WES SIMS

No 300-lb Stone Unturned

© Marc Wickert

On January 31, 2004, arch rivals Wes Sims and Frank Mir will face off in what promises to be one of Mixed Martial Arts’ greatest showdowns.

The pair previously met at UFC 43: Meltdown on June 6, 2003, in a furious, titanium tornado that ended unceremoniously with Sims being disqualified for foot-stomping a downed fighter.

Prior to the bout, USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan had Frank Mir 5:1 to defeat Wes Sims. But it was no one-sided battle: Although Mir appeared to dominate his opponent early in Round 1 – achieving full-mount position, applying chokes and an arm bar, Sims was able to withstand the onslaught and appeared to have Mir’s number before he was disqualified.

"I like being the underdog and I made a mistake last time (against Frank Mir) that cost me the fight. This time I’m going to make a lot of people a lot of money if they back me and the odds are the same," says Wes Sims.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, October 12, 1979, and standing 6’10", Wes Sims started out playing high-school basketball, eventually representing Cincinnati’s Mount St. Joseph’s. But Sims’s ambition in life had always been to be a pro wrestler.

"It was all a freaky coincidence. I came back to Columbus from Cincinnati, and my doctor at the time was Mark Coleman’s doctor. He hooked me up with Mark, and I just changed gears and got into Mixed Martial Arts. I’d seen MMA on television, and I thought, ‘Hey, I’ll give it a shot.’ About a year later I was fighting my first fight against Dan ‘The Beast’ Severn at RXF (Real Extreme Fighting).

"That match was very painful, but it went to the decision after three 5-minute rounds. I lost the decision: He took me down and pounded me in the face, but I didn’t give up. I’ve got heart and that took me through the fight," says Wes.

Wes has a reputation for his Muay Thai knees and his triangle chokes. But he is a much more diverse fighter than his trademark strikes and submissions would suggest. And each time Sims enters a fight he displays more skills from his bag of MMA tricks.

"My strength is my number-one attribute. I’m very tall and I have freakishly strong leverage. There was a short time, between my basketball playing and my getting into MMA, when I started strongman competition like you see on television…Hell, you guys in Australia have Nathan Jones from the WWE…He’s a strongman. I started doing that and getting really big and strong. I enjoyed doing that, and it helps me out now. I’m known for my powerful slams and I can get out of anything," says Sims.

Just before Wes fought Frank Mir in UFC 43, he did battle with Brazilian jiu jitsu legend Conan Silvera. For Conan, this bout was going to be a walkover, leading up to his comeback in MMA. With just a few weeks’ notice, Sims went down to Miami, took the fight, and - despite all of Conan’s fighters winning their events – Wes defeated Conan by knockout.

Sims’s manager, Chris Thomas, says, "Wes was so strong, Conan would put him in a position and Wes was able to get out of it. Conan put Wes in a full-mounted arm triangle and held him there for four minutes. The announcer said, ‘This is over with. He’s done. It’s only a matter of time before Sims taps out’. Four minutes later, Wes still hadn’t tapped out. He’s so strong and he’s got a big heart."

Sims has remained at the Hammer House and works out predominantly with UFC legends Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman. However Wes also goes further afield to increase his fighting skills.

"Mark and Kevin are my main training partners, and it makes for some very exciting practice when people come in to see us working out. Mark and Kevin are going to be in my corner on January 31, at the UFC rematch. But I do leave Ohio to train. I’ve been to Texas to work out with Saul Solis: He’s a good friend, and I train with him. I’ve trained with Ricco Rodriguez. I’m open-minded and I want to learn everything," says Wes.

Prior to UFC 43, Mir stated he was going to out-jiu jitsu Sims. Frank believed his Brazilian jiu jitsu skills would be the deciding factor in their match, and it appeared Wes Sims would merely be a stepping stone in Mir’s impressive MMA career. And although Frank Mir displayed strong grappling techniques, Wes withstood the challenge.

"He couldn’t finish the job. It’s as simple as that. He had the most dominant positions: He had full mount, he had different chokes, and he had me in an arm bar. But it’s not just strength – it’s heart. When I walk into the Octagon, I look at it like it’s the Roman Coliseum. And only one of us is walking out. And it’s going to be me."

Kevin Randleman has said Wes Sims knows no fear. But Sims believes everyone is scared of something, though he admits there is very little that scares him. When he enters a fight, his prior training eliminates any thought of fear.

"Right now, preparation is the key for me. I work very hard up to the fight, so I don’t have to worry about fear in the Octagon. When they close that gate, I know I’ve put my time in, and I know that my heart is going to persevere and I’m going to win the fight."

For his return bout at UFC 46: Super Natural with Frank Mir on January 31, 2004, Wes expects to be weighing around 245lbs: about the same weight he was the last time the two gladiators met in the Octagon. And this long-anticipated rematch could have taken place at UFC 45 except for Sims sustaining an injury.

