Photo credit to Nick Maximov's Tapology page
Nick Maximov on SUG 16 win, the Fowler vs Jones finish, and more!
Nick Maximov defeated Colton Vaughn at Submission Underground 16. Maximov picked up the victory via leg lock in the July 12th grappling contest. This is Nick Maximov’s third grappling contest of the calendar year to broadcast on UFC Fight Pass. He now has back to back wins under the SUG banner. Maximov returned as a guest on Bowks Talking Bouts after this victory and covered a myriad of topics. Scroll down for excerpts from my conversation with the submission grappler/ burgeoning MMA fighter.
Thoughts on Colton Vaughn and his individual performance
“I didn’t know a whole lot about him. I knew he actually looked like a leg lock guy from what I saw. He’s pretty strong, pretty heavy, had a good base and everything. Just got a little funky with everything and got the win. I didn’t know how I was going to win. I thought it was going to be a guillotine or something like that.”
Securing back to back SUG wins
“I’m like 4-2 or 5-2 there. The two guys I lost to are pretty good black belts and stuff. I’d love to go against them again. Just because I think I’ve only gone up since I’ve competed against them. I’ve only been competing for a few years now. Lately, I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better. Even though I lost a few months ago. I didn’t really train for it or anything because COVID just happened. California just went crazy on their shutdowns. So it was hard to train. I would love to try and get some of those matches back.”
Nick Maximov
If last fight he was optimally prepared and if it was an accurate reflection of his skills
“It was but a week before, I was camping all week. I got the call in the middle of the week of me camping with some family. Even that wasn’t the optimal version of me. The time before that I was visiting my grandparents for a week on my last Submission Underground. So I really only got to train for a week for that too. So max I only get a week and a half notice/ two-week notice. I’m only training for a week because I’ve already got something planned. I just say yes because, what am I going to lose from this? I’m only gaining experience. I’m only getting more comfortable competing.”
“I’ve heard this cool thing, you turn your nerves into excitement. Every time I get nervous, I’m not nervous but I’m excited. A lot of people look at nerves as such a bad thing. Your mental game can be your biggest surprise or your biggest downfall.”
Timeline for his next MMA fight
“It’s just hard right now. For me personally, it’s just difficult. I want to fight. I’ve been talking to a few promotions. This and that. It’s just a weird time to even say when everything’s going to be right and when I can be fighting again. I don’t know. I’ve been sparring a lot lately. A lot of MMA and boxing. I’m ready to fight, I want to fight, but I just really don’t know about this whole fight…I see LFA’s doing a few things but I don’t know.”
SUG 16
The controversial Fowler vs Jones contest
“I watched that match. Even Eddie Bravo said it wasn’t good, this and that. Verbal tap or not. I don’t know what is technically identified as a verbal tap, in my opinion. Did it look like it was a tap to me? No, but you always have got to trust the referee’s gut in that sense. At the same time, it’s just not a call I would have made personally. Just looked like it was hurt and he was just making noise. I make noises all the time when I’m doing grappling. I wouldn’t say I agree with it but at the end of the day, props to Mason.”
Check out my interview with Nick Maximov in the video below
