By TXMMA Staff | Photo by Mike Calimbas (Texas MMA Photographer)
Overlooked once again: Ryan Hollis faces challenges ahead of biggest fight of his career
CLEVELAND, TX, October 9, 2013 – Only a few days away from the biggest fight of his career and Ryan Hollis has a chip on his shoulder as always. He’ll be facing a mammoth task in the co-main event of Legacy Fighting Championship 24 when he takes on incoming 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist and undefeated MMA pro Henry Cejudo and it hasn’t been easy getting ready. Between training challenges, depression and hurting teeth, it seems like a lot of problems heading into this one for Ryan but he’s ready to take it out on his highly touted opponent.
“It’s been tough,” says Ryan Hollis about his preparations to face Henry Cejudo at Legacy FC 24, this Friday at the Allen Events Center in North Dallas. “I’ve been fighting sickness, depression… I just had to have 4 wisdom teeth taken out and have been dealing with pains from my teeth for the last 2 weeks so that sucks. To have 2 weeks of training yanked from under you isn’t good but I believe everything happens for a reason. Maybe I would have lost because of the pain from my teeth I was having so I got that taken care of. Now I have this guy in front of me and I’ve got to do everything I can to beat him.”
Recruiting some additional help, Ryan’s traveled out further than his usual training grounds in Cleveland, TX for this one, signed up with noted Houston MMA gym 4OZ Fight Club and getting some different looks from some other training partners.
“When it comes to fighting you have to be prepared for everything, This guy (Cejudo) is an Olympic wrestler there is not much preparing I can do for that in only 3 months, But I am working a lot of my takedown defense, and getting up once taken down and using my submissions. People think he will just hold me down but if you have ever seen my fights I attack a lot from the bottom, so if he is holding me down please believe I will be landing some elbows on his head. I feel good about the matchup, I’m very excited. I don’t plan on being beat up in front of my wife and kids. I’m the man of the house so I’m supposed to be able to beat these guys’ asses you know?”
“I feel as if I’m a cool guy who’s easy to get along with but when I step in that cage you would swear on your life that I was an a–hole. I need to be angry. I developed that habit from street fighting and it’s carried through to now. No matter if I win or lose, every time I fight you will feel like you’re back in high school watching a fight in the hallway, because that’s just the way I make my fights – personal, hate-filled, violent, And that’s what people like to see, Not high fiving each other and being best friends forever.. This isn’t that type of game and that’s not why I got into it. Now I fight for many things. Glory, fame, money, my family… I want to be remembered for being somebody, and I believe I can be somebody in this fight game.”
“[Henry Cejudo] you said I better be ready on Inside MMA, Well I certainly hope you’re ready for a fight because all your previous opponents were scared… I’m not afraid of you. You’re going to see that this isn’t wrestling once you get in that cage with me. I’m not gonna just shrivel up like your previous opponents. I know your gonna try to take me down, but if you do you better give the fans a show and not be a human blanket laying on me and sh-t, cause when I’m on you I’m gonna try to bust you up..”