Switch them around any way you like, but the general consensus is that the five most stressful events in someone’s life will probably be: death, change of job, marriage, divorce, and personal injury. So it’s safe to say that Matt Wiman was pretty stressed out in the days leading up to June 7, 2008.
On that day, the Colorado native was going to be facing Brazilian phenom Thiago Tavares at UFC 85. Anytime you fight, there’s a good chance of personal injury – it’s part of the game. Next, a horrible performance by Wiman could have meant a job change, or at least a change of scenery from the UFC. Finally, Wiman was seven days away from getting married to his fiancée Courtney. Add in being in London, far away from his Texas home, and Wiman was at wit’s end as he approached the biggest fight of his career.
“That was probably the most pressure I ever felt,” he said. “But I think it was the thing of stepping into that upper echelon of fighters. I’ve fought top ten guys before and fell a little bit short and I didn’t want to fall short on this one. I trained really hard and I wanted to succeed. That was the biggest pressure.”
He admits that it wasn’t the easiest week of his life, and with just one cornerman from home with him, there was little to take his mind off the task at hand.
“I really felt lonely and out of place,” he said. “I was just with one of my corner guys, and it just about broke me, but I called my wife, she talked me back to sanity, and I went out there and fought the best I could.”
Wiman did more than that. In one of 2008’s best bouts, the lightweight up and comer fought tooth and nail with Tavares until 1:57 of the second round, when a furious barrage of punches put the Brazilian down and out. An ecstatic Wiman had not only scored the biggest win of his four year stay in the pro ranks, but he also doubled his paycheck by winning, and put some more money in the bank thanks to a Fight of The Night bonus.
That was a personal victory. As far as the public was concerned, it was Wiman’s fourth straight victory since coming off season five of The Ultimate Fighter and a win that cemented his spot in the stacked 155-pound weight class as a future contender. All that was left for Wiman was to finish off the year with another big victory over a big name – someone like Frankie Edgar. The bout was scheduled for December 10th, and everywhere Wiman looked, he saw the face of Edgar, even on television.
“It’s weird,” he muses, “I’ve won four fights in a row, and when the commercial for the fight comes on, it says Mike Swick, Josh Koscheck and Frankie Edgar are fighting for the troops. (Laughs) Part of me thinks that’s cool because I like beating up the guy that they advertised. I like being the underdog because then it’s a little sweeter victory.”
But just last Tuesday, word came down that Edgar hurt his knee and would not be able to fight this week. Wiman was disappointed, but as another New Jersey standout – Jim Miller - was inserted into this Wednesday’s televised bout, his mood brightened.
“This fight’s at a good point in time for me, and I’m more than ready to knock him out or submit him,” said Wiman, 10-3. “If he can last 15 minutes, I can beat him that way as well, but I’ll be looking to finish the fight with fireworks.”
It’s a mature outlook for the 25-year old, who admits that marriage has played a part in helping him slow down, deal with things as they come, and not sweat over things he can’t control.
“When I met her (his wife) I knew I wanted to marry her and get life a little bit more on track, so she definitely plays a big part in me maturing,” he said. “I had to step it up, and I try hard every day to be a better person, a better fighter, and a better husband.”
For our purposes here, let’s look at Matt Wiman, the fighter. A well-rounded talent, Wiman’s early career was marked by exciting fights and a streak of recklessness that cost him when he stepped up against the likes of Spencer Fisher and Roger Huerta. Those erratic performances weren’t going to garner him a full-time spot in the UFC though, so after going 1-1 in the TUF5 competition, Wiman sewed up the holes in his game. UFC wins over Brian Geraghty, Michihiro Omigawa, Justin Buchholz, and Tavares have followed.
“I just gained more experience, and with the experience I did some troubleshooting and problem solving and came up with better gameplans and better training regimens,” he explains. “Mentally and physically, I’ve gotten stronger, and my skills are increasing. I used to be a little bit raw, but now I’m a little bit more molded. Spiritually, mentally, and physically, I’ve just grown.”
That maturation doesn’t mean he’s given up on being exciting though.
“I don’t feel comfortable backing up and running around,” he said. “I don’t feel comfortable if I’m not working hard for something, and if I’m playing it safe, I feel like the other guy is plotting and planning, so I want to put him on the defensive and I want to push the pace and bring the fight to him. I’ve tried fighting other ways and tried to be overly technical, and it just doesn’t work for me. I obviously practice technique and I have good technique, but that isn’t the most significant thing to me – I like going hard and pushing the pace and taking care of business, not in a reckless way, but in a smart way.”
It will be interesting to see how Wiman has upped his game since the Tavares fight, but at the very least, you can expect “Handsome Matt” to be charging even harder considering that he will be fighting in front of members of the US armed forces that include his brother Scott, a Green Beret.
“He’s gonna be there to support me as I try to support the troops by putting on a good show and telling them how much we appreciate them,” said Wiman. “I was hoping to get on this card when I heard that the UFC might be having a fight on a military base and I didn’t care where it was – I wanted to fight and let those guys know that they’re really appreciated, and of course it’s a little more personal because my brother’s in there.”
Suffice to say that Matt Wiman’s not the same precocious kid who waved off a shot from Spencer Fisher at UFC 60 seconds before eating a fight-ending knee. He’s a pro now, and though it’s not top on his immediate priority list, he knows that he’s on his way to big things in this game if he keeps on the road he’s currently traveling.
“I’ve always tried to control things that are out of my control, but lately I’ve been sitting back and saying that all I can do is my part, which includes winning fights, fighting hard and fighting well, coming in prepared, and the rest will take care of itself,” he said. “So when I’m ready for a title shot, it will present itself.”
UFC Fight for The Troops airs on Spike TV on Wednesday, December 10th at 9pm ET / PT. To donate to the Fallen Heroes Fund, click here.
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