|
PAUL BUENTELLO Don’t Forget the Oxy Goggles
© Marc Wickert All photos copyright
2004 Zuffa LLC When heavyweight knuckle-slingers Paul Buentello and Justin Eilers broadside in the Octagon on February 5, 2005, to unleash a salvo of smokin’ leather, sparks are guaranteed to fly. Justin Eilers previously scorched the Las Vegas canvas at UFC 49 when he left no business unfinished, demolishing Mike Kyle with a crushing left fist just 1.14 into round one. And Buentello’s vapour trail is still blazing after Paul KO’d his way to the King of the Cage heavyweight title en route to his Octagon debut at UFC 51: Super Saturday. Born in Amarillo, Texas, Buentello first took up a martial art at age seventeen when he came out of high school, and says he didn’t want to get involved in football or baseball, so he enrolled in Tae Kwon Do. He later added boxing and Jiu Jitsu to his credentials. Over the years, Paul has achieved a 16-7-0 MMA record, and has competed in such respected tournaments as King of the Cage (KOTC), XXXtreme Impact, International Fighting Championships (IFC), and BJ Penn’s Rumble on the Rock (ROTR) event in Hawaii. He has also defeated such noted fighters as Mike Kyle (KO), Roger Neff (KO), former Rage in the Cage (RITC) heavyweight champion Andy Montana (KO), former Pankration champion Jason Godsey (striking submission), and UFC 30 star Bobby Hoffman (verbal submission) at KOTC 30: The Pinnacle. In November, 2004, Paul defended his KOTC heavyweight title against Bo Cantrall. Although Buentello started out in Tae Kwon Do, he is now a true Mixed Martial Artist. "Today, I incorporate a lot of kickboxing, wrestling and grappling techniques. But my main thing is defending against the takedown. I didn’t do any college wrestling. I’m still learning wrestling. My main strength is my standup: I’m a very good striker and a very good kicker," says Paul. Appearing in the UFC has always been a dream for Buentello, and in February 2005, his dream will come true. "I was supposed to fight Tre Telligman in UFC 50, but I re-injured my hand, and my debut was postponed until UFC 51. It’s been an ongoing discussion for me with the UFC, for them to let me in. It’s been an ongoing thing for about a year and a half. And finally the opportunity came after they’d been saying, ‘Win this fight. And win this fight.’ After about seven straight knockouts, they had to let me in. "I’ve been beating at their door forever now. It’s been my dream for six years. That’s the only reason I got involved in Mixed Martial Arts. I wanted to compete in the World Series of martial arts. I finally get to be there at UFC 51." Paul watched the Justin Eilers vs Mike Kyle fight at UFC 49, and Eilers impressed him, but Paul believes he has what it takes to stop Justin. "It was an eye opener, because, being Mike Kyle’s teammate, I never thought I’d see Mike dropped the way he was. And seeing Eilers’s determination and aggression to get the fight done was a really good eye opener. "I think Eilers and I match up well, but I know what I’m capable of. And I know he’s never fought anybody as tough as I am. I’ve been fighting for six years now, and he couldn’t even hold my shorts up in some of the fights I’ve done. I mean, Bobby Hoffman – I’ve fought him twice – just all the fights I’ve been in. There’s no way he could match up to them. His toughest fight would have been Cabbage."
