The Ultimate Fighter has long been known to be a gateway to bigger and better opportunities for fighters. Whether you win it all, or end up outside the UFC, the athletes can generally write their own ticket in other organizations, most times getting top billing. For TUF 17 alumnus Gilbert Smith, his time on the show has given rise to a three fight deal with Canada’s top promotion, Maximum Fighting Championship. He’ll put the first fight of that contract in the books tonight, at MFC 39 against Middleweight, Jason South.
In a recent interview with MMA Sentinel, Smith discussed his upcoming bout, the trials and tribulations of having set gameplans and a story on taking a low blow that was so hard, it made other parts of him hurt. Here’s what he had to say:
Jason South
I think we’re going to step in that ring and commence to punch each other in the face. I don’t really care about his motivation, training or his team. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t care about any of that either. We’ve got two really good athletes that are going to step into the ring, and we’re going to see who the better man is. I believe I’ve done everything in my power to be the better man.
Gameplan
My gameplan is not to have a gameplan. Everybody has a gameplan until they get punched in the mouth. Mike Tyson said that and it’s true. What am I going to have a gameplan for? Whatever I think of, Jason South could come with something totally opposite. There goes my gameplan, and now, I’m in trouble. My goal is to go out there and fight him; to beat him in every facet of the game. If one facet is not working out for me, then I’m going to have to switch it up.
South is coming in with a certain set of skills that I’m going to have to prepare for, of course, and we do study that. We do strategize and get ideas for what we want to accomplish, but at the end of the day, it’s a fight. We cannot predict if he’ll throw a left or a right. The only thing we can predict is that he’s coming to fight, and I’ve got to stand in that ring and fight back.
The Hardest Groin Shot Ever
Growing up as a wrestler, you come to realize that a lot of wrestlers don’t wear cups in training. I’ve learned the hard way to become fond of wearing them, and I always do, now. However, before this epiphany, there was a day I didn’t have one; I don’t know what happened, I probably forgot it. I decided to go ahead and wrestle without it. I’d done it before, and never had an issue with it.
So this guy and me are wrestling, shoulder to shoulder, and he shot in. He was supposed to hit my sternum, but instead, his head went straight into my crotch at full speed, heavy impact. It was a perfect shot at the perfect angle.
I’ve been hit in the groin before, and it’s not fun, but this pain, was something I’ve never felt before. I don’t like getting overly graphic, but there’s really no other way to describe that feeling. It felt like my penis went into my body and out my butthole. My butthole was actually hurting from that shot. I felt like somebody had just violated me from the wrong end. I couldn’t understand what happened. I got hit in the groin and my booty hole was hurting. It was the worst pain ever, and I was grabbing both ends. Ever since that day, if I don’t have a cup, I don’t wrestle.
You can follow Gilbert via his Twitter account, @JamalSmithMMA
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