Oct-30-2008
Hazelett: Unorthodox and Proud of it
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PRIDE: BUSHIDO 10 DVD
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By Dave Sholler
Welterweight Dustin Hazelett admits that his fighting style doesn’t always please trainers and coaches. Never one to shy away from attempting a flying knee or unconventional submission, the 22-year-old knows that his offensive attack often puzzles those around him.
After all, a flying armbar is not something that is drilled regularly at practice. Likewise, a flying triangle doesn’t rank high on a coach’s list of things-to-do. However, the Kentucky-born Hazelett believes his tactics are extremely valuable. While his coaches don’t always agree, Hazelett feels that his unusual approach often baffles the only person that truly matters: his opponent.
“I’m doing a lot of really unorthodox, wild stuff that could be potentially dangerous,” Hazelett said of his style inside the Octagon. “It’s kind of how I am outside of the cage too. I’m relaxed in the cage and don’t try to waste too much excess energy. But I’m not afraid to try things that others may shy away from. It’s how I am in real life.
“I think it transfers well into the cage. It keeps opponents guessing.”
Hazelett, a six-fight UFC veteran, hopes his style will prove troublesome for his next opponent, Tamdan McCrory. When the two meet at UFC 91 on November 15, Hazelett (13-4) is hoping to frustrate his six foot, four inch foe by displaying a well-rounded, unpredictable set of skills.
“I think it’s a good matchup for me,” Hazelett, who at 6’1 is also one of the bigger welterweights in the UFC, said. “Even though he is a bit taller, I have a half-inch reach on him. That’s weird considering his height and I plan to use that to my advantage.
“From what I’ve seen of his fights, he appears to be very strong,” Hazelett, who trains at UFC vet Jorge Gurgel’s gym in Cincinnati, Ohio, continued. “It’s weird that we’re both tall, slender guys, but our fighting styles aren’t that similar. He’s more of a strength and speed guy and I’m more a finesse fighter. We’re built the same, but we have very different styles.”
Considering the contrast in styles, Hazelett is curious to see which game plan McCrory (11-1) will deploy. A decorated grappler, Hazelett realizes that “The Barn Cat” is quite the opposite and has a penchant for striking. With that said, Hazelett has worked with The Ultimate Fighter season six alum Dorian Price in order to improve his striking. By working with Price, a feared Muay Thai practitioner, Hazelett hopes to simulate some of what McCrory has to offer.
“My ground game is definitely my strength, but I definitely think you’ll see improvement in my standup,” Hazelett, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt, said. “It’s great to be able to train with Dorian. Kickboxing with him is a humbling experience. It’s crazy to see how much better he is than me. He has really helped me improve.
“With that said, though, I’m not sure if he’ll (McCrory) keep it standing or try to take me down. I’ve been watching a lot of his interviews and he seems incredibly confident. He might be one of those guys that takes me down to prove that he can. He’s well-educated, he’s intelligent. He may try to prove that he can take the fight to the ground. My emphasis has been on striking, but I’ll be prepared either way.”
If the fight does make it the ground, Hazelett believes McCrory will be in over his head. Although he respects that his opponent is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Luke Cummo at UFC 87 and boasts a 2-1 record inside the Octagon, Hazelett feels that his jiu-jitsu background will reign supreme. With three of his four UFC wins coming by submission, the former Business Management student thinks that his ground skills will add up to a convincing victory.
“My ground game has gotten me to where I am,” Hazelett said. “His arms are very long. That should make it easy to submit him. It’s going to be interesting to see how he adapts to that on the ground. I saw some video of him rolling on the internet. Some of that stuff he did on tape could be very dangerous. And again, he’s very strong and has some speed. But I think my ground game makes me more dangerous.”
Wherever the fight takes place, Hazelett is certain that when he walks into the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 15, McCrory will see a vastly different fighter than ever before. After bouncing back from a loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 82 by submitting Josh Burkman in June, Hazelett is confident that he is continually progressing.
“My last couple fights I have been feeling more relaxed, more confident in the Octagon,” Hazelett said. “Koscheck was one of the top five in the world and I felt like I did well with him. I made some mistakes against him and he capitalized. But I feel like I made some improvements in that fight. I feel like I’m thinking more.
“You are going to see a lot of improvements in this fight. I like to fix the holes in my game from my last fight. That way, when you’re analyzing my tape, you’re really not going to be able to plan properly. I’m already going to have fixed the holes that you’ve seen on tape. It gives you a hard time planning for the fight.”
As fight night approaches, Hazelett is ultimately hoping that a win over McCrory will demonstrate his commitment to becoming a more seasoned fighter. At just 22, he knows that he has a lot of room to grow. Thus, he’s not concerned with the welterweight rankings or pending title shots. For Hazelett, the key is moving in the right direction by building off of quality performances.
“I’m just going to keep working,” Hazelett said. “I’m in no hurry. You usually get one title shot and that’s it. Unless you’ve worked your way back to being the number contender, you get one shot. So I’m going to take my time with it. I still have some areas I need to work on. There are so many guys that are good at everything in the welterweight division. It makes it really hard to create order.
“I don’t like to be one to tell you how fights will play out,” the soft-spoken submission artist added. “I’m not one that likes to say that I’m going to do this or that. I’m going to see what my opponent gives me and I’ll act accordingly. The same goes for my career. I’m not concerned with anything other than improving my game.”
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