News

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  February 4, 2010

  UFC 109 Training Camp Video Journal: Mike Swick

  In order to remain a top contender in the UFC's loaded welterweight division, Mike Swick needs a convincing victory over Paulo Thiago at UFC 109 this Saturday night. Swick is coming off a disappointing unanimous decision loss to Dan Hardy at UFC 105, which led to Hardy getting a title shot against champion Georges St-Pierre next month.
  
  MMA Fighting's E. Casey Leydon spent the day with Swick at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., and talked about why he decided to take this fight on short notice, how he has prepared for the dangerous Thiago and what went wrong against Hardy. Check out Training Camp: Mike "Quick" Swick below.

   

  Source: MMA Fighting

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  February 4, 2010

  "I Want To Strike. I Want A Knockout."

   

  
  
  Heavy.com was able to chat with Welterweight contender Mike Swick as he prepares to face Paulo Thiago at UFC 109 on February 6. Among the topics discussed are the advantages to training with two of Thiago's former opponents, why the short camp may benefit him, how badly he wants a rematch with Dan Hardy, and the greatness of Georges St. Pierre. All of this, the inside story on Swick's training partners at AKA, and much more in our full interview.
  
  Heavy.com: How is training going for your fight with Paulo Thiago?
  
  Mike Swick: It's going really good. Everything is going according to plan.

  Heavy.com: So, what's the plan?
  
  Mike Swick: The plan is to win! I want to keep it on the feet. I want to strike. I want to get a knock out. He's a wrestler and a jiu jitsu guy, so if the fight goes to the ground, I want to showcase the jiu jitsu and wrestling skills I've been working on for quite some time, and I think it's a great opportunity against a high leveljiujitsuguy to showcase that. I haven't fought a guy at this level as far asjiujitsuon the ground in the UFC.
  
  Heavy.com: How much of a benefit has it been to be training with two guys who have fought Thiago before (Fitch,Koscheck)?
  
  Mike Swick: It's helped me a lot. My main training partner for this fight is Jon Fitch. Not only did he fight and beat [Thiago], but he fought him at his own game on the ground. He's been able to share and go over a lot of things from the fight that you can't really see on the tape: how positioning feels, transitions, his strength, how he moves, stuff like that. We've been working real hard on those points and we're well prepared.
  
  Heavy.com: How long has the training camp been for this fight?
  
  Mike Swick: This was a five-week camp. I'm used to 10-12 week camps, but the opportunity came up and I definitely wanted to get back in there, so I took the fight and I've been able to get in shape. It's been plenty of time.
  
  Heavy.com: What weight are you at right now?
  
  Mike Swick: [I'm] walking around at 185. I'm actually the biggest I've ever been at Welterweight.
  
  Heavy.com: Will the weight be a concern with the shortened training camp?
  
  Mike Swick: No no no. I think it's going to be good, actually. It's going to be good to be bigger and stronger in the fight. I think usually I get in shape in my fight camp, but my camp is so long that I just tear my body down and over-train and then I shrink up and I'm only about [174, 175] by the time the fight happens, so now I'm almost 10 pounds bigger than that. It's going to be more of a cut than usual, but I think it's good for my body to not be torn up as much having a shorter fight camp.
  
  Heavy.com: How does massage therapy assist your training regimen?
  
  Mike Swick: It let's us train how we train. Otherwise, there would be no way. We would have to literally take days off here and there and not do anything because our bodies are so over-trained. It's mostly because of our sparring. We spar really hard; it's like a fight. We basically have three fights a week, that's just the way we train. I'm going against guys like Fitch, Koscheck, and Shields, these guys are top level guys and we're very competitive by nature and then we also have our egos on the line as well. No one wants to lose to anyone at our gym, so we always fight each other pretty hard. We're talking knockouts at the gym, injury, everything.
  
  Heavy.com: How many days a week are you training?
  
  Mike Swick: We train six days a week. Saturday is on our own, kind of what we want to do. We'll do conditioning stuff or something like that. Nothing too hard on Saturday, and then I take Sunday off. But Monday through Friday, we have [training] two or three times a day, and we definitely push it every day.
  
  Heavy.com: You mentioned sparring with Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields. Is he training at AKA now?
  
  Mike Swick: He comes in for sparring. He has his own camp, but he likes the sparring at our camp so he comes in and he'll spar with me, [Josh Koscheck], [Jon] Fitch and get his workout, then work Tuesdays and Thursdays over at his camp.
  
  Heavy.com: If you beat Paulo Thiago, do you feel you should be in line for the next title shot?
  
  Mike Swick: The only fight that I can say that I want more than anything right now is Dan Hardy. That's the fight I want more than anything. The sooner I can get that fight to happen, the happier I'll be. Obviously [Hardy] is fighting for the title, so depending on how he does, if he wins or he loses, it could change a bunch of different variables, but a rematch with Dan Hardy is the number one priority in my career right now.
  
  Heavy.com: In what way were you not yourself when you fought Dan Hardy?
  
  Mike Swick: A lot of ways. This is a borderline where it gets into making excuses, and I don't like making excuses. I'll leave it at that. The bottom line is: I know I can perform better and I definitely want a rematch. No knock against [Hardy]. I think he's a cool guy. It's hard to swallow because I do feel, 100 percent, that I am the better fighter and it sucks to have to swallow this loss. If I felt that I got bested by a better fighter, that would be different. And you know, you can think whatever you want, looking at the fight, whether you want to believe I'm a better fighter or he's a better fighter. I know how I've been through my whole career, through wins and losses and I kind of know how I feel about things, and I personally feel that I should have done better.I should have won that fight and I feel that I can win that fight the next time we fight, and that's why I want that to happen as soon as possible.
  
  Heavy.com: Do you feel that Dan Hardy deserves a title shot?
  
  Mike Swick: You know, the thing is, I've been back and forth with this in different interviews and I've said so many times over and over again that he doesn't, but it's kind of disrespectful and discrediting a little bit by saying that. I look at the overall aspect of what you've done and I know I was 9-1 in the UFC before I had the opportunity to fight for contendership for a title shot. I have a teammate who's 11-1 in the UFC [Jon Fitch], another teammate who's doing really good who's on the cusp of a title shot [Josh Koscheck] with 14 or 15 fights in the UFC, so it's like, judging by the guys I train with and some of the top-tier fighters in the UFC in the Welterweight division, I don't believe he's put the time in to warrant a title shot. I know it's ironic coming from someone who was on the cusp of having a title shot and got beaten by him, and I totally understand that I got beaten by him.
  
