Road to UFC 85

This blog is going to be my diary for the next 2 1/2 months until my next fight. On the 7th of June i will be doing my 4th fight in the UFC and will be fighting against Paul Taylor at UFC 85. I fought Paul about 6 years ago and lost a controversial decision (the fight is available on youtube) so it s a rematch. Paul is a well rounded fighter with good cardio, strength and a big heart. This fight is very important for me as my actual record in the UFC is 2-1 so another loss may mean that i can get booted out.

For the next weeks i will share with you my training and what i go through so you can have an insight of a mma fighter's life.

Before you start you preparation you need to be 100% mentally and physically.

If you got injury's , you wont be able to train 100% so you wont be at your best on fight day. That mean that you have to work around your injury's and make sure someone s looking after them so it get better as the preparation's going on.

I ve got a few injury's at the moment, my wrist is getting better every week and i train with huge strap so it doesn't get worse. My hamstring is pretty bad , i hurt it about 3 months ago and it s not much better right now. From this week i will have massages and treatment on it so it get better .

If you not at your best mentally you can not train hard because your mind isn't clear. Not only those problem are always in your mind which create stress but also you will still think about it as you are into your training.

Running thinking that your girlfriend is maybe thinking about leaving you, sparring thinking that you may not have enough money to pay your bills, drilling moves thinking that you may be out of your job. That cant be happening and you wont be training hard and can injure yourself but also you wont have the right motivation and confidence on the day of the fight.

Make sure to know where you are financially before you start your preparation. That will tel you how much time you can dedicate to your preparation and how much money you can spend in your training.

Because i fight in the UFC peoples think that i ve got lots of money lol. When i train in the stat i dont work and make no money at all but i still have to pay my bills in the UK. The last time i train in the US it cost me around $ 6000 for 6 weeks. For my next fight i am going for 8 weeks and with a different deal so know that it will cost me even more money this time around. That s the price to pay, and if i dont win my fight i dont make no money at all, if i do win i only make my winning bonus. Lets just say i get $ 9000, that s around £4500 which is not really much when you know how expensive London is. Also keep in mind that i am 34 years old, i am not a 22 years old kid that leave in a fighter house and enjoy the life of a fighter for the time being because he still got all his life ahead of him. Not only i need money to pay my bills but i also need to think about my future too.

But fighting just for the money is a bad reason, i did it in the past, i fought thinking about paying my bills, putting money on the side or having enough money to open my gym. We all know what happen, because my mind wasn't in the right task, i loss all those fights.

So that is why you need to think about that before you start your preparation so you can prepare every thing and know what you are going to do ahead.

Relationship is a big part of success and the falling of fighters.

Behind every successful man there is a strong women. This saying is so so true, before you start every thing you need to know if you got the full support of your girlfriend/wife , because they can be a great great support or totally fuck up your mind and your training.

Training is very draining physically and mentally, sometime you dont want to talk because you are too tired and just want to chill and rest , sometime you dont want to have sex (not me) because you are completely exhausted, sometime you are very frustrated because think did go well at training and go got your ass kicked or because your opponent s been talking lot of trash about you in a magazine or on a website so you are feeling pissed off and emotional... That is why you women should know/understand and give you support 110%.

I know what you thinking " Wow ! My life need to be perfect" lol, of course no. My life is fare to be perfect right now but you need to sort a few things out before you start training.

This morning i was thinking about all those things:
The bad
the good
the ugly.

The good things, i keep them to the side so i can keep looking at them to motivate me or cheer me up when i feel low or discourage. The bad things: If they are really bad and cant do nothing about it right now i put them on the ugly box. If they not too bad i try to figure them out before my preparation start so i can balance my mind but it s not always easy. The ugly things, i forget about it, it s in a box and i keep it close until the end of the fight so it dont fuck up my concentration.

To day i start my pre training. I am out of shape right now so i am starting to train so i wont be too crap when i get in the US.

This morning i got up at 8am, went for a light run for about 2km and then i did some 250m hill sprint and then i ran back. Stretching, bath, protein shake, toast.

In the evening i did some light sparring



Tuesday: Got up at 8am, light breakfast and i meet Paul ,at Hampstead Heath

It wasn't very worm this morning (about 7) brrrr!! i dont like cold, ok, lets go for a little 2 miles run and then we did our Hill sprint again, i mean when i say hill, it s not a light but pretty upright and 250m. We did 6 sprints and run our 2 miles back (it doesn't seem like much but if you do them 100% it s pretty tiring) after we did a 20 minute circuit training using elastic band : Lunges, squats, shoot, sprawl, pick up you partner ect.. After that we play a card game .... card ? Yes, here how it goes: Red card, press up, black card squat, head 20 site ups. We mix up the card and we start, 8 of heart mean 8 press up for example and straight after you turn another card and do the next exercise non stop until you did the all packet of card. And then the worse thing of the work out, we go in the swimming pool and stay as long as we can. Paul stay about 3 min, and me ...... 30 secs lol, it s soooooo freaking cold in there (about 7 degree). To night i ll be doing some pad and sparring for about 60min non stop.









