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MMA Fan
24-07-2009, 20:24
Yvel doesn't care if he's the favorite - UFC - Yahoo! Sports (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AhFSfi4ibYO8i5bydNoQKXE9Eo14?slug=ys-mmaweek072109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)

MMA Fan
24-07-2009, 20:25
Yvel doesn’t care if he’s the favorite

By Steven Marrocco/MMAWeekly.com
Jul 21, 12:40 pm EDT

It’s news to Gilbert Yvel that he’s the favorite in his fight with Paul Buentello at Affliction “Trilogy.”

He doesn’t really care what Buentello or fans think, anyways. There’s always been a gap between what people say is going to happen and what does happen.

Buentello says he’s never shot for a takedown in his career and won’t start in August, but Yvel’s heard that one before.

“We’ll see about that,” Yvel told MMAWeekly.com. “Everybody says, ‘yeah, I’m just going to (stand) with you.’”

The Dutch striker is well resigned to the idea that a perfect opponent – which, based on history alone, Buentello appears to be – may never come.

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“(My trainer) John Lewis says, ‘Gilbert, if I was the opponent’s trainer, I would just say, let’s try to take him down. His ground game’s not good… why be stupid and try to fight him on the feet?’” said Yvel.

Previous opponent Josh Barnett took that advice word-for-word and punished Yvel for three rounds with elbows and punches from mount. Yvel survived until the very end, tapping out in the final minutes of the fight.

Since moving to Las Vegas last year, Yvel has worked on his ground game with smaller wrestlers, adjusting himself to fast transitions on the mat. He still works with heavier guys, but likes getting a run for his money.

So while he’d like to showcase the “Hurricane,” he won’t be disappointed if he doesn’t appear.

“I’m just ready for everything,” said Yvel.

It’s the last week of hard work before tapering down, and he’s modified his cardiovascular training to facilitate a long fight. A quick knockout of Pedro Rizzo in June actually made things more difficult when he returned to the gym.

“The thing is, if you train for a fight, it’s building up and building up, and the moment the fight is there, you need to unload,” said Yvel. “My fight was so quick I didn’t get a chance to unload, so I probably unload two days before I go back to the gym again. So it was difficult for me to get the focus to train again. I had to really talk to myself: ‘c’mon, man, it’s time to go.’ But it’s okay now.”

He’s unimpressed with what Buentello brings to the table.

“If he hits you, he hits you hard,” said Yvel. “That’s it. He’s not bad, but he’s not really a good fighter. He doesn’t have a lot of tools to work with. He has his hands, and that’s it. I think I have four more weapons. I’ve got my knees and my feet.”

For his specialty, he works often with Wanderlei Silva, where sparring sessions often get heated.

“Sometimes he gets a little too excited,” laughed Yvel. “It’s okay. It’s no problem. I can handle this.”

He has one fight remaining with Affliction, but the ultimate prize is the UFC.

“I hope that the UFC gives me a chance, or maybe another shot at Josh Barnett,” he said. “I hope to show the world what I can do.”

First up is Buentello, whose hands present a serious threat to him. He’s not planning past that.

“I approach everybody the same: I go in the ring and try to knock them out, whether he’s the best fighter in the world, or people say he’s not that good,” said Yvel. “I’m not seeing nobody as an underdog. It’s always 50-50.”


For all the latest MMA news, go to MMAWeekly.com

PD_EC
24-07-2009, 20:59
war yvel

Fyodor
24-07-2009, 21:08
Jammer dat ook zijn partij niet doorgaat, keek ook uit naar deze partij...

MMA Fan
24-07-2009, 21:38
Jammer dat ook zijn partij niet doorgaat, keek ook uit naar deze partij...

X2

"the terror" jeff
25-07-2009, 00:06
yvel naar de ufc.....
dat zou mij wel bevallen haha.
wordt tijd dat er meer nederlanders voor ufc gaan vechten.