Paul, how do you expect your fight with Justin to go? Do you expect it to be toe-to-toe? "Well, I definitely want it to be toe-to-toe. The only reason it would go to the ground would be if he’s afraid to stand and fight with me. I’m pretty sure, and from what I understand, he’s going to bang with me. And if he doesn’t like the situation, he’s going to take me down. Of all my fights, I’ve never taken anybody to the ground. And I won’t - unless I’m fighting Cro Cop, ’cause then I’ll shoot in and take him down. I’m definitely not going to stand with a guy like that." So how will your strike power compare to Justin’s? "I think I’m a way better striker than he is. I punch repeatedly with more power. He punches maybe one or two punches with power. From what I understand, I’m a better kickboxer than he is. But…one or two punches he does throw very hard, compared to the number of hard punches I throw, repeatedly." Are you one of the biggest strikers around? "So far. Underneath the UFC, I’ve been knocking everybody out. It’s just that now it’s time for me to step up to the UFC." You’ve been doing a lot of ground work lately. If it does go to the mat, how will your ground game compare to Justin’s? "I really don’t know, because I haven’t watched his video yet. But I think he’s basically going to power out of everything. I don’t believe I will submit him. But I know I will be able to get back up to my feet. In other words, if the submission’s there, I’ll go for it. Otherwise I’ll kick out and stand back up." You’re known for your great defense against takedowns. "Oh, yes. I work on that every day." A bit like Chuck Liddell on a larger scale? "Yes." What about your fitness? "Well, I don’t look like I’m in great shape, but my cardio and everything…I have a good recovery time. Everybody says I don’t look like a fighter, but I’m not known to gas. I do not gas. I’ve only gassed one time in a fight, and I’ll never do that again." What can MMA fans expect you to bring to UFC 51? "A heavyweight who can throw hands. And I have a lot of heart as well as good hands. I’m always going to produce a knockout: Either I’m getting knocked out or somebody else is getting knocked out. But either way…" Is there anything you’d like to add to this article, Paul? "I just always tell my competitors, ‘Never fear me. Just fear the consequences.’" Your sponsors? "vicefighter.com and sherdog.com."
For more on Paul Buentello and UFC 51: Super Saturday – www.ufc.tv
PAUL BUENTELLO
Part 2
Buentello Means Business
 Paul Buentello vs Justin Eilers at UFC 51
© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges Hard-hitting heavyweight Paul Buentello served his seven-year sentence in various MMA arenas before getting a chance to prove his abilities in the Octagon at UFC 51: Super Saturday. And Paul showed he wasn’t there for a haircut when he faced off the respected Team Miletich hitter, Justin Eilers. At just 3.34 into round one of Buentello’s UFC debut, Eilers was unconscious from a left-right combination. Of Paul’s 25-fight career, 13 bouts have been KO wins, and his last six bouts have all been victories. Not surprisingly, he is happy with his impressive record thus far. "Actually this is the first time in my fighting career when I can sit there and say I’m having a good time. There’s no longer the stress of making the UFC and trying to make it into the big show. Now I’m sitting here and I’m in the show. I’m having fun with it," says Buentello who is a star of the show now. On his website: www.paulbuentello.com, he states that the right uppercut is his "bread and butter" implement of mass destruction, but of his 13 MMA knockouts, Paul says "Most have been through straight rights…just through throwing heavy-handed right hands or left hooks." For his showdown against Eilers, Paul predicted Justin would be able to land one or two heavy punches, whereas he would be able to throw the heavy bombs all night. But after their match, Buentello says there was more to the fight than just a battle of big fists: "I threw him off his game. I came out a little faster than he expected. He thought I was going to come at him with just one punch, and I came at him with leg kicks. I think I threw him off his game plan by being aggressive. "In my past fights, I’ve been laid back and kinda waiting – not putting on any pressure or being aggressive. And against Justin Eilers I knew I had to be aggressive to isolate him, and that’s exactly what I did."
