Octagon to the Gridiron

TJ Grant speaks on UFC 119 and Football

You may have heard of the expression, live everyday like it was your last. With TJ Grant, his hard work that he puts in is like he is fighting his last fight. He will bring in that attitude with him this weekend at UFC 119 in Indianapolis against Julio Paulino. Everything seems to be going according to plan for Grant.


“It feels good, I am just looking forward to fight week,” says Grant,


“I am getting to be be able to rest up a little bit and just get to Indianapolis and get adjusted.”


With Grant, he is coming into this fight after a tough lose to Johnny Hendricks at UFC 113 in Montreal. While he may have lost, he still looked good in the match with his striking and was able to stay off his back against the two time NCAA wrestling champion. While watching him train at his gym Fitplus, the Cole Harbour native was looking good in all aspects of his mixed martial arts game. Coming off a lose, Grant has been in this position before and has come out on top. Even thou he knows he has done well in this area before, the pressure cooker is still on.


“There is a lot of pressure obliviously,” says Grant.


“I want to win man. I want to win every single time. I hate losing, even in training. The fight is just as important as every other fight but especially being on the ropes with a lost in the UFC. With my last lost, I don't want to go two in a row.”


With Paulino, Grant knows the kind of danger that he can bring into the octagon. While his only appearance in the UFC being a decision going the other way to Mike Pierce back in March. Paulino is a knockout artist with 10 of his 17 wins coming by ko in his mma career. He does have the ability to finish a fight early and has notable wins over the likes of Terry Martin. He does however seem to have trouble against wrestlers. While Paulino has the one punch power to end a fight, Grant sees this fight being more of a battle of wits.


“I just need to be more intelligent and not make stupid mistakes,” says Grant.


“I need to lead out more with my footwork because he is a strong puncher and you just don't want to leave yourself out of position. He has lost to some really good wrestlers, I am not saying there is any shame in that but he is more of a striker obliviously. I feel like I am very well rounded and I am going into the fight with a open mind.”


While Grant has put a lot of his attention on this match up on Saturday, he can't help him himself into watching some NFL. He loves a good game of football on Sunday and we couldn't help but ask him his thoughts on the season after week one. With Grant, he likes cheering on a veteran quarterback who wears the number four to win the Super Bowl one more time.


“I want to see the Vikings (Minnesota) do it,” says Grant.


“There are a lot of good teams, like the Patriots (New England) looked good. Every season is crazy man, its still early but the Packers (Green Bay) looked good. They are just going to keep building and they got so much talent. I am going to pick the Vikings but the Saints (New Orleans), you can't count them out either. I wanted to see the Vikings win last year, they should have , they were the better team but they didn't.”


While he not be playing at Lucas Oil stadium this weekend in Indy, Grant will be like a football player and be a workhorse win or lose when the cage door closes at Conseco Fieldhouse Saturday night.

Derek Leblanc is a sports broadcaster and writer living in Halifax. Email him at derekleblanc34@gmail.com