| Aaron Riley – One of MMA’s Original Action Heroes Returns |
Before there was The Ultimate Fighter, there was Aaron Riley. Before Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar put on a
fight for the ages in 2005 that opened mixed martial arts up to a whole new fanbase, Riley was having fights like that with guys like Yves Edwards, Steve Berger, and Robbie Lawler.
But when the native of Tell City, Indiana steps into the Octagon this Saturday night against Jorge Gurgel, to many he’ll be the ‘new’ guy, or the guy who lost to Spencer Fisher in his last UFC appearance in January of 2006. It’s an odd place him to be in, especially since a big win could stamp him with the tag of ‘overnight success.’
“It is a little bit strange, but that’s the good thing and the bad thing about the TUF generation that you have going now,” said Riley. “They’re familiar with the guys they see on TV, and that’s awesome that the UFC got that opportunity to showcase MMA to the world. But it is awkward to be in that situation. There are always hardcore guys that follow this and say ‘it’s awesome to see you back in the UFC,’ and I appreciate that, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m not a household name in MMA, and it’s something I’ve gotten used to.”
An 11-year veteran of the sport, Riley (26-10-1) is practically ageless in MMA terms, considering that he’s still only 28. It’s a blessing for him, and an opportunity to basically start again in an organization that he has only competed in twice, losing to both Lawler and Fisher. And as he returns, he’s doing so at his optimum weight of 155, not 170. Of course, fighting in the UFC’s lightweight division means even more killer matchups.
“It’s a really stacked division,” he said. “There are some that are a little thinner than others, but ’55 is a division thick with talent and I think a lot of the matchups with me could be interesting.”
And to prepare for his bout this weekend, Riley has traveled to Victorville, California to train with one of the division’s best, Joe Stevenson – who will fight Kenny Florian in the UFC 91 co-feature.
“I’ve always known of Joe, I met him briefly when I fought in Japan before – he was cornering some other fighters - and he seemed like a good guy,” said Riley. “Joe and I have the same manager, and I was looking to get some training for my last fight that I had in Montreal, so Dean Albrecht said ‘why don’t you go out to Joe Stevenson’s gym?’ It was a really good camp for me, I won that fight, and then I got the offer to fight in the UFC three or four days after that fight, and so the logical thing to do was just turn around and come right back out here where I just had an awesome camp.”
The September win over Steve Claveau in Montreal was Riley’s second in a row, and it prompted the call back to the UFC. Riley immediately accepted and got back to work with ‘Joe Daddy’ and Irvin Bounds to prepare for Gurgel.
“Joe is a very experienced guy as well, and that’s one thing that I like,” said Riley when asked what Stevenson and Bounds bring to the table for him. “Joe didn’t just start in this game. He’s been around for a long time, about as long as me, and he’s got a lot of accomplishments. He’s a really good grappler and he brings some things to the table there. Irvin comes from a really strong striking background and he also wrestled and did grappling as well. Everywhere you train, you pick up new things, and it’s really cool because they don’t have a huge fight team. I’ve been places where they’ve had huge fight teams and you really don’t get that individual attention to prepare for your fights.”
Riley has put in the necessary hours to get ready for the bout, and not to jinx either fighter, but given their histories, this one has the potential to be Fight of the Night. Riley doesn’t feel any pressure to live up to his reputation though.
“I don’t think I’ve ever worried about that,” he said. “I just go out and fight and the fight just is what it is.
I never intentionally go out and say ‘I’m gonna let this guy hit me until he wears himself down and then I’m gonna counter him.’ That may be the way it looks some time, (Laughs) but that’s not the intention.”
The intention is to win though, and whether he’s been successful at that goal or not, Riley has always left whatever he had in the ring. You can simply call it the love of the game, something that has kept him going through the lean years.
“I guess what’s kept me in this is the same thing that made me start doing it – I saw it and fell in love with it,” he said. “Plus, I don’t feel like I’ve reached my potential with it, and that’s one thing that’s driven me.”
On Saturday, a new UFC chapter opens for Aaron Riley. Just don’t ask him how the story ends.
“I’m not looking past this fight,” he said. “I need to make this a good fight and that’s it. I’m not looking past Jorge because he’s not looking past me. He knows that this is an important fight for him as well.”
| " | “It’s a really stacked division,” he said. “There are some that are a little thinner than others, but ’55 is a division thick with talent and I think a lot of the matchups with me could be interesting.” |
