By TXMMA Staff | Photo by Veronica Cortez
Steven ‘Ocho’ Peterson Utilizing New Resources at Octagon MMA to Build for Future Success; Takes on Nelson Salas in XKO 19 Headliner at Europa
DALLAS, TX, August 12, 2013 – The last time we saw Dallas-based pro Steven Peterson in the cage he was on the losing end of a loss to George Pacurariu at Legacy FC 19. That loss marked his second in a row after dropping a decision to now-champion Matt Hobar back in December 2012.
With those two fights representing the first two-fight losing streak of his career something had to change in his training regimen and as it turns out, he found the answer much closer to home than anyone might expect by reaching out to Octagon MMA – home of his past two opponents.
Now training with Pacurariu, Hobar and others in Downtown Dallas, Steven Peterson hopes to build on his past successes and add even more to his skill set. With that process clearly underway, he’ll face the first test in this latest phase of his career this Saturday night when he faces another tough fighter in Nelson Salas in the headlining bout of XKO 19 at the Europa Get Fit and Sports Expo. It’ll be his first fight back at XKO where he is still the reigning XKO Bantamweight champion looking to defend his belt for the second time.
Here are Steven’s thoughts prior to the bout this Saturday night.
XKO 19 Interview – Steven “Ocho” Peterson (Octagon MMA)
Steven it’s been awhile since you’ve fought for XKO. How’s it feel to be coming back?
It feels great man, I had a little set back in my last two fights but I’m looking forward to getting back on track and The XKO Championship fight is a great place to start!
You’re still the title holder there right? Tell us about your previous stint at the company and getting that belt.
I’m still considered the XKO Bantamweight champion though I haven’t defended my belt in over a year. I guess you could consider the belt vacated, but there have been no viable challengers for my belt so I stayed busy fighting for Legacy in the meantime. I won the Belt in a ‘fight of the year’ war of a fight that was unfortunately and controversially ended by an illegal blow. I then validated my place at the top of the division by defending my belt and making quick work of the number one contender.
Your last fight was a tough loss against a tough opponent in Geo Pacurariu. Tell us about that fight.
My last fight was a real eye opener. I knew very little about my opponent and what he was capable of. I guess you could say I under estimated him. He is truly a world class striker and he controlled the distance very well. I tried to corner him against the cage but as soon as I did he lunged forward with a great combo hitting me with the jab followed by an overhand right that put me down. I remember everything, my leg was stuck in place and I fell bad. I remember watching him as I went down, waiting for him to run up and pounce on me. My head hit the mat and I turned toward him to see the referee land on top of me calling the fight. It was over. Not to take anything away from him at all but I believe it looked worse than it actually was. I was still conscious and I would rather him run up and land a few more shots then have it end the way it did. Who knows, maybe I would have thrown up a hail marry submission attempt and turned the tables. It’s all in the past now and there’s nothing I can do about it now. I lost and I take it as a learning lesson. All I can do is focus on the future and try not to dwell on the past.
You now train with those guys at Octagon MMA full-time right? How’s it been over there?
I took the loss hard. I kept it to myself, but I was lost and I didn’t know what to do next. I ate a lot in a semi depressed state and thought hard about whom I was and who I wanted to be. I want to be the best. In order to be the best you need to train with the best, and the best fighters in Texas train at Octagon MMA. I messaged coach Sayif and asked him to meet with me. He opened his doors to me and they took me in as part of the team. They’ve treated me like family and for that I am forever grateful. They quickly whipped me back in shape and got me focused on the future. It was what I’ve been missing all along.
Has having a lot of other pros at or near your size helped a lot?
There is no substitute for great training partners. I’m used to training with people who specialize in a single art and there’s nothing wrong with that but I had to try to fill in the gaps on my own. At Octagon there are more than a few complete fighters that train full-time like I do. It’s exactly what I needed to begin filling the holes in my game and becoming more of a complete Mixed Martial Artist.
What’s Sayif Saud like as a coach? Who are your main training partners there?
Coach Sayif is an incredible coach. He is very hard on us but you can tell it is because he cares and he wants the best for us. The man is a genius and few know the fight game like he does. I’ve been training with great fighters such as Sean Spencer, Bull Lawal, Brad Mitchell, Matt Hobar, Geo, Clayton Mai, Eli Tamez, Damon Jackson, Evan Tanner and all the great fighters Octagon MMA has to offer. With these great training partners my game has improved by leaps and bounds.
At 23 years old, you have a long road ahead of you in MMA. What are some of your goals at this point?
I want to be the best of my time. I obviously have a long way to go, but I have plenty of time to do so. First things first, my short term goal is to Defend my XKO belt. Then my next goal is to make it to the UFC. After that I want to be Champion. If you don’t want to be the champion then why even start at all. It’s all or nothing.
With your addition to Octagon MMA can we expect to see a new style or anything from you?
You should expect to see a much more complete fighter. I haven’t undergone a personality change or anything, just been working to fill the holes in my game and to be better at what I’m already good at. You will see my experience shine through.
What do you think of Nelson Salas? He just fought a now teammate of yours in Hobar. Has that helped at all?
Salas is a tough guy. He is very scrappy and he has yet to be finished. That being said, he’s never fought anyone like me. Hobar has a different skill set then me, but has some insight on how Salas fights. It always helps to train with someone that has already fought your opponent.
How are you approaching fighting him?
Without giving away too much of the game plan, I feel like I have him edged out in just about every aspect of the game. 25 minutes is a long time to fight. It won’t take that long. I will break him down and I will finish him. Whatever opening he gives me, I will capitalize on and finish him.
What’s next for you after this?
I’m not looking past Salas what so ever, so I’m not making any plans for what I’m doing next until I beat Salas August 17th.
Anything else you want to add?
I want to thank Octagon MMA and Coach Sayif Saud. I want to thank Coach Dave Masi, Arjan Carlos Moreno, Marcus Neuenschwander, Gracie Plano, AMTA, Crossfit 380, Last Round Nutrition, Hutchins BBQ, 360 Chiropractic & wellness, City Blends, Vip Mouth guards, and Apex Realtors Toni Wanger. And I really want to thank all of my training partners over at Octagon MMA that helped me get ready for this fight. Most importantly I have to thank my wife Amanda for all her love and support and helping me keep this dream alive.