  It's kind of a hit or miss question. I feel that there's a lot of people who have done a lot more that haven't had a title shot and there's a lot of people who've done a lot more who finally got a title shot, but that was the way it was set up. Me and [Hardy] were supposed to fight, and the winner was supposed to fight Georges St. Pierre, and he won, so he did what he was supposed to do and now he gets a title shot, so I can't really complain about that.
  
  He's only finished one person in the UFC and two of his three decisions are split decisions. I just don't think that those kind of performances warrant a title shot and I don't think that just beating me on one night in England warrants that he's the number one fighter at Welterweight next to Georges St. Pierre. I know that's discrediting myself, but I just don't believe that. I think if we fought February 6, it would be a different story even with the five-week fight camp. You can't knock him, he's done what he's supposed to do. It's no one's fault more than mine.
  
  Heavy.com: What do you think Dan Hardy's chances are against Georges St. Pierre?
  
  Mike Swick: Man, it's tough. I don't know, I'm not an odds guy. It's not likely that he's going to win this fight. If he does, it's going to be amazing. The thing about it is, you're talking about a guy who's going out there on the hopes of a fluke. We've seen his last performance; I was in the cage with him. I've seen his performances before he fought me, and we've seen Georges St. Pierre's performances, and he doesn't pose a danger to Georges St. Pierre that we haven't seen before. He's a good striker, but he's only finished one guy.
  
  Georges St. Pierre's take downs are incredible. He took down Thiago Alves, who is one of the hardest guys to take down in the UFC, and he took him down 10 times or something. If he gets Dan Hardy on the ground, we saw Marcus Davis dominate Dan Hardy on the ground. I just don't see Dan Hardy's ground [game] holding up. I think it's going to be a pretty easy win for GSP.
  
  Heavy.com: There's been some talk lately that Georges St. Pierre is looking to move up to Middleweight. If you didn't get a chance to fight him for the title, would you regret it, or would you be relieved?
  
  Mike Swick: I definitely want to face Georges St. Pierre. He's one of the greatest fighters in the world, and I'm not in the sport to have an easy road. I'm in the sport to have exciting, challenging fights. That's why I'm excited about PauloThiago. He's a very dangerous opponent who's a world-class jiu jitsu guy. It's always the danger element as well as the challenge and the reward, and I think Georges St. Pierre is the ultimate reward. When you look across the ring and see Georges St. Pierre, you know you made it. You know you're one of the best fighters in the world. To beat him, you would be the best fighter in the world. That's huge. I don't think there's any true competitor that would want to have a division without him in it right now. That's why I fight: for the challenge, to fight the best fighters in the world and that's [St. Pierre].
  
  Heavy.com: If Georges St. Pierre did move up to Middleweight, would to be interested in moving back up to Middleweight to pursue that fight?
  
  Mike Swick: I don't think there's any way that I can fight at Middleweight. I give up entirely too much weight. These guys, they're walking [around] at 200 pounds and cutting down to 185 and getting back to 200 by the time the fight happens. With as good as these guys are, five, 10, 15 pounds can make all the difference in the world in a fight.
  
  Heavy.com: Let's talk about some of your training partners and their upcoming fights. First, Cain Velasquez v. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
  
  Mike Swick: I think Cain is the next Heavyweight champ. He's an amazing fighter. He's unlike anything we've ever seen at AKA. His work ethic, how hard he trains is just phenomenal. There's nothing but good things for him, man.
  
  Heavy.com: Jon Fitch v.Thiago Alves?
  
  Mike Swick: [Fitch] is doing great. He's started his fight camp and he's been helping me get ready for this fight. He looks great. Strong as ever. Working so much on the ground...and his stand up is getting crazy. I think he poses a lot of danger for Thiago Alves.
  
  Heavy.com: What about Josh Koscheck v. Paul Daley?
  
  Mike Swick: I think Koscheck's going to win. I'm just excited for all the pre-fight for that one. That's going to be great. They couldn't have picked two better personalities to clash. I'm just super excited to hear what they say about each other before the fight.
  
  Heavy.com: Thanks for taking some time out from training to talk to us, Mike.
  
  Mike Swick: Ok, cool. Thanks man, I appreciate it. I'd like to thank all of the fans for their support and please follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/officialswick. I'd like to thank all of the sponsors on my website,www.mikeswick.com. Sprawl, Oak Grove, an all of the other sponsors, I appreciate all of the support.

  Source: Heavy.com

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  February 3, 2010

  How San Jose became a mixed martial arts hotbed

   

  The nondescript gym is tucked away in a San Jose strip mall, book-ended by a Big Lots and a fabrics store. Shoppers, pushing carts on the sidewalk, glance curiously through the windows at the muscular men tossing each other around inside.

  "And they look at us like we're from another planet, if we run out to our cars with our shirts off to grab something," said Josh Thomson, one of the mixed-martial arts fighters who train at the American Kickboxing Academy.

  Welcome to an unlikely epicenter of the MMA boom.

  The facility has become a top camp with a who's who of fighters including up-and-coming heavyweight Cain Velasquez. But just as a fight gym seems out of place in a shopping center, so is San Jose an improbable hotbed for an edgy sport that once was disparaged by Sen. John McCain as "human cockfighting" and wasn't even allowed in California until 2006.

  Strikeforce, which promotes fights that appear on CBS and Showtime, is based here. Its MMA events — which meld elements of boxing, wrestling and martial arts disciplines into a flurry of violence — draw thousands at HP Pavilion.

  And modern gladiators from around the country make their way to AKA's no-frills digs in hopes that trainer Javier Mendez can teach them to become beasts inside the chain link cage. One of those fighters, Mike Swick, is featured on tonight's UFC 109 pay-per-view card.

  After one recent training session, Mendez thumbed through e-mail on his smartphone from fighters asking him to train them.

  "It's crazy," Mendez said. "Now everybody wants to come."

  Some of San Jose's MMA fixtures, like Mendez, are homegrown. Vietnamese-American fighter Cung Le grew up here. And Scott Coker, who has built scrappy underdog Strikeforce into a rival of industry giant Ultimate Fighting Championship, is a Gunderson High grad.

  But any discussion of San Jose as an MMA destination begins with the arrival of Frank Shamrock, one of the sport's pioneers.

  There was an anything-goes sense of mayhem to "cage fighting" back in 1997 when Shamrock moved here from the small northeast California town of Susanville. He was "chasing a girl," and the only other person he knew in town was Mendez.

