Matt Lindland Interview

[bowlingsean]

Ran across this interview today with Matt Lindland talking about the loss to Fedor, the UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva, and how he feels he would match up with Rich Franklin. Talks about being released from UFC contract and the upcoming HW title fight.

http://www.bodognation.com/fight-fil...nd-262536.html

Below is a sample from the interview.

BN: Matt Lindland vs. Rich Franklin. What do you think?

ML: I would beat Rich Franklin pretty bad. My style matches up very poorly for Rich. He wouldn’t know what to do with the kind of fighter I am.

[Ramma]

By Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer

The sport of mixed martial arts experienced an enormous influx of wrestlers in 1997. Fighters like Dan Henderson, Matt Lindland and Randy Couture exploded onto the scene with big credentials and even bigger body slams. These days, they’re ruling the MMA world. Couture is the UFC champion and Henderson closed out the final Pride show by winning his second championship belt. Now, after a crushing loss to Fedor Emelianenko in St. Petersburg, Russia, Matt Lindland has set his sights on winning the Bodog Fight middleweight title.

Bodog Nation: First of all, let’s talk about your fight against Fedor Emelianenko. What’s your opinion of him?

Matt Lindland: Fedor is a quality guy and an all-around good sportsman. He’s a big strong guy and I think that’s what everybody knows him for but he’s also a fighter with a lot of skills. He’s very savvy and he understands positions. He’s a great fighter.

BN: So you aren’t pissed off that he held on to the ropes when you fought him in St. Petersburg?

Matt Lindland walks into the ring in St. Petersburg. (Keith Mills Photo)ML: It’s not his job to follow the rules. It’s the referee’s job to enforce the rules. He warned Fedor multiple times, and even threatened to take away a point and he continued to do it and the referee didn’t have the sack to do his job and that was the bottom line.

BN: Let’s talk about your deal with Bodog Fight. What have you got going on with them?

ML: I have a three-fight contract with Bodog and weight is not an issue. I just want to fight good guys. I want to fight guys that are top-10-in-the-world type of guys. I don’t want to fight bums. I’ve never fought bums in my life. I stepped into this sport and I started fighting quality guys and I’ve followed that all along my entire career.

BN: Let’s talk about Anderson Silva. He’s on top of the middleweight division. What’s your opinion there?

ML: I think Anderson is a phenomenally technical stand-up fighter. He does certain things very well. I think he’s a precise striker. He never loads up and tries to knock people out, and I think that’s what allows him to knock people out. He picks his shots well and he’s patient. He waits and he lands a couple good punches and starts rattling guys and he follows through on them. He’s good at what he does. I think there are some holes in his game that I could capitalize on personally. There’s a ton of other fighters out there that could beat him, aside from myself.

BN: It looks like Rich Franklin is going to get another shot at him. What do you think of that?

Lindland says he could beat Rich Franklin. "I don’t see Rich having the style to match up with him very well. Rich is a big guy. His striking is very predictable. He throws punches very technically, like a boxer or a kickboxer. You would imagine that Rich Franklin would learn how to fight out of a double collar tie. That’s a position he showed a tremendous amount of weakness in, and there are multiple ways to clear that sort of clinch position, so you’d think he’d definitely develop some skills there, but I think Anderson will probably have an answer for that.

BN: Matt Lindland vs. Rich Franklin. What do you think?

ML: I would beat Rich Franklin pretty bad. My style matches up very poorly for Rich. He wouldn’t know what to do with the kind of fighter I am.

BN: Do you think that’s why the UFC released you from your contract?

ML: Why do I think they released me? I think they were trying to push Rich Franklin. I think that was pretty apparent. I asked for a Ken Shamrock or a Royce Gracie fight, and he was built up. It’s an old pro-wrestling move. It’s called getting him over. That’s what the UFC did with Rich. They got him over by giving him Ken Shamrock and feeding him some other cans and all of a sudden he’s the champ.

BN: Are you pissed off about that?

"The Law" at a press conference in Trenton. ML: Why would you want fight to stay in an organization that wants to release you? What you want to do is go and fight for somebody like Bodog Fight who wants you and appreciates you and gives you great opportunities to fight the best guys in the world, and that’s what I did. I’m making more money now, I’m happier, I have an organization that appreciates me and puts me on main cards and makes me a main event.

BN: Which is more important: winning a fight or being entertaining for the fans?

ML: When I first got into this sport, I came from a very high-level competitive background and competition and winning and being the best in the world, and getting to the Olympic medal stand was the most important thing, and I think I transferred a lot of that thought into what I do in this sport. It’s a sport, we’re competing. You want to win. And that’s what it boils down to.

BN: Couture vs. Gonzaga. What do you think?

ML: I really think that is a perfect match-up for Randy. The guy is a lot younger, possibly more athletic and he’s bigger, but stylistically, I don’t see Randy staying on the outside with that kid. I don’t see him submitting Randy, and I just see Randy doing what he does really well: closing the distance, dirty boxing, putting him on his back and hitting him with punches and elbows.

BN: At the pre-fight press conference, you called out the winner of Trevor Prangley and Yuki Kondo for the Bodog Fight middleweight title. Now that Prangley has the belt, are you setting your sights on beating him?

ML: I want to get in the ring. I want to compete. I love to beat guys up.

The interview from the above link.


Matt wants to fight everyone lol

[Kimuras"R"Us]

Everytime I see Lindland's name I can only think about Rampage saying "that boy smells like two weeks". Possibly the best line ever.

[ArMnHC]

i think Lindland would beat Franklin as well. he would do to Franklin what Okami should have done...press him, take him down, and either pound him out or submit him.

Lindland is a good sport over the whole Fedor thing imo as well. ill bet he fights Prangley in a couple months.

[prophet665]

I have never seen a clear explanation why he was given the boot by the UFC. Can someone make me a little more informed?

[Dork8503]

Lindland isnt beating Franklin.

No i am not saying that because Franklin is the man, i have admited plenty of times before that their are guys that Franklin just dont match up well with any would lose. Lindland is just not one of them.

[Mungo]

He did pretty damn good against Rampage why don't you think Lindland would beat him?

[Paytheplayer]

I know im gonna get a lot of flack for this but the guys a chump. The reason the release him is because nobody would agree to fight his smelly ass. He only says he'd beat these guys so the UFC will offer him a contract. Before he also said he woulda beat Fedor had he not held the ropes. yeah and Fedor also woulda lost to everyone had he not beat them

[ArMnHC]

Originally Posted by Dork8503

Lindland isnt beating Franklin.

No i am not saying that because Franklin is the man, i have admited plenty of times before that their are guys that Franklin just dont match up well with any would lose. Lindland is just not one of them.

i disagree, i see Franklin's only way of winning that fight is by KO or TKO. i just think Lindland would be a bad match up for him.

[FE_EatsChildren]

i don't really like lindland all that much.. who has he really beaten? and even in that fedor fight he cheated also.. thats why he's so passive to let it go.