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[Cat--Smasher]

Brian Ebersole Feels He'll Only Need One Fight At LW Before Making A Run At The Title

Stephie Daniels: With your success at welterweight, why are you seriously considering this move to lightweight?

Brian Ebersole: I feel that it's more of a compelling push for a title. I think I would get to a title shot quicker at lightweight. Waiting for Georges St. Pierre might be a little bit hard. Even if GSP gets through this next fight, who's going to say he's going to get through with a healthy knee? He may have to fight five rounds. Yeah, he could win the fight, but he may be out for another six or eight months.

I'm just not willing to be put on a shelf. I want that PPV money, and I think I could be one of the most compelling fighters at lightweight, let alone one of the most talented. I want to get to that main event status. I want to get to that title shot. I want to finish my career with at least getting a sniff of the belt, and I think my best chance at the belt is at lightweight.

Stephie Daniels: I've read that you wanted to fight one of the Diaz brothers. What sort of gameplan do you think you'd need to implement against a guy like Nate Diaz?

Brian Ebersole: The Rory MacDonald gameplan. To ragdoll Nate Diaz and render his strengths ineffective. I'm absolutely stronger than him, and I know I'm smarter than him.

This whole Diaz thing that ended up on MMA.TV said I called him out. I didn't call him out. I simply answered Ariel Helwani's question. Ariel is very good at directing conversations where he wants them to go, and of all the lightweights that I mentioned, Nate was the one that he kind of threw out there. He knew that was going to make for a couple of compelling quotes, and it did. It got on front page news, but I didn't go into that interview with an agenda to call out a Diaz. I don't care who I fight. There's tons of great fighters. It's pretty much a lottery when Joe Silva wants to have you fight someone. He's pretty much going to make it happen.

Stephie Daniels: Since you've made an absolute decision on moving down, will your next fight be at lightweight or at welterweight?

Brian Ebersole: I guess that depends on health and opportunity. If the UFC were to offer me a fight at either weight class, I guess I'd have to choose which one I'm going to go to. Maybe Joe Silva will give me an option for each one.

Stephie Daniels: Who do you think will pose the biggest challenge to you in the lightweight division?

Brian Ebersole: Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone are the only ones that can match me in length, but most of the other guys, I'm going to be able to treat like a little brother, and put my hand on their forehead and hold them out there. If I had to name three guys that would pose great challenges, I would say Ben Henderson, Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar.

Stephie Daniels: How many fights would you say you need to win to get that title shot?

Brian Ebersole: I think if I beat someone like Jim Miller or Nate Diaz, I'm right there. I think one fight.

Stephie Daniels: With the current jumble in the division, due to constant title rematches, are you a little worried that you may wait just as long on a shot at the belt as you would at welterweight?

Brian Ebersole: No, I think I have a very compelling story, and the drop to lightweight adds to that. Everyone is going to clamor for me to get a title shot, because I'm the veteran with almost 70 fights. I'm the monster that just beat up some very talented welterweights. I'm the guy that now wants that title. If I go down there and prove that I can compete at that weight class without gassing and without being too slow because of a weight cut, they've got to look at me like a number one contender.

Stephie Daniels: Have you ever had the opportunity to train with John Wayne Parr?

Brian Ebersole: I have. I've sought him out for privates before, and he's an absolutely amazing person. Besides a great athlete, and coach, he's just a great person. He cares about the sport, and he cares about the people in it.He's just an all around good guy.

Stephie Daniels: It would have been nice to have seen him cross over into MMA five or six years ago.

Brian Ebersole: Several years ago it would have been amazing. He's actually entertaining the idea as late as this year. He's kind of mentioned it and thrown it out there. You know, he said, 'Hey, if you could mention to Dana and them that I'd like to fight in the UFC', but obviously, Dana's response would be that you have to have a record. You have to have an MMA record, so you need to go get some experience. He'd love to skip the line based on his great reputation and his very massive skillset, but it's a hard thing to do, just to throw a world champion kickboxer into the UFC on a whim.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/6/27...allenges-at-LW

[KevoOnTheRadio]

Sure, why the hell not.

[Y2JUBAE]

He should be in the contender mix at either weight. Sucks that the WW belt is so tied up. I'm ready to see him fight some contenders. Nate Diaz would be an awesome fight at LW.

[dbader08]

He gets smoked by either Diaz...

[mmawolverine]

i agree either diaz would be his kryptonite but he would be smart to go down to 155 for a few fights, he doesnt deserve the nate diaz fight yet but he could fight pettis or guida or some other top 6-9 lw right away

by the way whatever happened to tyson griffin was he released after the loss to bart p

[VimyRidge]

Enjoy his fights but he is not going to beat a top 10 fighter (or more than one) in either weight division. Just looked at his record, pretty crazy how many weight divisions he has fought in. Looks like he started 205 (see loss to Bonnar) and moved his way down.

[kingrobert]

I have to agree with everyone else cause I dont see him beating either Diaz brother. I think if he can make the cut witch I question a bit he could do more damage at LW. It seemed to me that he tired in the 3rd in some of his fights witch could be worse when cutting weight.

Really not sure how good Ebersole is. I thought he lost his fight to Claude Patrick. Lytle was hurt and didnt look himself in the fight. I would like to see him fight a top ten fighter in either division

[Sakara=Excitement]

In before someone makes an excuse for why a fighter lost.....oh never mind.

[Sniggles]

Ebersole can and would ragdoll Nate Diaz.

Nate would not be able to sub Ebersole.

Set the match up Joe Silva!

[IceCold48]

brian ebersole would be a borderline top 10 lightweight and nothing more.