  "I asked if he minded if I come over and wrestled on his mats," recalled Shamrock, who now runs two local gyms. "I guess it helped spawn a movement because San Jose has become the biggest producer of mixed-martial arts fighters in the industry."

  Mendez was a kickboxing world champion himself. But he also had been a reluctant competitor.

  "For me, kickboxing was a personal goal, not about beating up anybody," said Mendez, 50. "I was so nervous before fights that I wondered why I was doing it."

  But he found his calling as an MMA trainer just as UFC president Dana White was bringing the sport into the mainstream with stringent rules. White now credits the entire state, not just San Jose, for being an engine to MMA's rapid growth.

  "California always has been big on martial arts," White said. "Bruce Lee lived and taught classes there. Remember when 'The Karate Kid' movie came out back in the '80s? That was describing California."

  No one understood how big until March 10, 2006, when 18,265 people packed HP to watch the first state-approved MMA show — headlined by Shamrock.

  It was a case of: If you bleed, they will come.

  "There was a wow factor that night," said Matt Levine, a longtime Bay Area sports marketing executive who develops strategies for Strikeforce. "A lot of people start by thinking the sport is brutal and covering their face. But then they start peeking through their fingers and realize there are complexities and skill involved."

  Fighters learn them at AKA.

  Josh Koscheck, a former NCAA champion wrestler, pointed to the poster-sized photos of fighters lining the gym's walls. Nearly all of them, he said, are from other states.

  "But in our world, everyone knows they have to come to San Jose," added Koscheck, a Pittsburgh native.

  Fighters migrate to AKA for one reason: They want to win.

  That's what former NFL star Herschel Walker did in his MMA debut last Saturday after training with Mendez. Walker was impressed at how everyone in the gym, which has both UFC and Strikeforce fighters, got along.

  "I'm amazed at how well they handle the egos," Walker said. "I know from football how difficult that can be."

  Fighters arrive with big dreams — and often little money.

  When Purdue graduate Jon Fitch showed up in 2003, he tended bar and worked as a bouncer to make ends meet. He ate Ramen noodles and tuna fish twice a day.

  "If I wanted to give myself a little extra treat, I'd put some egg in it," said Fitch, now a successful UFC fighter who can afford as many eggs as he wants.

  It took Houston native Swick two years to save enough to move to San Jose. Once here, he worked odd jobs and lived in an apartment so tiny that Swick claims he could run bath water, turn on the stove and change the TV channel all without moving his feet.

  Now, Swick (14-3) owns a home and can earn a six-figure paycheck tonight. He also has achieved a measure of celebrity. After a recent workout, Swick autographed boxes of his UFC action figure.

  "Look, they even added some cool muscles," Swick said.

  So, how did this go from being a rogue sport to the stuff of toys?

  "It just blew up," Swick said. "There was a time when you wouldn't tell anyone what you did because being an ultimate fighter was the worst thing possible. Now people think it's the coolest thing ever."

  While Shamrock sees growth for the sport he helped put on the map, he knows there's no guarantee that public opinion won't turn again.

  "The sport really hasn't changed, but the world did," Shamrock said. "That's why it's more acceptable. Right now, most people don't have a problem with people closing their fists and banging it out for money."

  Meanwhile, fighters have learned to be good neighbors in San Jose. There used to be complaints when they were thrown against the wall AKA shares with the fabric store.

  "We don't want to knock anything off" on their side, said Thomson, whose nickname is "The Punk." "We have to be careful about hitting it too hard."

  Source: MercuryNews.com

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  January 26, 2010

  In preparing for Thiago, UFC's Swick still fueled by loss to Hardy

  

  Welterweight mixed martial artist Mike Swick has Paulo Thiago in his crosshairs at the moment, but Dan Hardy still burns in his mind.

  A decision loss to Hardy in November derailed Swick's path to a shot at the Ultimate Fighting Championship's welterweight title. Now Swick, replacing injured teammate Josh Koscheck, hopes to rediscover his winning ways next month at UFC 109 against Paulo Thiago, who is 1-1 so far against American Kickboxing Academy fighters, with a win over Koscheck and a loss to Jon Fitch.

  Yet even has he prepares for the bout, Swick seems as motivated by his last opponent as the next one. Bringing up the subject of Hardy can unleash a torrent of words from Swick:

  • "Under different circumstances, I think I win nine out of 10 fights. ... I don't think he's a superior striker, and I definitely don't think he's a superior grappler."

  • "I was 9-1 (in UFC) when I fought him and I still wasn't getting a title shot. He's only finished one person (in UFC) and even though he beat me, I definitely don't think he deserves it. I think there's a few people that deserve a title shot sooner than he would."

  • "No knock against Hardy. I think he's a great guy and he has all the potential in the world, but I don't see him beating Georges St. Pierre anywhere."

  • "My biggest concern is getting back on the winning track and then getting a rematch with Dan Hardy. That's more important to me than a title shot."

  Source: MMA Fighting Stances

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  January 26, 2010

  Jon Fitch Helps Mike Swick Train for Paulo Thiago at UFC 109

   

  The UFC provides a good look inside a fighter's training camp with this video showing Mike Swick's preparation for Paulo Thiago at UFC 109, showing Swick working with Jon Fitch and picking Fitch's brain about Thiago, whom Fitch beat at UFC 100.
  
  "Jon Fitch is my training partner and he's the only guy to ever beat Paulo Thiago," Swick says. "It's a good insight to prepare me for this fight."
  
  In the video we see Fitch warning Swick about Thiago's length and strength, and Swick says his game plan is to keep the fight standing when he can.
  
  "I'm more of a striker so I'm obviously going to take this fight to the feet," Swick says. "If the fight does go to the ground I feel very good with my jiu jitsu and my wrestling to handle this fight on the ground as well, even though he is a very qualified jiu jitsu guy. And that creates a challenge that I like."

  Source: MMA Fighting

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  January 23, 2010

  Mike Swick Weighs In on Herschel Walker, Dan Hardy

   

  

  I spoke to Mike Swick this week for an SI.com article on his attempt to get back in the title picture after the loss to Dan Hardy.  While Swick admits he lost the fight, he says he can't accept that Hardy might be the better fighter, and wants a rematch somewhere down the line to prove it.  When asked if Hardy deserves the shot at GSP after winning the decision at UFC 105, Swick joined Nate Marquardt, Rory Markham, and a chorus of other observers in saying absolutely not:

  "The thing about this sport is, there are so many variables that go into it. He did beat me. And if I would have won then I would have been the No. 1 contender, so you can look at it that way. But just because he won that fight, I don't think that means he deserves a title shot. He's only had three fights in the UFC and he's only had one finish. He hasn't had the same road that a lot of the top welterweights in the UFC have. Even though he beat me, I have to say he doesn't deserve it. If he thinks he does, I'm sorry, but he's wrong."

