Sam Stout is hoping for a record sixth Fight of the Night award at next week's UFC 131 in Vancouver.
I’m nine days away from fighting on the big UFC 131 card at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Most of the hard work is done and I am counting the days down to my fight with fellow UFC lightweight Yves Edwards.
I think Edwards is an interesting fight for me. I used to watch Edwards fight all the time on TV and video when I was first getting into the sport as a teenager. He’s only 34, but Edwards is now a 14-year veteran of 57 fights. He’s very smart, doesn’t waste energy, and I have a lot of respect for him and the opponents he’s beaten.
He’s on a hot streak, winning six of his last seven, but it’s my job to cool him off. I don’t think he’s been beating anyone on this win streak who brings what I bring to the Octagon. I can’t wait to put on a great performance for the Canadian fans here.
Canada has become an MMA hotbed and I’ve been asked a lot whether I was disappointed not to be on the UFC 129 card, which was held in April in the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Yeah, to be honest, I was really disappointed not to fight at UFC 129. There were over 55,000 fans there and it was the first UFC ever in Ontario. I’ve been advocating and working to promote the sport coming to Ontario for years and I was hoping to fight on the first card there like I did UFC 83 in Montreal, which was the first time the UFC was held in Canada in 2007.
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I should clear up some confusion about me and Mark. There were a few stories during UFC 129 fight week that he’s married to my sister Emilie ... which was as big a surprise to me as it was to her actual husband Shawn Tompkins (my coach)!
Shawn, Mark and I have been friends and trained with each other for over 10 years, but it is Shawn who married my sister. It was funny to hear people talk about Mark and I being brothers-in-law.
Back to the fight. I’m looking to take the lead on this one. There’s every chance of this fight being a very good one given our two styles. I am currently tied for first for the record for most UFC Fights of the Night -- with five -- and I want to put that at six.
In case you don’t know, the UFC gives big bonuses for the two guys in the best fight of the night. My first "Fight of the Night" bonus, which came in my UFC debut at UFC 58 five years ago against Spencer Fisher. With that and the next four bonuses I've put a deposit down on a home, bought a car outright, opened a gym and put money in the bank.
But despite all that, I don’t go into the fight thinking "I want that bonus." I just fight in an exciting manner anyway. I am an attacking fighter and while I’m not consciously thinking of the bonus, at the same time, I’d hate for the crowd to boo a fight I am in. I’d hate that. I don’t like fights where they are pinning each other against the cage and doing nothing.
People tell me "hey you are one of my favourite fighters" and that’s great to hear. My pride more than anything makes me fight the way I do.
But the money is nice, don’t get me wrong!
Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout takes on Yves Edwards at UFC 131 on Saturday, June 11 in Vancouver. He will blog this week and next for sportsnet.ca ahead of his fight.
UFC 131 will be shown live on pay-per-view at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET. And you can watch Sam's fight as well as another live preliminary fight on Sportsnet starting at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET.
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