In less than two weeks on April 30, Canadian-born Mark “the Machine” Hominick (20-8-1) will fight current UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo (18-1) at the first UFC event ever to be held in the Canadian metropolis of Toronto, Ontario.
I was fortunate enough to be able to speak with Mark back in January regarding this upcoming fight, but I thought it would be nice to quickly follow up with him, just to see how his training has been going and to possibly understand how he is planning to deal with the added pressure of performing in front of the largest live crowd in UFC history (55,000).
Add in the fact that Mark is in a title fight in front of his home crowd, and I think anyone would be starting to feel that pressure.
Then again, it’s all about the “mindset.”
Here’s what Mark had to say:
James Ryan: Hey Mark, how’s it going?
Mark Hominick: Great, yourself?
JR: Excellent. Hopefully the training has been going very well for you. I know that a lot of people, myself included, are really going to be pulling for you on April 30.
MH: Thank you very much. Training is going very good.
JR: So Mark, I'm curious...what's going through your mind as you approach a title shot with the UFC in front of your home crowd in Toronto?
MH: Without question, this is the biggest opportunity of my life, and it represents the culmination of the last 15 years of my life as I dedicated myself to this sport. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I am putting all of my effort and focus toward.
JR: Right on. Is it safe to say that this will be the biggest fight of your professional career?
MH: Without question, this is the biggest fight and opportunity of my life.
JR: So then, do you anticipate that you will be nervous at all, and how do you plan on dealing with that added pressure?
MH: Personally, I feel that I perform at my best when I’m under the most amount of pressure. So, I am trying to live in the moment and execute what I know I am capable of doing.
JR: Good plan. Thanks for your time, Mark, and once again—good luck.
MH: Thank you.
It’s pretty tough for anyone else to put themselves in the shoes of Mark Hominick right now. What he is about to experience rarely ever comes around in an athlete’s career. The pressure must be insurmountable.
With that being said however, if what Mark says is true, and he truly performs better under pressure, then the fans at UFC 129 are going to be in for a real treat, and they had better be prepared for what I predict will easily be the fight of the night.
Good luck, Mark!
These are my opinions. If you don’t like them...I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com
Desolate Warrior is my new self-published book, which is set to be released at midnight on April 30, 2011, immediately following the UFC 129 event. Take my word for it...you won’t want to miss it. I plan on tearing the lid off of this can, and I’m going to use the claw end of my hammer to do it (I know...I know...very “un-James-like”).
For more information on the life and struggles of former Brazilian Olympic boxer and professional MMA fighter Will Ribeiro, please visit www.desolatewarrior.com
“Controversy is only dreaded by the advocates of error.”—Benjamin Rush
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