  I also talked to Swick about the newest addition at the American Kickboxing Academy, Herschel Walker.  It's one thing for Strikeforce and their employees to insist that he has what it takes to hang with the pros, but what has the longtime AKA fighter seen from him in the gym?

  According to Swick, Walker is taking this stuff seriously:

  "I train with him every day. He’s good, man. He’s really athletic and very, very motivated. I mean, he’s a guy in here training as hard as guys in their twenties and thirties who do this for a living, and it’s not easy. I’ve seen countless guys who couldn’t hack the training here. I’ve seen high-level guys, guys you watch on TV, come into our gym and not be able to hack it. They leave and don’t come back.

  "You see a guy who’s not a fighter at all come in there, and he does everything that we do, all the training and the conditioning, the Aerodyne workouts, all of it. He’s not doing it for the fame or the money or anything. He’s doing it just for the love of the sport and competition. It’s inspiring. He’s a motivated individual."

  Source: Cage Potato

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  January 22, 2010

  Defiant Swick gets back in line

   

  Mike Swick had gotten used to going back to the locker room a winner. Four straight victories and two-and-a-half years without a loss will do that. But as he sat backstage at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England, after dropping a decision to Dan Hardy at UFC 105, it hit him. For the first time since 2007, he was going home a loser.

  

  "I was devastated," Swick said, reflecting on the bout that likely would have landed him a title shot. "The whole experience, it was just a rough week for me, from beginning to end. It was a lot for me to handle, and the loss really affected me. I hate losing so much."

  And he did lose. This much he can admit. Hardy, already the hometown favorite of the British crowd, staggered Swick with his punching power and left an indelible impression on the judges. When the final horn sounded, Swick knew that he'd been beaten. He accepts that. What he can't accept, he says, is the suggestion that Hardy might be the better overall fighter.

  "It was clear he won," Swick said. "Hats off to him for that. But I think nine out of 10 times I win that fight. I think he's a good guy and a good fighter, but I just can't swallow that he's the better fighter. I don't believe that."

  It doesn't make things any easier to see Hardy propelled to new heights as a result of the win. He faces UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre in a main event bout in March, while Swick gets shuffled back into the middle of the pack to face Paulo Thiago at UFC 109 on Feb. 6.

  It's a bitter pill to swallow, particularly for a guy as fiercely competitive as Swick. This is someone who taught himself to golf in a matter of weeks after being embarrassed on the links by his father-in-law.

  Losing is bad enough. Losing to someone who goes on to take what he thought would be his title shot is even worse, and he can't bring himself to say that Hardy deserves the opportunity.

  "The thing about this sport is, there are so many variables that go into it," Swick said. "He did beat me. And if I would have won then I would have been the No. 1 contender, so you can look at it that way. But just because he won that fight, I don't think that means he deserves a title shot. He's only had three fights in the UFC and he's only had one finish. He hasn't had the same road that a lot of the top welterweights in the UFC have. Even though he beat me, I have to say he doesn't deserve it. If he thinks he does, I'm sorry, but he's wrong."

  Swick's bout with Thiago, who is 1-1 against AKA fighters, isn't about team loyalty or any other pre-packaged storyline, he insists. It's about nothing more complicated than an attempt to get back in the win column. As much as he wants another shot at Hardy, and as badly as he'd like to prove that he's the better fighter, wishing isn't going to make it happen.

  "I just have to get back in there and keep going," he said. "No matter what I do, [Hardy] is not going to be my next fight. Aside from trying to get that rematch, I also just have to get back on the winning track. That's a huge motivator for me. Feb. 6, I have a chance to do that, to go out there and get a win and not sit on this loss for too long. That's all I'm trying to do right now."

  In a division as crowded as the UFC's welterweight class, where everyone has earned their spot and there's always someone else struggling to take yours, nothing is guaranteed.

  
  Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ben_fowlkes/01/22/swick/#ixzz0dUqy7QKs
  Get a free NFL Team Jacket and Tee with SI Subscription
  

  Source: SportsIllustrated.com

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  January 19, 2010

  Featured Columnist UFC 109 Mike Swick Exclusive: Wants To Fight Dan Hardy More Than Anyone

  After four straight victories in the UFC's welterweight division, Mike "Quick" Swick was fighting for a title shot against Dan Hardy at UFC 105 in Manchester, England this past November. Unfortunately things didn't work in Swick's favor that night, and when it was all said and done, "The Outlaw" had his hand raised at the end of the bout.

  

  Swick will return to the drawing board on Feb. 6 at UFC 109 against top contender Paulo Thiago.

  In this exclusive interview, Swick sits down with FiveKnuckles.com's Mitch Ciccarelli to discuss the matchup, his desire to rematch Hardy, his Internet "beef" with Ben Saunders and other interesting topics.

  Mitch Ciccarelli: You were seemingly one victory away from earning a title shot against welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre; however, Dan Hardy stole that title shot away from you with a unanimous decision victory at UFC 105. Now that it's all said and done, do you feel Hardy really deserves the title shot after beating you or do you think he hasn't really earned it yet?

  Mike Swick: You know, we both went out there and fought, and he won. But I don't think he's put the time in to get a title shot in the UFC, and I really want to get a rematch with him. I don't want to make any excuses about the fight, but I'm 100 percent confident that I'm the better fighter, and I want to prove it with a rematch [against Hardy].

  Mitch Ciccarelli: Most seemed to pit you as the favorite against Hardy heading into the fight. Do you think you underestimated him a little bit?

  Mike Swick: I didn't underestimate him, and if you look at some of the exchanges, even after I got caught in the second, I mean, I won a lot of the exchanges in the second and third round. I was trying to chase him down because he's a counter-fighter, kind of like I am, and one of us had to get out of our element because if we both stood there and tried to counter each other, we would have just stared at each other. So I was the one that kind of hard to push for the fight. I usually don't fight the way I fought in that fight, and when I came in, he would just time that hook perfectly, and I never fully recovered from when he caught me with that left combination in the second round.

  He caught me right on my jaw and rocked me pretty good, so I mean, it is what it is, but you can look at the exchanges after that, and I landed numerous exchanges even after being rocked. He landed the significant blows that caused the most damage, and he deserved the win, but it's just one of those fights where it's hard to swallow because I feel like I'm the better fighter, and I feel under different circumstances, if we fought again, I would win nine out of 10 times. No discredit to him because I think he's a great guy and a great fighter, but it's just a tough one to swallow, you know?

