Interview: Caged Fury

Aussie fighter George Sotiropoulos is taking the UFC by storm…

Interview: Andrew McMillen

He grew up in Geelong, Victoria, completed a Bachelor of Business and worked in finance before dedicating his life to the pursuit of elite mixed martial arts (MMA). Meet 33-year-old George Sotiropoulos: Australia’s strongest contender in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the world’s largest and most prestigious MMA promotion. Undefeated in the UFC (6-0) at the time of print, his overall fight record is an impressive 13-2.

MMA seems to be one of the purest forms of professional athletic endurance – it’s just two guys in a cage using their training to try and take the other down.
That is part of it. In a street fight, anything goes. People can utilise any object as a weapon; they can literally take a person’s life. MMA is a sport with technique. The only way you’re going to win is utilising real skills and techniques, from boxing, taekwondo, muay thai, wrestling, judo, jiu jitsu and any other martial art style out there.

Skill is effective, not brutality; that’s the big misconception. MMA is a new sport which only been around for 20 years. People are not fully informed about the facts, so that’s why they jump the gun. But that’s going to change. UFC is the fourth most viewed sport in the USA. Pay-per-view’s in the millions, and up to 20,000 attend events. It’s mainstream now.

What does your average week of training look like?
It’s a very gruelling and intense training schedule. I train three times a day from Monday to Friday, and I usually train once or twice on the weekends.

Is there any difference between training in a gym with your team and fighting in front of 20,000 people?
No – you train day in and day out for that moment. All scenarios, possibilities, techniques and strategies are covered in training. On fight day, the work has already been done. The training is harder than the fight.

There’s talk of trying to get your next UFC fight to happen in Melbourne, but MMA events are currently banned in Victoria…
I’m not sure why they’re banned, but I have been present at several sanctioned MMA events in Melbourne which were held in a boxing ring, not a cage. So it might be a technicality. There are many reasons why MMA and the UFC should be held in Melbourne: it is a legitimate, credible and regulated sport, and the boost it will give the local economy is too substantial to be ignored. Our economy needs everything it can get, along with the international exposure that comes from such events.

Why do you think some people have a problem with mixed martial arts fighting?
There’s a misconception among some journalists, politicians and public groups. The sport has come a long way since the UFC started in 1993. The sport now has weight classes and time limits and it’s strictly regulated, supervised and judged by professionals. Fighter safety is paramount.

MMA combines all the elements of Olympic fighting events; amateur boxing, taekwondo, freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling and judo. These styles are the make-up and blueprint of MMA.

Are there any other misconceptions you’d like to dispel?
A lot of the fighters in this sport have college degrees, so you can’t stereotype people because of the misconception of fighting being done by the poorer or underprivileged classes in society.
In my case, I went to school and graduated; I’ve got a degree and associate diploma. I worked in finance, shipping and various other professions. I chose MMA because it’s what I love doing. It’s also my obligation and duty to represent it professionally, since I am representing my country.

Do you have any vices?
Mostly, I just like training and fighting, and not much else. It’s a full-time commitment. I might have a glass of wine after my fight, but I don’t really drink. When I’m not training, I’m preparing to train, which leaves little time for anything else.

Can you describe the feeling once a fight begins?
It’s exciting! The offense can come from just about anywhere. You must prepare for all scenarios: standing, ground, the clinch, submissions, striking with your hands, elbows, knees and feet. All bases must be covered.

The only way I can describe mixed martial arts is navigating through an asteroid field, asteroids coming from any direction. You’ve got to be ready for everything.
Follow George’s progress at www.georgesotiropoulos.tv