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jessthejoker at 2008-03-19

Jess "The Joker" Liaudin announced via his MySpace page today that he is fighting Paul Taylor at UFC 85 on June 7 in London.

The fight between Liaudin and Taylor is actually a rematch from an earlier bout between the two held in Cage Rage in 2003, in which Taylor picked up a unanimous decision win.

"On the 7th of June I will be doing my fourth fight in the UFC and will be fighting against Paul Taylor at UFC 85," said Liaudin on his MySpace blog. "I fought Paul about six years ago and lost a controversial decision (the fight is available on YouTube) so it's a rematch. Paul is a well-rounded fighter with good cardio, strength and a big heart. This fight is very important for me as my actual record in the UFC is 2-1, so another loss may mean that I can get booted out."

Liaudin suffered his lone loss in the UFC during his last appearance in which he lost by knockout to top ten welterweight fighter Marcus Davis at UFC 80 in January.

Taylor, who is currently sporting a 1-2 record in the Octagon, fell to fellow British fighter Paul Kelly at UFC 80. After back-to-back losses, the fight with Liaudin is pivotal to his career.

UFC 85 will feature a main event between former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and "Ultimate Fighter" season two winner Rashad Evans.



Training s been going ok, i was sick last week and got a bad flue and was stuck in bed for 4 days . I did the must i could by myself over here so i didn't get in the U S out of shape. I which i could have gone earlier (they ask me to) but unfortunately i couldn't. I know that training is going to be pretty hard over there and i am a little worry because i am not in top shape but also all those injury's that i carry right now, they slow me down and dont aloud me to do every exercises i want. What peoples dont realize is that the preparation is the hardest part of the fighting game, sprinting,jumping,sparring,lifting to the maximum of you potential and keep pushing it all the time is very draining but also hard psychologically. Why do you think so many fioghters gaze in fight ? Because training is 10 times harder than stepping in a cage, and you ve got to do it twice a day every day for 2 months.



First thing first, my flight was horrible. Took me 11hrs to go to San fransisco and then had to get my bags, customes ect... and then back in to take my 2nd flight. Waited 6 hrs for my connection flight and flew to Ontario with the sm,allest plane ever and next to a 300lbs weird women.

When i got to Victorville i meet Irvin and later Joe, Alex, Jorge, Brando ect.. came down to talk about the training, what we are going to do ect.. wich was pretty cool (beside Joe that didntv want to talk to me about training untill i drink a glass of wisky).

The training here is great and very intance and they train very inteligently. I am not going to give away there training regime but i like it and it work out fine for me. Irvine help me on my boxing skill and the all around mma game and joe with my wresling and grappling.

I train twice a day, with cardio , grappling, drill, or sparring days. The sparring are really good but hard with fresh guy every minute which make it a nightmare for anyone, and the time and how many round change every week.

Anyway, the training is great and the peoples very friendly (beside that i call them californian redneck), the house is right in the middle of the desert. The other day i left my gloves out of the house so they dont stink my room, and in the morning one was missing, thanks top the local koyote (dont know the spelling).





















I am spending about 12 hrs in the gym, i arrive in the morning around 9.30am i run or do weight, 10.30 morning training (wresling,grappling or sparring) with GnP drills and pads (about 2/3hrs) break, lunch, internet, sleep (yhea it s me that sleep on the matts) and then evening training around 5.30pm (conditionning or grappling,boxing) for about 2hrs or a little more. I usually leave home arounf 9pm. Saturday is 7am run and sprint drill and then boxing, i finish around 11am.








My good friend Ferrid came to see me this week end.


















Training is harder and harder and it s menthally really hard to deal with because you feel that you are getting worss as it goes. But the coach is telling me that in fact i do look better. I still feel tired all the time tho. Also it s pretty lonely up here and sometime it s hard with out the support of the one close to you, but it also make you realise who care about you and give you support and who doesnt. It s in those time that when you realise that fighting is 100% menthal, befor and during the fight.










Training is been getting harder and harder "It does get easyer " as coach irvin always say. The rotation (or shrak tank) is really cilling me, 3 rouds, 4 rounds, 5 rounds with fresh guy that are going full on on you every minute and 30secs rest in between round. It does seem much but it s really killing you and test you menthal to the limit. The GnP afteward is a killer too, now i am on 5 min round with a harness puuling you behind and the up and down on the bags a killing me especially right after. Right now i am back on 4 Rounds on sparring but 4 min and with 45secs rest, those 45 secs feel for ever lol.

Last week Joe wanted to clean up my hear, i could not say no as it was having so much fun, unfortunatly the same evening someone punche my hear (only once and not hard) and now it s worss than befor : (

Beside that the spirrit is good right now and i have to say thta i ve got fantastique support, not only from my team mate but also friend and love one and it feel great.

http://www.dailymotion.com/j-joker/video/x5eek4_doctor-stevenson-in-action_lifestyle










More pix: http://www.combatlifestyle.com/pics/view_album.php?id=837

Sort interview: http://www.themmadigest.com/2008/05/catching-up-with-jess-liaudin/











Training is going great, i am at 3 round of 5 with fresh guys every minute and i am feeling great. My boxing feel s a lot better, my take down a really good and i feel very confident.













