Championship Rounds: UFC 152 Press Conference Recap

The poster and stage before the conference started (Photo by David Klass of CR)

On Tuesday July 24^th I made my way to Massey Hall in Toronto for the UFC 152 press conference. The UFC sent out Director of Canadian Operations Tom Wright, Joseph Benavidez, Demetrious Johnson, Brian Stann, Michael Bisping and Rory MacDonald.

Tom Wright started the event off by telling us about the card and what we can expect to see; which are fireworks. You have Joseph Benavidez taking on Demetrious Johnson in the finals of the flyweight tournament to determine the first ever UFC flyweight champion. Then Michael Bisping squares off against the powerful Brian Stann in a fight that will be as exciting as they come. Then Canadian fan favorite Rory MacDonald takes on legend BJ Penn in which will likely be his last fight.

So, then the floor was opened up to ask questions to Tom Wright and the fighters. There was a great back and forth between Bisping and Benavidez when the reporter sitting next to me asked what Benavidez thought about Bisping saying a few weeks earlier about how his fight with Stann is the main event and the no one cares about the flyweight title fight between Benavidez and Johnson. Benavidez summed it up as saying you can always expect crazy and rude things from Bisping and did not hold back giving Bisping a piece of his mind.

Then Rory was asked roughly 5 times whether or not he would fight Georges St. Pierre in varying ways. Eventually Rory got upset and said “Listen, I don’t know why you guys keep asking me about Georges. I have answered them a million times. I am not going to fight Georges. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to punch my friend, make him bleed, see him cry and make him lose money.”

Rory also showed some emotion in his response in talking about the VADA drug testing that his opponent, BJ Penn, suggested they do a month ago. Rory also believes that BJ is not taking the fight seriously

“He is all upset because Georges whooped him, but, I am going to hurt him even worse, so. I am training for the best B.J. I am just preparing myself to be the best version. I am going to come out evolved, I am going to be in shape, explosive and exciting like I always do. I am going to be very technical and I am going to be on point. I don't know where B.J. is at. You know, he didn't even show up to this. He is dropping out of the VADA testing. Last time I saw him he looked really out of shape. I don't know where his head is at in this, but, he better get serious or I am going to hurt him very badly."

Then Brian Stann and Michael Bisping both stressed that unlike the boring UFC 149 card their fight will definitely not be boring. Stann said “Come September 22, I am going to draw a line in the sand, I am going to say, 'Mike. Cross it.' He is the kind of guy that I know will step to it and we are going to get after it. I am telling you right now folks. You may have complained about certain fights that were on the card this past weekend, you won't complain about ours."

There was some great conversation and the press conference was informative in getting to know where all the fighters stand in their opinions of their opponents; which can often be fun to hear as well.

After the conference I went over to Tom Wright and asked him “So, at UFC 129 you had the first ever featherweight title fight and now at UFC 152 we will have the first ever UFC flyweight title fight. Is there a reason why you had both of those fights here in Toronto? Is this a place you think will appreciate it more?”

Wright’s honest answer was “No, I think it’s a combination of being at the right place and the right time. I think that if that first fight between McCall and Demetrious had not ended up in a draw then this would not have happened. So, sometimes these things happen for a reason and there is no particular cause and effect why we are here with this fight. But I am just happy that Toronto gets to make history.”

Then the fighters squared off: