Who's Your Daddy?

It has been a couple of years since Joe “Daddy” Stevenson walked away the welterweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season 2. Expectations were high, but “Daddy” came out of the blocks stumbling.

In his first fight after beating Luke Cummo in TUF Finale, Stevenson took on Josh Neer, and did not look too impressive. He looked like a different fighter than the one that seemed to dominate his welterweight cast mates. A unanimous decision in favor of Neer left him searching for answers.

Stevenson has matured quite a bit since that loss. He started that maturation process by getting his body in shape, transforming stocky to stacked. This transformation lead him to the best career decision that he has made to date, he dropped to a lightweight, a class much more suited for him.

Since the change, Stevenson has rolled off four consecutive wins, including his last fight, which was his best, over Melvin Stevenson now takes his momentum into UFC 74 where he will take on little known, Kurt Pellegrino. Stevenson’s confidence is sky high, but don’t expect him to take his opponent lightly.

“I think Kurt’s very tough and gifted in a lot of different aspects,” said Stevenson. “I think stylistically we match up pretty well. I think I might have the better grappling ability and wrestling, so I think he’s in for a rude awakening.”

This is the new Daddy talking; the one that knows his hard work has paid off. He has sharpened all aspects of his fight game and is prepared for anything Pellegrino has to throw at him.

“What someone does in the fight all depends on where the fight takes place, game plan, and what is he good at, what is he not,” Stevenson stated. “Sometimes you’re see me stand and sometimes you’re gonna see me take it to the ground. And when I take it to the ground I want you to be impressed and when I stand I want you to think the same thing.”

Because reigning UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk tested positive for steroids following his UFC 73 title defense, the division is a little cloudy. Sherk is denying any wrong doing, and was just approved a continuance for his appeal. That means the he will be out until at least October, when he has his hearing. With the championship belt in limbo, a title shot for Stevenson may be around the corner with a win against Pellegrino.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if I got a title shot after this fight,” he admits. “But I’ve got to win this fight first, and I’m sure Kurt’s got thoughts against so I’ve got a war in front of me. The title is not in front of me, but it’s ahead of me, and I’ll get there after this fight.”

 Who's Your Daddy?

It has been a couple of years since Joe “Daddy” Stevenson walked away the welterweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season 2. Expectations were high, but “Daddy” came out of the blocks stumbling.

In his first fight after beating Luke Cummo in TUF Finale, Stevenson took on Josh Neer, and did not look too impressive. He looked like a different fighter than the one that seemed to dominate his welterweight cast mates. A unanimous decision in favor of Neer left him searching for answers.

Stevenson has matured quite a bit since that loss. He started that maturation process by getting his body in shape, transforming stocky to stacked. This transformation lead him to the best career decision that he has made to date, he dropped to a lightweight, a class much more suited for him.

Since the change, Stevenson has rolled off four consecutive wins, including his last fight, which was his best, over Melvin Stevenson now takes his momentum into UFC 74 where he will take on little known, Kurt Pellegrino. Stevenson’s confidence is sky high, but don’t expect him to take his opponent lightly.

“I think Kurt’s very tough and gifted in a lot of different aspects,” said Stevenson. “I think stylistically we match up pretty well. I think I might have the better grappling ability and wrestling, so I think he’s in for a rude awakening.”

This is the new Daddy talking; the one that knows his hard work has paid off. He has sharpened all aspects of his fight game and is prepared for anything Pellegrino has to throw at him.

“What someone does in the fight all depends on where the fight takes place, game plan, and what is he good at, what is he not,” Stevenson stated. “Sometimes you’re see me stand and sometimes you’re gonna see me take it to the ground. And when I take it to the ground I want you to be impressed and when I stand I want you to think the same thing.”

Because reigning UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk tested positive for steroids following his UFC 73 title defense, the division is a little cloudy. Sherk is denying any wrong doing, and was just approved a continuance for his appeal. That means the he will be out until at least October, when he has his hearing. With the championship belt in limbo, a title shot for Stevenson may be around the corner with a win against Pellegrino.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if I got a title shot after this fight,” he admits. “But I’ve got to win this fight first, and I’m sure Kurt’s got thoughts against so I’ve got a war in front of me. The title is not in front of me, but it’s ahead of me, and I’ll get there after this fight.”