  Mitch Ciccarelli: Hardy is notorious for his mental warfare tactics. Did he get in your head a little bit? Or more importantly, did you feel added pressure with it being a fight to earn the title shot?

  Mike Swick: There were a lot of factors, but I don't want to get into anything that could cause excuses or anything like that. The bottom line is that we both showed, and he won, and I'm not taking anything away from that. As far as the mental aspect, nah. He definitely wasn't in my head. There was nothing that he did that mentally phased me. I'm a pretty strong fighter mentally, so I don't think I've ever been broken or had something effect me mentally before a fight.

  Source: Bleacher Report

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  January 8, 2010

  An Interview With UFC Fighter Mike Swick

  Mike “Quick” Swick (born 19 June 1979) is an American professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter.

  He was a participant in the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality television series produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is one of the reasons for his popularity. He was eliminated from the competition after a semi-final loss to Stephan Bonnar.

  Since joining the ranks of the UFC, Mike has gone 5-0 and is considered on of the top Middleweight contenders in the UFC

  MMAToday: How did you get involved in martial arts and MMA?

  MS: I started in Tae-Kwon-Do at the age of 8. I have just been progressing from there every since…

  MMAToday: Once you got started did you ever think you make it all the way to the UFC?

  MS: I hoped! Ha-ha

  MMAToday: How much did your appearance on TUF affect your training and your career?

  MS: It made my career what it is today. It was the exposure that I needed and it made me train harder than ever.

  MMAToday: What is it like going from fighting in smaller shows to fighting in the UFC? Were you nervous or did you feel you were ready to be there?

  MS: It’s a big difference. The UFC is the Big Show. I felt ready.

  MMAToday: Your first 4 fights in the UFC lasted a combined 6 minutes or so, what was the rush?

  MS: I am just an aggressive fighter… ha-ha

  MMAToday: How has your training been coming? And how is the hand?

  MS: Training is going great! Hand is almost 100%. I am still sparring and doing mitt work, I am just still a little careful with it.

  MMAToday: Can you give us a little insight into your training regimen?

  MS: We train 2-3 times a day, 6 days a week.

  MMAToday: Who are you currently training with?

  MS: We have a great crew in now… As far as training, I have Lynn Schutz, Bob Cook, Dave Camarillo, and Javier Mendez. As far as teammates I got Fitch, Koscheck, Thomson, Prangley, Southworth, Fukada, plus a lot of great up and comers. Baroni should be back soon as well.

  MMAToday: What motivated you to keep going and fighting?

  MS: Wanting to be the best…

  MMAToday: Your next opponent is Yushin Okami on March 3rd, anything special planned for that fight?

  MS: This fight is not for sure. Nothing is signed. We are still working on it. I want this fight though.

  MMAToday: Where do you see yourself in the Middleweight title picture if you are victorious there?

  MS: I guess it depends on how I perform. I plan to perform at my best.

  MMAToday: How well do you stack up against the current champ Anderson Silva?

  MS: Wouldn’t mind finding out… ha-ha

  MMAToday: Is there any other Middleweight out there in the UFC you would like to fight? And why?

  MS: All of them!

  MMAToday: Would you still like a rematch with Chris Leben?

  MS: That fight will happen eventually and yes I will be happy when it does. After his performance against MacDonald though, it wouldn’t be a step up as far as my career goes. I want to fight top contenders right now.

  MMAToday: What fights in your career are the most memorable to you?

  MS: All my UFC fights have been very memorable.

  MMAToday: How much longer do you have on your current contract?

  MS: A little over a year…

  MMAToday: Any possibilities of jumping ship to another promotion when it’s up?

  MS: Nope.

  MMAToday: Is there any fighter outside the UFC you would like to mix it up with?

  MS: Haven’t thought about it really.

  MMAToday: What fighters do you enjoy watching and why?

  MS: GSP, Liddell, Couture, CroCop, Riggs, Loiseau, Silva, etc… All the exciting ones! I am a huge MMA fan myself.

  MMAToday: What fighters do you look up to?

  MS: Too many to list!

  MMAToday: Who do think would be your toughest fight and why?

  MS: Right now, I think Anderson Silva. It would be a good test for me.

  MMAToday: What are your hobbies outside of MMA?

  MS: Traveling. I love traveling! Whatever happens after you die happens, but this is the only earth we will ever have and I want to see it all. I like playing poker as well.

  MMAToday: Who do you think the best over looked fighter in your weight class is?

  MS: I am not sure. I don’t follow the forums too much to know who is favored more and stuff…

  MMAToday: What do you think of Randy coming back?

  MS: I am excited, I like him a lot.

  MMAToday: What do you think of the UFC bringing in fighters from pride etc?

  MS: I think they are just getting the best fighters from all over the world from all organizations and I think it’s great. I love competition.

  MMAToday: If you could fight anyone who would it be? Why?

  MS: Silva for the title. I want the belt! Ha-ha

  MMAToday: Thank you very much for your time Mike, is there anything you would like to add here to your fans or anyone in general?

  MS: Thanks for all your support guys! Please check out my webpage at MikeSwick.com and my Myspace at http://Myspace.com/mikeswick. I am also running a UNICEF campaign to raise money for underprivileged children worldwide. You can check out that page at http://unicefusa.org/ert/mikeswick. Thanks!

  Source: Cage Fighting Web

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• 

  January 7, 2010

  Swick-Thiago Official for UFC 109

  
  

  

  
  Mike Swick will replace injured teammate Josh Koscheck in a welterweight bout against Paulo Thiago at UFC 109 on Feb. 6 in Las Vegas., the promotion announced this week.
  
  The 30-year-old Swick, who trains alongside Koscheck at American Kickboxing Academy, lost a unanimous decision to Brit Dan Hardy in a pivotal contender’s bout at UFC 105 on Nov. 14 in Manchester, England. Prior to that, Swick had only one other loss in his last 11 bouts: a unanimous decision defeat to Yushin Okami in a middleweight contest at UFC 69 in Houston.
  
  Thiago grinded out a unanimous decision over newcomer Jacob Volkmann at UFC 106 on Nov. 21 in Las Vegas. The Brazilian’s only career defeat came at the hands of Jon Fitch, also an AKA product, at UFC 100 last July in Las Vegas. Thiago stopped Koscheck with first-round strikes at UFC 95 last February in London.

