Interview With The Predator
They call Patrick Cote “The Predator” and he will be on the hunt in Ottawa on June 18th at UFC Fight Night 89. Chris Connor of Last Call Radio Show talked with Cote about his showdown set for that night with Donald Cerrone, plus his major win over Ben Saunders last January. Check it out:
Chris Connor: Patrick, you wanted a big fight and you got it on June 18 when you face Donald Cerrone. How excited are you about fighting a guy who not only can get you back in the top 15 rankings but who is also one of the more popular fighters in MMA?
Patrick Cote: I am very happy about this fight. In my mind I should already be in the top 15, but it is what it is. For over a year I have called out guys in the top 15 to fight but nobody has answered which is frustrating but that’s life. Props to Donald Cerrone who is taking this fight as he has agreed to fight me in my home country where I am 17-1. He didn’t have to and I give him major props for taking this fight. I can’t wait and we are ready to bring the house down on June 18.
You are facing a mirror image of yourself style-wise as Donald Cerrone starts slow but then picks up the pace. He is a straightforward kickboxer and boxer who brings the heat and always is on the attack. Do you feel that your style matches up perfectly with Cerrone’s?
With Cerrone I got the best of the two worlds. I wanted somebody who was an unknown commodity and a guy who always was pushing the pace and that is what Cerrone is. This show sold out in 90 minutes and I can’t help thinking my match with Cerrone was a big factor in that. Everybody knows that Cerrone comes to fight and so do I. I’m very excited. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
Donald is one of the more high volume strikers in the game but you have faced some pretty good strikers in Cung Le, Anderson Silva, and Steven Thompson. How does Cerrone compare to those guys and what is different about his style?
He’s been taking on top guys his entire career and has a lot of experience in big fights. But the key factor is that when the pressure is on him in high profile matches, he breaks. He just doesn’t do well when it comes to big, championship level fights. While I give him props for taking this fight, the fact is this match is the co-main event and he’s the favourite to win so there’s a lot of pressure on him. Plus, he’s coming up in weight to face. I think these are things I can exploit to get me this big win.
In your last fight you faced Ben Saunders at UFC Fight Night 81 in which you scored an impressive second round TKO. While many expected you to win, we were shocked at how easily and quickly you took him out. Were you surprised at how quickly you were able to finish him without having to execute a high risk move or kick?
No I was expecting to finish him quick in the first round. I train to finish guys and the only thing that surprised me was that he took me down. I have good wrestling defense so it was no problem, but I was surprised by how he used a trip to take me down. But this is who I am now and I have evolved over my career to the point that I was able to deliver damage while he was in my guard. I used the armbar to reverse him and I showed everybody that I am able to fight anywhere, no matter if I am standing or on my back. I tried to catch him in the first round but in the second I had better timing and I was able to catch him and finish him.
In that fight you were landing uppercuts at will, your footwork was on point and you seemed to be more light on your feet. Does this have anything to do with finally feeling healthy and not being held back by any injuries?
I stopped worrying about how I feel and what might happen with injuries and that has made a big difference. I have just let everything go and I am back to having fun in the Octagon. When I fought Steven Thompson I tried a shoulder roll which I have never done, but I felt comfortable doing it. It didn’t work but I feel confident in my abilities and my health and you can see it has made me more versatile and dangerous.
You are the main guy in this fight in that you have the hometown fan base, are a native son of Ottawa, and unlike Cerrone, you speak French fluently. How much pressure is there on you to sell this fight and how much does it affect you when there’s pressure to interrupt your training for interviews and conference calls?
I’m fine with my schedule and while I like to have everything set, this is the how the fight game works and you need to adjust your schedule at times. It is what it is, and as you said I have to do it in French and in English but you have to take care of yours fans as they support you. This is part of your job as the fans help pay your salary. They support you and so you have to take care of the fans too. — Chris Connor
***Check it out:
Available to be won, exclusive Patrick Cote signed Grantech gloves, plus an official Fight City t-shirt. In anticipation of his big showdown in Ottawa for UFC Fight Night 89 with Donald “The Cowboy” Cerrone, Cote signed these gloves at the Bell Media CHOM 97.7 FM studio in downtown Montreal during his appearance on the “90s At Nine” segment of Jason Rockman’s show “Amped” on Wednesday, June 8.
To enter the contest for a chance to win these gloves, all you gotta do is:
1. Like The Fight City Facebook page
2. Like the Patrick Cote Facebook page
3. Like and share this post on Facebook
A winner will be randomly selected during UFC Fight Night 89 on Saturday, June 18. Stay tuned to The Fight City Twitter and Facebook to see if you win!