Live Report from UFC 112: Day 3
"It is Wednesday evening and we are now 3 days away from UFC 112, one of the biggest shows in history. I don't remember the last time that a main card was this stacked - Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Matt Hughes, Renzo Gracie, Demian Maia, Frankie Edgar, Rafael Dos Anjos, and Terry Etim. Wow, it is going to be a very exciting night of fights! Dos Anjos has been resting all day - surfing the Internet, watching TV, and hanging out. His confidence is unbelievable and he cannot wait to get into the Octagon - I'm very happy about his mental state. The mental preparation is the most important thing for a fighter. It is 95% of the game. I always say that if you don't have 100% confidence in your training camp, your cardio, and your abilities, it will show up during the fight. I won't name names, but there are 2 fighters on this UFC card that are having confidence problems right now. It is very apparent during the group training sessions. As a result, they will likely lose their respective fights. On the other hand, Dos Anjos is unbreakable right now. His confidence is at an all-time high. Of course, confidence alone doesn't win fights and it does not guarantee success. However, a lack of confidence is a guaranteed way to lose a fight before it begins.
Today, Gordinho and Gordo decided to drive to Dubai for some sightseeing and fun. They went with a group of UFC fighters and cornermen. Dos Anjos and I decided to stay back at the hotel in Abu Dhabi for a mellow day. We had a light lunch together at the hotel coffee shop and discussed everything, except the fight itself. Antonio Nogueira and Andre Galvao were also at lunch. Afterwards, we met up with Renzo in the lobby and hung out for a little bit before the UFC interviews. Renzo was playing with the new Apple iPad and it is an awesome machine indeed. He is unbelievably relaxed and really enjoying the moment. At 5pm, we headed to the UFC interviews (you know the pre-fight highlights that you see on PPV right before the fights begin) for some Q&A for Dos Anjos and Renzo. Afterwards, we all headed to the UFC Reception Area to fill out paperwork and get our fighter and cornermen credentials. On an entirely different note, we are still tinkering with Dos Anjos' clothes for the actual fight. We found out on Monday that the sponsorship deals have come in big for him for this event. It's great news for Dos Anjos because sponsorship money is very good for UFC fighters.
The weigh-ins are roughly 48 hours away. Tomorrow at this time, Dos Anjos will begin the process of shedding 5-6 kilos of water weight in 24 hours. It is one of the most painful parts about fighting at the professional level (although 5-6 kilos is not bad at all). He will only ingest small spoons of honey and a protein bar while baking in the sauna. After the weigh-ins, we will then rehydrate his body with electrolyte fluids and fuel it with very small meals almost hourly until 8pm of the night of the fight. At the time of the actual fight, Dos Anjos should weigh approximately 80 kilos.
At 9pm tonight, we will have another group training session in the UFC workout rooms."
