\Bryan
Caraway
UFC Bantamweight Bryan "Kid Lightning" Caraway fighting out of Yakima MMA took home Fight of the Night honors (and a $65,000 bonus) July 21st at UFC 149 in Calgary with his win over Mitch Gagnon via a 3rd round rear naked choke. Upon his return to Yakima, Caraway spoke to NW Fightscene's Spaniard about the win, his drop to 135 lbs, how he felt when he learned he won the fight of the night, and about his involement in the anti-bullying Stand by Me Program...
NW
Fightscene: This was your first fight at 135 lbs. How was the weight cut?
Bryan
Caraway: It was awesome. Being at 135 basically forced me to have a positive lifestyle change and to change my nutrition around... Overall it was better. I felt better cutting weight to 35, because my body was in better shape. It was healthier... So it was the same, if not easier than going to 145.
NWFS: Some people were saying he looked bigger in the fight. So do you think 135 is where you are at or would you go to 125?
Caraway: 135 is where I'm at. I was actually bigger I think than Mitch. He's 5'5" and he's all stocky and bulky because he's so short. I'm 5'8 and I still think I'm one of the bigger 135lbrs for sure and I definately think that's where my home's at.
NWFS: You took some big shots in the fight but really kept your composure. Do you attribute that to your veteran career or to your granite chin?
Caraway: I didn't really even feel them. I feel like he only hit me twice that was pretty decent, but not even that bad. Didn't rock me... So probably be a little bit my chin and just being tough, and mentally tough. The other part was that I knew I was going to be in a fight and this guy was going to come at me really hard. And just being mentally prepared and knowing that its a fight and you're going to get punched.
NWFS: Talk about the game plan coming into the fight.
Caraway: Watching video footage of him we knew that he comes out really hard, trying to muscle and impose his will, and use a lot of physical strength... so I was expecting it. I expected him to gas out a little bit sooner. That's why I was kind of on cruise control. I could have scrambled with him like crazy and traded strength for strength in the first round, and probably not lost the first round. But I would have been a lot more tired going into the later rounds. So the gameplan was to go out and have him burn some energy and throw me around a little bit and wear him down. Let him do whatever. I knew it was kind of a risky move, giving up the first round, beacuase anything can happen. But I do attribute that to being a veteran and having a lot of fights. Being able to keep to my game plan and my composure, and it worked out in my favor.
NWFS: Did you get tired at all in those scrambles in the 2nd round?
Caraway: Not at all, not even a little bit. I mean naturally tired as in if you're fighting someone, you're getting tired. But the point of saying 'were you tired and starting to gas' not at all. I was kind of letting him just do what he wants. I think in this fight I was less nervous than I've ever been in any of my previous fights in my whole career. I was super relaxed, and I think being relaxed and combining it with my gameplan which was just to kind of chill and let him wear himself out. I think I was a little bit too lackadasical. I think I chilled out a little bit too much. I think I could have pushed back a little bit harder and he would have gassed sooner. He would have been completely gassed at the beginning of the 2nd and I would have got the finish in the 2nd round. But it worked out good and I have to be happy that I got fight of the night and I got the W.
NWFS: You had some cool tricks that were impressive like the hand on the mouth before the choke. The kind of tricks that come from a veteran.
Caraway: Absolutely. There's a lot of little tricks here and there, just like in any sport... There's lots of little things I do. Little pressure places, little things that are kind of distraction points. Just constantly making temporary discomfort. And its all about trickery and getting him to think about one thing when you're trying to set up something else. That's something I do a lot in practice... And it paid off and got the win for me.
NWFS: What did you go through when Dana White announced you won Fight of the Night?
Caraway: I was super stoked. I knew that I had a really good chance because myself and Matt Riddle were the only two that got submissions. So I knew that I had a 50 percent chance there of getting that bonus. And I knew that a lot of the fights on the card were either quick knockouts or kind of boring fights. So I knew I also had a good chance of winning Fight of the Night bonus. So when they asked me to go to the press conference, I knew something was possibly up, but I wasn't sure. Honestly, I was just on Cloud 9 and when he announced that I won Fight of the Night bonus, it was unbelievable. I was so excited, but at the same time it was so surreal that it was hard to comprehend that someone just said 'Hey I'm giving you 65,000 dollars.' It's not really clicking in until right now. I look at my bank account and I couldn't be more happier, and couldn't thank God more to bless me with this.
NWFS: Especially a guy like you who's put in the time and been in the game a long time. This is really something that has to set in deep for you.
Caraway: Absolutely man. Its just been a long time coming. And I've been working really hard for a lot of years. Sometimes you almost lose a little bit of hope. But you just never give up. I just kept hope and have always had positive expectations and it finally came through. Like I said, I couldn't be more blessed and more happy.
NWFS: What would you say to that fighter who was like you, right on the cusp and really trying to get there?
Caraway: I
do actually think that. They've had Pankration Keep pushing forward. The key thing in life is consistency. You got to be dedicated. You got to keep working hard. And you got to be consistent. It is true, hard work does pay off. Sooner or later, it will pay off. Like I said, you have to have hope and you got to keep hope. And you have to have only positive expectations. And just keep working hard. Hard work conquers everything.
NWFS: You've gotten involved in an anti-bullying program. Tell us about that.
Caraway: It's called Stand by Me Program. It's a youth anti-Bullying program and it just got the President's Award in Washington DC. So we're going to be going around to a bunch of different kids and organizations and schools, and talking about bullying and the effects of it. And trying to push the movement.
NWFS:How did you come to be involved?
Caraway: I came about it through our professor that runs are jiu-jitsu program at Yakima Mixed Martial Arts. One of Silvio Behring Jiu-jitsu's main Black Belts, Professor Pete Iacavazzi. Professor Pete started this program and basically told me about it and asked if I wanted to come on board so I was more than happy to be a part of this program and movement.
[Find out more on the program at standbymeprogram.com]
NWFS: Any shoutouts?
Caraway: I would thank all the people that were a part of this. I'd like to thank Yakima MMA. I'd like to thank Jagged Barber Shop. Vicious FightGear. I'd like to thank Sikjitsu. Rich Guirin, Rick Little, my corners. And last but not least, I'd like to thank Miesha Tate. She's in my corner. She was helping me with my nutrition. She was there the whole entire camp. I don't think I could have made 135 without her. All off this wouldn't have been possible. She helped me with my sponsors. She really was my go-to person for camp. Mentally, physcially, emotionally. I can't thank her enough. I definately want to give a special shoutout to my mom. I love you mom! Thank you for putting me in wrestling and pushing me and always being my biggest supporter, and making me the person I am today.
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