Devin Clark: “Maybe I’ll finish him in the second or third or grind him out and do what I do”
After a pair of back-to-back fights overseas, Devin Clark is happy for a lack of travel ahead of facing Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night 161 in Tampa, Florida.
Recap from interview with Devin Clark below:
You against Ryan Span is a big one for the light heavy weight division.
“Yeah, it’s going to be a fun one. He’s, you know, a big tall guy with a couple wins under his belt in the UFC. So yeah, going to be fun; fun destroying him.”
Also, it’s got to be fun that the travel isn’t going to be as chaotic as these last two experiences.
“It’s going to be a little less stressful not going to Europe or Russia. Just the whole time-frame and everything, I get to train longer. I get to be in the States, while I don’t leave the States, but stay at my gym longer. Instead of leaving Saturday or Sunday the week before I get there that Tuesday. A lot less time with the travel and being in a hotel and all the that. So, it’s a little less stressful; yeah.”
Talking about stressful, you went all the way to Russia to not fight. What was that experience like from your perspective?
“That was heartbreaking! Well we get there, you know, we’re there all fight week; and do the weigh ins. Morning weigh-ins everything is good, we’re having a fight. We do the evening weigh-ins, everything is good, we face off, we’re still having a fight. An hour later I get a call from my manager ‘the fight’s off’. They said that he was in the hospital, or that’s what he said; or whatever. Turned out he had failed a couple drug tests. So, he got pulled from the card due to safety issues. So, no fight. The night before the fight and then find out no fight. I was heartbroken. I didn’t even care I just wanted to fight. You have all the energy built up, saved up, and you’re ready to go and then its like nothing. What do you do with it? So, I went and drank Russian vodka, and got drunk.”
You’re quickly rebooked for another overseas’ affair. So, was that the mindset getting back from Russia to get the next fight they offered?
“Yeah, after I sobered up from Russia. Actually, it was that night we heard about the opponent. Then we researched him (Darko Stosic) and stuff like that. I think we accepted as soon as possible. I think before, I was back in the states, I had another fight booked for Sweden a month and a half later; against a tough Serbian.”
Talk to me about the upcoming fight. Ryan Span, how tough do you expect this one to be?
“It’s a UFC fight, so, they’re all tough. Definitely a winnable fight, grind him out. He’s a first-round fighter. He’s definitely real dangerous in the first round but maybe it will go past that, if I don’t finish the fight first. Maybe I’ll finish him in the second or third or grind him out and do what I do. It’s a fun fight, It’s a good match up for me. He’s a nice, lanky, guy and I definitely dealt with that in the past and train with that every day. So, definitely read for what he has got to throw at me.”
Check out the interview with Devin Clark at the top of the page.
