TRAINER: Mark Pavelich / Pro Camp and Josh Russell / Gracie Barra. I’m training with my usual team of guys for most of the training camp - Pro Camp, run by Mark Pavelich and Gracie Barra Calgary ran by Josh Russell. These guys are my main trainers and are the cornerstone of all my training. I did travel down to Eastern Canada for a couple of weeks to train with the guys from Titan’s Martial Arts in Halifax. This camp has some great guys to train with and has some great coaches. I wanted to be sure I was ready to deal with the strength and size of Okami.
TRAINING: A typical day of training starts with some hard cardio, running sprints, stairs, or on a spinning bike. From there we move to the gym, where we do a mix of sparring, pads, wrestling or jiu-jitsu and some short of hard circuit training and strength training. Whatever is on tap for that day or a mix of all of them. That usually lasts for about two hours and I go home for a couple of hours rest before I get back to work in the evening for some more work with a strength and conditioning coach which usually lasts for an hour. Then home for some rest and quality time with my family before an early bedtime.
Q&A
Thoughts on opponent, Yushin Okami? Okami is a very experienced fighter who has been in there with some top guys, but he has a very passive style of fighting and tends to be a very slow starter, trying to get you to fight at his pace. I feel that this is a perfect matchup for me because I like to control the pace and push the pace myself. I will be looking to dictate the pace the fight is fought at, taking him out of his comfort zone.
Taken from MM-EH by Andy Cotteril
MacDonald set to face Singer in Ireland
Call him "The Athlete" or call him "TUF Killer." Either way, Jason MacDonald will show up in Belfast, Ireland this Saturday, to meet yet another The Ultimate Fighter veteran, Rory Singer, in the middle of the Octagon.
MacDonald told "MM-Eh!" that by defeating Singer he'd take another step forward after losing to former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin in March.
"I'm going to use Rory to show everybody that I belong in the mix of the middleweight division, and I'm certainly not going anywhere," said MacDonald. "I want to be considered one of the contenders over this coming year."
Be sure to keep your eyes peeled to Sherdog.com later this week, when we'll give you the full interview with Jason, who talks about his success in the UFC so far as well as more on his upcoming fight with Singer.
Q&A
When and why did you start training for fighting?
I started training in 1999 to prove to myself and to others that I belong in the UFC.
What ranks and titles have you held?
Maximum Fighting - # 1 AFC LHW Champ
Do you have any heroes?
Lance Armstrong and Randy Couture
What is your favorite technique?
You will see it December 30th
What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC?
It’s fulfilling my dream, but I want to win in the UFC.
Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn?
I did go to college and have a degree in criminology.
What was your job before you started fighting?
I was a Correctional Officer, but I fight full-time now.
Leben and MacDonald Clash at UFC 66
By Thomas Gerbasi
Middleweight contender Chris Leben will continue on the comeback trail on Saturday, December 30th when he makes his pay-per-view debut against Canada’s Jason MacDonald at UFC 66, which will be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.Middleweight contender Chris Leben will continue on the comeback trail on Saturday, December 30th when he makes his pay-per-view debut against Canada’s Jason MacDonald at UFC 66, which will be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Leben (16-2), who was stopped in a single round by current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva to break a five fight UFC winning streak, bounced back in impressive style in August, knocking out tough Jorge Santiago in the second round.
Edmonton’s MacDonald (18-7) put on a pretty stellar performance in his last outing though too, as he submitted Leben’s Team Quest teammate Ed Herman at 2:43 of the first round in October to make an emphatic statement in his UFC debut. “The Athlete†plans to make it 2-0 in the Octagon on December 30th.
“Everyone knows that Chris Leben is an experienced, hard hitting slugger who is very aggressive with a great chin,†said MacDonald. “But after the Silva fight we also know what good punches and good movement can do to that style of fighter.â€