Patrick Cote looks to go 4-1 as a welterweight on August 23rd when he meets former WSOF title challenger Josh Burkman at UFC Fight Night 74 in Saskatoon. Cote (21-9) caught up with MMAOddsBreaker on Episode 117 of The Parting Shot Podcast and discussed a variety of topics. Win over Joe Riggs at UFC 186 this past April “I was 75% satisfied with my fight. I took the second round a little bit lightly. I don’t know why, I felt pretty comfortable – maybe too comfortable. When I watched on the big screen, it was only one minute left in the second round, I was like ‘Man I didn’t do [anything] in that round’ That’s why I lost the second round. But he didn’t hurt me or [do any] damage. That’s why in the third round I had to pull the trigger a little bit more. I was really happy, I was able to show I’m improving my all-around game as much as possible. Everybody knows me with my standup and right hand. I have to use some other tricks. Being called “The French Joe Rogan” because of his French UFC commentating duties “That’s cool, that’s who I am. I’m the French color commentator [and I’m a] blackbelt in jiu-jitsu [as well]. I’m a little bit [ahead of him] because I fight, I have the inside eye on fighting. I think people understand that and I like it. I can really say what the fighter is doing at the right moment. I can see the submission in advance. I think that’s what the people like the most because [I still fight]. I’ve fought so many times in the cage so I can see a lot of things that maybe not a lot of other commentators can see.” Most challenging aspect of commentating “It was more about doing it in French. It’s was really hard at the beginning, but now it’s ok. You have to translate armbar, what is omoplata? what is a triangle choke? Even in French we train, but we called [the moves] in English for so many years. But during the action you have one second to describe the technique. It took me a while switch to French right away. That was the hardest part seriously.” Keeping quiet for weeks about the UFC’s debut in Saskatoon “I knew that for a couple of months already but we didn’t know about the opponent. Rhere are so many shows now. I’m not saying that Burkman isn’t good, but all the good names for me were already booked. It took a while for us to have a choice to take an opponent. Since a month ago the [UFC wasn’t] sure [the event would happen] because Saskatchewan didn’t have a commission. They didn’t know if they would be able to have an event. But now everything is in place, August 23rd we’re going to Saskatoon and it’s the first time the UFC is going there. I’m sure it’s going to be sold out and fun.” Requesting fights with Rick Story, Matt Brown and Cathal Pendred “No [Burkman] wasn’t our first pick, like I said all those guys were already booked. After that they gave us a list of fighters. I actually did appreciate [the UFC] did that . I’ve won 8 of my last 10 fights, I [figured] I would be able to ask for a bigger name. They gave me a list of names and to put that in a ranking of who I wanted to fight. So finally, Burkman wasn’t the first pick, but he was [on the list]. Right away I wanted to fight Rick Story, but he’s fighting on the same card as me [against Erik Silva]. I [also] wanted to fight Matt Brown when he lost his last two fights and I guess he just beat Tim Means. [I wanted a] guy like who isn’t afraid to exchange toe to toe on his feet. They wanted to give [Brown] a Top 10 guys for his winning streak. At the same time we [also] wanted Cathal Pendred because he was four wins in a row [before the John Howard fight]. This guy isn’t good at all [especially with how he] fought his last fight, like you saw, he lost his last fight and it was pretty horrible. On Burkman coming into this fight 0-1 (NC) “Burkman, he’s a veteran, we know each other for a long time. It’s going to be his 41st fight so he has a lot of experience and it’s going to be a good scrap. He lost his last two fights but you have to check his opponents, he came in as a late replacement for Hector Lombard. He was sick as hell and Lombard wasn’t able to finish him. In his second fight he took on the #8 ranked fighter in Dong Hyun Kim. It was two hard fights for him, you can’t [base] his performances in his last two fights because they were hard fights. He’s way better then what he showed in his last two fights.” Matchup with Burkman at UFC Fight Night 74 “I feel pretty good, I think my all-around game is way better than him. I have better ground game, better wrestling and I have for sure better stand-up. I think in one year I think my game has improved more than in the last 10 years. In the last year my game has improved so much, I think I made the right choices. I work with good people too, I got my BJJ blackbelt and have improved my wrestling. My mental game is different. I’m fighting because I want to do, I’m not stressed out losing money. I’m going there, I have no stress. I can train with a free mind. I don’t want to have a lack of respect with Burkman. but he’s a quitter. When he’s in big trouble, he’s a quitter. He’s going to let his opponent take a submission and tap him out. If you watch his [fights] in 90% of his losses it’s submission. That’s it, I know he’s very powerful in the first round. But in the second and third he’s not able to keep the rhythm.” Training camp for this fight “I’m training at BTT Canada and Core Excellence for my conditioning. I’m still boxing at the Grant Brothers Gym in Montreal, a lot of great training partners, pro boxers. Those guys are savages, the boxing sparring over there is very hard. I’m still working with my nutritionist who was with me with for my first fight at 170 pounds. I have a good solid team around me now, so it’s fun.” Fighting on a Sunday night instead of Saturday “It’s just one more day. The fight against Kyle Noke was on a Wednesday. For sure it’s kind of weird. If it’s Sunday, Monday, Tuesday it doesn’t matter. When the door closes, the jobs the same you have to perform and win the fight.” How this fight ends on August 14th “Since 2008 I haven’t finished an [opponent] When I fought Cung Le and Stephen Thompson, I wanted to finish those guys. But those guys are so weird [in their style]. Again Kyle Noke I think I dominated every round and I wanted to show that I improved my wrestling. I think it’s about time to finish this fight. Seriously I see myself submitting him in the second round. Put in a lot of damage on my feet in the first round. He’s not going to be able to follow the rhythm. He’s going to try and clinch with me in the second round. Even if he puts me on my back, I’ll submit him anyways. I’ve been working a lot on my [ground game]. I see myself finishing him in the second round by submission.” Where a win over Burkman puts him in the UFC’s welterweight division “Actually I think I’m going to stay right there [laughs]. I don’t think a win against Burkman is going to move me up in the ranks. It depends the way I’m going to finish him. If it’s a very dominant performance, maybe I’m going to crazy and call someone out in front of me. For sure I’m going to have one loss in the welterweight division since I rejoined the UFC. That will be two wins in a row and I will be able to have a big fight after that, 100% sure.” How much longer he wants to compete “My first fight in UFC was at UFC 50 [in 2004], hard to believe. I don’t know man, as long as my body is able to follow. As long as I don’t have a serious injury or anything dangerous for my health. As long as I’m able to complete with the elite of the sport. As long as I’m able to do that, I can’t see why I would stop? I’m still enjoying doing this, training hard every day. I have another family, my training partners and my team. I’m not ready to leave that right now. [But at the same time] I want to see my kids grow. I don’t want to push too much and have serious damage. Right now I’ve never been knocked out or rocked in my life. I train for that, I have a good chin. I try to protect this chin as much as possible. All together if I’m able to continue the same way, maybe two, three, four years, I don’t know? Maybe after this fight I will be like man, I don’t want to receive punches in my face anytime, I’m done. The only thing I don’t want to know is doing the fight I’m not supposed to. I have a lot of good people around me, they will tell me before that.” You follow Patrick on Twitter @patrick_cote You can listen to the full audio version of this interview on Episode 117 of The Parting Shot Podcast below (16 mins in)
