Mark Bocek got everyone’s attention when he tapped out Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Dustin Hazelett with a triangle choke from mount at UFC 124 in Montreal. Bocek, speaking with MMAFA.tv, explained why he went on to call out fellow lightweight George Sotiropoulos immediately following the fight.
“I want to set the record straight. I’m not one to just call people out, but everyone looks at him as the Jiu Jitsu guy at 155 and I want everyone to look at me as that. I can beat Sotiropoulos and he is a great stylistic match-up for me. The upcoming fight with Benson Henderson might even be tougher for me. He’s not as technical as Sotiropoulos, but he has better conditioning and wrestling. Also, look at Sotiropoulos’ last fight: he really slowed down after the first round with Joe Lauzon.”
Bocek also claims he shouldn’t be overlooked as one of the top lightweights in the UFC division.
“I feel like I’m right up there and this next fight will put me right at the top. Everyone knows where Jim Miller stands in the division and I think I beat him. The problem was that we fought in New Jersey (where Miller is from) and I didn’t finish him. Look at Miller’s reaction, look at his interviews – he thought I won that fight, too.”
At UFC 129 Bocek takes on former WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson in his backyard at Toronto.
“He is a tough match-up for me but I will be ready. I have the advantage in a few areas, too. Sure, he is hard to submit, but he doesn’t have better Jiu Jitsu than Dustin Hazelett, he doesn’t have better wrestling than Jim Miller and we know about my fights with them. Cardio has never been a problem for me and I am getting better every fight. I’m very happy with this match-up.”
The WEC was recently merged with the UFC, both promotions under Zuffa ownership, combining the two lightweight divisions into one. Although Bocek welcomes the new fighters into the UFC fold, he remains skeptical about their ability to compete with top UFC lightweights.
“They deserve their shot, but are they on the same level as the top UFC guys? No. I don’t think Anthony Pettis will beat Gray Maynard or Frankie Edgar. Time will tell, and he has looked fantastic, but I think the top five guys in the UFC could edge him out. There are other guys coming in like Donald Cerrone who has good striking but we all know he isn’t a grappler. This is Mixed Martial Arts, not just kickboxing.”