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Flyweight Ryan Benoit explains ‘Navy SEAL’ approach to UFC Fight Night 121 preparations


Filed under: News, Radio Highlight, UFC, Videos

Ryan Benoit’s next opponent might be only 0-1 in the octagon, but he refuses to reduce him to that.

Benoit (9-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) meets Ashkan Mokhtarian (13-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at this weekend’s UFC Fight Night 121 event while looking to get back on the winning path after a split-decision loss to Brandon Moreno last December. And while Mokhtarian’s only octagon showing had him dropping a unanimous nod to John Moraga, Benoit refuses to see anything less than a very tough guy on the opposite corner.

“First fight in the UFC – you definitely get those UFC jitters, and things are going to throw you off,” Benoit told MMAjunkie Radio. “So I give him the benefit of the doubt in that situation. I’m preparing for this guy like he’s the best striker on the planet – (like he’s) the best grappler on the planet.

“I think this is by far the most in shape I’ve been for a fight. This is the most prepared I’ve been for a fight, mentally.”

The flyweight bout is set to close out the FS1-one televised preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 121, which takes place on Sunday (but airs in the U.S. on Saturday due to time difference) at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

Benoit knows firsthand what it’s like to come up short in your first octagon outing. After all, he was the one on the losing end of a rear-naked choke in his debut – a “Fight of the Night” affair against Josh Sampo in 2013. Benoit has since alternated wins – over Sergio Pettis and Fredy Serrano – and losses – to Sampo, Moreno and Ben Nguyen.

As he looks to get back on track, Benoit feels “phenomenal.” Since he started doing part of his training out of Las Vegas, where he works alongside coach Ricky Lundell, the Texas native started really seeing what the city can offer to high-level fighters.

“There’s an unlimited amount of sparring partners,” Benoit said. “There’s an unlimited amount of trainers and gyms and coaches out here. This is where you have to be if you want to make it.”

Other than that, the flyweight can attribute his shift in mentality to a change made for this particular camp. Benoit, who was used to having his family close during training, stepped away from them for a little longer this time around. That type of distancing, Benoit ponders, has different results on different fighters.

So how did it go for him?

“It just turned me into an absolute killing machine,” Benoit said. “It kind of brought out some different stuff in me. And put like a different type of focus in me. I kind of go back to Navy SEAL kind of training – is that these guys don’t get to talk to their family.

“They don’t speak to their family. They’re completely isolated, just with the brothers and the guys that they’re around. And they go to war and perform at their best that way.

“So I kind of tried to put myself in this Navy SEAL mind frame, to where everything is going to be hard. And I’m here for a purpose. And I’m not going to let any distractions, emotion or anything get in my way. Try to control my emotions and try to put them into hard work. And I’m very focused on the process right now.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 121, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.


Filed under: News, Radio Highlight, UFC, Videos

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