"I had a bad accident in training last October and broke my arm. At the time I was up to 255 lbs, whilst preparing for a rematch in November. It’s all healed up now and I’m ready to go. I lost a lot of weight after I broke my arm, and I’ve been training so hard…Honestly, I can’t keep the weight on. My arm’s not going to be a factor in this fight. I’m in the best shape of my life: I’m stronger, badder, and more mentally prepared for the battle this time."

Wes says he’s training harder for this fight than any fight in his life: focusing particularly on his cardio work, wrestling and jiu jitsu skills. "I’m not going to say I’m a blackbelt, because I’m not a blackbelt. But I can apply jiu jitsu and I can defend against jiu jitsu, so I’m not afraid of Frank Mir’s jiu jitsu. I’m working on a lot of stuff, and I’m going to keep this fight very, very exciting.

"I do a lot of boxing and cross-training. I still do strongman training: I pick up 300lb stones and run around with them. I push cars and pull machinery. I do a lot of unconventional training."

Wes Sims’s prediction for UFC 46?

"I usually like to say a fight’s going to end in the first round, but this time I can honestly say, if it does go out in the first round, it’s going to be brutal. People ask me if I’ve got a lot of hate going into this fight. It’s not hate. I’m just more focused and more fine-tuned for this fight. I’m going in there with a game plan, and I’m going in there to beat Frank Mir’s arse. And that’s what I’m going to do."

 

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WES SIMS
 Part 2 

Mr Charisma

 

 

© Marc Wickert

All photos © 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

When Columbus, Ohio’s Wes Sims enters the Octagon, one thing’s for certain: All hell is going to break loose.

On January 31, 2004, Wes Sims squared off against arch rival Frank Mir to settle a score in UFC 46: Super Natural. The pair had previously met at UFC 43: Meltdown, on June 6, 2003, but the fight ended abruptly when Sims was disqualified for stomping the downed Mir.

The stark contrast between the two fighters’ approaches to the rematch was apparent from their walks down to the Octagon. Wes entered smiling and saluting to the crowd like a kid entering a fun park for the first time. Frank’s arrival was far more subdued, displaying the body language of a window shopper at the local mall. "Look at how cerebral and calm Frank Mir of Las Vegas is," commented Mike Goldberg.

Mir delivered an intimidating glance at his opponent as referee Big John McCarthy asked the fighters if they were ready. But Sims met Frank’s cold stare with his tongue hanging out and drooping arms swaying like an excited Magilla Gorilla. "Wes Sims is ready to compete," announced Mike Goldberg.

Although the fight didn’t go the distance (see UFC 46 review at knucklepit.com), both fighters had given their all, and MMA fans were treated to a nail-biting showdown. However, with Sims standing 6’10" and weighing just 238 lbs, compared to Mir weighing 249 lbs and standing 6’3", Wes believes he was too underweight for the bout.

"I didn’t like the outcome," laughs Wes. "To tell you honestly, when I got in there I was way too light. I trained so hard for that fight, it actually hurt me. It didn’t help me for that fight: it hurt me, because I walked in there weighing 235 on fight day, and the day before I weighed in at 238. As you can tell, I was weak…I didn’t have the strength that I usually possess…everything. After the first round I was completely exhausted, and I’m never like that. I think that’s just because I was so lean. I had no energy," says Sims.

Whilst Wes chose to reveal a new haircut that Beach Boy Brian Wilson would have been proud of, there was nothing new about Wes Sims’s intestinal fortitude. Sims has always been the galloping gladiator who makes Richard the Lionheart look like Crusader Rabbit. And with just three years’ experience as a professional MMA competitor, Wes can only improve in his quest for UFC’s World Heavyweight Title.

During round one, BJJ expert Frank Mir attempted a number of submissions on Sims, before he applied an arm triangle on his opponent. Octagon announcer Joe Rogan thought the night was over for Sims, commenting, "He’s going to go unconscious. He may be out." And for any other opponent it probably would have been ‘lights out’.

The UFC audience watched on in eager anticipation as Sims’s left arm came up into the air before expectedly flopping to the ground: as often happens in a choke-out. Instead, Sims slowly closed his fingers and stuck his thumb up in defiance before pointing to Frank Mir.

"I heard his corner yelling, ‘Frank, it’s not working. It’s not working,’ because they saw me giving the thumbs-up. So I just pointed down at him and flipped him off. I was showing them, ‘F**k you, Frank. You’re not going to submit me: not tonight or any other night.’"

And Sims’s secret to his Houdini escapes from potential choke-outs? "I’m just going to tell you one of my best jiu jitsu features is defence. I think I can get out of just about anything."

Wes displayed an incredible ability to resist being submitted: a trait he has shown in previous battles, including his contest against Conan Silvera in Miami. "I let him blow his load. He spent all his gas trying to submit me, and when he was done, I came back and beat him into a ref stoppage. And that’s what I should have done with Frank, but like I said, I went after him just to keep that fight exciting. I wanted to keep the action going - even though I knew I was exhausted - and I missed with the right hand. I took his knees and the punches," says Sims.