  Source: Sherdog

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  January 3, 2010

  Mike Swick Quickly Replaces Josh Koscheck For UFC 109 Fight With Paulo Thiago

   

  The UFC didn’t have to look too far for a replacement to face Paulo Thiago at UFC 109 as Mike Swick will step-in to replace his fallen American Kickboxing Academy teammate, Josh Koscheck, on the February 6th event.

  MMAFighting.com, who was the first to report Koscheck’s exit from the UFC 109 card, also broke news on Thiago’s new foe.

  Swick holds an impressive 14-3 record but dropped a lopsided unanimous decision to Dan Hardy at UFC 105 last month. The loss marked his first loss since dropping to the welterweight division back in January of 2008.

  Source: FightLine.com

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  January 3, 2010

  Mike Swick To Replace Josh Koscheck In UFC 109 Bout Against Paulo Thiago

   

  Josh Koscheck will have to wait for his chance at revenge as he has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight at UFC 109 against Paulo Thiago due to an injury suffered during training. Koscheck announced the withdrawal on his Twitter page and the UFC wasted no time in securing a replacement as Koscheck's American Kickboxing Academy teammate Mike Swick will step into the bout.

  Koscheck had been looking to avenge his loss to Thiago at UFC 95 where he was knocked out by a debuting Thiago in what was a major upset at the time that derailed Koscheck's title aspirations. Swick will be looking to bounce back from his loss to Dan Hardy at UFC 105 in November that earned Hardy a title shot against division kingpin Georges St. Pierre at UFC 111 in March. The loss to Hardy snapped Swick's four-fight winning streak.

  UFC 109 takes place on February 6th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV and will feature Randy Couture and Mark Coleman in a Light Heavyweight fight featuring two UFC Hall of Famers, as well as a Welterweight bout between Frank Trigg and Matt Serra.

  Source: Nokaut.com

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• December 18, 2009

  UFC rankings/MMA rankings featured in USA Today for December 2009

  

  Our partners in crime over at BloodyElbow.com have once again published their divisional rankings for mixed martial arts in the nation’s largest daily newspaper, USA Today, for the month of December 2009.

  For those of you unfamiliar with the process, here’s how it works:

  “The rankings, which will offer a definitive perspective of top MMA fighters across all weight-classes, will be released monthly and published in the Sports section of USA TODAY, online at USATODAY.com and on SB Nation’s MMA commentary and community blog, BloodyElbow.com … The USA TODAY/SB Nation Consensus MMA Rankings are compiled each month by Nate Wilcox and Richard Wade of BloodyElbow.com. The rankings utilize each of the top MMA rankings from multiple unique sources. A weighted-formula is applied to normalize and distill the various rankings into one consensus ranking per weight class.”

  To check out the latest USAT/SBN rankings clickhere. We’ve also listed their top 10 in each class after the jump for your convenience.

  What do you think? Share your ranking rants in the comments section below.

  Heavyweight:

  1. Fedor Emelianenko
  2. Brock Lesnar
  3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
  4. Frank Mir
  5. Junior Dos Santos
  6. Cain Velasquez
  7. Josh Barnett
  8. Shane Carwin
  9. Brett Rogers
  10. Alistair Overeem

  Light Heavyweight:

  1. Lyoto Machida
  2. Mauricio Rua
  3. Rashad Evans
  4. Quinton Jackson
  5. Forrest Griffin
  6. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
  7. Gegard Mousasi
  8. Thiago Silva
  9. Anderson Silva
  10. Randy Couture

  Middleweight:

  1. Anderson Silva
  2. Nate Marquardt
  3. Dan Henderson
  4. Demian Maia
  5. Vitor Belfort
  6. Chael Sonnen
  7. Jake Shields
  8. Yushin Okami
  9. Yoshihiro Akiyama
  10. Mamed Khalidov

  Welterweight:

  1. Georges St. Pierre
  2. Jon Fitch
  3. Thiago Alves
  4. Josh Koscheck
  5. Dan Hardy
  6. Mike Swick
  7. Paulo Thiago
  8. Matt Hughes
  9. Carlos Condit
  10. Paul Daley

  Lightweight:

  1. B.J. Penn
  2. Shinya Aoki
  3. Eddie Alvarez
  4. Kenny Florian
  5. Gray Maynard
  6. Frank Edgar
  7. Diego Sanchez
  8. Tatsuya Kawajiri
  9. Sean Sherk
  10. Joachim Hansen

  Featherweight:

  1. Jose Aldo
  2. Mike Brown
  3. Urijah Faber
  4. Bibiano Fernandes
  5. Hatsu Hioki
  6. Rafael Assuncao
  7. Manny Gamburyan
  8. Wagnney Fabiano
  9. Michihiro Omigawa
  10. Mackens Semerzier

  Of course, nothing brings MMA fans closer together than a list of divisional rankings. Let’s hear it: Who belongs and who doesn’t? And be sure to say why. “He sucks” is not a valid argument.

   

  Source: MMA Interplay

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• 

  November 27, 2009

  UFC 105 Recap

   

  MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, November 14 – ‘The Outlaw’ was the hero Saturday night at the MEN Arena, as Nottingham’s Dan Hardy silenced some critics and also established himself as a legitimate challenger for the welterweight crown with a three round unanimous decision win over Mike Swick in the UFC 105 co-main event.

  Scores were 30-27 twice, and 29-28 for Hardy, who improves to 23-6 with 1 NC as he earned a shot at UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre after four consecutive Octagon wins.

  “It was a tough fight,” said Hardy. “Can’t take anything away from Mike, he always comes in and puts on a great fight.”

  Swick (14-3) stalked Hardy at the bell, landing with a quick right before bulling his foe into the fence. The two traded positions along the fence, both looking to take the upper hand as they threw blows at close range. With two minutes gone, the bout was halted briefly after Hardy was hit with a low knee, but once the action resumed, the fighters took their places along the fence a second time. Again, it was a war of attrition as the two battled it out, and each fighter had his moments before the round drew to a close.

  

  Early in the second, Hardy rocked Swick with a left hook to the head, and Swick staggered into the fence with Hardy right behind him. There. The two tied up and Swick was able to clear his head and begin firing back. Hardy wasn’t idle though, as he landed with close range elbows and foot stomps. With two minutes left, referee Kevin Mulhall re-started the stalled action and Swick was able to score with a flush left hook. Hardy took the punch well and kept moving forward, but he was starting to get countered more by the quicker Swick.

