Serra determined to silence critics
Posted by Gareth A. Davies on 21 Mar 2008 at 11:42
Mixed martial artist Matt Serra, Long Island wunderkind, UFC world title holder at 170lbs, is peeved. Seriously peeved. He beat Georges St-Pierre, one of the UFC's most popular fighters, in a first round KO to earn the title almost a year ago, and yet the critics are questioning his credentials.
Look as close as you like, is his theory at present. He'll prove it all over again in Montreal on April 19, when the pair face each other once more in the Octagon.
Last November, fighting was the last thing on his mind after two herniated discs in his back forced him to withdraw from his UFC 79 bout with Matt Hughes.
"When you can't get out of a chair or out of bed and your wife is helping you put your socks and shoes on, of course, negative things pop into your head."
Serra knows he will have to be at his best against St-Pierre, whom he defeated a year ago. St-Pierre has come strong since, with triumphs over Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes.
Serra explained: "It is like that first fight (against St-Pierre) never, ever happened. It is crazy! Last year may have been an upset but, believe me, it was no fluke."
Critics have said the first round KO was a lucky punch. "What is a 'lucky punch'? Who do these people think I was trying to punch in the face if not Georges? Seriously - where did the luck come into it? I got him hurt and didn't let him off the hook. Seriously, you tell me, if you aim at something, and then hit it time and time again, was it luck or did you just do what you were trying to do?
"Whether or not people think I am going to win this fight or not, that's fine, it is all about opinion and I respect that. But what's not a matter of opinion is that I beat GSP last April."
Why, then, is his record underrated? "I'm not a guy who blames anyone or anything but himself for a loss, I don't make excuses and I don't let other makes excuses for me.
"I've learned from my losses, from my mistakes. I learned in the Karo Parisyan fight not to jump in and ruin my own work. I hurt him bad - I don't think he's ever been hurt like that while standing - but I went a bit crazy trying to get him out of there and wound up getting gassed out and he beat me on points because I couldn't do anything in the last round. I learned from that and when I had GSP hurt I didn't go crazy, I picked my shots."
Serra reflects. "Looking back, if I'd beat Karo I'd probably have got a title shot too early. Instead I got to go on TUF and then get the title shot when I was ready.
"Look at my losses - who dominated me? Who kicked my butt? No-one. I've never got beat like I beat GSP. All my losses were close or I was winning the fight and got caught. I took my licks and came back better, no excuses, I came back."
Serra, who may yet get the chance within the next 12 months to fight in New York, as UFC work to set up a commission in the state and develop sanctioning facilities there, knows, however, that he will be treading on glass in the Lion's Den in Montreal, with 22,000 fans baying like a pack for local hero St-Pierre.
"I've fought in pressure fights and I've fought when it seemed the whole world was on my shoulders. Let me tell you - this is not one of those fights!
"No-one is even talking about this as a fight, just an occasion with 22,000 fans watching GSP win 'his' title back. All the pressure is on GSP. He has to live up to all this bull about himself, he has to step into the Octagon with a man who KO'd him last time. I'm fighting a guy I beat inside one round. Where's the pressure?
"No-one is looking at me to do anything, for whatever reason, so there's zero pressure on me. I can't wait. What are people going to say when I beat him again. Do I become the god of MMA then? Or will people then pretend both fights didn't exist and didn't happen? A lot of people are going to look very stupid after I beat him again."
