wgs2005

continued.....
This is a rest period for Marcus. He heads home, takes a recovery shake and winds his body down. He tries to at least get a 90-minute nap during this time. Before leaving to begin afternoon weight training, Marcus gets a jumpstart by downing two shots of espresso. Weight training begins at 5 P.M. and today, consists of mainly Olympic style lifts such as the clean and jerk, the snatch and power cleans. There are also exercises included to improve muscle endurance and grip strength. Weight training lasts an hour under the watchful eye of Benkei. He remains within 5 feet of Marcus at all times, motivating him while lifting, and helping him stretch after sets are completed.

There isn’t much down time for Marcus as Muay Thai training begins shortly after 6pm. Maximus does make time for another pre-performance shake. However, as Marcus wraps up his hands in preparation, he carries on a conversation with Thiago Alves and gives another gym member some training advice. Mohammed Ouali has not arrived yet so I take the opportunity to pick Aurelio’s brain a bit. I want to see what’s on his mind as he embarks upon this new chapter in his career.

I begin on the subject of his next opponent, Clay Guida. “All that he has is wrestling and gas. If my gas tank is full I’m not going to have a problem. I know I’m stronger and my striking has gotten a lot better. My confidence is very high right now. I’m working on my hips for Jiu Jitsu. It’s all in the hips. If it goes to the ground and he throws a punch, I’m going to slip it and catch his arm. What else is he going to do? Hit my face? The way that I train, if Pit bull and Denis don’t knock me out, then Clay Guida isn’t going to hurt me. Strong Jiu Jitsu also builds confidence by knowing that you can turn a fight around and win in 10 seconds with a submission. You get that way by being ‘in the ****’. Rolling until it hurts and when you want to stop you go for another 30 minutes.” Marcus is traveling to Miami twice a week and rolling with other black belt masters to get that “in the ****” training.

Aurelio’s career defining moment was his defeat of Takanori Gomi, the number one ranked lightweight fighter in the world. Gomi had been on a ten-fight win streak that spanned three years. Marcus left him sleeping in the middle of the ring to claim the first round victory. The two would meet again seven months later. The rematch was a close, split decision win for Gomi. As it turns out, MMA fans aren’t the only ones clamoring for the rubber match. I tell Marcus that it appears as though Gomi will be signing with the Japanese based Hero’s promotion soon. With visible disappointment in his face, Marcus states the following:

“I really wanted to fight him in the UFC. The rematch was my last fight and it was my last loss. In the second match I wanted to do the same as the first. I had been training with Mohammed Ouali on my stand up. He makes it seem so easy to understand, improve and feel confident. I feel I wasted too much time standing up with Gomi. There were only two rounds in that fight. If I were to fight him again today, believe me things would be different.”

I wanted to get his ideas on the rest of the competition in the UFC lightweight division. BJ Penn? “I like BJ a lot. Not just as a fighter but as a person. He’s a good guy and a fun guy. I like that laid back Hawaiian attitude. I think he is the best in the division right now. What do you think of the potential Penn vs. Sherk fight? (This was before Sherk failed his post fight drug test.) “I think BJ will win. Do you remember when Matt Hughes fought Sean Sherk? He took him down time after time. When Matt Hughes fought BJ Penn, he had a hard time getting him down, and when he did, BJ submitted him the first fight and then almost submitted him again in the second fight. That’s why I think BJ would win.”

I asked how Marcus thinks he would fare in a fight against BJ. “Oh it would be a good one. It would be a great Jiu Jitsu match.” I bring up the fact that it might be a standup battle since both have respect for the others’ Jiu Jitsu skills. Marcus replied, “At first yes, to feel each other out, but it would end up going to the ground.” As he points to a vein in his inner elbow he states, “It’s in the blood.”

I mention two other names, up and comers Joe Stevenson and Roger Huerta. In regards to Stevenson, Aurelio had this to say. “Yeah, Stevenson, I like him. He’s good. Good Jiu Jitsu. The division is full of tough guys. I mean everyone is tough. Huerta, I like his heart. He has an in-your-face style. He’s really tough. I want to see how Huerta does against a strong Jiu Jitsu guy. He’s done well against wrestlers and strikers so far, but like I said everyone is good in this division.”

I was interested in Aurelio’s approach to weight cutting. He told me. “I’m 183 pounds now. I want to gradually drop down to 175 and stay there until about two weeks away from the fight. Then I will begin dropping another 15 to get to 160. I will save the last 5-6 pounds for the day of the weigh in. The important thing about cutting weight is getting back what you cut. Most guys can cut twenty pounds to make weight for their fight, but some might only get back 7 when they re-hydrate by fight time. In my last fight I made weight at 163 pounds. By the time of the fight I was back up to 183 and felt great. I got it all back. Don’t get me wrong. When you are cutting weight you are miserable. You’re cramping. You’re weak. You feel like dying.”

Now Muay Thai training begins with Mohammed Ouali. By the time they get started it’s about 6:45 P.M. Ouali warms up about as much as Maximus does. Marcus is in boxing gloves and Ouali is wearing the sparring pads. Mohammed places a lot of emphasis in this session on Aurelio’s footwork. Making sure that as Marcus approaches his opponent he doesn’t open up his stride too wide. Ouali constantly reminds Marcus to relax and stay calm and breathe. He does this not because Marcus isn’t doing those things but as a reminder. If you hear something enough times, you will hear it in your head and do it when you’re on your own in a fight.

At 7:15 P.M. the drill now focuses on handwork and hand speed. Ouali has to take a break due to the fact that there wasn’t a timer/buzzer being used. He asks another gym member to retrieve it and the novice comes back with a stopwatch. Someone else gets the real timer and training continues. The focus on the last drill is using knees, kicks and avoiding takedowns. This is important because you are most vulnerable for a takedown when using these kinds of strikes. Training ends at 8 P.M. Ouali and Marcus share a hug in the cage. It’s more of a celebration for Marcus now that the day’s work is over. He sees me waiting outside of the cage and rolls his eyes a bit realizing he may have to field questions when all he wants to do is go home.

Marcus informs me that he will have a recovery shake immediately. Dinner later on will consist of vegetables and white, breast meat. No starchy carbohydrates at night. With all of that work it makes you wonder what time does Maximus have for himself? Well, he always finds time for fifteen minutes in the Jacuzzi. He also usually winds down every day with a movie. I asked what his favorite movie was. “I know it’s a little old now but it’s such a great movie, Gladiator.” Midnight is the latest he will allow himself to be up if he isn’t training for a fight. These days he’s in bed between 10:30 and 12:00. But not without one last protein shake 45 minutes to an hour before he plans on being fully asleep.

Lastly, I tell Marcus what my plans are for this article. With one last handshake to end our day, I watch as Marcus carries all of his gear and heads out of the gym. His hands are full and he leans slightly backward to be sure to balance his items. I get the feeling that if anything dropped it would have to stay there due to a lack of sufficient energy to bend and retrieve it. He turns to me and humbly responds, “I hope I have given you enough.” I think to myself, and reflect upon how observing his work ethic up close and the manner in which he carries himself has left an impression on me. I respond back, “You have given me plenty. Thanks.”