  With the fight still close, Swick and Hardy began exchanging almost immediately at the start of the third, with Swick taking an early lead but Hardy roaring right back with another shot that rocked his foe. Hardy then followed up with a takedown and began firing off elbows as the crowd erupted and chanted his name. Swick stayed busy from the bottom, looking for the submission, but then Mulhall suddenly stood the two up and re-started the bout. As the bout entered its final 90 seconds, Hardy looked to be the fresher of the two fighters, and he even held his hand to his ear for more cheers, which the MEN fans gladly gave him. ‘The Outlaw’ didn’t forget to fight though, as he trudged forward, but Swick certainly didn’t back down either, and the crowd roared in appreciation at both fighters’ effort at the final bell.

  Source: UFC

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  November 11, 2009

  "It will be my fast hands versus Hardy's hooks."

  By Matt Freeman on Nov 12, 09 09:06 PM

  Having seen his last would-be opponent, Martin Kampmann, demolished by Rough House fighter Paul Daley, Mike Swick was then offered the chance to face Dan Hardy for the number one contender spot at 170lbs.

  The fellow Rough House athlete and teammate to Daley has been on a tear in the UFC but all Swick sees is a man standing in his way of getting a title shot.

  "I've sacrificed a huge part of my life to get where I am and I've built up quite the credentials in the UFC and I'm not gonna let this opportunity slip by for getting this title shot."

  With Hardy playing some light-hearted mind games at the press conference, handing Swick a runner's up trophy as a sign of his impending defeat, the AKA fighter took it all in his stride.

  "I think it's funny. That's awesome. I'm light-hearted. I don't get worked up about this kinda stuff. It's gonna be neat to give it right back to him."

  However, with the fight bearing the consequence of a title shot for the winner, how is Swick dealing with fighting on his opponent's home turf?

  "Obviously I know he's going to have a lot of fan support but I agree with it. You know, he is the hometown boy. I don't blame the fans at all. I love the English fans.

  "You know at the end of the day we're going out there and we're fighting. The fans, no matter what they do, cheer or boo, it's not going to change us as fighters. It won't turn him into a superhero or me either. At the end, we're gonna have to get in there and solve this issue."

  Holding a 9-1 record inside the UFC, Swick wants nothing more than to earn his shot at welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. But, has it added another dimension to the Hardy fight in front of him?

  "No pressure. I've learnt so much from my experiences fighting in the UFC. I've taken so many big steps and have had to learn lessons, you know, through fights, performances that I wasn't 100% satisfied with. I feel like I've gained so much knowledge.

  "I've learnt to look at just this fight. Not think about the pressure, not think about the negative stuff. Just be positive, focus and go out there and get each win, one at a time.

  "You know since I've been doing that I've been having really good fights, really good results and in the end that's what's gonna give me the title shot. That's what's gonna give me the title so I'm just focusing on one fight at a time."

  Whilst there has been some decent banter between the two fighters, both bring a deadly striking game to the Octagon and this is a fight that will be strongly contested.

  Swick is known for his speed whilst Hardy has crisp, devastating counter punches and this should be a stand up war for the ages.

  "I think it's gonna be my fast hands versus his hooks. He's a very hooky guy.

  "You know he says that my speed is not gonna be a factor but I'm very motivated to prove him wrong and show that speed is definitely an issue when you fight so we'll see."

  Source: TKO MIRROR.CO.UK'S MMA BLOG

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• 

  October 16, 2009

  Mike Faces Dan Hardy in UFC 105 on Sat., Nov. 14th on Spike

  
  

  Don't miss Mike fight Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy on Saturday, November 14th on Spike at 8pm.

   

  This international event is being hosted at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England.

  Fight Card highlights include UFC Hall of Famer Randy "The Natural" Couture returning to the light heavyweight division for the first time in over three years to face dynamic striker Brandon "The Truth" Vera in the main event.

  In the co-feature, British superstar Michael "The Count" Bisping is back home and looking for a knockout in front of his hometown fans against fellow middleweight contender Denis Kang.

  Source: UFC

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• 

  September 15, 2009

  Mike speaks with Ariel Helwani on "The MMA Hour" on AOL FanHouse

  Mike called in by phone to talk with Ariel Helwani on "The MMA Hour" on AOL FanHouse recently.

  Mike talks at length about his recent injury, which forced him to withdraw from his UFC 103 bout against Martin Kampmann. Swick also talked about when he expects to fight next and his desire to face veteran Matt Hughes.

   

  Source: AOL FanHouse

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• 

  August 27, 2009

  MMA Unltd - September 2009 Issue #12

  Mike is on the cover of MMA Unltd's September 2009 Issue #12 on newstands in the UK now.

  Here is the caption to Mike's article:

  Mike Swick – Fast and Furious

  Welterweight Mike Swick has compiled an impressive record in the Octagon and is now one fight away from a possible title shot. However, whilst he has recently been immortalised as both an action figurine and in UFC: UNDISPUTED, Mike is still the same humble athlete who wants nothing more than to face the ultimate challenge of taking on Georges St. Pierre.

   

  Source: MMA Unltd Magazine

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• 

  August 26, 2009

  Fight! Magazine - September 2009

  Mike is on the cover of Fight! Magazine September 2009 issue on newstands now.

  The article teaser is

  Nice Guys Finish Fights:
  Mike Swick might be a nice guy, but he’s an absolute terror inside the cage. He’s also one win away from a championship showdown with Georges St. Pierre.

  Source: Fight! Magazine

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• July 14, 2009

  Mike Swick's Next Fight

  Mike "Quick" Swick will face Martin Kampmann in his next fight just announced: UFC 103 on September 19th in Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center. This fight will determine a number 1 contender to challenge for UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre's championship belt.
  
  Kampmann and Swick will look to prove they deserve the opportunity.
  
  Kampmann is 2-0 at 170 pounds after making the switch from middleweight following a September 2008 loss to Nate Marquardt. Kampmann was 4-0 in the UFC as a middleweight prior to the loss.
  
  Swick is currently riding a four-fight winning streak in the welterweight division after compiling a 5-1 mark at 185 pounds. In June the American Kickboxing Academy fighter earned a second-round TKO over Ben Saunders at UFC 99, after which he called out former champ Matt Hughes.
  
  But prior to the fight, Swick told MMAjunkie.com he was simply looking for the biggest fights available.
  
  "I'm going to go in there and try to show that I deserve a big fight in my next fight," said Swick, who found his way into the UFC via the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter." "I definitely think I deserve a big fight."
  