Prior to Paul’s UFC career being launched, he suffered a loss by decision to Bobby Hoffman on August 10, 2003, at King of the Cage (KOTC) 27: Aftermath. The pair had a rematch on November 2, 2003, at KOTC 30: Pinnacle, where Buentello experienced the sweet taste of revenge against the veteran of UFCs 27, 30 and 34. "It was very satisfying for me. Very satisfying. Especially having him quit in the middle of a round …actually knowing that there was no way he could defeat me, and quitting in the middle of a round because he didn’t want any more. It was more like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran." Due to Paul’s reputation as an anaesthetist through his KO administrations in the cage, it came as quite a surprise when he won his second UFC outing by way of a guillotine submission against Kevin Jordan. "Hell, even I was surprised. I didn’t know anything about him, coming into the fight - only the fight he had with Wesley Cabbage. So I knew I could expect the unexpected, and surely it did happen. The fight went through, he brought his game plan out, and he caught me. But I had to prevail and show him I’ve got a lot of heart. He wasn’t going to take my show away from me. I was trying to pull his head down and throw some knees or some more uppercuts to his face, and I felt my arm go around his throat. I knew I had the choke in tight and went for the guillotine. He tried to spin out and I just kept holding on to it. It was pretty awesome. I mean I got a submission. Not only that, I got the Submission of the Night award from Tap Out. "He came out with his left hand kinda low and I just lunged forward and tried to throw a big uppercut. He snapped a short right, and with my putting so much pressure on, coming forward with my left hand down, he just caught me right on the button. He dropped me to one knee and I just came back swinging. It was pretty quick. He rocked me, and before I knew it, I was standing back up throwing punches. It was one of those quick, short pops. It wasn’t anything powerful where I had a bruised or bloody nose after the fight. I didn’t have one single mark on me after the fight." And it wasn’t just Kevin Jordan’s skills that Paul was in doubt about. "He came in for his last fights at 245 pounds, so my management and trainers said we should come in at 250, and Jordan came in at 228 for our fight. Easily I could have got down to 235, but we were keeping on the pounds to make him carry my weight. When he shoots he has to carry my weight on him, and I make him pay for it. It was a big surprise. I thought, ‘Damn, why did I have to eat so much.’"
Paul, you’ve been saying for some time that your grappling is of a higher standard. Are you happy with your grappling now? "Oh no. I’m still not happy with it. I’ve got a lot of learning to do. It takes years to get a black belt in Jiu Jitsu, and I’m not even close to getting a black belt. That’s where I want to be. I want to get to where I’m basically a black belt. I still have a lot of learning to do. But I’m happy with the progress I’m making." Who do you train in grappling with? "Dave Camarillo from Gorilla Jiu Jitsu is the head instructor at our AKA gym." Did Justin Eilers’s bout against Andrei Arlovski go as you expected? "No. I was kinda pulling for Justin. I wanted Justin to win because you want the underdog to win. Nothing personal or anything – not because I beat him. I wanted him to show everybody that he deserved to be in there. But he did show a couple of things on Arlovski that I noticed, and it made me feel more comfortable about taking the fight with Arlovski when my time comes. It looks good to me. I’m happy. "It took Arlovski almost to the end of the round to beat Justin. And not by a knockout, but because Justin’s knee blew out. It kinda shows there that maybe Arlovski doesn’t have the power, or that he doesn’t have the killer instinct. Eilers came out a little more prepared for Arlovski than he did for me. So I feel pretty comfortable with that." Is Andrei Arlovski next for you? "No, I don’t think so. From the rumours and from other people, Frank Mir is training to fight him in October." So Frank Mir is back? "I think so. I hope so." Why do you say you hope so? "Well, when I get my chance at Arlovski or Mir, it would be nice if they are actually the world champion and not the interim champion. I’d rather go for the gold and not half a gold and a couple of silver coins." It sounds like you already see yourself as the world champion in your mind. "Well, shouldn’t everybody?" Yes, and it’s good to hear you sound so positive and determined. "The only person who can beat me is myself. I’ve got four months to prepare for whatever comes up in October. And the UFC is really taking care of me. I’ve got my sponsors taking care of me. Plus, I’ve got my website now. I don’t have to worry about the small stuff – how I’m going to put gas in my car and pay the electrical bill. "And my whole dream - my eight years of suffering and running amuck and being broke – was to be in the UFC. You know, I had to win this fight and I had to win that fight to be in the UFC. And now I’m there with 2 and 0. I would never have believed I’d be 2 and 0 with a title contention right around the corner. All