Canadian fan favourite Patrick “The Predator” Cote returns to the octagon later this month when he faces off with Joe Riggs in a welterweight bout on the UFC 186 prelims. Starting his UFC tenure in 2004, the 35-year old French Canadian will be making his 17th octagon appearance when he competes April 25th. While he’s never captured a UFC championship, Cote has an established resume that includes two stints on The Ultimate Fighter – as a participant and coach – while also facing off with two former UFC champions. The BTT Canada product spoke to MMAOddsBreaker on Episode 99 of “The Parting Shot Podcast” and discussed a variety of subjects. Fighting Tito Ortiz in his UFC debut Cote was set to make his UFC debut against Marvin Eastman on the first fight of the prelims for UFC 50 back in 2004. Instead he got the call he’s be fighting in the main event against Tito Ortiz after his original opponent Guy Metzler was forced to withdraw after he suffered a stroke. “That was unreal actually.” Cote said “Four days before [that fight the UFC] called me to fight. Tito was a guy [I really looked up to] so that’s what was so weird. I was probably one of the last guys they asked to fight him; nobody wanted to fight him, Tito was still on top at this time. I was like ‘yeah let’s do it man’ this is great exposure and a lifetime opportunity, so I took it. Four days after, this guy who was on my screensaver [now] wanted to take my head off so it was pretty weird man.” Fighting Anderson Silva for the title at UFC 90 “I remember it was very complicated. He’s one of a kind, every time I was trying to hit him, he wasn’t there. I remember that I was still in the third round; I never said I was winning the fight but I was still there. I’m a puncher, in every round I still have a chance to win. That was bad luck, bad time. This is my only regret was that the fight ended up like that. I would prefer that he knocked me out cold and we had a real decision, instead of hurting me like that. It’s kind of like unfinished business. But you know what? I was there with the greatest of the history of MMA, it was a great memory. “ On Anderson Silva being caught for PED’s “It’s bad because it’s going to put a shadow on his legacy. I’m against steroids for sure, I’m happy he got caught because I’m not ok with cheaters. [However] it hasn’t erased everything he’s accomplished in the past.” On the UFC’s mandate for stricter PED testing “I love it, I hate cheaters. I try to perform very clean and I try to train as hard as can. I’m not young anymore and it’s harder and harder every day for me to train. For me it’s a personal choice, you either take [PED’s] or you don’t. I’m happy now they are putting a lot of effort forward to catch the cheaters. If we want the sport [to being accepted by everybody] things need to change. If we’re able to put a system against drugs and steroids – it’s going to be good for the sport.” Competing on Ultimate Fighter Season 4: The Comeback “That was a great experience. I served six months in Bosina [in the Canadian military] so to be locked in the house for six weeks, doing what I love, train twice a day, eating $30 dollar steaks every night, for me it was like paradise. I still talk to Matt Serra and I actually [trained with him] when I fought Alessio Sakara [at UFC 154]. I always say if they asked me to do it again, I’d do it.” Coaching Team Canada on TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia “That was really fun. I had a nice group of talented guys and we swept the season, I couldn’t ask for more. In the final, my two guys [Chad Laprise and Elias Theodorou] won the Ultimate Fighter then it after that was my turn to fight the other coach. I was like ‘man I have to win’ because I’m going to look so bad [if I don’t]’. But I [ended up winning my fight] against Kyle Noke [at TUF Nations Finale last April].” On his career fighting at welterweight “I’m started working with a professional nutritionist [when I dropped to welterweight]. I thought I knew nutrition, but I didn’t know anything. I walk around 215 pounds in the offseason. I always train but it’s more about the nutrition. When I start eating well and am [preparing] for a fight, I [only] have to drop around 15-20lbs. It’s pretty easy when I’m able to get down to this weight, at 192-193 pounds.” Fighting Joe Riggs at UFC 186 on April 25th “Riggs is very dangerous on his feet, he’s a southpaw, very good striker, strong physically and vicious ground and pound too. He’s very flat footed and when you put the pressure on him, he kind of covers himself. I have to be careful of his right hook and we know exactly what to do. But we have to be very mobile and not staying in front of him because he’s very powerful. For this training camp, I’m training full time at BTT Canada and I’m ready to go. I was supposed to fight March 14th [at the rumored UFC Windsor event] I started my camp January 1st and at the end of January they told me I would going back to Montreal [April 25th for UFC 186] instead. So let me tell you, I’m ready.” Competing on the UFC 186 prelims “Actually this is good for me. Because the prelims [air on TSN/RDS in Canada] the TV network I work for. That was kind of my request was to be on the main event of the prelims. It’s better for me [in terms of] exposure for the future.” Being a MMA Broadcaster in Canada “I’m going to have my own [magazine style show] soon. I’ve been working for the UFC [the last] seven years as a commentator and now we’re on RDS; everything is in a good place. Everything is going pretty well. If I’m not in the gym, I’m in the studio. My wife can’t wait until the fight is over soon. “ On who wins the Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald rematch at UFC 189 “I think Rory is more technical than Lawler, but he has to be careful of the power. I think in a five round fight MacDonald has the advantage, the first fight was three rounds and he got rocked in the third round by Lawler. But with that said, I’m a big fan of Robbie Lawler, I love watching him fight and he’s always going for a knockout. That’s what MacDonald has to be careful of, is the power. [Rory’s] the better wrestler and technical striker, but the power for sure 100% is on the side of Lawler. “ On why he’s a Seattle Seahawks fan “The thing is I went to Seattle a couple of years ago. My friend was a big fan of the Seahawks and he said ‘you have to come, you have to see the stadium and hear the crowd’ I went there five or six years ago. But I was a big fan of Brett Farve, he was my favorite player. I was a fan of the team he was playing for, so I was a fan of the Packers and Vikings. But when he retired I was kind of lost. I love football and I’m a very big fan of the NFL. When I went to Seattle, I was like that’s my team. I think the last Superbowl was a heartbreaker, I think they’ll put everything together to get back [to the Superbowl].” You can follow Patrick on Twitter @Patrick_Cote and listen to the full audio version of this interview on Episode 99 of The Parting Shot Podcast (12 mins in)
