Terry Etim: Stalking and Striking

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By Elliot Worsell

Many people attend many UFC events for many different reasons. Fighters turn up to compete and entertain. Fight fans arrive to be entertained. Media sit Octagon-side to observe and report. Officials are present to make sure everyone gets what they want, while implementing rules and regulations.

Sometimes at events, these roles can cross over and blend. At the historic UFC 100 in Las Vegas, lightweight Terry Etim went from the watched to the watcher.

Oblivious to its importance at the time, Etim sat through the early preliminary fights and, with his fan hat firmly on, admits he was impressed by the performance of a fellow lightweight. The lightweight’s name was Shannon Gugerty and, given the fact they compete in the same weight class, Etim felt it was only right that he watch his rival closely.

“I was over (in Las Vegas) for UFC 100 and had the chance to watch Shannon’s last fight against Matt Grice,” explains Etim. “I was given a great insight into what Gugerty can do inside the Octagon. Funnily enough, Grice was also the guy I defeated on my UFC debut.”

Just in case the association has escaped you so far, Etim has since been paired with Gugerty at UFC 105 in Manchester, England. Given a head start on his revision, Etim was making notes on his November 14 opponent as far back as July.

“I remember Gugerty looking to be a very good fighter back then,” admits Etim. “As soon as I heard I’d be fighting Shannon, it sent an alarm ringing in my head and I remembered watching him in Vegas. I thought he was a good fighter at the time and I’ve seen a few of his fights since and now I know he’s a good fighter.

“Any time I watch another lightweight, whether in person or on TV, you always assume they could one day be your opponent. I have my eye on everyone in the lightweight division. At the time I didn’t expect to be fighting Gugerty next, but I always knew there was the chance it could happen.

“I was extremely happy with the fight when the UFC first put it to me.”

Rewind to UFC 100 in July and Gugerty seemed to leave the same impression on Etim as he did on the thousands of fans watching in the arena. His opening round guillotine choke on Grice would impress even his most ardent critics and rivals.

“He’s a durable ground specialist with 12 victories from 15 professional mixed martial arts bouts,” says Etim. “As with any bout in the UFC, I’m expecting the toughest test of my career to date and will be treating this fight on November 14 as my world title fight.

“He has two first-round UFC wins to his name and has only lost against Spencer Fisher, one of the top lightweights in the world. He also comes from a very strong camp of fighters and trains with top UFC fighters like Brandon Vera. Gugerty is no joke and is going to be a tough test for me. Saying that, though, I definitely see myself coming out on top and winning the fight.”

While analysing the pros and cons of a prospective opponent, Etim also quickly discovered he and Gugerty shared certain things in common. In fact, through the two-and-a-half-minutes he got to see Grice in action, Etim could have been better served staring into a mirror and shadowboxing for 156 seconds.

“Gugerty is very similar to myself in many ways,” explains Etim, 13-2 in his MMA career. “He’s a pretty well-rounded fighter. Most of his wins are by submission, but he’s also decent in the stand-up. I’m not sure I’d say one area of his game is better than any other. He seems to be well-equipped in all areas. I think wherever the fight goes, this fight will remain fast-paced and entertaining. Both of us can fight standing and both of us can go to the ground and set up submissions.”

So what happens when Etim fights a mirror image of himself? Born in San Diego, Gugerty is a tall, rangy lightweight with impressive grappling credentials and the occasional knockout to his name. He’s lost only one of his past 10 mixed martial arts bouts and appears to be in his physical prime at 27 years of age.

Then again, Etim knows all this. He also knows that Gugerty will be no match for him.

“Gugerty’s a well-rounded fighter but I think I’m better in each of the departments,” admits Terry. “I think I’ll have the edge in a striking battle and I also feel I can get the better of him on the ground. I know he’s renowned for his submission wins, but don’t be surprised if I catch him in a submission of my own. I don’t mind going to the ground with him, if that’s what he wants. I proved in my last fight that I can go to the ground with an opponent and finish the fight there if need be. I never have any fear of going to the ground.”

Predominantly a vicious-kicking striker, Etim has also secured two ‘Submission of the Night’ bonuses in the UFC. His long limbs are often just as useful for locking in submissions as they are chopping and whacking away at opponents in the stand-up.

When the striking isn’t working out for him, Etim is always equipped to change things up. This was no better exemplified than when the 23-year-old choked out Justin Buchholz in June at UFC 99. Dropped and bloodied in the first round, Etim battled back in the second to damage Buchholz in the stand-up and then finish the American with a D’arce choke.

“I was obviously happy with the win that night, but the fight itself was a lot tougher than I anticipated going into it,” recalls Etim. “I battled back from a broken nose and a knockdown in the first round and then ended the fight with a D’arce choke finish.

“I suffered a couple of bad spells and still managed to come through with the victory. That gives me a lot of confidence and I proved certain things to myself that night. I always knew I’d be able to come from behind and win, but sometimes you need to go out there and really prove it. I think I did that in June.”

Back at home now, Etim will venture to the MEN Arena on November 14 with fond memories of his UFC debut at the same arena in April 2007. Like Gugerty, Etim halted Matt Grice inside a round that night.

“I’m delighted to be back fighting again at the MEN Arena,” admits Etim. “I’ve fought there twice before in my career and both times were hugely memorable. Mike Tyson was the referee the first time I fought there and then the second time was for my UFC debut. I won both fights in the first round by submission, so the MEN Arena carries really good memories for me. It’s become something of a good omen for me.

“Even though I won my fight in the first round, it was still a very tough fight for as long as it lasted. Grice was coming on strongly with some heavy ground-and-pound to begin with and I managed to then put him to sleep with a standing guillotine choke. It was a very exciting fight considering it lasted less than a round. It was also great to pick up a ‘Submission of the Night’ bonus on my debut.”

Bonuses aside, Etim remembers the atmosphere that night better than anything else. Although he’s since competed in Las Vegas and Cologne, Germany, as well as various other venues in the UK, the atmosphere generated inside the MEN Arena at UFC 70 set an unsurpassed bar.

“The one thing that truly sticks out about UFC 70 was the electric atmosphere generated by the MEN Arena crowd,” says Etim.

“It was one of those nights that you’ll just never forget. I had always dreamed of getting into the UFC to experience nights and atmospheres like that. The crowd was packed to the rafters and the fans were behind every fighter on the card. They arrived for the first fight and then stuck it out until the main event. Every fighter on the card was treated as though they were appearing in the main event.”

Terry Etim goes back to being watched on November 14 at UFC 105. He’ll be watched by fights fans, officials, reporters and possibly even future opponents.