this is just icing on the cake. I have an easy job right now. All I have to do is take care of Paul Buentello and fight." So you don’t have to worry about the incidentals, but you’re still full-on with your training. "Right. Exactly. My whole point is, with all the things I’ve been through: having to work an eight-hour job, pouring concrete all day long and then going to a workout, trying to rebuild my body after working and then working out before getting ready for UFC or King of the Cage… Now all I have to do is beat my body up with training, go home and sleep instead of leaving the gym to go work. Now I train eight hours and sleep twelve. I used to train two hours and work eight hours." At your website, www.paulbuentello.com, you have Josh Koscheck and Bobby Southworth listed as some of your training partners at The American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose. They’re both from The Ultimate Fighter series, aren’t they? "Yeah, also Mike Swick. And I don’t know if you noticed, but Mike Van Arsdale is fighting Randy Couture at the next UFC, and he’s from our camp too." And Trevor Prangley who’s fighting David Terrell on the same card? "Actually, right now I’m at the airport. I was just in California training with Mike Van Arsdale and Trevor Prangley. We were all training together for the past two weeks. They’re going home for a week and I’m going home for three weeks, and then we’ll all be training together again for when they compete at the next UFC on August 20." And, while visiting your new website, fans can get plenty of info on Paul Buentello, your trainers, and your training partners. "There will also be a media link where people can download my training tip of the week, my training before each UFC fight…They’re going to show Mike Swick and Mike Van Arsdale training before their UFC fights. It will be pretty interesting." So it’s a great opportunity for martial artists to pick up some in-house training tips. "Exactly. The first clip I’m going to release is of Cabbage and me sparring in Hawaii before his Tank Abbott fight." Paul, I know you have a plane to catch, but is there anything you’d like to add? "Just my sponsors: sherdog.com and betoedessa.com."
For more on Paul Buentello: www.paulbuentello.com For more on UFC 54: www.ufc.tv
PAUL BUENTELLO
Part 3
The Judges Might As Well Put
Their
Pens Down 
© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges With two weeks to go before Paul Buentello challenges Andrei Arlovski for UFC’s World Heavyweight Title, Paul is poised, jovial…and bruised. "My training is going really well. I’m just getting beat up. I’ve got Bobby Southworth, Mike Kyle, Mike Swick, Josh Koscheck, John Finch, Trevor Prangley, Josh Thompson… We’re all training together: just the regular AKA team that are tag-teaming me," says Buentello. For an athlete who is totally dedicated to being a professional fighter, Paul intends returning to his other occupation - carpentry, down the road apiece when he finishes unleashing mayhem in the Octagon. "I love doing carpentry work, but my hobby is playing airsoft. It’s like paintball, only you shoot plastic BBs in an army scenario. Actually, I’m going to play this Sunday. I’ve been training seven days a week, so my trainer’s letting me have time off to go relax and play a little airsoft. You can check it out at www.airsoftextreme.com." At present, Buentello is excited about the upcoming title shot, although his feet remain firmly planted on the ground. "One thing I want to make clear: People say to me, ‘This has been your dream – to fight for the world title.’ And I say, ‘No it hasn’t.’ My dream is to fight in the UFC. And with Justin Eilers at UFC 51 – that was my biggest dream, my ultimate goal, to fight at UFC. "Now that I’ve done that, I could walk away and be happy. Win or lose, to be invited into the Octagon was my dream. This is all icing on the cake now. That’s why I feel it’s just another fight for me. Sure, I’m going in there to win. Hell, it’s not my style to lay down. And that’s one thing I can definitely say – win or lose, people are going to know my name from my being an exciting fire leaping into the cage. There’s not going to be anyone asking if the result was a good decision. I’m going to fight till the very end." Not only does Paul see his bout with Andrei as being an opportunity to win the heavyweight belt, but he also sees it as a chance to determine who is UFC’s big gun. He just hopes Arlovski is prepared to stand and bang with him. "That’s what I want. You know, I look at this fight and he’s considered the number-one striker in UFC. And I think, ‘How good a striker am I?’ I want that test. I want Andrei to stand with me and divide the field. Let’s see who is the number one striker. I’m looking forward to his standing with me and banging it out till we go to the end. "I’m not going to take him down. In thirty-plus fights, I’ve never shot in and taken anybody down. So if Andrei shoots and takes me down, I’m going to have a big grin on my face, saying, ‘Huh. He’s afraid of my striking.’ But we’ll wait to see if that happens. I believe I have a 98% chance of winning the battle – the other two percent being if I stub my toe, slip on the mat, or just get caught."
