Athletes
The Most Dangerous Vinc Pichel
"From Hell" Looks Forward To Finally Stepping Into The Octagon Opposite Of Ismael Bonfim At UFC 301 in Rio De Janeiro.
It was a long day in New York City traffic, the kind that makes you want to attack the world.
Vinc Pichel understands.
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“Who do you got to beat the f**k out of?” said the UFC lightweight veteran. “I'll drive.”
We both laugh, but that’s the kind of guy the 41-year-old is. For all the impressions of him as a lone wolf heading into battle alone on fight night, if you’re on his side, he’s on your side, no matter what. So when the Octagon door shuts for his UFC 301 bout against Ismael Bonfim, don’t expect the chants of “Uh vai morrer” to rattle the California native, who will be fighting on Saturday’s card with his Factory X teammates Anthony Smith and Jonathan Martinez under the guidance of head coach Marc Montoya.
“Words don't offend me,” said Pichel. “I like that energy, and once I crack this kid, they're going to be on my side.”
Pichel has been waiting a long time to crack Bonfim, six months to be exact, as it was in November of last year that the two were scheduled to meet in Sao Paulo. But Bonfim weighed in at 159.5 pounds, three-and-a-half pounds over the allotted limit, and the bout was scrapped. It wasn’t the ideal outcome for Pichel, but one he felt was necessary.
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“I'm not trying to give him any more of an advantage than he already has in his backyard,” he said. “It's disrespectful, straight up, to not make weight, especially by that amount. He purposely did that.”
On Friday, both fighters clocked in at 156 pounds, making Saturday’s fight official, which is a good thing for all involved.
“I told (manager) Jason (House), ‘Listen, if this guy doesn't make weight again, I'll most likely take the fight just to whoop his f**king ass, but I'm going to whoop his ass in that hotel. We're not going to make it to the cage.”
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Six months later, Pichel is still fired up about what happened last year, and while it’s always preferable to be in a fight with someone you like and respect like a Jim Miller or Austin Hubbard, “From Hell” doesn’t feel bad about having a little more heat with Bonfim.
“My intentions are definitely more malicious,” he admits. “I'm not going to be looking to have this little sport competition in there. I’m going to punch him a little harder, I'm going to knee a little harder, I'm going to be a little faster and I'm going to make him regret being in there with me.”
Does that mean we may be seeing the best of Vinc Pichel, the one who three in a row before running into Mark O. Madsen in April of 2022?
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“I fight a lot better that way, and I think my back's against the corner, so that's when I'm the most dangerous,” he said. “That's probably my biggest strength when I have nothing left to lose. And right now, I'm right there.”
But at least he’s got backup in that corner.
“Fighting with teammates and having friends around is always fun,” said Pichel, who isn’t looking too far past Saturday night at the moment. All that matters is right now, and for all the aggravation the fight game can produce, it’s still his place of peace."
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“I don't need fighting,” he said. “I just love fighting because it gives me peace inside my head. It's the only thing that does that. When I'm physically at war is the only time that my emotions are at peace. And I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world. All the stress that I deal with is honestly worth the highs that I get from fighting. And if I had to do it all over again, I would.”
UFC 301: Pantoja vs Erceg took place live from Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 4, 2024. See the Final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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