After a terrible flight and bad delay i am finally back in london and it s grey and rainy : (
Stay in on sunday for the rest of the day and chill out. Went for a run on Monday and felt good.

New interview :


The Old Man and the Cage

Must-Win Time For "The Joker" At UFC 85

Train and did my 45 min work out on tuesday: jump rope, distance drill, g n p, take down ect...

Jorge arrive to day and we did the work out at the hotel beside that nothing much happening to day, just the same all thing:Photoshoot, video interview ect...

Here what it s like if you never saw those video befor.








Pix of my light work out with jorge on thursday.











Was 183 yesterday, drank about 2.5 gallons of distill water (pee a lot) and woke up this morning at 175. Spent 10 min in the sauna, 30 min walking on the treadmill and was 172. A 10 min hot bath et voila....170....169 by 4 oclock weigh in. Dont try this at home tho, this isnt weigh loss (fat) just weigh cuting (water).





Fight day : I am feeling good, nervous as usual but no where near as bad as my last fight, just the good nerves really, the one every fighter should have. I got up around 11am, i went down stairs and bought 2 bottle of water, some juice and bananas. It s too late for breakfast so i am going to have lunch : Mash potato and chicken.

We meet at 2.30 downstairs art the lobby and then drove to the o2 and got there around 3. I am feeling pretty good and just relax. 1hr before the show start i got told that i was going to have a piss test, so i did it before and then after the fight. 45 min before the first fight and i start worming up: distance drill, shadow boxing, pads, position escape, more pads, ground drills, against the cage drills. I am nice and sweaty and ready to go. 5 min later " jess are you ready ? " "ok, lets go". I am feeling pretty good at that point and just want to enjoy the show. I enter the octagon and wait for paul to get in. Beginning of the fight and we look at each other with a little smile as to say " lets have fun", right at that point i say to myself "dont do the same mistake again and just stick to the game plan" and i did. I got a low stand, box on counter, work my way against the cage , work him and take him down. I did this over and over again during 7 weeks in my camp, using fresh guy, suffering with the harness pulling me, there is no way i am fucking this up and not doing what i ve done during all of this preparation. And i did exactly that for 3 rounds. I boxed him, i pine him against the cage and i took him down.









After 3 rounds i felt that i won, i went to my corner and said i won this, i was very confident. For me i loss round 1 but won 2 and 3. We meet in the middle and greet each other saying we both enjoy the fight. The ref hold both our hands, judge 1 give it to me, judge 2 gave it to paul, right at this moment i was so so sure the judge 3 was going to give it to me, but he gave it to paul. Even more confusion when the ref actually hold my hand up estate of paul. I was so disappointed at this moment, i didn't know what to think. Back in the locker room and meet dana white who told me that it was a great fight which i reply with "thanks boss, but a bonus cheque would be even greater" lol. I ask every body and they all told me that i won but i wasn't sure, maybe i was confuse, maybe they telling me that because they are my friends. All evening all over the arena peoples told me i was robed but i still wasn't convince that they where telling me the truth. Then some journalist who where ring side told me that i won and friends text me by saying that sherdog and mmaweekly said that i won too, that s when i realize that i wasn't crazy and that i got screw.

I got nothing against paul taylor at all, the guy is a real gentleman and a true warrior and i really respect him. Neither the ufc owner . I just think that 1 of the judge didn't really do his job and cost me a very important fight.

After the fight i was devastated and disappointed, i just wanted to be with my friends, my family, the women i love.... i just wanted to get the f*** out of the arena. Then i talk to my friends, my baby on the phone and i felt better, i just decided to go out, drink and try to forget all of that for at least that night, i just didn't want to talk or think about the fight and every thing i loss but just having fun.
















We back at the hotel at 6 am after a crazy night for a nice english breakfast yummmmyyyyy!!!! well.... maybe not nice but after drinking lots anything seem nice.





Unfortunatly after breakfast i went to my room and left my bag in the restaurant aera in the hotel , a few hrs later and my bag was no where to be seing. That sucked as i had lots of stuff in there (i pode, expansive jewelry, all my fighting gear ect .... ).








Top Gun MMA Exclusive: Jess Liaudin Talks UFC 85
http://www. topgunmma. com/viewArticle. php?articleID=10475


What now ?? I dont know !!

I just wanted to win this fight and move to the US full time but now it s a lot harder, not only i loss money but i am in a very fragile position in the UFC. If i lose again , i am out. I am thinking about moving down to 155, i feel as i will be pretty good at that weigh but also it would be a new start. I am going to plan every thing: my gym, visa, job in the US ect ... All i know is that i wanna do the move, and before the end of the year. I just need to move on and get a new start...... So lets go for another adventure.