  Source: MMA Junkie

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• 

  June 11, 2009

  How to Watch Swick on Saturday

  Want to know how you can watch UFC 99 with Mike "Quick" Swick vs. Ben "Killa B" Saunders and Rich "Ace" Franklin vs. Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva this Saturday, June 13th?

  It's live on Pay-Per-View from the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany. Order pay-per-view now!
  
  12pm and 7pm PT PPV
  3pm and 10pm ET PPV

  Or, you can click for a list of local sports bars carrying the match.

  Source: UFC

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• 

  June 3, 2009

  Mike Swick on MMA Weekly Radio Show!

  Listen to Mike Swick on MMA Weekly Radio Show tonight, Wednesday, June 3rd at 6pm PST/ 9pm EST. Go to MMAWeekly.com to listen. To call in with a question, their number is 1-877-888-5520.

  Source: MMA Weekly

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• 

  June 2, 2009

  Follow Mike Swick on Twitter!

  You can now follow Mike Swick on Twitter! To sign up for his tweets, click here or on the Twitter icon on the bottom right hand side of any page on mikeswick.com.

  Source: www.mikeswick.com

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• 

  May 26, 2009

  UFC 2009 Undisputed with Mike "Quick" Swick

  Mike “Quick” Swick is not only ferocious in the octagon, but lives up to his nickname in THQ’s video game, UFC 2009 Undisputed. Swick met up with ESPN: The Magazine and spoke about playing the game himself.
  
  "I created a guy and I'm going through career mode so I can see how I progress. I want to fight my teammates and eventually myself," says Swick. "They made me so good in the game, though, I think I'm going to get knocked out by myself, but I'll see what I can do. If anyone knows my weakness, it's me, right? I know when I've played as myself I've been knocked out twice with the Superman punch, so it looks like that's my Achilles heel in the game.
  
  "Funny thing is THQ made my character look just like me. It's actually kind of creepy, because when I get knocked down in the game or when I lose, my heart kind of skips a beat because it looks like I'm watching a video of myself getting beat, like it's a past fight. It's a little too real. But to someone who grew up playing games, it's a dream come true to see myself on the screen. When you're a kid, you're playing these games and you envision yourself in whatever game you're playing. You play games to get into that false reality, so you can be something that is admirable to you at that time. I've always thought it would be amazing to be in a video game. I always wanted to be good enough at something so someone would want me in a video game, so when I saw myself in the game for the first time, it was just so surreal."

  Source: ESPN The Magazine

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  April 16, 2009

  MMA Q & A with Mike Swick

  Mike "Quick" Swick gave an exclusive interview to MMAMadness.com about his upcoming fight at UFC 99, training in Thailand, his dream opponent, and more.

  About fighting Ben Saunders in Germany, Swick said, "I definitely think it is going to be exciting. He likes to stand and keep on the feet and use his kicks and his knees, so I'm going to want to do the same thing. I think we are just going to go out there and clash and whoever lands that hard shot first is going to win."

  Regarding his training in Thailand: "It's good training. It's good because it's a little different. It's out of the ordinary. When you live in the gym here in San Jose six or seven days a week it's the best training in the world, but you run into that same kind of regular pattern all the time. It's good to get away and change the scenery around you. The training for MMA isn't as good in Thailand...you are in a different culture and environment so it's a vacation and training all wrapped in one."

   

  Source: MMA Madness

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  April 12, 2009

  Mike Swick Featured in "UFC 2009 Undisputed" Video Game

  The full roster of fighters has been unveiled for the highly anticipated May release of "UFC 2009 Undisputed," a video game for XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 made by THQ.

  More than 80 fighters will appear in the debut version of the game, which will be the most realistic MMA video game ever developed, according to THQ.

  Former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin is featured on the cover of the US version, and welterweight title-holder Georges St. Pierre is on the Canadian version.

  Source: MMA Junkie

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  March 31, 2009

  MMA Opinion Exclusive Interview with Mike Swick

  MMA Opinion interviewed Mike "Quick" Swick about UFC 99, getting a shot at the title, his favorite places to fight, and more. When asked about his matchup with Ben Saunders for UFC 99, Swick said, "I think it will be an exciting fight and good for the German fans." As for his favorite places to fight, he said that all of the venues were significant  in their own ways, but that "Staples Center was definitely huge" and that it is "very cool to say (he) fought in the 02 Arena in England." Aside from the venues, he loves fighting in Vegas. "It is the perfect atmosphere for pre-fight. Everything is open late, and (there is) always something to do to get your mind off the fight and relax."

  Source: MMA Opinion

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  March 23, 2009

  A Tribute to MASK: You Will be Missed

  "On March 9th, 2009, the MMA community lost one of its most outgoing, genuine, and memorable personalities. Charles "MASK" Lewis was an ambassador for MMA and led the most famous crew in the sport, Tapout. I can't remember being at an MMA show that he was not at. Not only was he at every show, but he was always smiling and amped up with life. His nickname for me was "Sergeant Swick," because he thought I looked like a GI Joe, and he would say it each and every time he saw me. "SEEERRRRGGGEEEAAANNT SWIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!" would be heard from across the venue and when my eyes would find him, he would always be smiling…or sticking his tongue out…or roaring like a lion.

  Source: MikeSwick.com

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  March 22, 2009

  Two Welterweight Wars on Tap for UFC 99 in Germany

  Two stellar welterweight matchups have been made official for the main card of UFC 99: Franklin vs. Silva. First, Mike "Quick" Swick will look for his fourth straight win at 170 pounds when he battles Ben "Killa B" Saunders in what should be a fight to remember. Both are coming off devastating knockout wins last December—Swick stopped Jonathan Goulet in just 33 seconds and Saunders dispatched Brandon Wolff in 1 minute and 49 seconds.

   

  Source: UFC.com

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  March 22, 2009

  Mike Swick Seminar on Sunday, April 19th in Florida

  UFC's Mike "Quick" Swick is holding a training seminar for kickboxing, grappling, and Muay Thai at Tiger Martial Arts in Florida on Sunday, April 19th. You can reserve your spot now by calling Ground and Pound at (407) 332-6122 or by visiting www.ultimatefightclothes.com.

  Click here for details.

  Source: TigerMA.com

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  March 19, 2009

  Mike Swick Signed to Fight Ben Saunders at UFC 99 in Germany

  Welterweight fighters Mike Swick and Ben Saunders have agreed to fight at UFC 99, which takes place on June 13th in Cologne, Germany.

  Source: MMA Weekly / Mike Swick UFC 99

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