'Winning Mark': Exclusive Interview with Mark Munoz after his 'Fight of the Night' win at UFC 112

 Mark Munoz (AP Photo)

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We can go all day talking about Mark Munoz's highly-decorated wrestling background or some can even nit-pick his weaknesses and run with it, but at the end of the day, it was his heart, courage and determination that pulled him through against Kendall Grove at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, UAE last weekend. 

Fittingly so, Munoz did it in front of several Filipinos who themselves shared the same characteristics he displayed in his victory that garnered Fight of the Night honors. 

Abu Dhabi UAE and the middle east are known hubs to Filipinos for overseas workers that are willing to sacrifice in able to afford their families a better life. Many of them showed up in support of Munoz as evidenced by the loud ovation the Fil-Am warrior from Vallejo, California received. 

"It was awesome. When I weighed-in at the Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi, I was just in awe of all the Filipinos. It was crazy. I felt like I was just in the Philippines. I heard Tagalog everywhere and just screaming and yelling for me. The support was just amazing," Munoz told me when I interviewed him a few days after his victory.

It was definitely a come-from-behind victory for the books as Munoz looked more like one of his training partners, the legendary former Pride and UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera who is known for his epic comeback wins.

Grove was able to stuff Munoz's takedown attempts in the opening round and landed solid knees and got the Filipino on the wrong side of submissions. Munoz did not waver. "You saw my improvements with defending submissions. He had great chokes and chances to put me in a triangle and an arm bar and I was just patient. The Nogueira brothers, they teach that stuff to me all the time," Munoz elaborated.

And even during dire moments, Munoz admitted that he never lost confidence in his game plan. He knows what he is capable of and where his strength lies which is in his wrestling. In his words, Munoz said, "To be honest with you, I don't remember most of the fight. But looking back and watching the replays.. I'm a guy that always looks for the finish. I don't ever seat back and just look to score points. I'm always going to be aggressive and when I step on the cage I will always look to finish. My strength is on the ground and that's where I was going to take it. I was determined to take it there and Kendall knew that. Every time I shot in, he would throw an upper cut or a knee, and that's pretty much what happened. But then when I got it to the ground, you saw what happened."

And the happening was another vintage ground and pound beat down courtesy of the Filipino Wrecking Machine.

Check out my full interview with Munoz below as he further talked about topics like bringing the UFC to the Philippines, his desire to fight near his hometown in August. Munoz also spoke in Tagalog to address all of his Filipinos fans:

  Dennis "D Source" Guillermo is a freelance sportswriter. You can contact him through e-mail at dennisguillermo2@yahoo.com. (Art by: Justino Magalona / check out his art works by clicking this link) 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO OF MUNOZ'S WIN OVER GROVE

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