Talks UFC 66 and Silva fight!

PC: How has training been for your fight against Jason Macdonald at UFC 66?

CL: Real good. I just got done training and I’m heading up to another gym right now to go sit in a hot tub and relax a little bit, but yeah, my weight and conditioning is better than ever. Everything is excellent.

PC: How difficult was it for you to deal with the Anderson Silva loss?

CL: It was difficult. I’m a fighter and we all get losses. If you have a car long enough, you’re going to get in a wreck. When I fought Anderson, I lost against him and it was hard; any loss is hard. You can really define a man by what he does after he loses. I picked myself up, dusted myself off and licked my wounds and got back in there.

PC: You have a real fan friendly style. If you were to rematch Anderson, would you change your approach?

CL: I wouldn’t go out looking to take him down right off the bat or anything like that, you know what I mean? I think I was just a little heavy on my feet and I was a little too aggressive right off the bat, so I would change that up, yeah!

PC: You are fighting Jason Macdonald on Saturday, who defeated Ed Herman. I know you and Ed are cool. How sweet will it be to get a little payback for Ed?

CL: It will be pretty cool. I’ve actually been training a lot with Ed for this fight, so it would be good to get out there with Jason. Ed is a real tough fighter, but in that fight, he really didn’t have a chance to get going and showcase himself.

PC: UFC 66 is a couple of days away. This may be one of the best cards ever. How does it feel to be a part of this event?

CL: I’m really excited about that! This will be my first fight on the big show and I couldn’t be happier to be getting a fight on this show. It’s in Vegas, you got to love that. It’s such an epic card and I’ll be a part of it forever. I’m very excited.

PC: Macdonald looked very good on the ground against Ed. Did you see any holes in his game and where would you like the fight to take place?

CL: If you look at his record, most of his wins are by submission. I’d like to knock him out. He’s best on the ground. Not that I’m not good on the ground, but I’ve always preferred the knockout. I think it’ll be pretty obvious; he’s going to try to take me down and I’m going to try to knock him out.

PC: This will be your second fight since the Silva fight. What positives did you draw from that loss?

CL: Footwork, footwork and more footwork. Where I kept my hands and to make sure my weight on my legs is distributed evenly.

PC: Who are some of the guys you’ve trained with to prepare for this fight?

CL: Ed Herman and the rest of the guys out there at Team Quest. Robert Follis, Matt Lindland, Chris Wilson and Ryan Schultz.
 
PC: The Ultimate Fighter show has helped a lot of guys get mainstream in the MMA world. What ways do you think it helped launch your career?

CL: It obviously got me out there. I think it helped for people to see my personality and with that, I think it catapulted my fan base.

PC: Could you give me a prediction on the main event; Liddell vs. Ortiz?

CL: I’m going to go with Liddell. I just don’t think that Ortiz is going to have the technical ability to stand up with him and I don’t know if he can take him down and hold him down.

PC: Thanks for your time Chris. Is there anything you want to say in closing?

CL: Nothing much except for it’s a great card and I’m excited to be a part of such an epic occasion.

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