The Week in Quotes - October 11th

DUDE, WE’D PAY TO WATCH YOU FIGHT JON HESS

“It’s true. I will retire. As soon as this contract is over, I will not fight anymore.” – UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, re-affirming his desire to retire at the end of his current contract (Sherdog)

“Everything has its time, and I believe my time is already over.” – Silva, making me wish time stood still for awhile

“I’m going to be fat, with a big belly by the side of the Octagon, eating popcorn behind the scenes, making my imitations, and screaming at the fighters, ‘Go there! Kick his face! Put him down!’ It’s going to be really funny.” – Silva, I suspect he’ll be the only one laughing

WHO WILL HAVE THE BETTER GROUND ‘N’ NOOGIE?

“We’ve both signed a contract to fight each other. Ken is down with it. We talked about it two years ago, and we’ve agreed materially to fight.” – Former UFC and EliteXC Middleweight Champion Frank Shamrock, on a tentative bout with stepbrother Ken Shamrock (ESPN)

“Will the fight happen? Absolutely. He’s got a buttkicking coming to him. Everything I’ve learned, everything I have bottled up in me, is going to come out on him. I’ve still got love for Frank, but I’m angry at him.” – Ken Shamrock, who might want to avoid grappling, razor blades, plastic knives, safety scissors, and stray cats before this fight

“I’m a fighter, he’s a fighter. He feels he’s better than me, but I always spanked him in the gym. Now he wants to show me. I figured he’d wait until I was 50 years old, but I guess he’s waiting until I turn 45.” – Ken Shamrock, he isn’t 50?

“The fight has a cool hook. Brothers beating each other up. Everyone wants to see that.” – Frank Shamrock

DEEP THOUGHTS WITH SHIGERU SAEKI

“Honestly, it isn’t the best thing for business, but I think that if we keep this up, it will eventually pay off. There’s been an influx of good new fighters recently, and I want them all to get at least four fights a year. The regional shows are good for that.” – DEEP President Shigeru Saeki, commenting on DEEP’s pro-wrestling style regional touring (Sherdog)

“I don’t discriminate between men or women; I think we’re all equal, unlike, say, Shooto, who tends to put women’s fights at the very beginning of their cards. We put women in big fights and in the spotlight of our main cards. But I’m really debating whether to allow punches to the face on the ground for female bouts. I’m hesitant at the moment. It depends on how the times are, what fans want and how they’d react to something like that.” – Saeki, lovin’ the dig at Shooto

“I wouldn’t be able to comment because I never realized that there was [a boom]. Maybe for K-1 and Pride there was, but for myself, Shooto, Pancrase, GCM and ZST, we didn’t really feel one.” – Saeki

“We have all kinds — funny fighters, serious fighters, fat fighters, small fighters, really tough fighters and not so tough fighters. We want people to enjoy our shows, so that’s why our rules are the way they are, and why we book the fights the way we do — like our female fights and things like the megaton grand prix.” – Saeki

AFRICAN ASSASSIN GOES HUNTING FOR ANOTHER BRAZILIAN

“You know, I remember watching the [Machida] fight afterwards and listening to Joe Rogan say that ‘technique overcomes strength.’ I have strength, and now I put work into my technique to where I have strength and technique.” – UFC Light Heavyweight Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (UFC)

“But I’ve got a game plan, and I need to stick to it.” – Sokoudjou, on what may be the crux of his fight with Luis Arthur Cane

“I’m going to have to tell her. It’ll be difficult [to conceal] because now a lot of people recognize me and there’s a bunch of articles in magazines and once you get into my house there’s all this gear. I will take her to dinner, and then say ‘hey mom, look—Disneyland!’” – Sokoudjou, who still hasn’t told his momma he fights for a living

“To tell you the truth, I just look at my bank account. The more money is there, the more I’m happy. All the rankings and that, I don’t care about it. The only way I rank myself is when I go to the bank and see how much money I’ve got.” – Sokoudjou, should considering showing momma his bank account

FIGHTING FEDOR

“I don’t know who is going to make it through, but whoever it is will be incredible.” – Donald Trump, expert MMA talent evaluator (MMA Weekly)

“What Fedor means to Affliction is what Michael Jordan was to the Chicago Bulls and the NBA, what Mike Tyson was to boxing, and what Tiger Woods is to golf.” – Affliction COO Michael Cohen, one of these things is not like the other

ON MARKETING

“The marketing people at UFC actually advertise the fights properly. You know when UFC are going to have a show and who’ll be fighting. They have huge, elaborate websites, there are adverts on TV, in magazines, it’s everywhere. But you can’t say the same thing about boxing.” – UFC Middleweight Michael Bisping (BBC)

“It boggles the mind. I’ve got a 70ft bloody billboard in Time Square. It’s crazy. As for the action figure, it’s still got my chest hair on it and I’ve taken to shaving, so it’s out of date already!” – Bisping, I’m anxiously awaiting the new action figure “now with super sexy shaved chest!”

“But it’s pretty cool and gives my mates a good reason to take the mickey out of me. They can give it to the dog to chew or something.” – Bisping, crazy Brit-speak

YEAH, IT’S KINDA LIKE THAT

“Oh, well. Fighting Brett Rodgers [sic] would do nothing for my career and in all honestly would be a fight that would be hard to get motivated for.” – Former UFC Heavyweight Paul Buentello, on a rumored bout with EliteXC’s Brett Rogers (Buentello’s Blog)

“I relate it to a 12 year MLB veteran getting called down to the Bush Leagues.” – Buentello, who was hitting .187 before being sent down

PARTING SHOTS

“Quinton (Rampage) is a great fighter, but only when he’s doing well in the fight. When he fights someone like me or Wanderlei he doesn’t like it, tries the takedowns and get’s lost. Wanderlei needs to do the same gameplan, doesn’t need to change anything. Quinton has a f—— hand, if he hits you, you’ll feel it, but it’s the perfect game for Wanderlei.” – Free agent fighter Ricardo Arona, on Silva-Jackson III (Tatame)

“Not at all. If our careers collide, our careers collide but I don’t take anything personal. I’m not a big s— talker; I talk with my hands. If our careers collide, then so be it.” – UFC Lightweight Tyson Griffin, on his feud with Nick Diaz (Five Ounces of Pain)

“The only time I’m comfortable being semi-nude or in a bathing suit like that is on a beach.” – UFC pretty face Rachelle Leah, I think there’s something wrong with her (Yahoo)

“I’m sorry for coming over and ruining your guys’ big hope and dream. I know you love him, but I didn’t come all this way to lose. One of us will take a step back and the other a step forward; there isn’t too many ahead of us now.” – UFC Middleweight Chris Leben (MMA Weekly)

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The Week in Quotes – October 11th – 17th