When San Diego’s Shannon Gugerty makes his UFC debut this Saturday night in Las Vegas against fellow debutant Dale Hartt, he won’t be just some new face walking wide-eyed into the lion’s den. At just 26, Gugerty is not only a four year vet of the pro game, but a young man whose 11 year mixed martial arts education has come under some of the sport’s best.
You could call it the MMA equivalent of fantasy camp, considering that Gugerty’s exposure to the game came from UFC standouts Dean Lister and Brandon Vera and that he’s a stablemate of Octagon battlers Eddie Sanchez and Jason Lambert. This world-class education paid even more dividends last month when Gugerty accompanied Lister to his fight against Jeremy Horn at the Ultimate Fighter finale, where he got a first hand peek at what to expect when he takes on Hartt at The Palms.
“I think it gives me a pretty big edge, to be honest,” said Gugerty. “Every little chance I got, I pictured myself in that Octagon, walked through the motions in the warmup room and visualized fighting. I know I’m still gonna get those jitters, but I can’t wait to get in there and get those jitters out of the way. I know I’m focused, I’m gonna have tunnel vision, and just focus on what I have to do to go in there and get my job done.”
It’s a mental toughness steeled by years of training which began in essence after he stood around after high school wrestling practice and saw Lister, an assistant coach at the time, tying people in knots and making them tap out.
“I’d stay after and soak up as much as I could,” said Gugerty, who was 15 at the time he first met Lister. “I really wanted to learn everything. I was hooked right then and there and I knew that this is what I wanted to do. It was almost instant that I fell in love with the sport.”
Upon graduating, Gugerty – who had continued training in jiu-jitsu – ran into Vera at the City Boxing gym, where ‘The Truth’ was teaching Muay Thai.
“Right after Jiu-Jitsu practice I would watch Brandon teaching Muay Thai,” said Gugerty, a BJJ brown belt. “He said, “Shannon, what are you doing? Jump in, you’ve got to start training this.” Like a robot almost, I started doing it. (Laughs) I look to those guys so much and they’ve helped me out so much throughout my whole life, and not just in fighting, but in other aspects of my life. They’ve made me a better man.”
Needless to say, training with some of the game’s best is a huge boost for any fighter.
“Training with guys like that definitely helps me mentally because I’m in there, doing the same drills they are, and in the gym just as long as they are, so mentally, I feel like I’m right up there with them,” he said. “Obviously they’re a higher caliber and have more experience than I have, but I’m a pretty fast learner when it comes to fighting, and I’m trying to keep an open mind and take in all the input that I can from all those guys. Brandon Vera and Dean Lister were the guys I started with, and I’m just trying to do the same things they do.”
Gugerty would make his pro debut in 2004, submitting current WEC featherweight contender Cub Swanson. After two more victories, Gugerty would hit a rough patch where he dropped back-to-back bouts to Swanson and Shawn Bias, but since late 2006 it’s been smooth sailing for him as he’s won seven in a row – all by TKO or submission. Yet there was no call for the big show as he watched more and more newcomers get that opportunity. Gugerty wasn’t bitter though.
“There are a lot of guys out there where it just happened that they got their shot,” he said. “A good example is the last Ultimate Fighter and Amir (Sadollah). He had no pro MMA fights, but he got his shot and I think the guy’s a phenomenal fighter and he showed why he should be there. It has a lot to do with hard work obviously, but it also has a little bit to do with luck on your side. So I’ve been grinding it out these last couple of years and I knew I would be fighting in some bigger shows coming up, and finally, my time is here. I didn’t dwell on it too much, because I knew my time was gonna come.
Was he at least a little antsy?
“Honestly, it was a little frustrating,” he said. “I felt like I’d been doing so well, especially over the last two years. I’ve been on kind of a roll, and my managers have been telling me that ‘we’re gonna get that phone call, your name’s in the hat.’ And recently, it was a little nerve racking because that first phone call was telling me that it was a possibility that I was going to fight in the WEC. The next day I was told that I was fighting in the UFC.”
And now he says, “It’s better than my birthday, better than Christmas. All the stars are lining up and it’s my time now. I’m sure my opponent is a great fighter, but this is just my time to shine and I can’t wait to get in there and show the world my skills.”
It should be something to see, especially considering that up and comers like Gugerty, Hartt, and host of others on this Saturday’s card have come into the UFC having trained mixed martial arts almost from the start, not just one discipline with the rest added in later.
“I think the whole game is evolving to that,” said the 26-year old Gugerty. “You need to study every discipline and you can’t just rely on your wrestling, your boxing, or your jiu-jitsu. You’ve got to go that extra mile, learn everything, and rely on your cardio and mental preparation as well. There are so many aspects that fighters are now bringing to the table, and that’s why guys who barely have any fights are kicking ass, fighting in the big shows, and doing so well. The better-rounded fighter is going to win the fight.”
Gugerty plans on being the one with his hand raised on Saturday, but he knows he’s still just scratching the surface when it comes to fighting, so he’s made it a 24/7 job.
“If I’m not fighting or training, then I’m watching videos or I’m on the internet looking to find out when the next show is and calling my managers to see if I can get into it,” he said. “I feel like I’m a sponge trying to soak up everything I can and learn as much as I can.”
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