Jorge Gurgel: Listen and Learn

  • Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 8:36 am by Danny Acosta

Jorge Gurgel’s desire to please his bosses in the UFC with exciting fights ultimately got him fired.

“I was sick of not performing up to my expectations. I know how I can fight. All my students know,” said Gurgel of his 3-4 UFC record. He claims a rebirth is on this horizon this Friday when he battles Conor Heun at Strikeforce Challengers live from the ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington on Showtime.

The damage suffered in his fights – a broken jaw, blood in his urine – didn’t prompt the change. The effect it has had on his body, that Gurgel is “32 going on 50” as his best friend and most famous student Rich Franklin likes to say – that wasn’t it either.

After a soul-searching surf trip to his native Brazil following his dismissal from the UFC, a friend explained losing with a crowd-pleasing style depressed fans and students more than it excited them. It was the first of two revelations that prompted a rebirth.

During his last UFC bout, Gurgel realized he was listening to his corner man Mark DellaGrotte—the first time he’s listened to his corner man in his entire nine-year career—and said so out loud.

“Good, you should,” said DellaGrotte.

Gurgel chalks it up to being a late bloomer. He still plans to fight with every ounce of his being, hospitalization looming or not. Play it safe? He insists he’s more likely to get seriously hurt in training or walking down the street.

“If I was [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva, I would have cut myself too,” he said, pointing out he disappointed himself and everyone else with his showings even in victory. “With my second chance, I’m actually ready to perform the way I know I can perform.”

That’s the gameplan for Strikeforce—perform. And Gurgel asserts he’s sticking to it. With excitement in his voice, he comments the main benefit of fighting in Strikeforce versus the UFC is pacing. He wants to fight as much as possible, parlaying it into a title run for Strikeforce.

If he’s healthy after Heun — which has never been the case after his fights — Gurgel wants to fight on Strikeforce’s August 15th Showtime card. He’s not worried about “Hurricane” because he expects that Heun won’t stand and will instead try to take the fight to the ground. Gurgel welcomes that, willing to fight anywhere, perhaps making the transition form single-minded fighter to mixed martial artist.

“Stubbornness got me where I am today,” according to Gurgel. But the willingness to listen and learn is what will allow him to succeed in the future. Gurgel believes his change in perspective will manifest itself in a physical, aggressive, dominant yet technical version of himself—a fighter he’s excited to meet.

SociBook del.icio.us Digg Facebook Google Yahoo Buzz StumbleUpon

3 Responses to “Jorge Gurgel: Listen and Learn”

  1. BAYOAN CORTES says:
    June 18, 2009 at 11:04 am

    MR. GURGEL DO YOU PLAN ON ADAPTING SOME OF 8 SYSTEM MMA’S “NEWLY CREATED FORM OF MARTIAL ART – WHICH HAS AN EXPLOSIVE HAND SYSTEM” INTO SOME OF YOUR STAND UP!?!…THIS COULD MOST LIKELY HELP YOU GET THE EDGE IN YOUR UPCOMING MATCHES AND IN AUGUST FOR STRIKE FORCE! THE CONCEPT OF ALWAYS HAVING AN EMPTY CUP WILL LEAD YOU TO BEING A TRUE MIXED MARTIAL ARTIST WHICH YOU HAVE PROFESSED IN THIS ARTICLE. SEEING… ADAPTING AND EXCEPTING TO WHAT IS NEW AND NOT “STAGNANT TRADITION” CAN AND WILL USUALLY GIVE THE WARRIOR ENGAGED IN COMBAT THE EDGE TO WIN BATTLES… BEST OF LUCK AND “HARD WORK” TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM…BATTLES ARE WON IN TRAINING… THE “WAR IS BLISS” !!!

  2. Rabbit Punch Radio: UFC Welterweight Jon Fitch Eyes GSP-Alves - FIGHT! says:
    June 20, 2009 at 3:33 pm

    [...] fighter that almost died, tonight’s female fight, how stubbornness hurts, Mike Swick, Mirko Crocop, Jake Shields, and don’t forget to check out the coolest [...]

  3. Rabbit Punch Radio Episode One: Jon Fitch Bringing the Funny - FIGHT! says:
    June 25, 2009 at 4:03 am

    [...] Lester nearly dying, Jorge Gurgel’sstubbornness hurts, Mike Swick, Mirko Crocop, Jake Shields, and don’t forget to check out the coolest [...]

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.