Bisping Pick Waterson Over VanZant: “It’ll be an all-out brawl

Los Angeles – On UFC TONIGHT, host Kenny Florian and guest host Michael Bisping preview FOX UFC FIGHT NIGHT: VANZANT VS. WATERSON, plus Bisping and Karyn Bryant interview Paige VanZant about her headliner. Florian and Bisping also talk to legend Urijah Faber about his final fight this weekend and pending retirement.

UFC TONIGHT guest host Michael Bisping on Paige VanZant: “She’s burst on to the scene. Inside the Octagon, while not having the best skillset, she’s makes up for it with passion for fighting, with aggression and grittiness. She’s an incredible fighter to watch.”

UFC TONIGHT host Kenny Florian on Michelle Waterson’s karate background: “She gets notoriety because of her striking. She started in karate at 10 years old. She’s an excellent striker and throws a lot of variety. She’s very fast and is good in the clinch as well. I’m interested to see how the fight plays out in the clinch. Paige VanZant likes to use her dirty boxing and Waterson uses her knees in the Thai clinch. There’s no safe place to fight Waterson, but on the feet, she has the speed advantage.”

Michelle Waterson on VanZant being green: “I’m not talking smack. I’m just speaking the truth. She said it herself after she fought Rose. She said she’s still learning.”

Waterson on how she beats VanZant: “She comes forward and is very aggressive. She’s sporadic and unpredictable. The key is to be ready for any of it and to slow down the momentum.”

Waterson on if she’ll try to wrestle with VanZant: “If she wants to wrestle, that’s fine. I’m perfectly comfortable anywhere we go.”

VIDEO: Interview: Waterson thinks opponent VanZant is ‘very green’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_oY5jBdvak

Paige VanZant on Waterson calling her ‘green’: “Yeah, I feel like everyone knows that. I am. But I’ve been able to beat opponents my first day in the gym who have already been belt holders. I’m breaking records. There’s something special that Sage Northcutt and I have, we’re evolving with the sport because we’re so young.”

VanZant on where she’ll fight Waterson: “Anywhere the fight goes. I need to make this fight my own. She’s very tough and talented. It’ll be a huge win and I’m excited for it.”

VanZant on teammate and mentor Urijah Faber being on the card: “It’s huge to be fighting on the card with him. He’s really developed me as a fighter and been a contributor in my career. It’s a big deal for me. It’s the best way for him to go out with fighters who he’s developed on the card.”

VanZant on if she has other projects like “Dancing with the Stars” coming in 2017: “I don’t have any going on right now. I’m 100 percent focused on fighting.”

VIDEO: Interview: VanZant: “I need to make this fight my own.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW0gPxPUMlI

Bisping on VanZant’s keys to victory: “VanZant just goes forward all the time. And what she lacks in skill, she makes up in heart and killer instinct. Key number one is she needs to apply forward pressure. She needs to put Waterson on her back foot. Key two, she needs to land the takedown and take the karate out of the Karate Hottie. And finally, she needs to make the fight a brawl. That’s when she comes to life and does her best work.”

Florian on Michelle Waterson’s keys to victory: “She’s known as the Karate Hottie for a reason and he has excellent striking and lots of spinning attacks. Key number one is she has to use her footwork and get Paige to chase her. Second, she needs to defend the takedowns. Three, she’s got to vary her attack. She’s at her best and can be very confusing when she does it.”

Both Bisping and Florian pick Waterson to win on Saturday. Bisping on Waterson’s edge: “It’s her submissions that’ll get the job done. It will be an all-out brawl. Paige will take her down, but Waterson wins by submission in the third round.”

Florian on how Waterson prevails: “Training at Jackson Wink’s, they’ll have her ready to fight a five-round fight. She’ll need to be patient. She needs to make the Octagon bigger.”

Urijah Faber on what he thinks of Brad Picket: “He’s a championship-level fighter. He has more submissions than has knockouts, but always goes for the kill. The difference is he’s a tit-for-tat guy. He’ll give a punch to take a punch. I’m a little less inclined to do that. I think speed will be an advantage for me, but you never know.”

Faber on his final training camp: “I’d like to say it’s been the same, but it’s different without the bigger picture in the horizon. I’m usually trying to jockey for a super-fight or title fight in the future. This one is just about making sure I get to this fight healthy and to feel strong, let everything hang out.”

Faber on his involvement with Team Alpha Male after his retirement: “I’ll be super hands’ on, as a coach helping out, as a mentor for the next generation, helping build the brand and recruiting. We always had guys coming to us, but we’ll go find some people, too. I’ll be in there daily, hopefully not getting punched by Cody daily.”

Faber on if this is really his retirement: “I’m pretty content with what I’ve done. I wouldn’t rule out anything. But I’m planning on phasing it out and focusing on other things. I know it’ll be tempting. My focus is to hang it up.”

VIDEO: Interview: Faber wouldn’t completely rule out fighting after retirement
http://www.foxsports.com/video?vid=833361987614

Florian on the need for better judges in MMA: “One thing that all athletes, fans and officials in MMA need to understand is that every fight can make or break a fighter’s career. One loss can be the difference between getting a title shot or a tough fight that means nothing, the difference between a life-changing payday or getting cut. That’s why when I see a decision go the wrong way, it bothers me to the core. How can one judge see it 30-27 one way and another judge see it 27-30 the other? Different perspectives and interpretations will always be there since they come from different backgrounds and have different angles from the Octagon, but many of these bad decisions seem to be coming from the same judges. Fighters’ careers are on the line and to see the wrong fighter get the win directly effects their trajectory in the sport. Either we need to get better judges, or the way we judge fights needs to be more clearly defined. Or perhaps we need to do both. I also believe judges should be rated based on their performances throughout the year. They need to be held accountable. If they don’t meet a certain criteria, they shouldn’t be allowed to judge. If we are demanding elite-level performances from the best fighters in the world, the sport needs the judges to match. I’m sick of seeing poor decisions in the UFC and watching the fighters suffer because of it.”