"The thing is, I was still conscious when I hit the ground. I asked Big John, ‘Why did you stop it?’ because, yeah he rocked me and I hit the ground, but my legs were up, and I figured Frank would fall into my guard. I was hoping Big John would let him go, and what was left…twenty…forty seconds? I could have waited for the third round. But it was a good stoppage, because John told me I was cut open real bad. And when I got to the back to the dressing room, and I looked at my face, I was cut open real bad. They took me to the hospital and they had to sew me up."

The rematch between Sims and Mir had taken seven months to eventuate due to Wes breaking his arm in training after their first bout. Prior to the rematch, Big John McCarthy said to Sims, "Wes, they’re going to let me referee your fight. I’m going to tell you right now: if something gets broke, I’m stopping it. I’m not going to let you fight with a broken limb."

At the start of round two it was business as usual for Wes as he faced Mir with the same teasing, defiant smile. And for a time it appeared Sims was getting the better of his opponent.

"The biggest thing is I recognize my own mistakes, and that’s going to help me," says the charismatic Wes Sims. " What I did for a laugh - when I double axe-handled him - I should never have done that. But I did it for the laughs. I knew the people were into the fight. When he took me down and we were stood back up, I should have let him come to me. I’ve got the advantage in most of these fights. I’ve got the longer reach and I’m a better striker than Frank Mir is. I just didn’t show it.

"I’ll tell you one thing: I move forward. I don’t let failure consume me. This is going to make me train harder. I’m going to come back bigger and stronger. I’m going to get some big wins coming through. I don’t know whom I’m fighting next. They don’t tell me…Hey, you’ll find out the same time I do. But they did mention I’m possibly fighting in July, back in Vegas.

"There are three heavyweight fights at the next UFC show: Tim Sylvia v Andrei Arlovski, Cabbage v Mike Kyle, and Jonathan Wiezorek v Wade Shipp. It will just depend on how these guys do and we’ll see what happens. I’ll be in the mix."

Sims says he doesn’t care who the UFC matchmakers put on the card for him to fight. He is Bound for Glory and determined to go all the way to the heavyweight title. "I don’t care who they put in front of me, and I don’t care how many heavyweights it’s going to take me to get there, because I’m going to make it. I told you before, and I’ll say it again, my fight is going to be the most entertaining fight on the evening that I fight. I’m either going to lose in the most devastating fashion or win in the most dominating."

Back in Columbus, Ohio, Wes says he’s only been doing a small amount of training in the three weeks since his rematch with Frank Mir. "Right now I’m telling you, I’m on a massive weight gain, and I’m going to come walking into my next fight Big. I’m going to have to cut to come down. I’ll be walking in at 265. And if I’m not, I’ll be big and strong as hell. Right now I’m 255 and I’m putting the weight on that I didn’t get the chance to put back on when I was in training. I’m eatin’ and I’m liftin’, and I’m eatin’ and eatin’," laughs Wes.

"When I broke my arm I never really had a chance to even recover. For half of the training for my fight in January, I trained with a half soft cast on. I was in and out of a cast in three weeks, and then I wore the soft cast to train. It was a major break."

Wes had broken the radius and ulna bones in his arm, but says sometimes you just don’t want to wait, and he wanted a rematch with Mir so badly.

"I’ve got nothing bad to say about Frank Mir. I talked to him that night after the fight and he was a better man. I don’t think he’s a better fighter over all. I mean, he’s spent years training in jiu jitsu and training to be a fighter. I’ve been in this sport for three years now, and I’m just going to get better."

Wes Sims has an infectious sense of humour. When he laughs you just get caught up in his jovial nature. And when Mixed Martial Arts audiences hear Sims is on the fight card, they know they’re going to be in for one hell of a show.

Wes still fights out of the Hammer House and is coached by Mark Coleman and the colourful Kevin Randleman. Sims believes characteristics from Coleman and Randleman have rubbed off on him, but Wes won’t say what happens when he and Kevin get together to socialize. "On that one I’m pleading the Fifth Amendment. That’s incriminating so I’m not going to tell you that one."

Wes Sims Predictions for UFC 47: It’s On!

"I changed my mind. I think Tito Ortiz is going to beat Chuck. You know when you take a loss, you usually come back bigger, stronger and better than you ever were. And I think Tito’s going to pull it out.

Regarding the Arlovski/Sylvia fight: "I’m not going to go against the guy (Tim Sylvia), but nothing would surprise me. It wouldn’t surprise me if Andrei Arlovski knocked him out. Arlovski has shown a lot of improvement over the last few fights. And I don’t think Tim’s got the heart…I know he doesn’t have the heart that I have… or the heart that Andrei Arlovski has."

A Final Word from Wes Sims

"I want to let all the Australian fans know I really appreciate their support. So please pass that on and let them know that for me," says Wes.

For more on Wes Sims www.ufc.tv

 

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