Paul, you’ve been working a lot on your ground skills. How do you think they’d stack up against Andrei’s? "You know, it’s hard to say. I’ve been tested with straight jiu jitsu guys and I came out on top every time. And my game plan has been to never go for the submission or takedown, but if it happens to go to a ground game, I feel we match up pretty well." You said after the Arlovski vs Eilers fight that you found it to be encouraging for you. Do you still feel that way? "At the time I did, but now I look at it and I just concentrate on my fighting Andrei. But he fought Eilers and if he stands and bangs with me, that’s very encouraging. He has a cockiness about him, but then he’s the champion. Let’s see if he wants to do it again." Like Chuck Liddell, you also have an excellent takedown defence, don’t you? "Not as nice as Chuck Liddell’s, but that is my forte: I make it as hard as possible. And I get back to my feet and stay on my feet. Chuck is probably a class above me, but I’m right there. The main thing is, we’re heavy guys and I’m not as flexible. However, I am going to make it as hard as hell to be taken down. I’m going to stay on my feet and work all my techniques. My takedown defence is awesome right now." You commented before your bout with Justin Eilers that he has one or two KO punches, whereas you have a series of KO punches. Were his fists any more powerful than yours? "I just think that I connected more and I was more aggressive. He didn’t land anything solid on me, so I can’t say his punches were stronger or less than mine. I was always on the offensive. But I connected, and I kept connecting. I think that’s what gave me the result I had." All your punches are loaded, aren’t they? You’ve proven you have knockout power. "Oh, I definitely have the KO power. But what’s funny is that I’m still learning and I’m still adding more technique and power to my punches. Just in the last three weeks I’ve been learning how to roll my shoulders, add more back and legs, and keep my hips under me. So I’m still learning and gaining more power each day. Today, I was hitting the mitts and my trainer said I had a lot of power, and I’m thinking, ‘I’ve still got a lot more to let go.’ But what’s so amazing is that I haven’t plateaued as a powerful striker. I feel I’m still learning how to throw a correct punch." Is there any chance this fight could possibly go the distance? "With both of us being strikers and both of us having KO power, I don’t see it going the distance. I can’t predict what round it’s going to be in, but I don’t see it going the full five rounds. Put it this way, if the judges read this interview, they may as well enjoy the fight and put their pens down." After your match with Andrei, will Tim Sylvia be next for you? "I don’t like to call anybody out, because I don’t feel I have anything to prove. I’m a fighter who gets told when to fight, and it’s a gentlemen’s sport now. It’s my job now, and whomever UFC puts in front of me, I’ll fight." Tell me, Paul - when you fight your war games at airsoft, are you fighting the Russians? "Actually, it’s a NATO versus Europeans contest. I guess it falls right into place." How are you going to win your fight with Andrei? "I’m going to win this fight with all my heart, my skills, my punching power…by putting pressure on Andrei and keeping him on his heels. But, all in all, my heart and my determination are going to win this fight." Paul, is there anything you’d like to add? "Yeah, I look at my site and it’s getting a lot of interesting posts from Australian fans, and I really appreciate the fan mail that I’m getting. The emails are really encouraging me to keep up the training. I print them out and I paste them all over my room. I’ve got this ad-site thing and it tells me where all the traffic is coming from: Seven out of ten are coming from Australia. I really appreciate it. "I’d also like to thank my sponsors: Sprawl, Sherdog, betoddessa.com, Vice Fighter, and airsoftextreme.com."
For more on UFC 55: Fury – www.ufc.tv. For more on Paul Buentello – www.pualbuentello.com Please be sure to visit Paul’s site to check out his comments on the HOME page regarding his match with Andrei.
|
