Tamdan McCrory back from ‘a rough place’
” I left and came back six years later, so I didn’t want to look like a scrub. There were a lot of emotions coming into this. I was in a rough place a few years back.”
Until Saturday night at UFC on FOX 17, Tamdan McCrory had not fought in the Octagon since losing a split decision to UFC 101 on August 8, 2009. He took five years off, then won two in a row in Bellator, and was back in the UFC.
And he won, triangling Josh Samman with just 50 seconds left in the fight.
There’s always a lot of pressure going into these fights,” said McCrory, as transcribed by Dana Becker for FiveOuncesofPain. “You have to win. I left and came back six years later, so I didn’t want to look like a scrub. There were a lot of emotions coming into this. I was in a rough place a few years back. I got distracted and had a few hiccups. It’s all about momentum – if you have momentum it’s easy to fight and keep the ball rolling. When you don’t have moment, you’ve got to find it.
It’s tough and hard to get motivated. I shot down a few opportunities because I didn’t want to fight at 170. But that whole time, I told my wife I was going to be back in the UFC. I told her: we’re going to get some money and raise some babies. I’ve been telling myself for two years now, every day, I’m going to be back in UFC and I’m going to crush my opponent. Here I am.
I said this earlier, the better you are at fighting, the less of it you have to do. My team, we talk about mindset. It doesn’t matter what skills you have or your physique, it’s all up here (in your head). And that’s what showed tonight.