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Montreal middleweight Patrick (The Predator) Cote riding high in the UFC |
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Written by Neil Davidson, THE CANADIAN PRESS
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Thursday, 03 July 2008 |
Montreal middleweight Patrick Cote (left) and Ricardo Almeida pose after a news conference for Saturday's UFC 86 mixed martial arts card at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nev., Thursday, July 3, 2008. UFC president Dana White looks on from the middle. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Neil Davidson
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LAS VEGAS - It wasn't long ago that Montreal middleweight Patrick (The Predator) Cote was hearing boos and getting slagged by UFC president Dana White.
"That fight sucked," White said dismissively after Cote won a dull decision over Scott Smith at UFC 67 in April 2007. And that came after Cote lost his four previous mixed martial arts fights in the UFC.
How times have changed.
After back-to-back first-round knockouts of Kendall Grove and Drew McFedries, Cote is being billed as a knockout artist and slugging sensation by the UFC as he takes on Ricardo (Big Dog) Almeida in the co-main event at UFC 86 on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center (available on pay per view).
"It's good for sure. Now I have a big name in the UFC," said Cote, exuding confidence. "Now everybody knows I'm dangerous on my feet and I have pretty good power in my hands."
Instead of fighting to stay in the UFC, the 29-year-old Cote is looking for a title shot. His confidence is sky-high and the former Canadian soldier carries himself with a swagger.
"I can't wait to hear the bell," he said.
The main event pits light-heavyweight champion Quinton (Rampage) Jackson against Forrest Griffin in a matchup of coaches from Season 7 of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality TV show.
UFC president Dana White says the Cote-Almeida winner will get a title shot, likely in November against Anderson Silva, presuming the champion survives a UFC 88 fight in September - probably against Japan's Yushin Okami.
Cote (13-4) could have his hands full with the 31-year-old Almeida, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who is a disciple of Renzo Gracie. Almeida was riding a six-fight win streak in Japan - beating the likes of Nate Marquardt, Kazuo Misaki and Ryo Chonan along the way - before stepping back from the sport in April 2004 to focus on his family and jiu-jitsu school in Hamilton, N.J.
Now a father of three with some 500 students at his school, Almeida (9-2) is back fighting. The Brazilian native returned in style at UFC 81 in February, needing just 68 seconds to lock a guillotine choke on an outmatched Rob Yundt who was a late injury replacement for Alan (The Talent) Belcher.
Cote and Almeida have let their matchup speak for itself. There has been no war of words.
"Patrick, he's got the standup skills, I've got the ground skills, so the match is about to see who's going to win: the standup fighter or the jiu-jitsu guy. Rather than us talking trash about each other," Almeida said.
"I respect this guy a lot, he respects me," said Cote.
Unbeaten outside of the UFC, Cote had some bad breaks in his early losses. In his UFC debut, at UFC 50 in October 2004, he was moved from the prelims to the main event at the last minute as a replacement opponent for Tito Ortiz. Cote lost a decision but won some respect for staggering Ortiz on.
"We were in a bad spot and the kid got thrown to the wolves. No doubt about it," White said in a 2006 interview.
Cote was winning against fellow Canadian Joe Doerksen at UFC 52 when he made a mistake and was choked out. He then lost a split decision to Chris Leben, a fight he believes he should have won.
There were no excuses in the finale of Season 4 of "The Ultimate Fighter" when he had no answer to jiu-jitsu black belt Travis Lutter.
He cites bad luck and rookie mistakes for his rough entrance. But he never gave up hope - "I knew I was better than my UFC record" - and worked on his weaknesses. Training in Boston with Mark DellaGrotte has upped his game.
"With DellaGrotte, I have more tools. I can use my elbows, my knees and my kicks now. I can do more setup, to use my hands, to use my power. I can better set up my attack."
Cote also says he is physically and mentally prepared for the first time in a while.
Without elaborating, he cites distractions in his personal life while training for Grove. And the inflamed knee ligament that forced him to miss UFC 83 in Montreal - he hurt it slipping on the ice while running outside - also bothered him in the McFedries fight.
Almeida, a student of the game who devours tape and any other details he can get about his opponent, says Cote has also bolstered his submission defence. But the biggest difference is he is no longer loading up his punches and swinging for the fences. The Canadian is more patient and controlled.
Back in Montreal, Cote has been training at Brazilian Top Team Canada and with members of the Canadian Olympic wrestling team.
"He's just improved his weaknesses," said manager Stephane Patry. "Right now, the sky's the limit for him ... He feels like he's going to win Saturday night and he feels he's going to win against Silva. He's training so hard and he's killing everybody in the gym."
Almeida's strategy is no secret - he wants Cote in his world, on the ground. Cote's job is to stop that happening.
"It's no secret for anybody I want to keep this fight on my feet, and sprawl and brawl all night and knock him out," said Cote.
"Almeida is no joke, he's a really really tough opponent, a world-class jiu-jitsu guy, But you know it's not a jiu-jitsu fight, it's an MMA fight. I respect the guy, but not too much. . . . He can't armbar me if he's receiving an elbow in his face."
Cote expects a tactical fight - "and the guy who makes the first mistake is going to lose the fight."
Almeida agrees.
"He knows if he comes forward like crazy, I'll take him down."
Almeida, meanwhile, has his own danger list.
"You just have to stay focused. It could be like 14 minutes 58 seconds, he hits you with a right hand, it's over."
While Cote is known for his standup, Almeida rates his other skills.
"I think that because of Cote's losses on the ground, people tend to underrate his ground skills a little bit. I think that he's made some mistakes when he got caught on the ground and I don't really see him making those mistakes in my fight."
The bookmakers have made Almeida a slight favourite. Cote, who will be cheered on back home at a viewing party at a bar in the Bell Centre that includes UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, sees it differently.
"I can't see my losing right now. I'm so prepared .... Maybe I will put on one of the big upsets of the year and submit him. I'm very confident about my skill. We'll see."
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 September 2008 )
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