirko, but I really don't know who he beat before them. I know he beat the Dutch guy [Stephan Struve], but he really didn't fight the big names yet. He is a good guy, but let's see what happens when I punch him in the face. We will see if he's still undefeated, you know? I think it is more challenging for him than me," stated newly-signed UFC heavyweight Gilbert Yvel as he talked about his upcoming clash with Junior Dos Santos at UFC 108. Check it out!
PC: How is everything going?
GY: Everything is good! Everything is good!
PC: How is training going for your fight against Junior Dos Santos?
GY: Everything is good. I'm doing some heavy training. It was a little bit of last minute notice, so I have been training my ass off, but it's going okay.
PC: A lot of fans have wanted to see you in the UFC for some time now. How did the deal come about and how excited are you for this opportunity?
GY: The deal came through John Lewis. He has been talking to the people in the UFC and telling them that I have been training at the gym and I have behaved really good. I have had 2 fights here in the States and they went really good. I'm really happy that they gave me a chance and I hope to show what I can do in the UFC. I hope to give good performances there.
PC: How different is it for you to train in Vegas as opposed to in Holland?
GY: First of all, training in Holland is all stand-up fighters. When you go to the cage or ring, it is all stand-up fighting. The difference here is you learn much more about the whole game. I have learned much more about the ground game. I know it's not all about running in there and trying to knock somebody out. You go in there and fight your game and I have learned so much just by living here. I have learned a lot about the fighting game here. People on the street knew more about MMA than me and I have been fighting for 13 years (laughing).
PC: Dos Santos is a great striker as well and I would be shocked to see any takedown attempts in this fight. What do you think of him as a fighter?
GY: He's a tough guy. He's a good guy and a tough guy with power in his hands. I have never seen him fight on the ground before. He's famous because he beat Werdum and Mirko, but I really don't know who he beat before them. I know he beat the Dutch guy [Stephan Struve], but he really didn't fight the big names yet. He is a good guy, but let's see what happens when I punch him in the face. We will see if he's still undefeated, you know? I think it is more challenging for him than me.
PC: You have fought a lot of big names and you gain that experience from that, whether you win or lose. How much do you think your experience will play a factor in this fight?
GY: I think if he takes me down and I'm on my back taking some punches, I will be like, "Ah, I have been here before." It's not a new place for me; it's just a few bruises and some bumps on my head. The thing is all fights are different, so we will see. When things go bad, I think I will be able to turn it around because of my experience, but I still think every fight is still different and every fight is brand new for me.
PC: How difficult is it to train through the holidays?
GY: For me, I live life from fight to fight. Holidays are just another day for me. The only hard part is there are no training partners. Everybody is gone with the family or don't want to train, so that's the only hard part. Most people go out and get drunk for the holidays, so I don't really miss anything.
PC: You were known as the bad boy of MMA for a long time. Do you think it was just a matter of showing the UFC that you had cleaned things up for them to invite you in?
GY: You know I was known for being a bad boy and that's how a lot of people think of me, but it's not always true. I was dumb and did some stupid things. The bad boy image could be good for you when you fight, but I showed some people lately that I am good. The bad boy thing was just an image and if that image is going to be in the way of my career, then I have to show that I'm a nice guy and that's what I did. I showed that I did some stupid things, but now it's all about the fighting. They don't have to worry about anything (laughing).
PC: Thanks for your time. Good luck to you at 108. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
GY: Yeah, I want to thank John Lewis, Skipper Kelp and the Academy where I train. I want to thank ProHealth Care; Scott is my massage guy and my strength and conditioning coach. Of course I want to thank Dana White, the Fertitta brothers for giving me a chance in the UFC and I want to thank Mark Bieri, my roommates who help me out with everything. And I don't have any sponsors yet, so I'm just waiting on some sponsors, so bring it on.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]